[P95Carry]

My question is .... why (apart from versatility and use of common ammo) do wheel guns get made for these cals. We have 9mm and .45 acp used with moonclips.

I have always used ''dedicated'' rimmed ammo .. and not actually considered these variants .. so I am most probably not well enough versed. But - those who use them ..... are they really worth it. If .45 acp could be .45LC ..... if 9mm could be instead 38spl or better ..... where is the advantage?

I am sure I will be told!! And remember - I love revo's.:)

[SMLE]

The use of 45ACP in half-moon clips started in WWI when the production of 1911s couldn't keep up with demand. Colt and S&W filled the gap by making their large frame revolvers to use the ACP round. The only reason you need the clips is so that the ejector will work. Later the 45 Auto Rim was designed to allow the use of loose rounds like other revolvers.
The only real "reason" would be logistics. If you just HAVE to have a revolver for whatever reason, at least you can feed it with commonly available ammo. There's not much reason to produce revolvers chambered for auto rounds these days, but Ruger at least though they could sell enough of them to try. Now the 9mm cylinder that was available for the 38.357 Black Hawk made some sense. It gave you three common calibers to shoot and 9mm is usually among the cheapest centerfire pistol ammo available.

[Old Fuff]

Actually I agree with you, and much prefer rimmed cartridges in revolvers. There are some who contend that they can reload faster by dropping a loaded full-moon clip into the cylinder. This may be true, but I’m not in that much of a hurry, and if fast reloading is really a serious issue I’ll switch and use a pistol.

One exception in my book is a single-action revolver with an optional cylinder chambered in .45 ACP. The pistol cartridge doesn’t offer any particular advantage as such, but ammunition is usually cheaper then .45 Colt, and is sometimes easier to find.

[Tamara]

My question is .... why

1) Moonclips make for lightning-fast reloads.

2) 9mm is more powerful, on average, than .38 Special.

3) .45 ACP makes for faster reloads than .45 Colt (shorter cases) and, with factory ammo, is frequently loaded with better bullets for self-defense usage. The 300gr hard-cast full wadcutter that works so well on ursus horribilis may not work as well on thin-skinned two-legged critters as a 230gr JHP.

[Gary A]

For the most part I agree with you and I have or have had a fair number of revolvers chambered for auto pistol rounds either .45 acp or 9mm or 45acp/45Colt or 357/9mm. 625s, 940, Blackhawk 45s, etc. Currently have a couple of Blackhawk 357/9mm and a recently purchased Taurus 905. In the Blackhawk, I like the cheap 9mm plinking ammo and both my Blackhawks shoot 9mm pretty well and no moonclips are necessary and they are just fun! The Taurus was an impulse buy. I like the 9mm ballistics out of a revolver. Heck I like the .45 acp out of a revolver. Ammo is cheaper, shoots good, faster reloads. But the truth is, I don't know if I could ever be completely comfortable relying on the dependability and durability of moon clips. So far, I don't really like the Taurus moon clips, though I do like the revolver. If push came to shove, I'd rather have an autoloader if I were to depend on either caliber, 9mm or .45 acp.

[355sigfan]

Revolvers chambered in rimless rounds load faster by use of moon clips. They also don't allow the operator inducted malfunction where brass gets stuck under the extractor star.
Pat

[355sigfan]

Gary how reliable is that 905. Is extraction difficult? Any misfires?
Pat

[James Bondrock]

It is interesting to note that two attempts at replicating the ballistics of the equivalent auto pistol cartridge in a rimmed case never became popular. The .45 Auto Rim has never been very common and is only loaded by one manufacturer (to the best of my knowledge) and the 9mm Federal sank from sight almost immediately.

[Majic]

Except for being able to own 2 different platforms and use the same cartridge, it makes as much since as making pistols which uses revolvers cartridges (ie. Desert Eagle for one). It takes all kinds to make up the world and some are bound to cross over lines.

