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Moonclip Loaders?


jkrispies

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I have the bmt for both my 38 super and 9mm revolver. I'm shooting 160 grain out of the 9mm and find a slight angle canted to work best for loading. My other loader was the one that looked like pliars that had a mandrel in the center that changed for specific calibet/clips. The bmt is much better.

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Late to the show, but I’ll join the choir - BMT all the way for moon clips (using Plano tackle box at matches). As for the loading block mentioned earlier, I use 5 Star Firearms with their speed loaders.

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On 5/6/2018 at 3:35 PM, jkrispies said:

An old 686.  I was going to use it in Steel Challenge.  Since I'm not planning to do Revolver in USPSA, I'm figuring 6 rounds should get me along okay, and it won't cost me an arm and a leg.  Figured it might be a good idea to go with moonclips so I could load everything up the night before.

For what it will cost you to get the gun cut, buy moons and a loader, you could buy enough Comp3's to get through a steel challenge match. But I did just have a cylinder cut by TK, they did a great job. 

 

On the topic of BMT loaders though, the rimless loaders are different than the rimmed ones. Some people can't get their rimless loaders to work, but mine work great. Anyone who wants to sell me more BMT 929 loaders I'll take them. They do wear out after a couple hundred thousand  rounds though. 

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I use the BMT for my 929s (rimless) There is a little bit of a knack required to keep the ammo from falling down when loading. But once you figure it out, it is, in my opinion the easiest and fastest way to load moons. I use .040 thick moons on my open 929. Those really are a tight fit in the rim so it is usually easier to use the standard tubular de-mooning tool and a gloved hand to remove ammo from the moon clips.  I also have a Revolver Supply Company Ultimate tool for my 686. Works good but slower than the BMT. A lot less expensive also.

Edited by firewood
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As a test:  If you pick up one round and put it in a BMT loader compared to picking up one round and putting it in the RSC (or TK Custom) moon clip tool, that is the same amount of time time.

Then if while you're picking up the next round for the tools, you snap that previous round into the RSC tool ( or TK Custom), after 8 rounds you're done loading.  The BMT then needs that twist which is way cool but a separate extra step.

 

Be cautious I I am biased.

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One other thing about the BMT tool. When I first started shooting revo I purchased a bunch of the carbon steel moons from Revolver Supply Company, the ones that cost 3 or 4 dollars each. They are about the least expensive but still quality moons. They work fine and I have been using them in my iron sight 929 for a full 2 years. However, the hole in the center of the moons is not round like the TKs or the DAAs, rather it is (I think) 6 sided.

 

So, to get the BMT loader to work with Revolver Supply Company moons, you need an adapter which costs about $10.00  The adapter is a small but powerful magnet that centers the moon clip on the loader.  When I wanted to purchase more moons, I went again with Revolver Supply again because I didn't want to take the chance of losing the adapter at a match or have to fiddle with the BMT tool in the field.

 

I have no complaints with the Revolver Supply moons, but just be advised that when you plan on tools and moons there are things to consider. I also have TK moons for my 686, those are fantastic moons.

 

On the subject of moon clips, if you decide on magnetic moon clip holders for your belt, you might need to consider what holders you get depending on what moon clips you decide on. If you are only shooting steel challenge then (obviously) you will not need holders on your belt, just don't run out of ammo after you move to the center box in Outer Limits LOL!!!. The plated stainless moons are not as magnetic as the carbon steel moons. Both TK and Revolver Supply (and maybe others) sell moon clip checkers. These mimic the cylinder so you can check that the loaded moon will fit in your gun without actually loading your gun. I have the TK checker, love the tool, if the moon clips fit that tool they will absolutely fit in the gun.

 

If it hasn't already been mentioned, moon clips can be brass specific. I have (2) 929s. One works best with Federal brass and .035 moons, the other Winchester brass and .040 moons. I'm sure some/most would fix the problem and get both to use the same moons/brass but for now it works. I have a friend that shoots a 929 that eats anything, mixed brass and mixed moon clips. Just something to consider when ordering a big lot of moon clips. Revolvers are a lot of fun to shoot but it takes some effort to get them dialed in -in my experience.

Edited by firewood
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1 hour ago, firewood said:

One other thing about the BMT tool. When I first started shooting revo I purchased a bunch of the carbon steel moons from Revolver Supply Company, the ones that cost 3 or 4 dollars each. They are about the least expensive but still quality moons. They work fine and I have been using them in my iron sight 929 for a full 2 years. However, the hole in the center of the moons is not round like the TKs or the DAAs, rather it is (I think) 6 sided.

 

So, to get the BMT loader to work with Revolver Supply Company moons, you need an adapter which costs about $10.00  The adapter is a small but powerful magnet that centers the moon clip on the loader.  When I wanted to purchase more moons, I went again with Revolver Supply again because I didn't want to take the chance of losing the adapter at a match or have to fiddle with the BMT tool in the field.

