I absolutely LOVE the moon clip revolvers.
Someone mentioned the moonies being fast. Here's what happened to me a few years ago to prove the point . . .
I was shooting an action pistol match (can't remember if it was IDPA, IPSC, etc.) at a regional club. I shot both 1911 and revolver classes . . . both using .45ACP ammo.
A fun bonus match was held at the end. It was called a "Bill Clinton" match (he was President then) and the name came from the fact that the gun had to be UNLOADED (that's where the match got it's name) and in a latched gun case on the table in front of the competitor when the timer went off.
The other rules? ANY handgun with iron sights, either major OR minor caliber . . . a minimum of ONE reload only . . . and EIGHTEEN steel poppers or falling iron plates at a distance of 10-30 yards spread wide in front of you.
EIGHTEEN ROUNDS MINIMUM . . . ONE RELOAD ONLY MANDITORY . . . AND MINOR POWER OK. So . . . many guys pulled out their Glock 9mms w/33 round clips.
I was having a great day, so I registered with my S&W 25-2 45ACP revolver . . . just to get a laugh! "How are you gonna win with a WHEELGUN?," folks asked. I replied, "Cause I ain't gonna miss like you spray and pray guys . . . because if I miss even one round I have to reload THREE TIMES to beat you and your wimpy Glock 9s!
About 30 shooters participated, all with high cap mags and most in 9mm . . . except for me. It got quite humorous watching the Glock boys miss a plate or two and then get flustered, trying to shoot too fast to make up for the time they'd lost missing. One poor guy emptied FOUR 33 round clips and STILL didn't knock 'em all down. "Spray and Pray" makes people poor shots under time pressure sometimes.
However, I shot entirely long pull, "double action" from my revolver.
THE MOON CLIPS are virtually as fast to load and reload as a 1911 w/ a magazine . . . and the double action pull became smooth and in perfect rhythm. As the barrel came down from recoil and the sights popped down to the next target, the rolling cylinder was just locking up and the hammer beginning to fall again.
With two fast reloads (thanks to the moon clips) and, failing to miss while shooting very fast, I won the match hands down in around 44 seconds.
If I even need a handgun for defense, I hope it's this "moonclipped" 25-2 .45ACP revolver used that day. It started as a 6 1/2" target revolver but the barrel was chopped to 3 1/4" and the trigger narrowed and rounded for double action work. What a sweeeeeet shootin' gun it is!
For me . . . moon clipped revolvers RULE!
Here's my baby:
Sincerely,
Tom
PS: Here's my other moonclipped revolver, a S&W Performance Center 6-gun in .40 Short & Wimpy, with a bunch of moonies already loaded up for a match: