The Perfect .45 ACP Demooner: Innovative Industries Full Moon Clip Extraction Tool

[BringHomeTheBacon]

Demo video:



I just bought one for my new Smith Governor. Every .45 ACP-firing revolver owner needs this in his range bag or pistol case. Helps with loading the last round ONTO the moon clip as well. Pressing that last shell onto the full moon clip is tough on the fingers without this tubular tool. The spring metal of the moon clip must expand to allow the rounds to snap in. This expansion of the last slot is hard with 5 rounds in the clip already. Used properly, this removes fired cases or live rounds safely from moon clips. Saves both fingers and moon clips from damage. The extracted rounds slip right through the hollow tubular body.

 

[jmorris]

Yeah, a section of tubing notched, long enough to hold the length of a full cylinder of loaded rounds and doesn’t let them fall out the other end is handy but once a 45 ACP revolver guy is given GAP brass, the tools gather lots more dust.

 

[BringHomeTheBacon]

Yeah, a section of tubing notched, long enough to hold the length of a full cylinder of loaded rounds and doesn’t let them fall out the other end is handy but once a 45 ACP revolver guy is given GAP brass, the tools gather lots more dust.

It's a moon-clip "progressive loading press" for the SHOOTING bench! It depends how avid a moon shooter you are. The tool I have is much more compact and will fit a fanny pack compartment even. They do have bigger and faster mooning tools. The feasibility of which tool to get is based upon the volume of moon revolver shooting you do.

There is this faster but bulkier mooner too:

 

[StrawHat]

I notched a piece of tubing maybe 40 years back to remove empties from full moon clips. I build a lever and anvil to squeeze loaded rounds back in. Pop showed me how to squeeze loaded rounds in place two at a time.

Kevin

 

[BringHomeTheBacon]

I notched a piece of tubing maybe 40 years back to remove empties from full moon clips. I build a lever and anvil to squeeze loaded rounds back in. Pop showed me how to squeeze loaded rounds in place two at a time.

Kevin

How long have moon clips been around? I remember first reading about them in 1990's gun mag writings. I believe certain .45 ACP revolvers were the first to use them. They might have been M1917 Smith & Wesson (or Colt) revolvers for the army. My new Smith Governor is my first-ever moon-clip revolver. That gun writing talked about full moon clips and half moon clips. Interestingly, moon clip is not in the dictionary.

 

[jmorris]

It's a moon-clip "progressive loading press" for the SHOOTING bench! It depends how avid a moon shooter you are. The tool I have is much more compact and will fit a fanny pack compartment even.

You didn’t watch my video did you? With GAP brass you don’t have to use any tool. They also have small primers that allow for trigger pulls too light to reliability ignite large primers. They also clear the cylinder quicker than ACP brass because they are shorter.

I haven’t been spending as much time with them lately but I have put more than my fair share of rounds down range using moon clips.

I notched a piece of tubing maybe 40 years back to remove empties from full moon clips.

I know several folks that use old broken golf club handles. Thin tubing with a good grip, just need a notch on the open end. Best use of a golf club IMO.

 

[jmorris]

How long have moon clips been around?

Around 114 years, developed in 1908.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_clip

 

[SunnySlopes]

How long have moon clips been around?

My first revolver utilizing such was a S&W M25-2 I had back in my college days. The only clips available to me were the half moon. I had a "sort of" tool for unloading them, but nothing to load them. Loading and/or unloading in cold weather with bare fingers would be particularly challenging.

The whole process was so tedious that I got rid of the revolver. Half moon clips were a pain.

Years later I bought another S&W 25-2 and a Ruger Redhawk 45 Colt/45 ACP.

This is my unloading tool:


California Competition Works demooner.

My loading tool is a TK:


World of difference.

 

[Dave T]

I've never understood the complaints about Moonclips when the same people are willing to fidget with speed loaders like the Safariland. Load 50 to 100 Moonclips the night before while watching TV. At the range you have an hour or more of pleasant shooting. Loading and reloading your revolver will be the proverbial piece of cake.

The OP is correct in that the fastest, surest reload for a revolver is with Moonclips and short semi-auto rounds. I would love someone to make K-frame/Security-six size, six shot 40 S&W with the cylinder cut for Moonclips. I'd even settle for an L-frame if it had a lightweight frame. Either size would make excellent carry revolvers.

Dave

 

[BringHomeTheBacon]

You didn’t watch my video did you? With GAP brass you don’t have to use any tool. They also have small primers that allow for trigger pulls too light to reliability ignite large primers. They also clear the cylinder quicker than ACP brass because they are shorter.

I haven’t been spending as much time with them lately but I have put more than my fair share of rounds down range using moon clips.

View attachment 1060512



I know several folks that use old broken golf club handles. Thin tubing with a good grip, just need a notch on the open end. Best use of a golf club IMO.

