Anyone else done a 45ACP moonclip conversion on their 45LC?

[MINI SSS]

The Concept is sound and has been done for years. That having been said, I would do the conversion on a new 625 and remove the lock. Leave the old hammer pin ones original for the next generation so they can see how a real revolver should look. I have two MGs, one in .45 LC and one in .45 Auto. They are staying original and being passed onto my nephew and his kids.

 

[Smee78]

I had it done by Mark at Pinnacle also and love it, The gun shoots just as good as before and now I have 2 cals to pick from....my 625mg has never been happier.

 

[jeffrey]

John Traveller: I have a dim memory that at some point in the past you posted a comment that you found that you had some accuracy problems with this modification. With moonclipped .45 ACP? Or am I just misremembering? (I recall being concerned as I had just sent my 625 cylinder off to Mark at Pinnacle.)

 

[aterry33]

john traveler--thanks for the info on the chamber sizes.

jeffrey--not sure about others, but I have not had any accuracy issues. The only negatives I can see to it are when compared to a standard 625 in 45ACP are that you can't fire the ACP rounds without moonclips and you have to use full moonclips, not the half or third ones (I have only heard about the latter, have not tried other moonclips). But I don't think I would ever need to fire ACP rounds without moonclips--also, you can get faulty primer strikes on the 625s if you choose not to use moonclips.

Also, I prefer the tapered barrel profile of the mountain gun to the full lug barrel of the regular 625, at least in 45ACP. I didn't think twice having my 625-6 cut for the modification--if it were a WWI gun or something I'm sure I'd feel differently. I see this as a definite improvement in any case.

 

[john traveler]

The previously mentioned accuracy problems were with three samples of older .45 Colt caliber S&W M25 revolvers. They gave excellent/very good accuracy using factory 255g RN factory lead ammunition, and after the conversion gave only mediocre .45 ACP accuracy using factory Federal Match 230 FMJ ammo. It was never determined whether the difference in accuracy was due to oversized chamber throats or the 1/2" "jump" of the shorter cartridge in the longer chamber. I can only state that I would not be interested in converting my .45 Colt revolvers.

 

[jeffrey]

The previously mentioned accuracy problems were with three samples of older .45 Colt caliber S&W M25 revolvers. They gave excellent/very good accuracy using factory 255g RN factory lead ammunition, and after the conversion gave only mediocre .45 ACP accuracy using factory Federal Match 230 FMJ ammo. It was never determined whether the difference in accuracy was due to oversized chamber throats or the 1/2" "jump" of the shorter cartridge in the longer chamber. I can only state that I would not be interested in converting my .45 Colt revolvers.

Thanks for the clarification John.

 

[BUFF]

I have a slight oddity here and wonder if, at some point, Colt manufactured some of their revolvers to shoot both .45 ACP in moon clips and .45 Colt without.

I have a Colt I bought advertised as a New Service shooting .45 Colt. It arrived looking like a Model 1917 with black plastic grips. It has a lanyard loop on the butt. Forward of the loop is marked "US ARMY MODEL 1917", while rearward of the loop is marked "No" with space behind that for more digits. The 5-1/2 inch barrel is marked "COLT DA 45" on the left side, and "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" on the bottom of the barrel. Prancing pony logo on the left sideplate. S/N 2763xx in the yoke cut-out on the frame.

It shoots .45 Colt ammunition just fine. One day at the range I notice that the gap between the rear face of the cylinder and the breech face of the frame looks kinda' too big for .45 Colt, and I drop in a moon-clip of Federal 230 gr. ball ammo. Cylinder closes and gun shoots those just fine, too!

The cylinder shows no sign of modification. The chambers' throats are cut with the step in the correct spot for the .45 Colt, with no reamer marks, and the rear face of the cylinder likewise shows nothing.

I have fired a couple of hundred rounds through the big Colt without any failures. The firing pin seems plenty long enough to shove the .45 Colt cartridges forward until the rims are seated and still dimple them with plenty of energy. The brass and spent primers look normal for both catridges.

I just don't know how this left the Colt factory. Like this, able to shoot both cartridges, or did someone subtly alter it later?

 

[gwalchmai]

Buff, I once ran into a father and son at the range who allowed me to shoot a Colt new Service that the father's father had purhased in the 30s and carried in WWII. This gun would also accept .45 Colt and .45 ACP in half-moon clips. It shot great, btw.

 

[aterry33]

The previously mentioned accuracy problems were with three samples of older .45 Colt caliber S&W M25 revolvers. They gave excellent/very good accuracy using factory 255g RN factory lead ammunition, and after the conversion gave only mediocre .45 ACP accuracy using factory Federal Match 230 FMJ ammo. It was never determined whether the difference in accuracy was due to oversized chamber throats or the 1/2" "jump" of the shorter cartridge in the longer chamber. I can only state that I would not be interested in converting my .45 Colt revolvers.

Many of the 25-5s produced prior to the ABC1234 serial numbering had oversized throats and had a reputation for poor accuracy. Perhaps this had something to do with it.

 

[Grinder]

Here is a pic with the .45Colt rounds

 

[haggis]

I presume that the 0.040" of unsupported case on the .45 Colt does not cause any difficulties like bulging or splitting.

Buck

 

[BUFF]

It shouldn't with any reasonable loading.

 

[KurtC]

I presume that the 0.040" of unsupported case on the .45 Colt does not cause any difficulties like bulging or splitting.

Buck

Most .45 Colt cartridges have a slight groove just ahead of the rim, so that area is pretty much unsupported anyway.

 

[Catshooter]

Thanks Grinder. Nice pic.


Cat

 

[amazingflapjack]

Hey-I'm in the middle of having a 25-5 8 3/8 worked on by pinnacle high performance, who was recomended by a couple of folks on this forum. Mark-the sole owner and opperater at Pinnacle does a lot of this kind of work, and maintains that both of these rounds function well after his work. I am primarily interested in shooting ACP's out of a long barrel. I have used 255 gr lead SWC's in my 625-8 and my 25-2 with very favorable results. They are, after all, the same diameter-.452, and they seem to handle a fairly heavy charge very well. The gun is at Pinnacle now, and probably will be for a while because it is a one man show. I plan to post my results and some photos when I get it back and have shot it, because I really actually launched this project on this sight. You can email me if I can help at [email protected]. take care, flapjack

 

[tommy F]

SW Governor shoots Colts and ACP with moon clips. Is the cylinder machined same?

 

[Groo01]

If this mod is such a good idea why hasn't the factory done it?

Groo here
They have as all the PC 357mag guns cut for moon clips[fast reloads]
are cut the same way.

 

[jack the toad]

I had a 4" 25-5 that was cut for moon clips. It seemed to shoot everything I tried in it about the same (Colt & ACP in LRN, LSWC, FMJ and JHP). It had the over-sized throats so mine wasn't a tack driver but at app. 10 yards offhand, they all were acceptable SD groups.
I sold it to a buddy that wanted it worse than I did and he's tickled to death with it.

 

[Pizza Bob]

Necrothread - over 4 years old.

 

[NEURON]

Necrothread - over 4 years old.

Didn't notice, interesting non the less.