New to revolvers

[sniperdog]

I just started to get into revolvers and recently purchased a Model 686 7 shot 2 1/2" and need some advice. I am thinking of having it cut to use moonclips but am not sure if this is what I want or not. I have shot autos for 25 years and was wanting to try something new. I am thinking of carrying and using the 686 in matches. Any ideas as to the pros and cons of moonclips and also where would I send it to get it cut to accept moonclips. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

I just started to get into revolvers and recently purchased a Model 686 7 shot 2 1/2" and need some advice. I am thinking of having it cut to use moonclips but am not sure if this is what I want or not. I have shot autos for 25 years and was wanting to try something new. I am thinking of carrying and using the 686 in matches. Any ideas as to the pros and cons of moonclips and also where would I send it to get it cut to accept moonclips. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

The good thing aqbout moon clip conversions is they still allow use of speed loaders and loose rounds so even after it is done, there are no issues. I had 2 J frame revolvers done by Mr Moonclip himself, Tom at TK Custom www.moonclip.com. I was very happy with the work but it took a little longer than I would have liked. I hit a real busy time.

Tom has the directions for machining on his web site so if you have a good local gunsmith, he can do it. On Tom's site, he has a list of others he recommends. The web site is a good resource.

The 2.5" barrel may not be good for USPSA matches and for IDPA if you use the moon clips, you have to shoot major PF loads which will be more difficult out of the short barrel. (Although I have shot IDPA with full house JSP 357MAG loads in a 2.5" 66 ) And you are limited to six rounds

There are no inexpensive 7 shot moon clips but for carry, the Hearthco would be great I believe TK sells them also.

Sorry to be so long winded on this. I will close with Welcome to the REVOlution. Now that you have started, it will be hard to stop. The best part of coming over to the dark side is we have cookies

Merry Christmas,

Gary

Edited December 24, 2007 by Round_Gun_Shooter

[striker spring]

Save your money. Moon clips are expensive a bitch to unload you need a tool to extract them out of the moon clips and the moon clips bend easy and bind. Use some good speed loaders they are comming back.

[41mag]

Save your money. Moon clips are expensive a bitch to unload you need a tool to extract them out of the moon clips and the moon clips bend easy and bind. Use some good speed loaders they are comming back.

Since the poster is talking about a seven shot 686 of which I have no experience shooting clipped ammo out of I will refrain from strongly disagreeing with your statement because it may have much merit as it relates to the 686 model. I have just recently got a 610 and have found those clips (only tried one brand so far) to be a bit on the fragile side...if you drop them on a hard surface loaded they will bend.

But.....if you had a model 625 45acp revolver you would be in moonclip heaven (or25-2) and no one using a 625 would consider speedloaders. I put about 15,000 rounds using Ranch moonclips thru mine this year and the only ones that bent got stepped on and that don't always bend them! 100 clips for less then 30 bucks, delivered! That's 600 rounds loaded and ready to go!

If you use speedloaders for competition you will not be able to recover your brass at a lot of the matches, you are always permitted time to retrieve your clips, same as pistol magazines.

When I go to a match all my ammo is already clipped up. All I have to do at a match is pick up my empties six or more at a time and put them back in my bag. I don't loose brass, I don't have to load mags, or clean mags when playing in the mud and dust, and at less than 30 cents each I never sweat about finding one.

I have a demooner tool made from a golf club that I use when back home to remove the empty brass from the clips. I takes about 10 or 15 minutes to unclip several hundred...you have also just laid your eyeballs on each piece of brass and have started the inspection process that will continue when you pick them up again one at a time to reload.

I load all my clips by hand, no tools, and I find it much easier than stuffing mags full with out a thumb buster to help. All this loading and unloading I have spoke of does have a small learning curve involved in the beginning but the speed and ease of which I speak comes quickly.