 

I have no complaints with the Revolver Supply moons, but just be advised that when you plan on tools and moons there are things to consider. I also have TK moons for my 686, those are fantastic moons.

 

On the subject of moon clips, if you decide on magnetic moon clip holders for your belt, you might need to consider what holders you get depending on what moon clips you decide on. If you are only shooting steel challenge then (obviously) you will not need holders on your belt, just don't run out of ammo after you move to the center box in Outer Limits LOL!!!. The plated stainless moons are not as magnetic as the carbon steel moons. Both TK and Revolver Supply (and maybe others) sell moon clip checkers. These mimic the cylinder so you can check that the loaded moon will fit in your gun without actually loading your gun. I have the TK checker, love the tool, if the moon clips fit that tool they will absolutely fit in the gun.

 

If it hasn't already been mentioned, moon clips can be brass specific. I have (2) 929s. One works best with Federal brass and .035 moons, the other Winchester brass and .040 moons. I'm sure some/most would fix the problem and get both to use the same moons/brass but for now it works. I have a friend that shoots a 929 that eats anything, mixed brass and mixed moon clips. Just something to consider when ordering a big lot of moon clips. Revolvers are a lot of fun to shoot but it takes some effort to get them dialed in -in my experience.

Great info— thanks!  I’m wondering if the TK tool would require a similar additional part as the BMT tool for the Revolver Supply moons?

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On 5/6/2018 at 2:48 PM, RevolverJockey said:

BMT and a piece of pipe to demoon at the range. 

 

I highly recommend the BMT mooner tool. However, It also demoons, so there is no reason for the pipe and it demoons way faster than a pipe.

 

Consider this too ... with the BMT mooner tool, if you decide to use expensive Hearthco clips, you don't have to buy as many clips. Between stages, you can fairly quickly demoon the rounds in the clip and reload them. ie; you don't need ALL your ammo pre-moonclipped, you can get away with having enough clips for a stage or two, then simply reload the clips between stages easily if you have a nice tool like the BMT mooner. Yes, it's expensive, but on the other hand it works great and allows you to have fewer expensive moonclips.

 

FWIW, I am using Revolver Supply moonclips (.25 thickness, I think, and nickeled). They fit remington (R-P) brass reasonably stiffly, but I've switched to Starline .38 Long Colt brass which actually fits quite floppy in the clips. However, I've found that the floppiness of the rounds, plus the slight shortness of the Long Colt brass with round nose bullets works quite well. I think "slightly floppy" doesn't work well. Fully tight clips and brass works, and I think super floppy works too. With super tight, everything is in place and drops in. With super floppy (and shorter rounds) the round noses find the chambers and the floppiness lets the rounds self-align (sort of). In my limited experience of course. What helps is a good crimp to reduce the shoulder of the brass from hitting the chamber lips, becauset that's typically the hang up.

 

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On 5/6/2018 at 4:06 PM, fcrsocial said:

+1 on the BMT Mooner.57e0786775302fc04de6016b4c742bfc.jpg

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Ah, I just realized that there are two version of the BMT mooner.
The one in the photo above is for rimless brass (9mm, .40, .45) and you load your cartridges into channel, then like a wheel, each cartridge is pushed into the clip.
I have the .38 special version, which has no channel. It's a piece of plastic with 8 oval holes in it. The clip is held by a magnet into this piece, you drop your cartridges nose first into the holes so the rounds are already lined up with the clip, then you place the lid on it and the lid has two little horizontal "ramps/cams" that push two (on opposite side) cartridges inwards into the clip. When you demoon, you flip the lid over and the ramp/cams are on the inside of the clip facing out, then you twis the lid and the cams push the brass out of the clip. You flip the tool over and the brass falls out together like you're dumping the cylinder of your revolver. Then put new cartridges in, flip the lid and reload it.

In other works, the non-channel version seems a lot faster than the channel version and it's probably due to rimmed/not rimmed brass.

 

Also ... sorry for raising this thread from the dead. 

EDIT: I found this article that actually shows both, and their usage...picture = 1000 words, etc
http://www.apextactical.com/blog/index.php/gun-monkey-minute/check-these-puppies-out-new-moonerdemooner/

 

Edited by Vincerama
Found a link with photos
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Trust me,  having  a lot of loaded moons maximizes range time.  
 

and as loading/unloading at a match I used to unload partial moons to make complete ones UNTIL I had one cost me seconds at a L3 as it wasn’t chamber checked and wouldn’t load.  Just forgot or got distracted, who knows, the mind isn’t sharp after 7+ hr matches.  I now go to matches with 2x the loaded moon clips I need for the match count.

 

As for the bmt mooner, it kills my hand unloading 80+moons at a time.  I’ll take the pipe anytime.

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