Hearthco Moonclips

[gp100man]

I want to try some running some .45 GAP in my S&W 625. I've read on this forum that Hearthco makes some very good moon clips that will fit the .45 gap, but where do I buy them? And does anyone have a good load data for the .45gap in the 625 with a 4" barrel?

Thanks,

Steve

[Gregg K]

Tom at TK Custom has them.

GAP Moonclips

[Brian B]

https://apextactical.com/store/product-info.php?pid11.html

Or

http://www.moonclips.com/cart/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=49&cat=S%26W+Moonclips

I bought 50 moon clips from TK supply made by Hearthco and they cost me seven dollars per clip. Their round center it fits perfectly on my speed E rack. I have since bought 50 clips from the revolver supply company for less than a dollar per clip and they are blue steel instead of stainless.

They would fit:

http://magnumshooterssupply.com/James-Austin-Moon-Clip-Server-JAUSTIN001.htm

Or

http://shootersconnectionstore.com/North-Mountain-Moon-Clip-Holder-IDPA-Single-Post-w-Tek-Lok-P1803.aspx

I really would never buy the Hearthco 7 $ clips again, although excellent they are simply not worth the extra charge. They bend out of shape just as quickly as the blue steel. You should also consider the polymer clips which have a strong following:

http://www.ezmoonclip.com/page_4.htm

I strongly recommend the remooner which will save you hours mooning and demooning your clips it is a marvel of engineering :

http://www.bmtequipped.com/products.php

Good lunch and have fun

Edited December 4, 2011 by Brian B

[gp100man]

Thanks for the help guys. The Heartho moonclips are pretty pricey, but I think that I will get a couple just to give them a try. I'm curious to see if they hold a .45ACP case any tighter than the Ranch one. And I loaded up some .45 GAP and gave them a whirl. I really didn't see much advantage in it, and more importantly the cases were really loose.

Thanks again,

Steve

[lugnut]

Ok- serious question. Why do you want to hold the cartridges so tight? I use the Ranches for 45 ACP and they are fine IMO.

[Bubber]

Ok- serious question. Why do you want to hold the cartridges so tight? I use the Ranches for 45 ACP and they are fine IMO.

The more rigid the nose of the bullets are the more forgiving it is for a reload. The cylinder does not have to be straight up and down and so forth. The 45 is more forgiving than the rest of the calibers and the smaller the holes are the more it helps. Just my thought though.

[lugnut]

Ok- serious question. Why do you want to hold the cartridges so tight? I use the Ranches for 45 ACP and they are fine IMO.

The more rigid the nose of the bullets are the more forgiving it is for a reload. The cylinder does not have to be straight up and down and so forth. The 45 is more forgiving than the rest of the calibers and the smaller the holes are the more it helps. Just my thought though.

See- I was actually thinking the opposite... to an extent. I would think that if the cartridges had a little "wiggle room" so to speak- they would adjust to the misalignments better! Too loose would obviously not work. Oh well... for now anyway- my Ranches are working well.

[itchy]

In my experience, the 625 is fine with Ranch moonclips. The Smith and Wesson clips with the cut are a little rigid and don't work well. For 38 special in a 627 when reloading is involved, I will only use Hearthco. For some reason, 38 special needs to be held fairly tightly, while 45 can be loose. It must be the number of rounds and the length of the cartridge or some voodoo like that.

Seiichi

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

Ok- serious question. Why do you want to hold the cartridges so tight? I use the Ranches for 45 ACP and they are fine IMO.

The more rigid the nose of the bullets are the more forgiving it is for a reload. The cylinder does not have to be straight up and down and so forth. The 45 is more forgiving than the rest of the calibers and the smaller the holes are the more it helps. Just my thought though.

See- I was actually thinking the opposite... to an extent. I would think that if the cartridges had a little "wiggle room" so to speak- they would adjust to the misalignments better! Too loose would obviously not work. Oh well... for now anyway- my Ranches are working well.

There is a very big difference between the fit of 45GAP to the ranch clips than 45ACP. I used Ranch for years for 45ACP but when I tried GAP, I sorted brass for tighter fit. I still think Nickel brass worked the best for me.

[Carmoney]

In my experience, the 625 is fine with Ranch moonclips. The Smith and Wesson clips with the cut are a little rigid and don't work well. For 38 special in a 627 when reloading is involved, I will only use Hearthco. For some reason, 38 special needs to be held fairly tightly, while 45 can be loose. It must be the number of rounds and the length of the cartridge or some voodoo like that.

Seiichi

Same experience here.

[lugnut]

Interesting. I was referring specifically to 45ACP only. I don't have a 38 SP moon clip gun but I guess I could see them being a problem if they were too loose. Good to know.