S&W 627 and moonclips
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yhtomit
Member
Can't help you with the question as to whether they're needed w/ 357 in that gun, but wrt "the point of moonclips," a couple of things spring to mind:
1) For some guns, like my S&W 625, it allows ammo intended for autopistols to be fired in a revolver; 45ACP lacks the rim of typical revolver-style ammo, but with a moonclip, it stays in the right place in a revolver.
2) Speed / convenience: In the 625, since moonclips are needed anyhow, the speed and convenience are just nice bonuses. In other guns, the ability to use moonclips means ultra-quick reloads, and brass that stays together on ejection. (In a nice 5- or 6-round bundle.)
timothy
1) For some guns, like my S&W 625, it allows ammo intended for autopistols to be fired in a revolver; 45ACP lacks the rim of typical revolver-style ammo, but with a moonclip, it stays in the right place in a revolver.
2) Speed / convenience: In the 625, since moonclips are needed anyhow, the speed and convenience are just nice bonuses. In other guns, the ability to use moonclips means ultra-quick reloads, and brass that stays together on ejection. (In a nice 5- or 6-round bundle.)
timothy
yhtomit
Member
Gunsmoker: Yes, sort of -- whereas speedloaders hold the cartridges just until you squirt them into the cylinder, though, moonclips stay attached to the cases until (sometimes with annoying effort, but it gets easier) you detach the empties from the moonclip. I know that some people find them annoying (it is an extra step, and if your gun requires them it means you can't just slip in one cartridge at a time to test your new handloads or something), but I have only one revolver, and it needs moonclips ... and I like it 
timothy
timothy
Stainz
Member
The PC Shop will tell you that the PC 627 is to be used with moonclips when shooting .357 Magnums. Sadly, the 8-shot moonclips are brass case brand sensitive - mine seem to prefer Remington brass. It does work fine without them, of course. Good thing... as, despite the additional number of them that came with my JM PC627 V-Comp when I traded for it, I have yet to use them. Sure, I did load some Remi's up - and 'tried' loading them at the range - but never fired them, as I don't have the appropriate demooner. I don't want to chance bending them, since they seem to run over a buck per clip. Also, the eight spindly 'legs' don't fall as naturally into the chambers as the six .45 ACPs do in my 625JM - it spoils you.
I have shot thousands of .38 Specials - and similar loads in mixed .357M range-sweepings brass - with no problems. The excellent trigger/action mine possesses has spoiled me - it is a common 'plinker' accompanying me nearly every range trip since I made the trade ~1.5 yr ago. My only complaint - and, a minor one - is the dovetailed front sight. Even the PC Shop doesn't 'offer' a different front sight for mine - I want a 'HiViz', like the one I fitted to my 625JM. The cure is another 627 - the one with the tapered lug.
Stainz
I have shot thousands of .38 Specials - and similar loads in mixed .357M range-sweepings brass - with no problems. The excellent trigger/action mine possesses has spoiled me - it is a common 'plinker' accompanying me nearly every range trip since I made the trade ~1.5 yr ago. My only complaint - and, a minor one - is the dovetailed front sight. Even the PC Shop doesn't 'offer' a different front sight for mine - I want a 'HiViz', like the one I fitted to my 625JM. The cure is another 627 - the one with the tapered lug.
Stainz
Tom C.
Member.
I have a 627-5PC and 625-8JM. I have moon clips for each, but I seldom use them. They are more trouble than they are worth for range work. The .45 ACP moon clips seem to work with any make of brass. The clips for the .357 are sensitive to the brand of brass. There are two different moon clips for the 8 shot .357s and they are slightly different sizes. The depth of the extractor grooves in the brass vary with brand, so that the wrong combination of brass and clips will be too loose or too tight. Due to the length of the .357 cartridges, loose ammo in the moon clip can really slow down the reload.
Mr. Magnum
Member
moonclips are just like a magazine to a pistol and speedloaders to other wheelguns..."other" i say because the reason why the Performance Center recommends moonclips for the model 627 is of the simple fact that there is still no available speedloader for an 8-shot 627.
try to visit this site
https://www.moonclips.com/cart/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=25&cat=Smith+&+Wesson
I also have a 627-5 and it was my dream gun before. I now bring it to the range every week and it shoots darn well.
the speedloaders that i got from TKCustoms (2 packs of 10's) will allow me to load .357s (all 160pcs of them) while watching dvd (stress reliever for me).
I load these clips a couple of days before firing day.
