New Revolver

[Smith55]

I just bought a Ruger SP 101 sa/da in 9mm. Fun to shoot. Good for winter carry or car carry. The only negative, it uses moon clips. First revolver for me with moon clips. I don't think i like them.

[Ronald_55]

Do all the 9mm revolvers use moon clips? I know my Dad's .45 APC Model 1917 did. I figured all auto style cartridges needed them in a revolver. 

[Garufa]

27 minutes ago, Ronald_55 said:

Do all the 9mm revolvers use moon clips? I know my Dad's .45 APC Model 1917 did. I figured all auto style cartridges needed them in a revolver. 

S&W made one for a couple of years with a rather complex extractor that did not use clips.   Charter Arms was supposed to have something similar a few years ago but I don’t l know if it went any where.

Otherwise, rimless cartridge usually means moon clip in DA revolver unless you’re lucky.

Edited July 20, 2018 by Garufa

[A.J. Holst]

My SP is cut for moon clips, I have never used them (.38/.357)

Got the fancy tool and everything...

Garufa is correct, CA introduced a 9mm clipless revo a while back, have never seen one for sale. 

[Bob Wright]

15 hours ago, Smith55 said:

I just bought a Ruger SP 101 sa/da in 9mm. Fun to shoot. Good for winter carry or car carry. The only negative, it uses moon clips. First revolver for me with moon clips. I don't think i like them.

Pardon me for asking,  but if you don't like moon clips, why in the world did you buy the gun?

 

Bob Wright

[Grayfox54]

Revolvers that use semi-auto cartridges will shoot just fine without moon clips. You just have to pick the empties out one at a time. That's the whole reason for the moon clips to start with. So you can eject the brass. 

From 1980 to 1985 S&W produced the Model 547 9mm revolver which did not require moon clips. It used a special extractor which had retractable fingers to grab the rim when ejecting brass. It was a complex and very expensive to make system which led to S&W dropping it after only 5 years and 10,000 guns produced. I've also heard that the fingers were pretty fragile and prone to breakage. Today, they are very expensive collector's items. 

 

Personally, I've never really understood the appeal of a semi-auto round in a revolver. 

[RED333]

1 hour ago, Grayfox54 said:

never really understood the appeal of a semi-auto round in a revolver.

My feelings on this

[hipower]

3 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Revolvers that use semi-auto cartridges will shoot just fine without moon clips. You just have to pick the empties out one at a time. That's the whole reason for the moon clips to start with. So you can eject the brass. 

From 1980 to 1985 S&W produced the Model 547 9mm revolver which did not require moon clips. It used a special extractor which had retractable fingers to grab the rim when ejecting brass. It was a complex and very expensive to make system which led to S&W dropping it after only 5 years and 10,000 guns produced. I've also heard that the fingers were pretty fragile and prone to breakage. Today, they are very expensive collector's items. 

 

Personally, I've never really understood the appeal of a semi-auto round in a revolver. 

 

1 hour ago, RED333 said:

My feelings on this

Not sure I can give an answer that will explain this. I do happen to have a couple of revolvers that are chambered for 9mm and 45. Really fun to shoot, accurate, and slow down the impulse to blast away as fast as possible. I find that I am more accurate with a revolver, and my Smith Model 19s rank at the top of favorites.

I do happen to have one of the 547 Smiths. I got it really, really cheap in the early 90s.

It's one of my "keepers."

[Garufa]

1 hour ago, hipower said:

 

Not sure I can give an answer that will explain this. I do happen to have a couple of revolvers that are chambered for 9mm and 45. Really fun to shoot, accurate, and slow down the impulse to blast away as fast as possible. I find that I am more accurate with a revolver, and my Smith Model 19s rank at the top of favorites.

I do happen to have one of the 547 Smiths. I got it really, really cheap in the early 90s.

It's one of my "keepers."

I would love to have a 547.

[Smith55]

I had to order the pistol and didn't realize it used moon clips. when i saw the pistol and saw the moon clips it was not a deal breaker, just not my preference.

[Jeb48]

I have a 9mm and a .45acp revolver that take moon clips. I like them, I consider them as having light weight speed loaders. I found some soft rubber cap things that were used to  protect/close the end of a tube that work as protective covers so I can carry a spare loaded moon clip in my pocket.

[hipower]

2 hours ago, Garufa said:

I would love to have a 547.

If I should ever make a mistake...I'll let you know. lol

I've had a couple of people wanting it over the years, but at the time, I was blessed enough not to need to sell.

I should make a revolver day at G&L next week. Maybe the 547, a 19, and the 625.

That should wear my butt out.

[Grayfox54]

Well I do own one revolver chambered for a semi-auto cartridge. A S&W 25-2 in .45acp. However, these were designed to be target guns and are exceptional in that purpose. I don't think I've ever fired anything other than 200gr SWC target loads through it. 

Defensive revolvers in semi-auto cartridges? I just don't see the point. However, if I were to stumble across a 547 at a decent price, I'd jump all over it. 

[Patton]

I have a Charter Arms Pitbull in 40S&W and the extractor system works wonderful. So far it is has about 200 flawless rounds through it. 

[hipower]

48 minutes ago, Patton said:

I have a Charter Arms Pitbull in 40S&W and the extractor system works wonderful. So far it is has about 200 flawless rounds through it. 

Neat! I've not gotten hold of any of the Pitbull guns, but I keep hearing of them. Glad to know yours functions well. I'm guessing it has a bit of bite to it?

[Patton]

57 minutes ago, hipower said:

Neat! I've not gotten hold of any of the Pitbull guns, but I keep hearing of them. Glad to know yours functions well. I'm guessing it has a bit of bite to it?

A little bit of a bite, but it is a great shooter. It fills just like a 357 magnum of similar size and weight. It makes sense; a 40S&W is the ballistic equivalent of a 357 mag.  I have a 60-10 and they recoil the same. 

[Bob Wright]

Bear in mind that all Single Action Revolvers fitted with auto pistol cartridge cylinders do not require clips as the case headspaces on the case mouth and does not require a rim for this.  And the rod ejector cares not a whit for rims!

 

Bob Wright

[graycrait]

I had a Ruger Speed Six in 9mm some years ago.  I had 18 moon clips for it.  I used to waste 9mm as fast with that revolver as I did with a Glock 9mm.  It was a fun revolver. I actually think I sold or traded it for more than I had into it.   I tried to like the Taurus 905 but just couldn't.  The moon clips were flimsy.  If I stuck a 905 moon clip in my pocket I would find loose ammo and an empty moon clip. That was not an issue with the Speed Six moon clips.

[221 Fireball]

I love the moon clips for my Smith 625. I can "toss" six rounds into the cylinder at once, and keep on firing. It's the fastest way, IMO, to do reloads. Also easy to find and pick up your brass, all nice and tidy in a little cluster of a clip. And .45 acp in a revo makes a fine target/competition/plinker gun with a lot milder recoil than my .44 mag for sure.

 

[hipower]

1 hour ago, 221 Fireball said:

I love the moon clips for my Smith 625. I can "toss" six rounds into the cylinder at once, and keep on firing. It's the fastest way, IMO, to do reloads. Also easy to find and pick up your brass, all nice and tidy in a little cluster of a clip. And .45 acp in a revo makes a fine target/competition/plinker gun with a lot milder recoil than my .44 mag for sure.

 

Agreed. Makes me want to take mine out again.