New to USPSA revolver—tips and resources for a newcomer?

[IHAVEGAS]

8 hours ago, matteekay said:

Light marring in the plating is fine. The main thing is testing the load for accuracy; if it groups well, you're not over-crimping.

 

Seemed to me that with over crimped coated the bullets flew well until out past about 15 yards and then opened up. Did not know I had an issue until exploring what happened at a match with some 35 yard targets. FWIW. 

 

Any routine preparation tips particular to wheel guns? Check that all loaded moon clips drop free before heading to the match, brush cylinder bores every xxx shots, check screws every xxx shots, that kind of thing?

 

Good thread I think. 

[Fishbreath]

  

11 hours ago, IVC said:

figure out whether the length of 38 special cases is a factor

 

I think it is on ejection. Less so on insertion.

 

11 hours ago, IVC said:

I put my support thumb on the frame behind the cylinder and use it as a thumb rest, with my dominant thumb loosely on top of my support hand.

 

So, that puts your thumbs pointing upward-ish toward the rear sight behind the cylinder? Interesting.

 

9 hours ago, matteekay said:

If you decide to pursue .38 Short Colt, it's better to do it right and buy dedicated Starline .38 SC brass. It has the proper cartridge wall thickness all the way through and you'll get very consistent moonclip fit with all-matching brass. 

 

I think that's the plan for .38 Short Colt. I'll probably start with a little 100-round sample pack from somewhere, make some dummy rounds, and see if I find that they drop dramatically easier than .38 Special.

 

57 minutes ago, IHAVEGAS said:

Seemed to me that with over crimped coated the bullets flew well until out past about 15 yards and then opened up. Did not know I had an issue until exploring what happened at a match with some 35 yard targets.

 

That's good to know. I'll have to work the 30-yard plates some when I go for my chrono/testing.

[ysrracer]

1 hour ago, IHAVEGAS said:

Any routine preparation tips particular to wheel guns?

 

Check the front side plate screw that holds the crane in place BEFORE every match. Mine comes loose.

 

You'll need a special screwdriver from Brownell's

 

.

Edited July 22, 2020 by ysrracer

[IHAVEGAS]

3 minutes ago, ysrracer said:

Check the front side plate screw that holds the crane in place BEFORE every match. Mine comes loose.

 

Thanks.

 

I have replaced the oem spring loaded plunger beneath the crane screw on my 929 with a fitted solid plunger. I am wondering if this will make it less likely that screw will want to walk out. Time will tell I suppose. 

[MikeyScuba]

Use one of these when moonclipping

 

https://tkcustom.com/products/accessories/moonclip-checkers/mc-sw929

 

And I would make sure I have enough loaded moons for a match.  So a 200 round match I would have 400 loaded on moons.  I used to take partial shot moons and reload them with dropped rounds during a match.  One day you'll have one not go in at a match.... it will happen eventually.

Edited July 22, 2020 by MikeyScuba
for Mat

[IHAVEGAS]

I love gadgets. 

 

What does the checker do for you that is better than just using your gun?

 

Other thing, my 929 is a lot more forgiving about loaded moon clips fitting than my Super GP100 is. The tk custom website says their checker is dimensionally the same as a 929, so I assume that I would need to use the Ruger to check loaded clips regardless?

[MikeyScuba]

Nothing really but it's a lot easier to check with a chamber checker than having a gun around.  Sometimes a moonclip requires pressing it in to click a round into place.  Or sometimes it simply jamms in , that's a whole lot of gun handling that isn't necessary.

[IHAVEGAS]

Thanks.

[PatJones]

I love gadgets. 

 

What does the checker do for you that is better than just using your gun?

 

Well, you can use it at a match.

 

I gauge everything at home. The ammo can bounces around in the car, so I check each moon clip as it goes onto my belt. If any moonclip seems to drop in a little slower, I use it at load and make ready when I can check it in the gun.

 

When you check moonclips at the match, hold the gauge the same way and in the same place as when you do your reload. It is useful to warm you up just a bit.

 

--

Pat Jones

Firestone CO

USPSA #A79592

 

 

 

[mchapman]

3 hours ago, IHAVEGAS said:

I love gadgets. 

 

What does the checker do for you that is better than just using your gun?

 

If you happen to need to check loaded moonclips while at a match, you won't be DQ'd for handling a gun with ammo when you're not at the make ready position.

Edited July 22, 2020 by mchapman

[pskys2]

15 minutes ago, mchapman said:

If you happen to need to check loaded moonclips while at a match, you won't be DQ'd for handling a gun with ammo when you're not at the make ready position.

?Don't you mean "at the make ready"?

No ammo handling in a safe area, we all know that.  Don't check them at your car, not worth the chance of being caught. 

Checking 1 or 2 moon clips into the cylinder after given the "Make Ready" is ok.  Kind of bad form to do more than that though.

