Moonclips for a defensive revolver?

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I love moonclips. I love revolvers. I keep hearing that moonclips on defensive revolvers is not the best choice and to stick with speedloaders.

I think most speedloaders are inconsistent, and thus crap. I suppose I could buy 10 to end up with 3 good ones, but I have brocken two of them and really don't trust them much.

Do any of you run mooncliped guns as defensive/cary guns? What holders for the moonclips?

Any stories, firsthand or secondhand about use of moonclips and bad or good stories?
 
I don't own a moon clip fed revolver but I have shot a few and they are pretty fast to reload. I like them myself. If I had a moon clip carry piece I would carry it.
 
I keep hearing that moonclips on defensive revolvers is not the best choice and to stick with speedloaders.
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I’d say the vast majority of shooters have never shot a moon clip revolver, much less tried a speed reload with one. The current word record for a revolver, 6 shots reload 6shots, is held by a moon clip fed revolver. IDPA created a whole new division (ESR) because speed loader revolvers were not competitive against the 625’s using moon clips (forcing everyone to buy one to be competitive.)
 
Who says that moon clips are not the best choice? Somebody at a gun store?

Hands down, moon clips are light years ahead of any speedloaders on the market. As far as holders, El Paso Saddlery makes a very nice one.
 
I like my old speed loaders. I cant stand moon clips at the range. To much messing around. just my opinion
 
I much prefer moon clips over speed loaders. When I carry concealed, I usually carry two sets of half moon clips in my off-hand pants or jacket pocket.

When I carry openly, which I do out in the boonies, I carry full moon clips in leather pouches that were intended to carry pepper spray on a police duty belt. One of 'em will hold three moon clips perfectly. I have two on my belt for 6 full reloads.

Has anybody else discovered a better way to carry moon clips? I found them to be a real pain to carry until I stumbled onto my current method.

My moon clip-fed carry gun is a cut down S&W 1917, by the way.
 
I carry a Taurus 5-shot snubby some times which is a 9mm moon clip gun. Have not settled on a really good way to carry the loaded moon clips yet though. I even carry some singles as mine works perfectly without moon clips too.
 
I've seen a guy shoot revolvers in IDPA using moon clips. He was as fast as, if not faster than most of us using semiautos and magazines.

Use whatever youwant to use, as , long as it is quality equiptment and you are well practiced with it.
 
My everyday carry gun is a 5 shot Taurus in .45 ACP with moon clips. When I carry a spare moon clip, it works quite nicely in an Uncle Mike's speedloader belt holder carried upside down so that the "moon" falls into your hand when you pull the flap.

I would be curious as to the logic in carrying speedloaders over moon clips. It seems like another of those "somebody said" things.

John
Charlotte, NC
 
I agree.
There is no faster or more fool-proof way to speed-load a revolver.

I can carry two loaded moon-clips in my belt pouches designed for one speed-loader.

For CCW, a moon in the gun and half-moons in your pocket, is still a pretty fast way to reload a revolver. I'd venture I can load a pair of half-moons in about the same time it takes me with a speed-loader.

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rcmodel
 
I love the moon clip conversion I had Gemini do for my GP100...very fast on the reload and I do not even have to take my eyes off the target.

GP1003.jpg

GP1002.jpg

They fit quite snugly in speed loader cases desiged by El Paso:

ElPasso.jpg
 
Now I have yet to play with moonclips or speedloaders so this is all speculation and theory on my part.

Don't how many times I have seen Jerry Miculek on the boob tube, dumping 6 rounds into a target, and then reloading using moonclips, then dumping those 6 rounds into the target, all at less than 3 seconds. I have NEVER seen anyone do such a thing with speedloaders. Now I know Jerry is not the run of the mill sd/range/plinker guy as posts online, but I do believe that if speedloaders were the faster alternative, then that is what he would use consistently.

Now I know some folks say they are a pain at the range, but how can this be so? Either you spend the night before loading up your moonclips and getting stuff ready, or you spend your time loading your speedloaders and getting ready. To what the difference here is I am curious. Plus, once fired, and ejection occurs, it sure seems the moonclips keeping all shots in one "piece" so to say, would be much more beneficial when it comes to gathering brass and clean up over all.

As was mentioned though folks, strictly hearsay, theory, and opinions here from me on the subject...what's the real dealeo here? :what:

Noidster
 
theNoid: It's very simple really. The moonclips just drop in...all six at once...no jiggling or attempting to align the bullet tips with the cylinder holes, etc. When you eject...the moonclip comes out with all six shell casings...drop to the ground and you just drop in the next moonclip. I guess you really have to try it if this explanation does not satisfy. Speed is the key here...not necessarily worrying about collecting up the brass.
 
