Moonclips

[66L]

This is my first post here so forgive me if something along these lines has been covered.

I shoot a 625JM in IDPA and USPSA matches and have been doing so for a year or two. In my neck of the woods revolvers are few and far between so I really don't have anyone to compare gear with. I'm always on the hunt for a "better" way to do things, which brings me to my questions.

How do you guys carry moonclips with you to the matches? I'm not talking about actually on your person, for that I use Ready Tactical and North Mountain moonclip holders depending on the match. I mean the spare rounds. Do you load loose rounds there on the range with whatever amount of clips you need, or do you do it the night before? I typically bring far more rounds than necessary and load them up ahead of time. But with this I have been just using an old toolbox to lug them around and reload my belt after each stage. Do you guys use anything specific to hold them, or just like me and keep them loose in a container until needed? I have been thinking of fabricating some kind of mass clip holder to store them in my box, but can't decide on the design/material.

My other question is about the clips themselves. One side is smooth and the other has a rough edge, presumably from the stamping process. Do you load them bullets facing the rough or smooth side, and does it matter? I have tried both and don't notice any difference in function. The only thing I can come up with is that if you load "rough side to bullets" that puts the smooth side rubbing against the kydex of my moonclip holders on their way out, in theory reducing wear on my gear. Another thought....I'm completely over-analyzing this.

[bikerburgess]

I load my clips up before the match and try to get myself to chamber check them, but that doesn't always happen. for transport I have a piece of plywood that fits in the bottom of my range bag with 1/2" wooden dowels sticking up out of it that I can stack 3 loaded clips on, if my memory is working I can get 324 rounds on moon clips (54 clips) on it and ready to go for the match. this keeps them organised and I can run most matches without having to worry about messing with moon clips just pick up the empties and stack them back on the posts.

[66L]

I suspect I'll end up making something similar. How did you attach the dowels to the plywood? With construction like that and 324 rounds on board I bet it takes two good men and a mule to haul that sucker around. I'm not a small guy but I don't want to carry around more than necessary. Wood is just easy to work with.

[Toolguy]

I carry mine loose in a Dillon Border Shift bag - Loaded in one side, Empty in the other side.

One of my friends got some clear plastic boxes that are divided into squares just a little bigger than a loaded moonclip and puts one in each compartment in the box. You can find plastic molded boxes like that at the hardware store or Bass Pro or Cabela's, etc.

[6cylinder]

I carry 2 approx. 9x9x3 inch plastic containers in the bottom of my range bag with loaded moonclips in them. That is usually enougth for most local matches. I also take 150 to 200 extra rounds in another container without clips just incase, always take a mooner and demooner with you. As for the clips I load them with the shiny side up dont know if that is right or wrong just the way I do it.

Clean the clips regulary and check for bent clips before you load them, learned this the hard way. Have fun with the revolver we need more revolver shooters.

[buckaroo45]

+1 with what Warren said. Bass Pro Shops has what you need. Get 100 Ranch moonclips and load them up. Chamber check each clip for cylinder rotation and full seating. Should make a little "thunk" sound when they fall into the chambers. You don't have to close the cylinder all the way. Just till it starts to close then rotate thru 360 rotation. Any high primers will show up immediately. Set those that aren't right aside for later investigation. Less to mess with at the match. Trying to reload moonclips between stages is an exercise in futility and more stress than you need. Ask me how I know. I also STRONGLY recommend the BMT Mooner. Fast load and unload of the clips and compact.

[bikerburgess]

I suspect I'll end up making something similar. How did you attach the dowels to the plywood? With construction like that and 324 rounds on board I bet it takes two good men and a mule to haul that sucker around. I'm not a small guy but I don't want to carry around more than necessary. Wood is just easy to work with.

I just drilled holes in the plywood and glued the dowels into the holes.

[Hipobrow]

I use plastic mailing tubes, cut in length to hold 10 moonclips.

Keep them out of elements, load and store as many as you have moonclips available.

Similar to this:

http://www.imprintitems.com/custom/spl/9329601?utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=SPLfeed

http://www.uline.com/BL_3651/Clear-Plastic-Tubes

I use them for .45 ACP x 6, .38 special x 8, .38 short colt x 8 with the same results.

When they crack at edges, just replace with new ones.