I am glad you are considering the revolver for competition, besides all the fun you will have the revolver shooters I have met since I started playing this game are some of the nicest and most helpful fellow shooters you will ever come to know. You are in the right place for getting all the answers you need, just keep asking!

good luck sniperdog,

41mag

[imashooter2]

I shoot a moon clipped 5 inch 686+ in ICORE. I see no downside to the conversion. Use the moons for competition and still load loose rounds (or use speed loaders) if desired for practice or whatever.

ETA: I had my cylinder cut by Mark Hartshorne at Pinnacle High Performance. No complaints at all with the workmanship or turn around time. No need to ship the whole gun, just the cylinder.

Edited December 24, 2007 by imashooter2

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

Save your money. Moon clips are expensive a bitch to unload you need a tool to extract them out of the moon clips and the moon clips bend easy and bind. Use some good speed loaders they are comming back.

Problem is there are no "good speedloaders" for the 7 shot that I am aware of HKS slow loaders are the only ones I have seen in the US market.

[Viggen]

You actually are looking at a couple of different issues.

1. The 686 7-shot with a 2 1/2" barrel, where would it likely be shot? In that barrel configuration IDPA would be the likely playground (I don't known that much about IDPA and could be wrong), although it could be used in USPSA if you paid attention to the round count.

But it's a fine carry gun.

2.The speedloader/moonclip issue.

There are some pro's and con's to trying to moonclip a 686. First thing to do is use the search function and sit down with the various threads on this board over the past several years that have discussed the option.

Above all, the important thing is to go shoot and enjoy the equipment that you have. Take your time making equipment modifications.

[Gregg K]

You may as well forget about it for IDPA use. You can technically use it for IDPA but you are only allowed to load 6 rounds so with speed loaders or moon clips you could only load 6. If you used moon clips you would have to shoot 165 power factor which would pretty much mean .357 mag loads. It would never be competitive and a lot frustrating.

[festus1]

I don't see any downside to a 7 shot moonclipped L frame. I have 3 of them and have loaded several thousand rounds thru moon clips and have only lost 2 or 3 to bending. Only Remington and Federal brass work well that I have tried. Starline might work - I have not tried it. I use needle nose plyers to load the clips (a leatherman) and a screwdriver type unloader. You do need to use plyers or some tool to load the clips - if not then they will bend very easily and be very very hard on your fingers. Only use a screwdriver type tool to unload the clips. For a carry gun I think it is tops. For CCW I carry one moonclip and one HKS speedloader on top of each other in a cell phone case . That way I have the option of spare rounds from the HKS for the backup J frame if needed. As others have said it does not work well for any game. +1 for Mark Hartshorne at Pinnacle High Performance - he does the work quickly and very well. Also +1 for Hearthco clips.

Edited December 25, 2007 by festus1

[striker spring]

Save your money. Moon clips are expensive a bitch to unload you need a tool to extract them out of the moon clips and the moon clips bend easy and bind. Use some good speed loaders they are comming back.

Problem is there are no "good speedloaders" for the 7 shot that I am aware of HKS slow loaders are the only ones I have seen in the US market.

I have had good luck with maxfire speed loaders out of my 7 shot 686. They take some getting use to but they work pretty well.

[sniperdog]

Thanks for all the good info, sounds like I have many options to look at. I will use this mostly for carry since it seems that most of the "games" only allow 6 shot, not sure why, if 6 is good 7 is better.

[striker spring]

Thanks for all the good info, sounds like I have many options to look at. I will use this mostly for carry since it seems that most of the "games" only allow 6 shot, not sure why, if 6 is good 7 is better.

There is alot of games to shoot a 7 shot. You will just have to move in class. Alot shot SSR with 6 shots.

Edited December 26, 2007 by striker spring

[striker spring]

double post sorry:surprise:

Edited December 26, 2007 by striker spring

[imashooter2]

Thanks for all the good info, sounds like I have many options to look at. I will use this mostly for carry since it seems that most of the "games" only allow 6 shot, not sure why, if 6 is good 7 is better.

ICORE will let you use your 7 shot.