moon clips vs speed loaders

[eells]

when using revolvers of course, what are the main advantages/disadvantages of each?

[normanvin]

Moon clips are generally used on rimless cartridge's."45acp, 9mm". They can not be used in a revolver otherwise. A revolvers cylinder can be modified to accept moon clips. I have seen a 357 mag done this way.

But a moon clip acts like a speed loader that stays with the bullets. A speed loader works like a moon clip, but you still have a speed loader in your hand when you close the cylinder.

[Pa. Patriot]

Having competed with both The main advantages are:

1) Moon clips are *typically* faster to load than speed loaders (as in charging the chamber). Just drop in vs. line up and activate.

2) More reliable. Speed loaders may not seat the rounds fully particularly when gun is dirty. No chance of missing/not activating the release mechanism cause there is none

3) More consistent extraction. No chance of extractor slipping over one of the cases. They all come out together.

4) For a SD gun, half moon clips carry more easily concealed than a speed loader and are considerably faster to load than loose cartridges or speed-strips.

[Pa. Patriot]

Moon clips are generally used on rimless cartridge's."45acp, 9mm". They can not be used in a revolver otherwise. A

With a properly headspaced cylinder rimless carts like 45acp are usable without the moon clip. Of course, extraction will be via fingernail or other tool.
But they will go bang.

[normanvin]

With a properly headspaced cylinder rimless carts like 45acp are usable without the moon clip. Of course, extraction will be via fingernail or other tool.
But they will go bang.

Learn something everyday.

Thanks

[1blindref]

Here are a couple of pictures that might help.

These are a S&W 442 (black) and 642 chambered in 38spl. The speed strip in front of the 642 holds 6 rounds in a rubber strip by snapping the base of the case into it. To reload the gun, you put two rounds into the cylinder at a time and twist the strip to unsnap them from it.

The speed loader in front of the 442 holds 5 rounds in exactly the same size pattern as the revolvers cylinder. To reload, you simply eject the spent cartridges, then insert the head of the bullets into the cylinder and turn the silver knob on the speed loader. That releases the bullets to fall the rest of the way into the cylinder.



This is a S&W 940 chambered in 9mm. The base of the 9mm rounds snap into the moon clip. The moon clip stays attached to the rounds and they are loaded as a unit into the cylinder of the gun. The moon clip gives the star extractor something to push on when you push the ejector rod and the spent cases are ejected as a unit with the moon clip.



The fastest reload is with the moon clip, followed by the speed loader, and then the speed strip.

[JoeWilliams]

With a properly headspaced cylinder rimless carts like 45acp are usable without the moon clip. Of course, extraction will be via fingernail or other tool.
But they will go bang.

Not necessarily via fingernail or other tool. Remember the 9mm revolver S&W had out years ago, the 547? Extracted 9mm cartridges, without use of moonclips.

http://www.vintagepistols.com/range_report_S&W_547.html

[eells]

good stuff, thanks. i was actually wondering what the point of half moons was

[JoeWilliams]

good stuff, thanks. i was actually wondering what the point of half moons was

They are easier to carry in a pocket that full moon clips for one thing. And less prone to getting bent.

[S&W 10mm]

good stuff, thanks. i was actually wondering what the point of half moons was

just my guess but with half moons it creates half the size of a speed loader/full moons, making it more flush to the body in which increases hiddeness of your cc weopon/loaders