In moonclip cut revolver, can you shoot non-moonclipped ammo ?

[earlthegoat2]

Forgive the title but the question is

Can you, with a revolver cut for moon clips, shoot loose ammo in it. This question only pertains to 38/357 and NOT 45ACP. Do the moon clips move the cartridge far enough away from the firing pin to provide unreliable ignition if the moon is not used?

 

[farscott]

I have a Ruger SP-101 in .357 Magnum that has been cut for moon clips. It has no issues firing either .38 Special or .357 Magnum ammo sans clips. As you can see in the picture, the cylinder has enough of the original surface remaining after machining to properly head space the rounds. The moon clips actually hold the rounds in the same position relative to the outer rear surface of the cylinder as they would be if they were not in clips.

 

[Hawk]

In the specific case of a 627, the moonclip machining doesn't remove the entire surface where the rim ordinarily rests - it shoots fine with loose rounds with the rim partially supported.

I'd suppose that would apply to almost any factory or aftermarket .357 moon clip machining but I can only swear to my own. In fact, I usually don't bother with "clipping" .357s - the 8 round version seems to wobble about a good deal more than .45ACP and I find the clips to be more trouble than they're worth.