Deuce-Five.

I had the Dušek Duo and my little Colt's 1908 Vest Pocket out at the range yesterday, since I noticed that I'd somehow accumulated three full boxes of FMJ ammo plus whatever was loose in a sandwich baggie I found in my odds'n'sods bin.

.25 ACP doesn't make a big racket on a falling plate (high-velocity .22's out of a 5 1/2-inch Ruger were making more authoritative smacks), but hitting the plate from any real distance with the little gutter sights on these popguns does make one feel accomplished.

The Dušek dates from '43 and the little Vest Pocket is much older, dating to 1916, but as far as I know, both are still running along tickety-boo on their original recoil and magazine springs. Of course, age does not equate to use. I know for a fact that the Duo was a WWII GI souvenir that spent the last several decades in a sock drawer, and while the little 1908 was carried enough to wear it right down to the white, it likely wasn't shot a whole heck of a lot, either. I mean, how many 1,000-rd training courses or afternoon-long plinking sessions are you going to put a .25 with a two-finger grip and no sights through, anyway?

Still, to take these little antique paperweights out, load them up, and have them each cycle a few magazines with perfect reliability after sitting unused for heaven only knows how long made me feel good. You know who designed the Colt's 1908 (of which the Dušek is a copy)? That's right...

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(Editor's Note: Tempting as it was, I did not load them both up at the same time and dual-wield them like a miniature Last Man Standing...)