experience with 44 moonclips

[missouri dave]

I've got a smith and wesson model 22 classic in 45 acp that uses moonclips. To me, it's the cat's meow but I'd like something with a bit more ooomph. I'm thinking 44. I'd really like to hear from anyone who has a 44 that uses moonclips. How well do they work in 44?

 

[RedAlert]

I don't see the need for moonclips in the .44. Moonclips were developed to allow the use of cartridges with a rebated rim in a revolver. The .44, has a full rim, so it doesn't need to use the clips.

Using a speed loader will allow loading a "group" of cartridges quickly a feature similar to using moonclips.

 

[David E]

Moonclips are "fuss free" in many ways, but it's more difficult to carry the reload.

They ARE cool, tho.

You can have your .44 converted at www.moonclips.com

 

[Chuck Perry]

I have both a 625 and a 627 setup for moonclips. The 357's in moonclips handle nothing like the 45's. They are much more awkward to load into the cylinder, and the cartridges aren't retained as tightly as the 45's. Additionally, certain brands of brass are not compatible with the 357 clips.

Don't get me wrong, 357 moonclips are completely useable, just not the same experience as running the 625. They require a bit more care and experience to use. I would expect the 44's to behave just the same.

As an alternative, you can run 45 Super loads in your 22 for more horsepower. You can also have the cylinder reamed a little deeper for the 460Rowland cartridge, which will give you true 44 Mag ballistics up to a typical 240g 44 Magnum load.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I have a Webley that was converted to use .45ACP in moonclips or .45 AutoRim and the moonclips are faster on reload than speedloaders.

Looking at rimmed cartridges I have from different manufacturers in .32, .38, .357, some have a deep groove under the rim at the head of the case where you would expect a moonclip to hold, some a shallow groove and some hardly any at all: that would affect the fit of a moonclip for rimmed revolver cases.

I suspect that moonclips for revolvers are successful more with rimless cartridges with consistent extractor groove dimensions like 9mm or .45ACP, than with rimmed cartridges.

 

[Stainz]

The little .45 Auto Rims can be loaded like regular SAAMI-spec'd .45 Colts - and then fed via an HKS #25 speedloader in your 22. Some folks go hotter, as the cylinder/frame/barrel on a 22, 25, & 625 (.45 ACP) was designed for 22 kpsi, not the old .45 Colt's 14 kpsi. A 255gr LSWC or the 250gr Gold Dots (Speer #4484) nearing 900 fps from my 4" 625JM are 'enough' for me. Some get them up to 1 kfps... not me. Of course, they can be loaded in the .45 ACP cases, too - then be moonclipped. I started using the .45 AR's for non-FMJ loads years ago - when I still had a bottom feeder - actually, a Marlin Camp .45 (Now gone.) and all ammo had to 'feed' properly in it.

I agree re the 8x .357M moonclips being more tedious to load into a 627 - that 625, or the OP's 22, & 'clipped .45 ACP ball ammo will spoil you. I did just get 50 more 627 8x moonclips ($50 shipped from Ranch Products) for my 627's. They load the Remingtons and Starline .357M's quite easily by hand - and many .38's, too.

I have had a few .44's over the years - I just can't imagine having their cylinders dished for moonclips. Just the vestige of the original cylinder's length, left in an outer ring to properly headspace regular ammo, would leave some unsupported case - and high pressure .44M's and that don't seem appropriate to me. It's the same reason I never dished my .454 SRH's cylinder to add .45 ACP's to it's diet. I feel okay with my .357M's - I never load them very warm at all. In fact, I don't believe I have ever made a round which would top 1,000 fps, anyway.

I'd stick with 'available' mooncips, too. My .44's are fine with an HKS #CA44 for the 296/696 & a #29 with .44 Russians/Specials/Magnums.

Stainz

 

[RugRev]

The moonclips seem to work better with short, stubby cartridges such as the .45ACP as to speed of reloading. Also, as noted one can get in to what brand cases work with the moon clip and thickness of moonclip issues across different manufacturers.