Moonclip Cleaning

[RevolverJockey]

Was just curious how everyone cleans their clips when they get dirty of fouled up. I have been just wiping them off, but was thinking of soaking them in Kroil and degreasing them with something like brake cleaner. I shoot lead and they seem to pick up a gummy film after a few uses. Anyone have a trick that works or doesn't?

Lee

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

I used to put them in hot water with Dawn or Palmolive dish soap. Then rinse with boiling water so it evaporated off. Never had a clip rust either.

[Jaxshooter]

I throw mine in the tumbler with no brass in it. They come out clean and coated with the polish I use on my brass. Never had a problem like bent clips from doing it this way. About 15-20 minutes usually does it.

[NMBOpen]

In the tumbler when I do a load of brass.

[robot]

+1 For tumbler. I chuck them in with my brass

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I use my parts washer and clean off with compressed air Brake clean work great also. Thanks, Eric

[Carmoney]

Tumble them with your brass. No need for extra work!

[West Texas Granny]

Never occurred to me to use the tumbler. Thanks guys for that work and time saving suggestion.

[revoman]

Who cleans their moon clips? I don't think in all the years I have shot revolver I have ever cleaned my clips. Best I have done is wipe them with a rag. Maybe that is what is holding me back and if I clean them maybe my classifier scores would go up

[Gregg K]

Plus 10 on the tumbler. I don't bother to clean very often but I throw them in with the brass every once in a while. I sift the brass and media through a sifter box with some hardware cloth when I do the moons since they will pass through the Dillon media separator.

[glockwerkes]

I tried the tumbler suggestion, but it didn't work for me. If you're shooting lead and getting the gummy, waxy buildup....it just won't come off without rubbing. I tried leaving them in the tumbler even longer, still didn't work. What has worked to remove it: check all the clips first, making sure none are tweaked. Next, lay a rag on the bench, and put the clip on it. Take another rag, wrap it around your finger, and soak it in Kroil. Rub half the clip clean, rotate it to do the other half, flip it over, and repeat. Wipe clean and reload. The bench rag picks up enough Kroil that the stuff on the bottom is pre-softened and comes off easily. I only clean them every 4-5 uses.

[matt625]

Another +1 for using the tumbler. Works awesome.

[cuzinvinny]

Now I'm really glad I decided to read this thread. I never thought of just tossing them in the tumbler, I always just wiped them off with a clean rag.

[Carmoney]

I tried the tumbler suggestion, but it didn't work for me. If you're shooting lead and getting the gummy, waxy buildup....it just won't come off without rubbing. I tried leaving them in the tumbler even longer, still didn't work. What has worked to remove it: check all the clips first, making sure none are tweaked. Next, lay a rag on the bench, and put the clip on it. Take another rag, wrap it around your finger, and soak it in Kroil. Rub half the clip clean, rotate it to do the other half, flip it over, and repeat. Wipe clean and reload. The bench rag picks up enough Kroil that the stuff on the bottom is pre-softened and comes off easily. I only clean them every 4-5 uses.

If you tumble them every time you use them, the waxy crap will never have a chance to build up, particularly if you keep your media reasonably fresh and treated with a bit of liquid polish. The trick, of course, is to have 100 moonclips ($35 from Ranch Products) so you don't have to re-use them multiple times between cleanings.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: Parts washer and let them soak over night and blow dry the next day. It will remove all the crud without much effort Thanks, Eric

[Brian B]

Was just curious how everyone cleans their clips when they get dirty of fouled up. I have been just wiping them off, but was thinking of soaking them in Kroil and degreasing them with something like brake cleaner. I shoot lead and they seem to pick up a gummy film after a few uses. Anyone have a trick that works or doesn't?

Lee

Hi Lee, I also have a couple of S&W blued clips which are easily scratched and gunk up quickly, perhaps the soft steel could be part of your problem?

My cleaning procedure for my guns starts with brake cleaner, a quick brush then I cover with a cloth and use 3000psi compressed air from my dive tank to blast out the dirty liquid. Dental picks are used to remove lead build up between the barrel forcing cone and top strap. The moon clips I use are TK Custom Match. They are made of incredibly hard stainless steel, and are cut so accurately that when I stack them together they seem to form one perfect block of steel. Nothing sticks to these clips which are smooth as glass. The TK Custom Match moon clips are of the same quality as you would expect from a jet engine component. Be warned however they cost me $7USD each + tax and shipping. I bought 40. I use a Speed-E-Rack with which they have a perfect fit. Your funky clips could use some fine steel wool and penetrating oil to remove the cooked on carbon buildup?

[professor]

Tumbler for brass and moonclips. To separate them from the media, I made a tray from an old picture frame with hardware cloth that catches 9 mm and up brass plus the moonclips.

Most of the media comes out of the casings this way. But then I'll agitate the cleaned brass in the tumbler with no media for 30 seconds or so and it'll knock most of the media out of the primer holes. [Wear hearing protection for this, as it will be LOUD].

[Mover480]

If the clips have slots, tumbling media plugs them up. For the slotted ones, soak in Hoppes No. 9, tumble the rest.

[Bwana Six-Gun]

I think there are a couple of threads on this previously, but I agree with the majority, just throw them in the tumbler and they come out smooth and clean. I started out soaking them in a mason jar of Hoppe's #9, but found it was too much trouble fishing them out and wiping them off, when the tumbler did just as good a job. Also, as Mike posted earlier, get yourself 100 from Ranch products and then you never have to worry about build up.

[S391]

I think there are a couple of threads on this previously, but I agree with the majority, just throw them in the tumbler and they come out smooth and clean. I started out soaking them in a mason jar of Hoppe's #9, but found it was too much trouble fishing them out and wiping them off, when the tumbler did just as good a job. Also, as Mike posted earlier, get yourself 100 from Ranch products and then you never have to worry about build up.

I just ran a batch through my tumbler and they came out nice and shiny clean! Thanks for the great tip!

[TonyT]

I wipe my mooonclips off with Hoppes#9 after the match. That gets rid of the accumulated grime.

[Tom Revo]

Clean your S/S TKC moonclips in CLR. Just let them soak overnight and rinse with water & let dry.

[TonyT]

I wipe the grime off my moon clips with a paper towel and some Hoppes#9.

[pskys2]

Clean Moon Clips for a .45?

Thought the grime would just help tighten them up, so they would load faster!

[Shadowrider]

I tried the tumbler suggestion, but it didn't work for me. If you're shooting lead and getting the gummy, waxy buildup....it just won't come off without rubbing. I tried leaving them in the tumbler even longer, still didn't work. What has worked to remove it: check all the clips first, making sure none are tweaked. Next, lay a rag on the bench, and put the clip on it. Take another rag, wrap it around your finger, and soak it in Kroil. Rub half the clip clean, rotate it to do the other half, flip it over, and repeat. Wipe clean and reload. The bench rag picks up enough Kroil that the stuff on the bottom is pre-softened and comes off easily. I only clean them every 4-5 uses.

If you tumble them every time you use them, the waxy crap will never have a chance to build up, particularly if you keep your media reasonably fresh and treated with a bit of liquid polish. The trick, of course, is to have 100 moonclips ($35 from Ranch Products) so you don't have to re-use them multiple times between cleanings.

Having a hundred also means you aren't up until midnight in your hotel room de-clipping and re-clipping ammo for the next day at a big match.