[TonyT]

I place my rounds in the moonclips before tha match and then package them in recycled small priority mail boxes which I tape up with cello tape. Virtually no additional weight or space in the small bag I carry with me at the match.

[66L]

You guys have some really creative ideas about this. Makes you wonder why there is nothing commercially made for them. On the hand, what do you do with the empties or partially empty clips? I have been using a large freezer bag to store them in until I get home, just to keep the left over powder flakes from going everywhere. What are your suggestions for that?

[Brian Gonsalves]

I've tried the plastic boxes and the wood dowels. Liked the dowels better, right up to the time I reached in to grab and moonclip and jammed a sliver of wood under the finger nail of my trigger finger.

Decided to make one of Delrin, no more splinters! This is the one for my 627, I have another for my 625, both are in their own Shooters Connection Inner Bag My link

By having different inner bags all I have to do is switch inner bags, all my other gear always stays in my main bag. Tournament Series Shooting Bag

[Brian B]

My clip carrier rack is 4.5 by 14 inches and high enough to stack 5 clips. There are 2 rows of 7 dowels where the center two dowels have holes drilled near the top to string a small handle through at the top center point of the balance of a full rack. The handle makes it very easy to move the rack. It carries 60 clips which is good enough for a practice and a competition. I used a plastic coffee bin in my range bag but this always guaranteed a bent clip. Now my clips live on the carrier rack. Adding ammo to the clip and removing the spent shells has been an annoyance until I found the BMT mooner which is amazingly fast for both functions. I have one each for my S&W models 610 and 627, I highly recommend the BMT mooner.

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

[Brian B]

My clip carrier rack is 4.5 by 14 inches and high enough to stack 5 clips. There are 2 rows of 7 dowels where the center two dowels have holes drilled near the top to string a small handle through at the top center point of the balance of a full rack. The handle makes it very easy to move the rack in and out of my range bag at to my work table. It carries 60 clips which is good enough for a practice and a competition. I used to use a plastic coffee bin in my range bag but this always guaranteed a bent clip. Now my clips live on the carrier rack. Adding ammo to the moon clip and removing the spent shells had been an annoyance until I found the BMT mooner which is amazingly fast for both functions. I have one each for my S&W models 610 and 627, I highly recommend the BMT mooner.

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

[Carmoney]

Another thought....I'm completely over-analyzing this.

Yep! Just shoot.

[bikerburgess]

You guys have some really creative ideas about this. Makes you wonder why there is nothing commercially made for them. On the hand, what do you do with the empties or partially empty clips? I have been using a large freezer bag to store them in until I get home, just to keep the left over powder flakes from going everywhere. What are your suggestions for that?

First if you have powder flakes left in your empties you need to change powders, sooner or later you will end up with some of that under the ejector star and that can be a lot of fun to try to clean out during a course of fire. For 45acp it seams like most guys are running Clays and that burns really clean with no un-burned powder left over (when I load it with plated bullets I swear the gun gets cleaner)

For me the empties go back onto the posts in my range bag if there are any bullets left in the moon clips I just put turn them face to face so the bullets go into the empty case mouth of another clip that way they stack up nicely on the posts.

Mike

[mjts]

I've used a plastic craft box (I think it's a Plano 3700). I use the dividers to create 24 compartments that fit the moonclips.

Mike

[66L]

A coworker of mine reloads and I have been getting my ammo from him. He is giving me 230gr RN Montana Gold bullets on 4.8gr of Alliant Red Dot powder. It is somewhere in the neighborhood of 170 power factor. It has never crossed my mind to assume a different powder would keep from having left over flakes, but I'll mention the suggestion of Clays and see if that works out better, thanks for the tip.

[practical_man]

A coworker of mine reloads and I have been getting my ammo from him. He is giving me 230gr RN Montana Gold bullets on 4.8gr of Alliant Red Dot powder. It is somewhere in the neighborhood of 170 power factor. It has never crossed my mind to assume a different powder would keep from having left over flakes, but I'll mention the suggestion of Clays and see if that works out better, thanks for the tip.

I like Hodgdon Clays powder a lot. Been using it since 2000 and been thru a couple hundred pounds of it. Clean and economical in 45 acp and 12 gauge target loads.

If you decide to switch make sure you get Clays, not Universal Clays or International Clays. The burn rates are considerably different.

- john