9mm Revolvers

[Bhfromme]

Back in the 80s S&W made a sweet little 9mm revolver, the Model 547. Yes, today's revolver lineup has the 929 and the 986 that are chambered in 9mm but they need moon clips. The old 547s had a funky little extractor that held the rimless cartridges in place and extracted them without needing moon clips. Pretty sweet indeed.

So now that 9mm has taken over the world I'm wishing S&W would reintroduce the 547. The cost savings of 9mm ammo compared even to 38 Special is significant and the availability right now is much better too so I'm real interested in getting my hands on a little 9mm revolver. There is a manufacturer in Connecticut (that shall remain unnamed) that claims to own a patent for an extractor that does essentially what the 547 did back in the 80s. Must be a different design. Don't really know. All I know is that their little revolver (that shall also remain unnamed) fires inexpensive 9mm ammo without the hassle of those silly moon clips.

Has anyone heard about S&W bringing back a 9mm revolver that doesn't require moon clips? Maybe if they received enough requests from us average Joe Sixpacks they might consider it. Thoughts?

 

[reddog81]

Moonclips make the rounds easier to eject and reload. I have a Charter in 45 ACP and a variety of S&W’s in 45 ACP and 9mm. I prefer the moonclips.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Reports suggest S&W spent more on engineering costs for the 547 than any other revolver. I'd bet it's not coming back.

I have a 547 and a 940 (needs moon clips). I agree with reddog -- the clips are a snap.

 

[colt_saa]

The extractor system on the Model 547 used 6 beryllium extractors inside a specially machined extractor star, and those were not the only parts that were specific to the 547 design. The entire revolver was unreasonably expensive to manufacture. That system will not be returning to the Smith & Wesson lineup

The 547 was a also very poor seller at the time. The Factory even considered making a 547M chambered in 357 Magnum to use up all the 547 frames.

All of the other Smith & Wesson revolvers that fire rimless auto loader cartridges use moon clips. The moon clips are the much better path to go for lots of reasons.

In a defensive role, the moon clips insure positive ejection even in snub nosed revolvers with their shorter ejector rod

They function as speed loaders, placing all cartridges in the cylinder simultaneously. Just watch this video and you can see how fast you can reload with practice and a bit of talent:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FbUMqoyjDw[/ame]

Moon Clips allow the use of all shorter cartridges in that family to be fired in the longer chamber. For example a factory original Model 940 can also shoot 380 ACP ammunition thanks to the moon clip (something the 547 and other non-moon clipped 9MMs can not do)

Two of my Model 627s now have second cylinders chambered for 9x23 Winchester that go along with their original 357 Magnum cylinder

Thanks to moon clips, these additional cylinders are capable of chambering and safely firing 9x23 Winchester, 38 Super, 38 ACP, 356TSW, 9x21, 9MM Parabellum, 380 ACP and others.

I have a few cylinders on hand for my 357 Magnum J-frames that are gong to be setup for 38 Super (and all of the shorter cartridges) when I get around to it

Once you get used to moon clips, most people never turn back

Instead of buying a new revolver, why not get a second cylinder for one of your existing Smith & Wessons. That way you are already used to the trigger as well as the weight and balance of the firearm

Perhaps you even already own leather for it

 

[smoothshooter]

Moonclips make the rounds easier to eject and reload. I have a Charter in 45 ACP and a variety of S&W’s in 45 ACP and 9mm. I prefer the moonclips.

With the full moon clips, what do you do if you only fire one or two shots and want to top off the gun? Wouldn’t you have to eject the remaining loaded rounds with the fired brass?

 

[S-W4EVER]

Even with moonclips a K Frame 9mm revolver would be a handy little revolver (for those of us that can’t afford a Model 547).

 

[reccpd101]

Here's my split personality Model 10. One cylinder shoots 38 Special. The other uses 9mm in moon clips. I just love shooting this one in either mode. It probably will do .380 ACP also but haven't tried it.

 

[Screwball]

With the full moon clips, what do you do if you only fire one or two shots and want to top off the gun? Wouldn’t you have to eject the remaining loaded rounds with the fired brass?

And how is it any different from swapping in a new magazine?

Instead of just dumping that one, stick it in your pocket.

 

[Bhfromme]

People are saying moon clips are not a problem but I honestly can't imagine dealing with that extra step. I grab a gun and a couple boxes of ammo and go to the range to shoot. I'm a big believer in the KISS mentality and if I had to preload a bunch of clips or stand at the range reloading clips I know I would just end up taking my 44 and spend fifty bucks on ammo and that's not something I can afford on a regular basis.

The little Pitbull revolver seems to be my best option until S&W arrives at the 21st century and starts manufacturing little 9mm revolvers that can fire and extract without moon clips.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

With the full moon clips, what do you do if you only fire one or two shots and want to top off the gun? Wouldn’t you have to eject the remaining loaded rounds with the fired brass?