[Stainz]

I bought a Blackhawk .45 Colt/ACP convertible to use up some of my .45 ACP stash after selling my main evil-bottom-feeder - a Glock 21. It was fun, but slow to load. Everyone said the S&W 625 was better - if you could get past those horrid moonclips. I avoided one for years - I shouuldn't have listened to those folks! I finally bought my 4" 625 ~16 months ago - wow!

With a 625 - and a stash of moonclips - you can have big-bore fun with little cost to either your wrist or wallet. My wife even loves it - no recoil. You can reload whatever level you want - or buy some $10/box Blazer ball ammo at Wally World at night. Try to find .44 Specials or .45 Colts anywhere but a well-stocked gunstore. Reloading is super fast - and they hit - even wimpy-level reloads - with enough authority to drop the most stubborn metal plates, if that competition is your 'bag'. Great for bowling pins, too. Try a 625... you'll understand!

Stainz

[Dave Markowitz]

If you go shoot a Smith & Wesson Model 625, you will be enlightened. :)

[JoeHatley]

Two reasons for me.

Speed of reloads and accuracy...

http://www.iowatelecom.net/~hatley/625_Vcomp_sf.jpg

Joe

[Hutch]

As everyone else has said, the ammo is cheaper. Revolvers are way cooler than autos (M25-2, M625, M547x2)

[Wedge]

I'm saving money so when I bought my handgun I got a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt/.45 ACP to take advantage of the much less expensive (about half the cost) .45 ACP compared to the cheapest .45 Colt loads.

[Bruce H]

So I can use a S&W610 classic and a Witness together.

[P95Carry]

Thx for all the input ..... don't get me wrong .. if I had a 625 for instance ... I would for sure enjoy the shooting thereof! No probs!:evil: :p

True tho re cost aspects... in particular .45 acp vs .45 LC .... can't argue that.

Guess it's something I oughta try sometime ... and stop being quite so ''purist''!:)

[Bullet Bob]

Because that which is not prohibited is required (i.e., because we can!).

[355sigfan]

Another advantage of autopistol cartridges in revolvers is availaibility of better ammo. Ammo companies have paid more attention to making good ammo for cartridges such as the 9mm, 40sw and 45 acp. The 38 special, 357 mag, 44 special, 44mag and 45 colt have recieved less attention.
Pat

[Tamara]

There's plenty of good .44 Mag and .45 Colt ammo out there, but most all of it is geared to shooting Bambi or Yogi. Defensive rounds in these calibers (mostly from Cor-Bon) are fast, but have the sectional density of a dime. :uhoh:

For example, all the .45 Colt personal defense ammo out there features 200gr bullets or 225gr Silvertips. Is there some kind of law against loading 230gr Hydrashoks or Golden Sabers in .45 Colt cases? :confused:

[Maddock]

I have only owned N-frame S&Ws in 45ACP.
My favorite handgun is a 1955 Target that has been cut down to 4”, round butted, had the hammer bobbed and has one of the smoothest actions I have ever used.
Aside from the love I have for the large frame Smiths, here are some of the reasons I like the 45ACP in a revolver.

1. As others have mentioned – the moon clip reload is the fastest reload available for a revolver and is less prone to malfunction on the loading and unloading.
2. The 45ACP is a very accurate cartridge, with lots of development both for accuracy and defense applications, and loadings are usually available in lower flash than comparable rimmed rounds. And it’s a lot cheaper to reload or buy new than any other big bore cartridge.
3. 45 ACP is my most common auto cartridge, and I like the commonality that allows me to keep the number of different reloading components down.
4. It’s a lot easier to get outstanding accuracy from a large frame Smith than a comparable auto pistol – especially for the price. With there best load, every 45ACP S&W revolver I have ever owned would shoot ten rounds into six MOA. Getting an auto to do that with the kind of reliability that comes with a revolver is often expensive

[Gary A]

