Moon Clips?

[Velocity229]

I don't get the point of moon clips for ejection purposes.

Usually with revolvers, once all the shots are fired, you can open up the cylinder and tip the gun over and all the empty cases fall right out.

Why are moon clips required for the 45ACP revolvers?

 

[pauli]

45acp has no rim (or rather, no rim sticking out beyond the case). thus, the usual method of revolver ejection - a star that sits under the rims - doesn't exactly work right. relying on gravity to unload a revolver is not a good long term solution. if it were, they wouldn't have ejectors.

moonclips allow the whole set of rounds to load and unload as one (slightly oddly shaped) unit. extremely handy for keeping track of your brass - especially if you're testing different loads.

the moonclip also allows for easier headspacing in rounds without rims.

 

[ChuckB]

A revolver with moonclips is by far the fastest to reload. There's a reason Jerry Miculek sets his rapid shooting-reloading records with a moon clip revolver.

Chuck

 

[nomikes]

Unless you throw them in like Jerry, the loading is about the same arm motion and time as a speedloader. The beauty of moonclips is in the consistent ejection (no round caught under the star), and, of course, being able to pick up six empties at a time

 

[DragonFire]

I'm not sure what revolvers you shoot, but on mine, the empty case don't just fall out when the gun it tipped up. Sometimes even when I give the ejection rod a good hard push, all of them don't fall out.

Getting an empty case under the star is a real pain, and takes the gun out of action for the several seconds (at least) it takes to pry the case out.

Moonclips were first used to allow rimless cartridges in revolvers, so that while there weren't enough 1911's to supply our WWI troops, Smith revolvers could fill the gap.

There's been lots of talk on how the moonclips speed up the loading of a revolver. I find it's just as big of an advantage on how they speed up the unloading!

 

[PaladinX13]

How robust are moonclips? Would they be recommended for a carry weapon? Or are they mostly a range benefit?

 

[CowboyEngr]

I just got a S&W 625 that shoots 45 acp. The moon clip thing is a new experience to me. The S&W manual directly says to not shoot it without moon clips. The whole design appears to be with the assumption of using clips to establish headspace. In loading cartridges without the clip, it does appear to me that it would fire just fine, but pulling them out with my fingers might be a real pain!

 

[CowboyEngr]

I'm satisfied the moon clips would work totally fine under any conditions, and the loading and unloading are fast and sure. The only down side I see is that they preclude a person from "topping off" his cylinder after shooting 1-5 times. You have to pull and plug all six, or none.

 

[PaladinX13]

I guess what I'm asking is that I can see a typical pistol magazine sitting fine in a holster or pocket, enduring bumps and so on... the only remote chance of a problem would be damaging the feeding lip or- I dunno- massive amounts of pocket lint.

I've never held or seen a loaded moon clip up close, so could it survive travel in a pocket or holster without getting bent, the rounds coming out of alignment, etc?

 

[CowboyEngr]

PaladinX13,
Yes, I believe so. The moon clips appear to be spring steel and hold the cartridges very securely. I don't see any reason that they are not just as rugged and sure as a single stack clip magazine or a speed loader.

 

[Navy joe]

Steel moonclips for the 625 are rugged enough for pocket carry, being dropped, kicked, etc. The ones for some of the .38/.357 guns appear to be a little flimsier, but not owning one, I don't know. For carry they are more compact than a speedloader, sometimes you can carry two stacked in one speedloader holder. For pocket carry they don't fall apart like some speedloaders like to do. Way faster on the load and onload than loose rounds and speedloaders. Way faster. All revolvers should have moonclips.

 

[PaladinX13]

Thanks for the responses, I can definitely feel your appreciation for the moonclip. Are moonclips an all-or-nothing kind of deal? Basically, if you get a gun meant to be used with moonclips then you should only be using moonclips... and vice versa, if you get a gun that doesn't come with moonclips you can't use moonclips with them?

I'm guessing this based on what I was looking at; the products at moonclips.com and for some revolvers they said machining was necessary on the cyclinder to use their moonclips.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

Rimless pistol rounds like the .45 acp and 9mm require moonclips. Rounds with rims can be used with or without. A revolver for rimmed rounds gives you three options: speedloader, moonclips, individual rounds.

 

[model 649]

Speaking of "topping-off", I have lately handled some 9mm cases that were on double or "third" moon clips. They came from Ranch Products and looked like a good idea for "topping-off" a cylinder.
Josh