It's a fantasy to think you will be reloading a revolver in a gunfight let alone topping one off.

 

[Old Corp]

Still recall a conversation about 7-8 years ago when I was working p/t at a large, busy LGS.
Periodically, we'd have a big sale and a S&W Performance Center employee would be in attendance for people to bring in their S&W that may have small issues and this fella would fix them. A the time, he'd been with S&W about 33 years - soon to retire.

He was a wealth of S&W info, and recall talking with him about the M547 which I'd sure like to own.
He related that to his knowledge there is not a single employee at S&W that is trained to work on the 547's extractor system, which of course is like no other.

 

[Bhfromme]

It's a fantasy to think you will be reloading a revolver in a gunfight let alone topping one off.

Gunfight? Seriously? If that post weren't so troubling it would make me laugh. I've been on this earth 62 years and have never been in a "gunfight" and I'm thinkin I could go another 62 years without being in one as well.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I would love to have a 547.
Years ago, Urban Legend had it that the Navajo Nation Police went 9mm and some of them balked on Autos and preferred the 547.
So there were a few around these parts but I didn’t manage to get my hands on one.
Also don’t like MoonClips!
I am not a Moonie!

 

[Protocall_Design]

We should feel really sorry for all those poor semi-auto shooters who can't shoot without loading magazines. They don't get a choice. Loading clips is not really any different than loading magazines. Plus, with moon clips you get ALL of YOUR brass back without looking like a chicken hunting for bugs to eat. Your brass isn't mixed in with hundreds of other range brass like the semi-auto that throws it everywhere.

For the casual range plinker or target shooter, it doesn't really matter if you have moonclips or even speedloaders. For competition shooters, reloading on the clock, it makes a big difference.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Why not chamber it in 38 Super? The 9MM is to 38 Super as the 38 Special is to the 357.

 

[mikerjf]

<<Plus, with moon clips you get ALL of YOUR brass back without looking like a chicken hunting for bugs to eat.>>

I have a grocery bag sitting open next to me, brass gets dumped in there.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Why not chamber it in 38 Super? The 9MM is to 38 Super as the 38 Special is to the 357.

Most times, 38 Super will fit in a 38 Special or 357 chamber. You just need the moon clip to headspace on.

 

[Lou_the_welder]

I was at the shop one day and a friend of my dad's showed up, walked right in and said, "hey, your dad told me you liked 9mm! Check this out!"
He pulls out a 547 4". I held it. IMO a beautiful revolver. I didn't get a chance to check out the beryllium extractor, as proper etiquette would dictate not to mess with a man's gun other than how he handed it to you.

Moonclips are the modern day evolution to a double action revolver. I do believe all modern day revolvers should be moonclipped. The rimmed cartridge will fire if one uses a moonclip or not. Auto rounds will need a clip.
In extraction and insertion, hands down, a moonclip beats anything. Anytime.

I put 11k rounds through my 627 in 2 years time. I'd still be standing in the range loading it, if I didn't have them all on moonclips! That's 11,000 rounds all on moonclips.

The reason I do shoot the 929 and 986 is because they are moonclipped. Assures me the fastest load and extraction without wasting time. Already logged more than 10k rounds on those. Ofcourse all moonclipped.
I broke the 986 once already. Got it back from the factory good as new. (Broken pin on hand)

 

[Rock185]

I had a 3" 547, two actually. That, undoubtedly expensive to manufacture, extraction system functioned perfectly, even with +P and +P+ ammo. But I agree with colt_saa, that system will not be returning to the S&W line. I would be happy if S&W would prove me, and colt_saa, wrong about this.

I still have a couple little 5-shooter 9MM revolvers that use moon clips. I still like the 9MM revolvers in spite of having to load moon clips. Still enjoy semi-autos too, in spite of having to load magazines

 

[Bhfromme]

Why not chamber it in 38 Super? The 9MM is to 38 Super as the 38 Special is to the 357.

I wanted to shoot 38s and actually bought an old Model 10 because the ammo even though slightly more money than 9mm won't break the bank. So I take the Model 10 to a smith near my house and he looks it over and tells me there's no evidence that it's ever been fired beyond the test firing at the factory. So now I have this ANIB Model 10 from 1962 that I figure I'll just keep and not shoot which puts me back in the market for a revolver that's affordable to shoot.

Love the old Smiths. Would buy an old 547 if I were made of money but well, I'm just not. So I'm looking at the little Pitbulls but in a perfect world S&W would reintroduce a little 9mm revolver that doesn't need moon clips.

Hopefully the Smith engineers monitor this forum and listen to what we have to say. Maybe I should have titled this thread BRING BACK THE 547!!