355Sigfan - Pat, I haven't shot it a lot yet, but it has been totally reliable. It's very well finished and seems to be accurate enough with a decent trigger. Haven't had any problems at all with it. I did have problems with the clips. They work with some 9mm cartridges and not with others, depending, I guess, on the dimensions of the extractor groove. For example, Remington UMC ball ammo simply fell from the clips loosely, but Winchester HPs (both 115 grain) fit just fine. I read a post from someone who said that he "tweaked" his clips because each tine on the clips is a double tine and he slightly spread them with a small screwdriver. I do know that Smith and Wesson clips won't fit the Taurus but would like to try the Ruger clips because of their outer-ring construction. I rather like the little revolver but am not sure about the clips at this point. Recoil seems more than a .38 but less than my SP101 with 110 grain .357...that's subjective, of course. BTW, for the range, there really is no reason to use the clips, it works fine without them which leads to your other question about extraction. I used to have an S&W 940 in which numerous loadings really stuck bad and were hard to eject. The owner's manual even talked about it. So far, the Taurus, at least with standard pressure ammo has extracted very smoothly. With the Remingtons and no clips, usually I only have to tip the cylinder upright and maybe tap the butt a little bit and the empty cartridges simply fall out. Haven't tried a hot load like Cor-Bon yet, so maybe they will stick, but so far I'm pretty happy with it. BTW, mine is all steel, bobbed hammer, no porting. Also, BTW, your comment about clips helping to prevent a cartridge being stuck under the star is a point well taken.

[355sigfan]

Thanks Gary. I like the idea of a 9mm airweight snub. If yours holds up I may give Taurus another chance. I had a bad 605 experience.
Pat

[DrDremel]

I have both a 9mm and a .45 caliber revolver. After continued use, I have come to the conclusion that moon clips with short rounds made for semi-auto handguns are actually the perfect revolver round and are the perfect revolver round.

[P95Carry]

Hmmm ........ lots of good feedback ..... I have the feeling I have suffered something of a ''conversion'' ... <gasp> ........ well, partial at least. Gonna have to try and shoot some of these sometime and stop being so ''purist''.:p

[Shooter973]

I bought my first revolver for rimless ammo to shoot up a bunch of 185 gr. swc that caused my auto loaders to choke. The Ruger revolver will shoot them with ease, and with pretty good accuracy. Then I started shooting a few bowling pins and saw how fast and how well the S&W revolvers handled the pins. So I lucked into a nice old Model 25 in 45 acp. The 1955 Target. You can feed a revolver any shape of bullet that will go in the chambers without the feeding worries and then you don't have to look all over for the brass. I love having all of my empty brass in 1 moon clip or ejected into my hand from the Ruger revolvers. I hate seaching for mt brass on the ground or in the snow or grass. :D

[sebago]

In addition to all the above, there's an extra benefit for handloaders, if your starting loads in 9mm or .45 acp are a little too light, it's a lot more fun to use them up in a revo' than to use your semi as a straight pull. :D

[Apple a Day]

I can't find any 7.62 Nagant ammo and I'm not paying a buck a bang if I did find some! :eek:
Yeah, I could keep bulging .32 S&W Longs but it's kinda nice walking into any ol' store and buying .32 ACP. :cool:

[Jim K]

After the Model 1917 revolvers and the later S&W guns in .45 ACP, the first use of revolvers chambered for an auto pistol round were the Israeli- modified S&W M&P revolvers that used 9mm Parabellum with half-moon clips. Then there was a brief demand for revolvers in 9mm from foreign police departments who wanted to keep their revolvers but who were able to obtain almost unlimited quantities of free 9mm from their armies, while they would have had to buy .38 Special out of their own funds. Several companies, including S&W and Ruger, made revolvers that could use the 9mm without clips.

Ultimately, most police, here and abroad, gave up on the idea, adopted auto pistols, and dropped the revolver entirely.

Jim