Moon Clips ?'s

[calsite]

Recently purchased a S&W Model 22 Thunder Ranch in .45 ACP. Along with the Revolver I purchased California Competition's De-Mooner and Re-Mooner accessories. No problems with the Re-Mooner but the De-Mooner only works so-so and gives my clips a slightly cupped appearance. Bought my Moon Clips off of GunBroker.com. Are there different qualities of Moon Clips. Am I doing something wrong? I love to talk with some veteren Moon Clip users for some advice.

[Randall]

I use whatever clips I can get cheap. I use a demooner from Brownells and remoon them with my thumb and a hard surface. If the clips get bent it may cause a misfire, also it lets crud between the clip and the cylinder causing more misfires.

[monadnock#5]

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=395607&t=11082005

This is the tool I use. The feature you can't see in the pic are tabs on either side of the tool. The case fits in the U shape, and one of the tabs (ambidextrous) engages the OD of the clip. Using the tab as a fulcrum, the case pops out quick and easy, and doesn't damage or deform the clip. Don't overlook the price. This tool is cheap and very durable.

I suppose it could be used in reverse to fill the clip, maybe. I've found that manual mooning is relatively easy, and that manual demooning is frustrating and painful.

[shooterman]

One of the best sources for moon clips and accessories is TK Custom. They have good inventory and quality products. The best demooner is a home made tool consisting of a piece of steel tubing large enough to slide over the case with a small tab at the end to twist the cases off the clip. The empties slide down the tube and into your hand or bucket. This is about the most common tool i have seen at the IRC and you probably won't find a higher concentration of moon shooters anywhere.

[imashooter2]

A piece of copper pipe or better yet, a broken golf club shaft. Cut the end to look like this:

http://www.brownells.com/Images/Products/352197100.jpg

ETA, moon clips are $35 a hundred delivered from Old Sarge's Drop Zone on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/45-ACP-Full-Moon-Clips-100-Ct_W0QQitemZ120284419656QQihZ002QQcategoryZ383QQcm dZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

[Dale53]

I have a couple of 625's and they are my most used revolvers. I no longer shoot in competition but shoot Bullseye mostly. I have red dot sights on both of my revolvers.

For range use, I use RIMZ poly full moon clips. These do not require ANY tools except your fingers. They are EASY to use. However, they are not as secure as steel full moon clips.

For "serious" use, either competition or self defense, the steel full moon clips are the ones to use. With practice, you can really reload a revolver FAST (surely, if you are a .45 ACP revolver shooter you have seen the "U-Tube" video of Jerry Miculek shooting and reloading a 625). Well, even with practice you probably won't approach Jerry's speed (he is a phenom:mrgreen:) but with practice you can sure get efficient with these wheel guns.

The steel clips require a tool for de-mooning. I have several different types (I have an academic interest in ALL of them). The easiest and fastest I have used is the California Competition Works demooner. It looks like a set of pliers and easily removes two cases at each press of the "pliers". I have NOT damaged any clips with this tool.

http://www.demooner.com/product.asp?P_ID=60&strPageHistory=search&strKeywords=demooner&numPageStartPosition=1&strSearchCriteria=any&PT_ID=all

I use this tool for "remooning" but don't care for it in the demooning use, although it works ok. I just prefer the CCW "pliers".

http://www.mooncliptool.com/

Dale53

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got all three of the demooners shown in this thread and they all work fine. the biggest problem i have with demooning is using winchester brass. Its got a thicker rim and is a bugger to get out of clips. The win .40 brass is even worse
Recently purchased a S&W Model 22 Thunder Ranch in .45 ACP. Along with the Revolver I purchased California Competition's De-Mooner and Re-Mooner accessories. No problems with the Re-Mooner but the De-Mooner only works so-so and gives my clips a slightly cupped appearance. Bought my Moon Clips off of GunBroker.com. Are there different qualities of Moon Clips. Am I doing something wrong? I love to talk with some veteren Moon Clip users for some advice.

[Bass Ackward]

https://www.moonclips.com/cart/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=33&cat=%2E45+acp#

[imashooter2]

Ive got all three of the demooners shown in this thread and they all work fine. the biggest problem i have with demooning is using winchester brass. Its got a thicker rim and is a bugger to get out of clips. The win .40 brass is even worse


We have differing experience... The brass I use in the 625 is all segregated Winchester. It pops into the clips easily without tools and comes out easily with one of the demooning tools shown above made from an old golf club shaft.

Now in .38, Winchester is very tight and most moon makers state it won't work in their clips.

[calsite]

Thanks All for all of the insight, Looks like I need to start experimenting.

[Patrick L]

Steel moon clips should sit perfectly flat on a flat surface. If the develop any "cup" or bend to them, pitch them (except for purely recreational shooting.) I have no experience with the polymer clips. Its on my to-do list.

I load them by hand, pushing the clip straight down on the cartridge resting on a hard surface. To unload, I made a cheap copy of the Brownell's tool pictured above. I used PVC pipe and some scrap wood. What can I say? I'm cheap. If I get a chance I'll try to take a pic tonight or tomorrow and post it.

[dominicfortune00]

When I load moon clips for my S&W 1917 Brazilian contract, I just put two cartridges 180 degrees apart and squeeze them in.

To remove the shells from the moon clip, I hold the clip firmly in one hand and turn the casings as I pull them out of the clip.