627 shooters- what brand, thickness of moonclips do you use?

[Tanners Owner]

I just got a 627 for USPSA & while I love the gun, am less satisfied with the 3 moonclips that accompanied the gun. So what brand moonclips do you shooters use? I acknowledge ammunition differences regarding where the moonclips snap in.

Thanks in advance

 

[colt_saa]

I just got a 627 for USPSA & while I love the gun, am less satisfied with the 3 moonclips that accompanied the gun. So what brand moonclips do you shooters use? I acknowledge ammunition differences regarding where the moonclips snap in.

Thanks in advance

You do not mention why you are dissatisfied, so a response is difficult.

There would be no single answer to your question anyway.

Since SAAMI does not specify the width and depth of the groove, different brands of brass work best with different clips.

Back in 1996, my first 627 shipped with clips that had a .018 thickness. The factory clips were the only choice and they were $34.95 for 3.

I had a buddy who is a tool and die maker set me up with a punch and die and we stamped out a lifetime supply that were .022 thick.

I have found them to be a compromise that works pretty well with all ammunition that I use.

 

[Tanners Owner]

My mistake for not being clear- the factory moonclips with my reloads( read, various brass (federal, PMC, win, etc), were floppy & not rigid enough for competitive use.
I have a 625 & shot it competitively in Idpa for the past 2years winning my classification at the state match this year- so am not new to moonclips , only new to 38/357 8 shot moonclips. That's the reason I'm asking what others use.
Thanks again

 

[John M]

TK Custom moonclips, the ones specially made for Starline brass, to fit the Starline groove. I use Starline .38 Short Colt Brass.

Welcome to TK Custom.com & Moonclips.com

Very snug fit, makes for fast reloads, especially with Short Colt brass.

 

[imashooter2]

When I first got my 627, I went low buck with Ranch Products moons and Winchester .38 Special brass. This combination worked reasonably well and I shot it in ICORE for 2 years. Then I stepped up to .38 Colt brass in Hearthco Match moons. Since moving to the shorter brass and Hearthco moons, my reloads may have become marginally faster, but they have definitely become more consistent. If money is no object, that's the way to go.

ETA: Regardless of which moons you choose, you are going to have to pick the brass that fits them and abandon mixed cases.

 

[chico1911]

What imashooter2 said!
Hearthco clips and Starline Short Colt brass.
Load with 160 grain Black Bullets International RN, VV N310 and Federal primers.
I've shot many thousand rounds in ICORE and USPSA.

 

[Tanners Owner]

Guys- thanks from the feedback, much appreciated!

 

[wantmoresmiths]

As you can see, most competitive shooters prefer the Hearthco moonclips. But, at $6.00 each, they are quite expensive. I'm still wrestling with the cost, versus how much faster they will make my reloads. Another choice is the moonclips from Revolver Supply. While not as tight as the Hearthco moonclips, they do provide a more affordable alternative to the Hearthco moons, and they offer a better fit than the Ranch Products moons. Either way, you will need to settle on a specific brand of brass. Once you have settled on a brand of brass, the folks at Revo Supply will help you with the appropriate thickness. I believe Hearthco only offers his moons in the .025 thickness.
8 shot 357 Blued Moon Clips | The Revolver Supply Company, LLC.

 

[Tanners Owner]

Thanks again- I got an order of .025 rims from George @ Revolver Supply. Great guy & he also provided samples of the other thicknesses & nickeled versions too.

 

[m657]

My own 357 8-shot moon clip reloading time is horrid.
Shorter 38 cases work better for sure.

If you insist on using mixed brass w/cheapie moon clips, like I have for so long, there is a helpful technique to learn inserting the nose of two opposing boolit first, with a subtle little shake as you drop the rest into the cylinder. It works better too. Sometimes.

I'm at the point I can see having to match good moon clips and specific brass is the only way to gain back some of the reloading time I lose.

There is a particular 130 grain cast RN truncated cone boolit that works quite nicely too, I get from Bad Man Bullets. And he has a new 158 with the same shape, just a bit heavier if that's desirable.

 

[Bello]

I also as well buy ranch moon clips

 

[Tanners Owner]

Loaded up some moonclips & saw the difference with the various brass I have.

Am shooting USPSA with my new 627 (first time w/ my new toy)tomorrow. Hopefully, my performance will match or best my previous performance with my 625. Anyway, this year' USPSA effort is dedicated to the 627.

Will be separating all my brass in the next few weeks to ensure only those matched to the moonclips are reloaded.

 

[imashooter2]

The 8 shot is a huge step up in USPSA. You lose a lot of standing reloads and you take fewer long or awkward shots because of the extra ammunition on board. I love my 625, but the rule change made it obsolete.

 

[Tanners Owner]

So shot my new 627 today in the monthly USPSA match, had one stage that crushed me, but other than that was quite happy with the gun. The one stage had only oblique angles at targets and the steel plate rack burned me. All my fault, but still had a good time w/it.

 

[gtoppcop]

I have Ranch, Revolver Supply and TK Custom clips. All are segregated to whatever ammo works. They range from .020 to .025. I must say that I like my reloads to be nearly rigid. Too floppy and they tend to bollix up my reloads.

I will be shooting a steel match (my first in nearly 10-years). My custom 627-5 Pro Series gets the nod. I'll use three of the Blade-Tech Moonclip Holders.

I am using .357 Blazer Brass (because I have 3200 rds of it...), which I found works best with .022 thickness clips. Nearly no movement with a slight hint of wobble to "feel" the way into the 627's chambers.

For Speer ammo (.38 135gr GDHP), the .025 clips work best. For my HD loads (my 627-5 is my nightstand gun), the TK Custom clips wrk best with my .38 Golden Saber 125gr +Ps. Not sure what thickness the TK clips are, but they have nearly no movement and are damn quick to reload.

With the panoply of clips out there, do yourself a favor and sample them. The Revolver Supply clips come in several thicknesses. I will buy more in .020, .022 and .025 variations. That way, I'm covered. The Ranch clips are also goo, but seem to bend easily.

Cheers!