Bent moonclips?

[Shmackey]

First: I've never used them, so I don't know much...

Now: Is it possible that a bent moonclip, loaded and inserted into, say, a 625, could tie up the gun? Just wondering about negating the revolver reliability... Or would a loaded moonclip sort of straighten itself out anyway?

I feel like this has been answered before (by Tamara?) but I don't see where... Thanks.

 

[Morgan]

Hi Greg!

I suppose it could happen, but as long as you use a de-mooner on your clips I don't see how you could bend them. Simply dropping them isn't going to do it.

If I were to carry my 625 I might check the clips on a piece of glass or somethng.

 

[rwmagnus]

Yep a bent steel moonclip could make your 625 a nice paper weight. Heck for that matter in some revolvers a high primer can just about do the same thing.

Simple solution is don't use a steel moon clip but rather the RIMZ. It's virtually indestructible. Check out the information here http://www.beckhamdesign.com/html/rimz_speedloaders.html

Bottom line is it's a polymer vs steel, you don't need any tools to load or unload (except fingers). Try it you'll like it!

Downside the RIMZ isn't available for all revolvers....yet. 625's are good to go however as are 610's.

 

[Morgan]

RIMZ are fine for range work, but I wouldn't use them for carry. Too flimsy (drop 'em and some rounds pop out), and they don't work at all for my favorite moon clip carriers (again, not stiff enough and don't hold well enough).

 

[Shmackey]

Hi Morgan!

That piece-of-glass idea sounds reasonable. I'm up in the air on a .45ACP revolver. It would be a house gun, but I'll have that Ted Yost Commander soon enough, and it would serve the same need. But those 625s sure are nice.

I'll let you know when the Commander arrives...

 

[Old Fuff]

Full-moon clips are rarely flat. If you think so, take a piece of 600 grit emery paper, lay it on a hard flat surface and then rub the clip on it. The high points will be polished and that's all. Then turn the clip over and do the same on the other side. If the clip is bent or bowed the part(s) that the emery paper touches will be the opposite of those that were touched on the other side.

Some .45 ACP cases can also cause problems because of the way the extractor cut is made. One or two high cases can wedge a cylinder to where it won’t turn.

Half-moon clips are less likely to bind up a revolver, but they can do it.

All things considered, if I was going to carry a .45ACP chambered revolver as a weapon I’d use loads made up on .45 AutoRim cases and carry the extras in speedloaders. Game playing is an entirely different matter where the above objections don’t necessarily apply.

The plastic RIMZ clips are still undergoing development. As I understand it (having talked to Scott at the SHOT Show) the 610 clips are having fewer problems then those made for some (but not all) S&W 25 series guns. At the present time I think they are ideal for using at a shooting range, and I expect the problems regarding “dropped cartridges†will be solved in time.

 

[rwmagnus]

Morgan,
I agree for personal defense I'd also go with steel. Personal defense I'd grab the 1911, spare mag and flashlight myself. I didn't think the original poster was thinking of self defense but you raise a good point.

My suggestion was for IDPA events. The advantage of not having to use tools is nice for all the reloading one will do shooting the typical 8 stages. Dropping clips during reloading isn't suggested in either gamming or defensive situations.

Shmackey
The 625 in .45ACP is a sweet pistol!

 

[Morgan]

Rwmagnus - copy that. The RIMZ are perfect for just fun shooting.

Greg - We haven't shot together in a while, so shoot me an e-mail and I'll bring my 625 to the next session. You know, the bloody thing is bigger, heavier, has half the capacity and is slower to reload than my USP45... But damn, it's cool.

 

[Shmackey]

Morgan--

Will do. That Kimber's gone. There's a customized Colt Pocket Nine in its place. Haven't shot it yet...

Back to moonclips--does your 625 chamber rounds w/o them? My understanding is that it should.

 

[Morgan]

Yep, they drop right in. I'm not certain if they'll headspace properly (they may drop too far into the chamber and not get good firing pin strikes), and once fired I'm sure you'd need to poke the brass out from the front of the cylinder. I've never tried it, and don't intend to.

I'd stick with moon/half moon clips or go with .45 Auto Rim.

 

[BluesBear]

Except for the very first Colt 1917 revolvers (and maybe a few of the very first S&W 1917s) all subsequent S&W, Colt and Ruger .45acp revolvers will function 100% without clips.

They will headspace and fire just fine with all properly loaded ammo.
All I have ever needed for GI Ball ammo in a S&W were fingernails to pull them out.

 

[Tamara]

Yes, bent moonclips can tie up a revolver.

Solutions:
1) Ascertain which, if any, of your clips are bent.
2) Throw them away.
3) Avoid future bending by purchasing a handy, dandy de-mooning tool.

Moonclips used in a defensive revolver should be approached with the same level of seriousness as magazines for a defensive pistol: do not use defective ones. Inspect your gear regularly to make sure it is still up to par.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Except for the very first Colt 1917 revolvers (and maybe a few of the very first S&W 1917s) all subsequent S&W, Colt and Ruger .45acp revolvers will function 100% without clips."


That's true, BUT ONLY IF the .45 cases are of proper length (not trimmed too short) or not crimped so heavily that the case slips inside the shouldered area.

 

[jem375]

don't worry, now they make a moon clip straightener to go along with all the other tools for the metal moon clips.....

 

[scott45b]

As the inventor of the RIMZ products, I never, ever expected to see the type of discussion that has been generated by the use of a polymer clip for holding rimless cartridges in a revolver. All I wanted to do was to create a way that I could shoot my favorite revolver without the use of tools.

The design feature (low force for cartridge entry and removal) that allows the shooter to easily use the RIMZ clips without tools could be viewed by some as a drawback if you drop a fully-loaded clip and some rounds pop out. If you drop a fully loaded clip and step on it (which happens frequently) a steel clip is toast. A RIMZ clip can be reloaded and re-used.

If you are prone to fumbling the reloads, then by all means use the steel. I think that common sense and one's own comfort level should prevail.

 

[Morgan]

Scott, your RIMZ are a great success.

My favorite way to carry moon clips:



Unfortunately, it won't work with RIMZ, as it relies on the stiffness of the steel clip.

 

[scott45b]

Morgan:

Thanks for the comment. The RIMZ 610 clips work great with the holder shown in your post. Rick Kelso in San Diego uses them exclusively. The original RIMZ 625 will not work with those types of holders, but we believe that the RIMZ 25 will.

Is that holder from Safariland?

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

I have never had a moonclip bind a revolver. Good luck? Dunno. I had one in a match that someone stepped on--bent it back with my pliers and had no problems.

I suspect that a moonclip bent to point of binding may give itself away by not loading easily as the rounds would be out of alignment with the bore of the charge holes.