Right On, Sawbones!!!:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Funny as heck . . . and true too. Only good for better self defense and for competitions where hitting your target perfectly and doing it faster than the "other" guy matter.

Hmmmm . . .

Naturally, I discovered these truths back in my earliest days of shooting pin, steel and IDPA-type matches.;)

Heck, I once embarrassed a field of about three dozen shooters at a steel match, knocking all 18 steel plates and poppers down, spread over 45 degrees and at varying distances of 10 to 25 yards, TWO SECONDS faster than the best area shooters using their 1911s w/ ten round magazines or Glock 17s with the 33 round G18 magazines.

Funniest of all . . . the match started with the handgun in a shut pistol box, UNLOADED! . . . AND each shooter was required to make ONLY one manditory reload before shooting the last plate. So, except for me, everyone brought a high cap. bottom feeder to the line.

Naturally, I had to load, and then reload TWICE if I was to win, IF I didn't miss at all . . . but the other guys shooting with 10round mags could miss TWICE and still not have to make but one reload.

PLUS if I missed even once at speed I had to make a THIRD reload. However, I had no intention of missing . . . just in making fast, smooth stroking of that wonderful double action of this particular 25-2 and then reloading as fast as any of the bottom feeders do.

Heck, I do my best match shooting (accuracy AT maximum speed) with a double action wheelgun so it was a perfect time to have some good-natured fun with the guys. Jerry Miculek ain't the only one to figure out that a practiced shooter can shoot a wheelgun faster OR reload one as fast as he can a 1911!

BOTTOM LINE . . . I beat 'em all that day, in around 46 seconds from starting with an empty moonclipped type revolver. Second place was over two seconds slower shooting a high capacity 1911. ;)

How did the two guys shooting Glocks with the 33 round mags do? FAGGET ABOUT IT! They both tried to go to fast, knowing they could miss a few . . . and ended up getting really shaken up . . . and both started spraying and praying. It was humorous. One poor guy ended up ejaculating . . . err . . . shooting over 100 rounds out of his 9mm Tupperware before running out of ammo and getting a DNF!



SELF DEFENSE? HOW DO I CARRY MY EXTRA AMMO?

Here's the chopped barrel 25-2 that kicked all that butt that day. It is my "car gun" and next to it is the simple little red ammo holder that comes with 20 rnd. Federal .270 rifle ammo. It allows me to insert EIGHT fully loaded moon clips in the holder!

Counting the ninth moonclip already loaded in this fabulous shootin' .45ACP wheelgun, I've got 54 rounds of big, dumb, slow bullets ready to use instantly and/or carry them with me when I exit the car.

2256768new25-2plusmoonclips-edited.jpg


T.

PS: Those Federal ammo holders ALSO work for this 646 revolver . . . in .40 Short & Wimpy!

2086107646-2.jpg


PPS: Why would a gun store HATE moonclips when they would rather sell me EIGHT speedloaders for 11.95 apiece . . . rather than eight moonclips for less than the price of most single speedloaders?

Hmmmm . . . if you can't figure that one out . . . I've got some swampland in Florida for sale!
 
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DawgFvr, from everything I can tell, I agree on the speed thing, once again simply going on what I have seen and put together theoretically. I realize that picking up the brass may not be "the key" here, I only mentioned that as some people mention the moonclips being a pain at the range for some reason.

Noidster
 
Depends how you plan to carry them. I carry reloads in my right rear pants pocket (2x Speedstrip and 1x Comp-1). I tried moonclips for a 940 and they wound up getting bent.
 
Moon clips aren't at their best with swc's or flat pointed bullets, which are what I prefer for SD. As with a speed loader, round noses go in quicker. If I feel the need for a reload, the backup moon clip holds jhp's.
 
Moon clips are the way to go. I have a 10mm and the moon clips fit a medium speed loader pouch. Used pouches are available at some of the distributors for as little as 75 cents each for double drops. And a moon clip if purchased in bulk can be as cheap as 50 cents each. Cost just alone over $7. a speed loader is just great. Loose a moon clip at a match not a big problem.
 
FWIW, I believe the knock against moon clips for defensive purposes is that a slightly bent clip can result in softened pin blows and misfires. This has happened to me, and I didn't notice the clip was bent until I looked at it pretty closely. I would still consider using them for SD, but I would feel the need to frequently inspect them for damage.
 
Thanks everyone.
It is encouraging to see folks actually running moons for defensive purposes. Now I have to go look at the 5 round 9mm taurus snubies! ;)

.38 Special,
was the failure with a gun that was worked over and requires Federal primers to go boom?
 
I recall seeing a leather device wherein the ammo, be it a speedloader or two moonclips, rode directly above the belt, rather than putting the bulky round package outside the belt. I can't remember where, though. Some leathermaker's website.

~~~Mat
 
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