I watched this video several times, it looks like the guy is using some kind of equipment (shaped roughly like a bench loading press to my eyes) to load and unload the clip:

 

[jmorris]

1:23-1:36 in the video is GAP brass being mooned/demooned by hand.

 

[Jonesy814]

I made a demooning tool from a piece of light tubing from the frame of an old porch swing. I notched the end, drilled the other end and ran a loop of paracord through it. Its long enough to hold 6 pieces of brass. The rope keeps them from falling out the end and gives me a way to hang it by my bench

 

[mcb]

A good demooner can also be made from a golf club handle.

Love moonclip fed revolvers.

 

[UncleEd]

Definition:

Demooner, someone who keeps
the pants up.

 

[mcb]

Definition:

Demooner, someone who keeps
the pants up.

 

[StrawHat]

You didn’t watch my video did you? With GAP brass you don’t have to use any tool. They also have small primers that allow for trigger pulls too light to reliability ignite large primers. They also clear the cylinder quicker than ACP brass because they are shorter.

I haven’t been spending as much time with them lately but I have put more than my fair share of rounds down range using moon clips.

View attachment 1060512



I know several folks that use old broken golf club handles. Thin tubing with a good grip, just need a notch on the open end. Best use of a golf club IMO.

I watched it. I also use GAP brass but prefer ACP. I shot PPC with a Model 25-2. Been on the Medal Stand many times. It was fun. I now carry a Model 22-4 as my EDC.

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

How long have moon clips been around? I remember first reading about them in 1990's gun mag writings. I believe certain .45 ACP revolvers were the first to use them. They might have been M1917 Smith & Wesson (or Colt) revolvers for the army. My new Smith Governor is my first-ever moon-clip revolver. That gun writing talked about full moon clips and half moon clips. Interestingly, moon clip is not in the dictionary.

The full moon clip was a development for some of the S&W topbreak revolvers. In 1916 or so S&W was issued a patent for a full moon and a half moon clip. The full moon was a complex gadget with springs and easily broken. The Army was correct in selecting the 1/2 moon clips in WWI. In the 70s, if I remember correctly, Ranch Products created what we now consider the full moon clip and continue to make them.


Kevin

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

There are also 2 rd moon clips out there.......Moon clips for S&W 45acp revolvers are SMALLER than moon clips for colt's 1917 54acp revolver.

 

[JohnKSa]

I watched this video several times, it looks like the guy is using some kind of equipment (shaped roughly like a bench loading press to my eyes) to load and unload the clip:

I think it would be more accurate to say you watched PART of the video several times.

Near the end of the video it shows GAP cartridges being loaded and demooned by hand with no tools used.

 

[Jim Watson]

The Webley Fosbery .38 High Velocity with 8 round clip, ca 1903.

 

[StrawHat]

I notched a piece of tubing maybe 40 years back to remove empties from full moon clips. I build a lever and anvil to squeeze loaded rounds back in. Pop showed me how to squeeze loaded rounds in place two at a time.

Kevin

Just reread this. Sorry, the last line should read,

Pop showed me how to squeeze loaded rounds in place two at a time with a large pair of water pump pliers.

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

There are also 2 rd moon clips out there.......Moon clips for S&W 45acp revolvers are SMALLER than moon clips for colt's 1917 54acp revolver.

I find that interesting as the 1/2 moon clip used in WWI was interchangeable between the two revolvers. Not sure how full moon clips would make a difference?

Kevin

 

[sparkyv]

...another golf club demooner (not 45ACP), inspired by mcb and a few other THR folks.

I know several folks that use old broken golf club handles. Thin tubing with a good grip, just need a notch on the open end. Best use of a golf club IMO.

A good demooner can also be made from a golf club handle.

Love moonclip fed revolvers.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Have the California Competition Works mooner, after making my own version out of a wood block and aluminum stock. It does require different sized arbors, depending on the moon.
Yeah, the tubular demooners work; the 986 cylinder requires a smaller one than some other 9mms, to fit in among the more closely spaced rounds.
The .45 moons have been around forever, and can be found at gunshows for maybe fifty cents apiece; the newer, dedicated 9mms are pricier.
Nines are another issue too; because of cannelure variations, they generally are more tightly fitted. I've seen brand specific moons, but that is waaaaaaaaaaaay too much messing around. You will generally need a mooning tool for nines.
A late buddy, Ironass Muldoon, was determined to remove his .45 mooned brass by hand, and bent his share of moons. Finally gave him one of the stamped steel demooners.
Moon.
ETA- Happykaboomer, was unaware that Colt 1917 moons were different.
Pistol caliber moons do work better than those made for revolver cartridges...the shorter length of the pistol caliber rounds work much better.
M