 

I check everything, about 100 HearthCo/TK clips, at home using the cylinder.  Then I store everything in either a Plano Box with lid or a Caddy I make myself from Wood & Dowels with a lid, looks nice too, both ways keep the moon clips from being deformed.  Once one gets used, or dropped, it goes back into the box and does not get reused until I get home.  Bought 100 so I could get through a Nationals 2x, just in case.

[open17]

25 minutes ago, mchapman said:

If you happen to need to check loaded moonclips while at a match, you won't be DQ'd for handling a gun with ammo when you're not at the make ready position.

What?    Please explain how this would not violate 10.5.13

 

10.5.13

Having a loaded firearm other than when specifically ordered to by the

Range Officer.

 

Loaded firearm

A firearm having a live round, empty case or dummy round in the

chamber or cylinder or having a live or dummy round in a magazine

inserted in the firearm.

 

[mchapman]

7 minutes ago, open17 said:

What?    Please explain how this would not violate 10.5.13

 

10.5.13

Having a loaded firearm other than when specifically ordered to by the

Range Officer.

 

Loaded firearm

A firearm having a live round, empty case or dummy round in the

chamber or cylinder or having a live or dummy round in a magazine

inserted in the firearm.

 

Please read the answer in relationship with the quote it was attached to. A reason to have a moonclip checker is so that you are not breaking any of the uspsa/icore rules or any other place that operates as a cold range.  The OP asked why it would be more useful than to just use the gun.

[matteekay]

2 hours ago, MikeyScuba said:

So a 200 round match I would have 400 loaded moons. 

 

Jeez, and I thought *I* missed a lot...

[IVC]

1 hour ago, pskys2 said:

Checking 1 or 2 moon clips into the cylinder after given the "Make Ready" is ok.  Kind of bad form to do more than that though.

It's sort of too late if you're checking at MR - anything you have on your belt should be fully loaded and checked. Much like you should never have a partially loaded magazine anywhere on your belt when shooting semi-auto. Those suckers always find a way of getting into the wrong place at the wrong time...

[IVC]

6 minutes ago, matteekay said:

 

Jeez, and I thought *I* missed a lot...

Heh, but in reality you don't shoot the clips empty and you can have reshoots, so the number of rounds you should have in the clips is always quite a bit higher than the number of rounds required on the stage. (I know you know, but it's for the OP who is looking for tips...)

[matteekay]

1 minute ago, IVC said:

Heh, but in reality you don't shoot the clips empty and you can have reshoots, so the number of rounds you should have in the clips is always quite a bit higher than the number of rounds required on the stage. (I know you know, but it's for the OP who is looking for tips...)

 

400 loaded moons would be 2400 - 3200 loaded rounds...

[IVC]

1 hour ago, PatJones said:

..., so I check each moon clip as it goes onto my belt.

Same here. Every clip goes into the checker, then straight on the belt, even though all clips went through the checker when I loaded them at home.

 

It's a routine that works well if I have to reload any clips at the range so I never have to think about whether the clip has been pre-checked or not. Simplifies the process. 

[IVC]

6 minutes ago, matteekay said:

 

400 loaded moons would be 2400 - 3200 loaded rounds...

Was thinking whether you were going down that road

[Fishbreath]

I've been preloading all my moon clips already. When I was itching to get to matches before the COVID-delayed season, I made a little wood insert for a .50 cal ammo can which holds 64:

 

 

Room in the middle for an Original Precision moon clip tool, the SpeedBeez checker (although the .357 Super GP100 is also pretty tight-fitting relative to the comparable S&W, so the checker isn't perfect) and a box for empty moon clips.

 

I also got in touch with Dave Olhasso, on the recommendation of this thread, and am planning on fitting an extended cylinder release and having the chambers chamfered over the winter, so that'll hopefully make a difference for next year.

[ysrracer]

How often do you guys change your moon clips? I use mine once or twice and them toss them out...

 

...April fools

[MikeyScuba]

2 hours ago, matteekay said:

 

400 loaded moons would be 2400 - 3200 loaded rounds...

I edited my post.

 

happy now? lol 

 

ps are you CO guys going to the AZ ICORE match weekend extravaganza (mesa/pnx)in October?  Treating it like the IRC cuz there ain't much else this year

[ysrracer]

2 hours ago, MikeyScuba said:

I edited my post.

 

happy now? lol 

 

ps are you CO guys going to the AZ ICORE match weekend extravaganza (mesa/pnx)in October?  Treating it like the IRC cuz there ain't much else this year

 

I'm a California guy, and I'll be there.

[matteekay]

22 hours ago, MikeyScuba said:

happy now? lol 

 

ps are you CO guys going to the AZ ICORE match weekend extravaganza (mesa/pnx)in October?  Treating it like the IRC cuz there ain't much else this year

 

Never.

 

Speaking only for myself, I won't be. Not sure about anyone else, though.

[pskys2]

On 7/22/2020 at 11:37 AM, IVC said:

It's sort of too late if you're checking at MR - anything you have on your belt should be fully loaded and checked. Much like you should never have a partially loaded magazine anywhere on your belt when shooting semi-auto. Those suckers always find a way of getting into the wrong place at the wrong time...

Ain't that the truth!