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Yea or Nah on Moonclips?

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Deceasedeye

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What is the general feeling on moon clips? To machine a cylinder and purchase the loading tool and the extractor tool is not cheap. Is it worth it, I know the law of (if you ever need it applies) but that applies to the gun as well and I have it.ENTER]
 
I'm not a fan. I have a Performance Center 586 and it spits particles back in my face occasionally, especially if firing without using a moon clip. If I want the option of a fast reload I carry a semi-auto.
 
I have a no lock 442 that is factory cut for moon clips and I really like it. I find they are much faster for reloading that speed strips.

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I've never tried to use moon clips. These days I doubt I'd have much luck at it. my manual dexterity and ther limited range of motion in my fingers lately has got Miss Pam callin' me butter fingers. I'd fumble all the rounds to the ground and wind up on my hands and knees pickin' 'em up.

Guess I'm stuck loadin' one at a time....

I''ve gotten pretty good with speed loaders but they are so bulky and awkward to carry I rarely bother with 'em.
 
I'm a 1917 & 625 guy, as well as a semi auto guy I really LOVE full moon clips. I have about 250 and have about 175 loaded. Once you have a system they are great. Sustained fire is every bit as good as 1911's!

I know 357's are more particular about brands of brass and clips. So it really depends on why you want sustained reloading! Run and Gun? or just SD.

Ivan
 
Ivan the Butcher said:
I'm a 1917 & 625 guy, as well as a semi auto guy I really LOVE full moon clips. I have about 250 and have about 175 loaded. Once you have a system they are great. Sustained fire is every bit as good as 1911's!

I know 357's are more particular about brands of brass and clips. So it really depends on why you want sustained reloading! Run and Gun? or just SD.

Ivan
Click to expand...

I would think the moon clips would be a disadvantage for SD. To do a tactical reload you would have to dump unfired ammo.
 
I have used them on my 940 and 625 Jovino. As a law enforcement officer I have qualified and carried both of these guns over the years. We are required to shoot the same qualification course as the semi-automatics and I had no issue keeping up with agents/officers and their semi autos.

Having started my career in the late 1970's we carried S&W revolvers as our primary issued weapons. Our qualification was under time and loading a six shot revolver individually was cumbersome and difficult under time.

I like moon clips for their ease of carry and ease of loading.
 
smoothshooter said:
I would think the moon clips would be a disadvantage for SD. To do a tactical reload you would have to dump unfired ammo.
Click to expand...

I carry a 1917 in the woods, usually open carry. Loaded with Federal Hydra-shok ammo in full moons in a jacket pocket. I usually have 24 total rounds, but sometimes numerous clips of practice. A 1911 loadout of Three 8 round mags is 25 rounds. I would be droping more ammo with 1911 mags that weren't run dry than the six round moon clips.

BTW, I have found that this old white haired fat guy, is thought of as next to harmless due to my wheel guns! They just never met anyone that knows how to use them!

Ivan
 
I recently picked up an old Ruger Speed Six in 9mm.

It came with several half moon clips, I bought some full moon clips from a forum member along with a de-mooning tool.

Both types work well for me in my gun.

For me, this is clearly a range gun / novelty. Would not consider carrying it in a millions years. Carry (for me) is best left to my 38 LCR or G43.
 
I don't know about regular rimmed cartridge guns, but I am a big fan of 45acp clips. My regular carry gun is a 325NG. My reloads are in 1/2 moon clips because the carry pretty flat. even have some 2 round clips but don't carry them much anymore. If I have to start doing tactile reloads I have most likely made a serious mistake. I don't plan on stopping any bank robberies.
 
For me, it's not all black and white:

Unloading clipped ammo falls free of charge holes better and faster.

Stiffer clips align with chamber charge holes faster.

Shorter cartridges align with chamber charge holes faster (.45acp easier than .357mag).

Less cartridges per moon clip align with chamber charge holes faster (6 shot easier than 8 shot).

The rigidity of a speed loader aligns 7x .357 rounds faster than a moon clip.
 
I have a M1917/37. It takes a bit of practice, but it loads pretty quick, especially if you have a loaded moon clip gripped in your shooting hand pinky finger.
 
I've been shooting my 625 a lot recently and I love the Ranch Products moon clips. I also shoot a 327 8-shot with moon clips and I like the clips as well. I haven't put as many rounds through the .357 as the .45--once I've finished my load development for the .45 I'll devote more trigger time to the .357.
 
By the way on the "tactical" question. As I stated I carry a 325 in 45ACP and although I have over 100 full moons I carry with 1/2 moons. By closing the cylinder with the last round of a clip at the top, when I fire it the first round will be the first of a clip of 3. After 3 rounds I could replace that clip and be back up to 6 with no "wasted" ammo. I have a really, really hard time seeing this ever happening. I have made it a lot of years with 0 gun fights. The odds of me being in one are pretty small, the odds of me being in a gunfight where I could or should do a "tactical" reload are right up there with me winning the lottery and I only buy the occasional single ticket when its several hundred million. I am not expecting either to happen.

If I get in a situation where that is key, I either screwed up badly or my "Karma" really sucks.

I can drive the speed limit, have air bags and wear my seat belt. Never drive late at night or on holidays, when most of the drunks are out. But, I might still end up getting killed in a car wreck that there was nothing I could do to stop.
 
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walkin jack said:
I've never tried to use moon clips. These days I doubt I'd have much luck at it. my manual dexterity and ther limited range of motion in my fingers lately has got Miss Pam callin' me butter fingers. I'd fumble all the rounds to the ground and wind up on my hands and knees pickin' 'em up.

Guess I'm stuck loadin' one at a time....

I''ve gotten pretty good with speed loaders but they are so bulky and awkward to carry I rarely bother with 'em.
Click to expand...

Jack, with full moons it takes less dexterity to reload than any speed loader. Ejection is just like normal, except you never ever have a single case left hung up in gun. Then grap the big clip full of rounds and the only thing you really got to do is get the bullets forward and just slightly lined up and in they go, every on every time. The rounder or more tapered the bullet tips the easier . Hollow point, round nose, SWC, the smaller the tip the better to start them in then plob the go. Lot easier to hang onto a full clip than a single round.

I do not believe there is a better system to reload a revolver, especially under stress.

Aligns the same or better than a speed loader, nothing to push or twist, just let go of it. No way anything is going to happen to release the mechanism in your pocket, on your belt or during a reload.
 
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Conceptually, I like the idea of the moon clips (both third, half, and full). At the moment, I am looking at a S&W Model 610, which pretty much requires the use of moon clips. The problem is, as long as I remain in NJ (moving isn't as easily done as said), any loaded magazine or clip that can be viewed as an integral part of the gun that is in your possession is considered a loaded gun, and you are subject to a mandatory PRISON sentence of no less than 3.5 to 8 years for each device in your possession. While I would be safe in my home or at the range, I would be fair game when outside of my residence. The advantage of pre-loading the moon clips would be lost. As an aside, loaded speed loaders (which are not an integral part of the gun) are perfectly legal. Now if they only made 40AR and10mm AR ammo!
 
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