With a little bit of practice, its a lot quicker than speedloaders.
try to visit this site also... this is Jerry Miculek. Fastest revolver shooter in the world. he uses a s&w 627 with moonclips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uisHfKj2JiI
Hope this helps.
try to visit this site
https://www.moonclips.com/cart/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=25&cat=Smith+&+Wesson
I also have a 627-5 and it was my dream gun before. I now bring it to the range every week and it shoots darn well.
the speedloaders that i got from TKCustoms (2 packs of 10's) will allow me to load .357s (all 160pcs of them) while watching dvd (stress reliever for me).
I load these clips a couple of days before firing day.
With a little bit of practice, its a lot quicker than speedloaders.
try to visit this site also... this is Jerry Miculek. Fastest revolver shooter in the world. he uses a s&w 627 with moonclips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uisHfKj2JiI
Hope this helps.
Last edited:
Stainz
Member
The eight round shots were from his PC627, but the six, reload, six in 2.99 seconds was a 625 with .45 ACPs. The moonclipped .45 ACPs do tend to 'jump' right into the 625s - especially with eased extractor edges ("eased charge holes"). I have problems loading the spindly spider-like eight rounds in a moonclip - probably just my lacking in manual dexterity.
The very best attribute of the 627 is, despite it's lightest trigger I own stature, it pops everything I load it with, primer wise. Not so the 625 - even with Federal primers, range brass was unacceptable - too many ftf's. New - or now, revolver-used only, Starline brass is it! I really think the rimmed .38/.357M's are a steadier way to base a primer for the fp's impact - the moonclips inject slop. Yeah, an aftermarket longer fp would likely fix that 625 problem. When I can no longer load Fed LP primers (Soon!), I may have to change that. Thankfully, the 627 is fine as it is.
Stainz
PS The 'Maxfire M1K' rubber speedloader is for the eight-shot .357M 627 & Taurus 608. Brownell's has it for $11.95 retail - pg 126 in catalog #59.
The very best attribute of the 627 is, despite it's lightest trigger I own stature, it pops everything I load it with, primer wise. Not so the 625 - even with Federal primers, range brass was unacceptable - too many ftf's. New - or now, revolver-used only, Starline brass is it! I really think the rimmed .38/.357M's are a steadier way to base a primer for the fp's impact - the moonclips inject slop. Yeah, an aftermarket longer fp would likely fix that 625 problem. When I can no longer load Fed LP primers (Soon!), I may have to change that. Thankfully, the 627 is fine as it is.
Stainz
PS The 'Maxfire M1K' rubber speedloader is for the eight-shot .357M 627 & Taurus 608. Brownell's has it for $11.95 retail - pg 126 in catalog #59.
627 and moonclip
The 627 does NOT require moonclip: it use a rimmed case ( 38 short colt- 38 special- 357 Magnum etc).
Moonclips are required ( 99%) for non rimmed case as 9 Luger-40S&W-45ACP; you can use FMC also in a 627 to have a fast and safe loading and unloading of the cylinder ( which is not assured by speedloader and loose cases.
The 627 does NOT require moonclip: it use a rimmed case ( 38 short colt- 38 special- 357 Magnum etc).
Moonclips are required ( 99%) for non rimmed case as 9 Luger-40S&W-45ACP; you can use FMC also in a 627 to have a fast and safe loading and unloading of the cylinder ( which is not assured by speedloader and loose cases.
Smurfslayer
Member
The standard moonclips that come with 327/627/trr8/M&P work with Winchester, S&B, and a few others. They will hold the other brands, but they will be far too loose to effectively load the cylinder.
For starline, remington, federal brass, the TKCustom match moon clips do a spectactular job of holding the brass, making reloads WAY smoother.
NO, you don't have to use moonclips to shoot the 627, but, they sure do make reloads a whole heck of a lot easier.
For demooning, I just use a multitool / pliers and the cases pull right out.
I use this setup in ICORE, and I will typically start the stage with a standard moonclip and carry match moonclip reloads w/ Fed, Rem or starline brass.
HTH
For starline, remington, federal brass, the TKCustom match moon clips do a spectactular job of holding the brass, making reloads WAY smoother.
NO, you don't have to use moonclips to shoot the 627, but, they sure do make reloads a whole heck of a lot easier.
For demooning, I just use a multitool / pliers and the cases pull right out.
I use this setup in ICORE, and I will typically start the stage with a standard moonclip and carry match moonclip reloads w/ Fed, Rem or starline brass.
HTH
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