I called TK Custom to find out about converting my .45 Colt Mountain Gun to use both .45 Colt and .45 ACP with moon clips. The guy on the phone said:

1. You can use .45 Colt without clips, but
2. If you want use to use .45 Colt with clips, the clips must be .022 thick.
3. .45 ACP clips must be .030 thick.
4. RIMZ (polymer) clips will NOT work because they are .040 thick.

I don't care about using clips with .45 Colt, but, Not being able to use RIMZ clips with .45 ACP is a deal breaker for me. I am going to call Pinnacle on Monday to see what they say.

Anybody know anything about this? Thanks.

rljatl,

When the 45 colt is machined to accept moonclips, the space between the recoil shield and the original cylinder face is much smaller than the distance on a standard .45 ACP revolver. The conversion for a 45 colt cylinder machines a recess on the face, not the entire face. Thus you can use both cartridges. Check how the face on the cylinder is machined for a .357 moonclip conversion you will see how it is done.

...am I missing something here.....can a LC and an ACP actually use the same cylinder, considering head space on the rim vs. on the case mouth???

Who does these conversions and for how much??

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

I've got a 625-9 MG that Pinnacle modified to take moonclips. IIRC, the conversion cost about $90. Turn around was fast, but I caught him when he already had a batch of conversions he was running.

You can't run .45 ACP without the clips - IOW, the ACP round headspaces on the moonclip rather than the case mouth.

I haven't tried the RIMZ clips, I've been buying .45 Colt and .45 ACP moonclips from TK Custom. The Colt clips are a little finnicky: Winchester cases won't work, but R-P and Starline work fine.

I haven't noticed any accuracy issues, but I have had problems with ACP rounds jumping crimp. I'm still playing with the taper crimp and OAL trying to hit the sweet spot...

m657,

Here is a link to the Pinnacle web site that describes how the conversion works:

http://www.pinnacle-guns.com/revolver.asp

If it turns out that I can use RiMZ clips, I am happy and will go forward with the conversion. I'd rather not deal with a mooner/demooner.

JeffR,

Ok, I get it now, different size (thickness) clips for different cartridges. However, you don't actually HAVE to use any clip at all for the .45 Colt, correct?

If I can use .45 Colts without clips and .45 ACP with RIMZ clips, I will be a happy camper.

Thanks for the link and information.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

You got it. You can use the 45acp, 45 Colt, and the 45 Schofield. TK has the moon clips for the 45 Colt. I was going to convert my 25-5 to this, then have it hard Chromed. Now I'm going to buy a new 25 colt and use it. This way the 25-5 that is NIB will stay that way. Have Fun - John

That sounds perfect. I have a S&W Schofield on layaway. So, my new (to me) 625 Mountain Gun will make an excellent compliment to my Colt SAA, S&W Schofield, and 1911. Sure do hope those RIMZ clips will work for the .45 ACP.

RIMZ work like a charm for my conversion. Pinnacle did it by the way. I didn't specify anything special so that I could use RIMZ specifically, they just work.

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War Eagle!!!

rljatl,

No, you don't have to use clips for .45 Colt after the conversion. When the cylinder gets machined, there is a bit of a rim left around the outside (jgh4445's middle pic). This allows the Colt case to headspace and extract correctly without the clip.

JeffR is absolutely correct. Clips are not needed at all for the .45 Colt. They may be used if you wish, but are not needed. For ACP's the clip is a must.

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War Eagle!!!

Great. That confirms it, I am sending my cylinder off to Pinnacle as soon as I get the gun. Should be next week.

Thanks for the info gentlemen.

What about 45 AR brass? Will that work?


Okie John

My understanding is that AR brass is the one that will NOT work because the rim is too thick.

I confirmed with Mark at Pinnacle today that as long as the clips are .040 (standard thickness for .45 acp clips) the RIMZ clips should work and RIMZ clips ARE .040 thickness. The guy at TK Custom must have had the clip thickness confused with another caliber.

Thanks again everyone.

jgh4445,

Great photos of your conversion. Does the conversion work with 1/2 moons as well as the RIMZ? You should send them a photo to use in their web site.

I know where there is a nice .45LC Mountain Gun just sitting in the dealer's "used" case and I think it just found a home. I've been looking at it for quite awhile but now that I know Pinnacle can adapt it to shoot .45acp as well as .45LC I think I will be getting it.

Scott,
Never tried half moons but I see no reason they wouldn't work given the thickness is the same as Rimz or other full moon clips.

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War Eagle!!!

jgh4445,

I was not really concerned with the thickness, but the OD of the 1/2 moon is larger than the OD of the RIMZ 25 which you have in your photo. The 1/2 moon loads cartridges from the inside as opposed to loading from the outside in on full moon clips.

I certainly could be wrong, but my guess is that half-moon clips would work. The half-moon clip resting on the outside would be similar to the .45 Colt rim which also rests on the outside circumference of the cylinder.

If true, I believe this would mean that you could mix the cylinder with three acp and three Colt cartridges. Wouldn't that be slick?

Please excuse my ignorance. Are you saying you do not need mooner/de-mooner with the use of Rimz (ie:it's easy to install and remove brass)?
Thank you

MarkL,

Yes, thats the truth. They are the "No Tools Necessary" Polymer moonclips. I use them in my 25-2, 1917 S&W, 1937 Brazilian, 625-8, 646 and my 610-3. Have fired tens of thousands of rounds through them and they work great!

Since you can choose to use clips with the 45 Colt, you still have the option of 3 ACPs and 3 Colts. You don't need half moon clips to do this.

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War Eagle!!!

My understanding is that .45 Colt takes a thinner (.022)clip while the .45 acp takes a .040 thick clip. This would prohibit using the same moon clip for both.

Half moon clipped .45 ACP ammo would NOT fit that converted .45 Colt cylinder. The combined rim and clip thickness overhangs the outer edge of the cylinder, preventing closing, and for the same reason that .45 Auto Rim will not fit. The rims overhange the unmodified edge of the cylinder and prevent closing.

One important fact is missing in this thread. How accurate is a N frame S&W revolver with this conversion done to it? Please(everyone who has had this done to a revolver) show us some targets from both calibers, you've shot?
Steve

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NRA Life Member

There have been a number of discussions on this forum regarding the conversion to moonclips and different calibers. I had a Model 637 converted to 9mm and moonclips by TK Custom. There was no difference in the practical accuracy between the original .38 Special and the 9mm, i.e., firing by hand versus off a bench. That's not exactly the same as .45 Colt/.45 ACP, but you can search and see if any one else has done that conversion.

I would imagine that there would be no change in the accuracy of .45 Colt, since you really aren't changing anything that would effect accuracy. .45 ACP may not fully reach it potential, because of the extra jump to the rifling do to the longer .45 Colt cylinder, but then .45 ACP was completely useless with such a revolver before the conversion.

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Formerly know as Lucky Derby

Annyone have an update as to the accuracy of such a conversion? I am looking at this as something I want to have done.

Smee78

I recently purchased a used Model 25-2. It's in beautiful shape and came with 2 half moon clips, 2 full circle moon clips and no loading tool.

I would like to purchase a loading tool and additional moon clips. Suggestions and recommendations appreciated.

Aldo35

This...
http://www.mooncliptool.com/
...and this...
BROWNELLS MOON CLIP STRIPPER | Brownells

Or this alone for both...
BMT Equipped, Inc.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

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NRA Benefactor Member