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Moon Clip Loading Tool


Dr.J

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Good Morning - I just received my S&W 625 PC and am in the process of buying the other equipment, e.g., cases, bullets, moon clips, holster, etc. Based on what I've read the BMT moon clip loader is the primo tool, but $80 is more than I can spend at this time. Has anyone used the Revolver Supply moon clip loader? If so, is it worth the $40 asking price. I'm planning on purchasing their moon clips. Your comments would be appreciated. Thanks, Dr.J

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I know this topic comes up a lot and I seems to be in the minority, but I think for .40 and .45 it is just as fast to load by hand. The BMT tool is awesome for .38 and if you have the extra money laying around buy one for your 625. You can get by without one.

Lee

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Good Morning - I just received my S&W 625 PC and am in the process of buying the other equipment, e.g., cases, bullets, moon clips, holster, etc. Based on what I've read the BMT moon clip loader is the primo tool, but $80 is more than I can spend at this time. Has anyone used the Revolver Supply moon clip loader? If so, is it worth the $40 asking price. I'm planning on purchasing their moon clips. Your comments would be appreciated. Thanks, Dr.J

I just bought a Revolver Supply moonclip loader and love it. I put over 500rds of 38 Short Colt on Moons this past weekend. So much faster than than my old pair of channel locks I used. Well worth the $45

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I use the CCW tool. Grabbed it from Dillion when I made an order from them a few years back. I have nothing to compare it to, but it's only 40$, and loads and unloads the 6 and 8 fine.

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I really like this tool from these guys http://www.mooncliptool.com/

After I bought this tool I got rid of everything else I had, it's simple and it works. It doesn't matter if you have cheap clips or hard to seat HearthCo clips.

Many people copy this design but thse guys were the designers of this type tool. $39.95

Tool.JPG

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Once you have a BMT you will never be able to understand why you loaded / unloaded moonclips any other way..... They are that good.

I agree. I tried 45's by hand and with a small tool that came with some moon clips. Based on recommendations from the folks here at BE I got the BMT tool. It certainly ain't cheap but it is certainly worth every nickel. I have loaded or unloaded a few hundred at a time and it was very easy and quick.

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I really like this tool from these guys http://www.mooncliptool.com/

After I bought this tool I got rid of everything else I had, it's simple and it works. It doesn't matter if you have cheap clips or hard to seat HearthCo clips.

Many people copy this design but thse guys were the designers of this type tool. $39.95

Tool.JPG

X2 on this one. It's easy to use and works great for loading and unloading. Simply the best tool for the job!
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It's pretty much been said already,

but..

for the 8 shot, the BMT loader is the cats meow, though - for some brass/moonclip combonations it's reallllllllly tough on the hand to turn. Works perfect with my starline brass/hearthco clips & federal brass & revolver supply clips.

For the 625, I think the www.mooncliptool.com is the way to go, I think it's just as fast as the bmt loader for the 625, and a fraction of the cost.

For unloading though, get one of them pipe type demooners, I made mine out of a 1/2 pc of copper tubing.

good luck

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It's pretty much been said already,

but..

for the 8 shot, the BMT loader is the cats meow, though - for some brass/moonclip combonations it's reallllllllly tough on the hand to turn. Works perfect with my starline brass/hearthco clips & federal brass & revolver supply clips.

For the 625, I think the www.mooncliptool.com is the way to go, I think it's just as fast as the bmt loader for the 625, and a fraction of the cost.

For unloading though, get one of them pipe type demooners, I made mine out of a 1/2 pc of copper tubing.

good luck

One thing I've found helps both loading and unloading with a BMT and those really tight combo's is to put a couple of bolts in a bench so the dog ears of the BMT base hit them. Then you can use both hands, or even a pair of channel locks. Saves on the hand/wrist. Still won't help you put RP brass in hearthco's meant for Starline though!

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for the 8 shot, the BMT loader is the cats meow, though - for some brass/moonclip combonations it's reallllllllly tough on the hand to turn.

One thing I've found helps both loading and unloading with a BMT and those really tight combo's is to put a couple of bolts in a bench so the dog ears of the BMT base hit them. Then you can use both hands, or even a pair of channel locks. Saves on the hand/wrist. Still won't help you put RP brass in hearthco's meant for Starline though!

I use the BMT for 45 and 627(38 Super) and the 45 one works great but I had problems with the 8 shot one. I use TK stamped clips and starline brass and they are a tight fit and HARD to load and unload out of the clip. The BMT tool just wouldn't do it and I made a tool to get more leverage on it and it damaged the tips of the unload side of the tool. The tips of the unload side cams need to be hardened or a insert that can be replaced IMO.

I sent the tool back to BMT and sent a moonclip and some brass so they could see the problem.

I also suggested a fix that would help. They said the brass and moonclips were to tight for their tool.

I asked about my suggestion for a fix and they agreed to try it. I asked them to remove one side of the loading cam and one side of the unloading cam so it would only load and unload 1 piece of brass at a time. They made a new one and sent it to me. It works SO MUCH EASIER loading one at a time instead of two. They said they were going to change their design to only load 1 at a time as it made it so much easier. I don't know if they are going to change all the loaders or just the 8 shot ones but it makes a huge difference in the effort to load and unload the clips.

That being said I have been using the new tool and I still had the tip of the unload cam fail. This might be a 38 super issue only. So I will strip the clips with a pipe and use the BMT tool to load the clips.

If you have a 8 shot BMT tool get a grinder or dremel tool and remove one of the load and unload cams and it will make it so much easier to load and unload the clips.

Another tip that will help is when loading with a BMT 8 shot tool is after placing the clip and rounds into the nylon piece put the steel piece on top and then turn the BMT upside down, steel on bottom and then twist to load. This will let the brass sit flat on the steel and not droop at an angle like it does when the steel piece is on top and this helps keep the brass from binding when sliding into the clip.

I'm still a huge fan of the BMT tool and would replace it the same day if I lost one of them.

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After my loving wife loaded all my moon clips for nationals last years i was "advised" to find a better way and picked up and second hand bmt from someone on the site here (appoligize for not recalling who) and we will never go back for loading large batches ...small batches i still do by hand (610 40's mixed brass cheap clips) ...for unloading i have steel pipe with one threaded end ..for small batches have cap on end for larger batches unscrew end and fasten bag to end of pipe

Edited by brnhp35
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