I think I may have been totally wrong...

[TTv2]

I've been a .327 Magnum guy for a while, I like how it's a true six shooter that can lob a 115 grain bullet as fast a 9mm can, but I've been watching videos lately about 9mm LCR's and I can't help but be impressed.



1160 fps with 124 grain JHP from a 1-7/8" bARreL? YoU gottA bE KiddIN ME! The .327 LCR can't do that, nor for as low a price as 9mm is or even be available



There's no question the 9mm LCR is faster than .38 Special, be it standard pressure or plus P, but in comparison to .327... I find myself leaning more to 9mm because the numbers are telling me it's got game.

I've never shot a snub .357 Magnum (or .327 Mag for that matter), but common sense tells me the .357 has a lot of flash and blast, as does .327, compared to 9mm. From what I'm reading and hearing, the 9mm LCR looks to be a heck of a snub revolver and while I still love .327 for rifles and kit gun revolvers, the 9mm looks to have it beat in the LCR.

 

[Livin_Cincy]

I am not a Moon-Clip guy. Trying to load a moon clip with 9mm you salvaged from a victim of a Zombie attack as they close in just does not seem like a good idea. It is unrealistic to even consider carrying a 9mm revolver unless you have a guaranteed Zombie free day weather prediction.

 

[mcb]

If they would only make the frame and cylinder the proper length for 9mm. You could have all that performance with a 3/8-inch longer barrel within the same over all size with less weight and bulk.

 

[MidRoad]

Moon clips are the reason I don't have a 9mm revolver for carry. They have their place and can be very fast to load, especially if you have a few handy. None of my guns are cut for moon clips, but even a 5 shot speed loader is annoying when carried in your pocket, and i wouldn't want to add a carry pouch on my belt. So I'll take a .38/.357 with a couple speed strips for carry comfort over the performance 9mm gains in short barrels. I'm not down talking 9mm performance in short barrels by any means though.

With that said im perfectly comfortable with .38 +p as a carry piece. But I carry a 3" jframe so it's not as drastic performance difference between 9mm and 38+p that the 2" and shorter barrels produce.

 

[mcb]

I find a moonclip in the pocket is slimmer and more comfortable that a speedloader, but I wear relatively loose pants.

 

[TTv2]

I am not a Moon-Clip guy. Trying to load a moon clip with 9mm you salvaged from a victim of a Zombie attack as they close in just does not seem like a good idea. It is unrealistic to even consider carrying a 9mm revolver unless you have a guaranteed Zombie free day weather prediction.

Just a reminder that with revolver chambered for rimless cartridges, you do not need a moon clip to shoot the rounds, but to extract the empty cases you'll have to push them out with a tool.

Some revolvers you can't do this and have to use moon clips, like .45 ACP in the Redhawk or .40 S&W in a 10mm because the cases are short and can't headspace off the mouth.

 

[Dibbs]

I still think you are comparing Apples to Oranges, until you can provide a ballistics test for
9mm with a 180 grain bullet. You can shoot a 180 grain SJHP from a 357 Mag
snubnose.

 

[WheelGunMan]

I am not a Moon-Clip guy. Trying to load a moon clip with 9mm you salvaged from a victim of a Zombie attack as they close in just does not seem like a good idea. It is unrealistic to even consider carrying a 9mm revolver unless you have a guaranteed Zombie free day weather prediction.

Now that's funny. Moonclips are cheap..load up a dozen or so to help keep the zombies at Bay.

I have a LCR .357 ...a LCR .22WMR a LCRx .22WMR 3" and have now added the 9MM to my short list. The money I'd save in ammo alone would probably offset 1/2 the cost in the first year...lol.

 

[BobWright]

I'm not a smallbore fan, but do use the .45 ACP at times. I shoot a Ruger Blackhawk, so don't have to worry with moon clips.

Bob Wright

 

[TTv2]

Now that's funny. Moonclips are cheap..load up a dozen or so to help keep the zombies at Bay.

I have a LCR .357 ...a LCR .22WMR a LCRx .22WMR 3" and have now added the 9MM to my short list. The money I'd save in ammo alone would probably offset 1/2 the cost in the first year...lol.

Usually I don't factor in ammo price when considering a handgun, unless it's something really expensive like .50 caliber, but when I see that 9mm is very close to .357 in a snub with less than a 2 inch barrel, and it's very easily shootable, the price of ammo cannot be ignored. The only revolver cartridges that are cheap is .38 and .32 S&W Long, but their power is so low in comparison to 9mm, .327, .357 that they're effectively obsolete cartridges. Why buy a .38 when it's nowhere near as powerful as 9mm when 9mm ammo is even cheaper than .38? Because .38 has a rim? Ohhhhhh...

 

[MidRoad]

Usually I don't factor in ammo price when considering a handgun, unless it's something really expensive like .50 caliber, but when I see that 9mm is very close to .357 in a snub with less than a 2 inch barrel, and it's very easily shootable, the price of ammo cannot be ignored. The only revolver cartridges that are cheap is .38 and .32 S&W Long, but their power is so low in comparison to 9mm, .327, .357 that they're effectively obsolete cartridges. Why buy a .38 when it's nowhere near as powerful as 9mm when 9mm ammo is even cheaper than .38? Because .38 has a rim? Ohhhhhh...

Ummm yes actually....And the option of heavier ammo, especially swc or swc hp's. Why by a 9mm revolver when you could buy a 9mm sub compact? All comes down to personal preference. Again not bashing 9mm in a snubby, it makes great numbers. But just because it's the newest thing doesnt mean the old stuff is not going to work anymore. I mean .38 special has been around 120 years and is still going strong, gotta mean something.

 

[fordtrucks]

I have an lcrx in 9mm. Love it. Shoots really well using the green crimson trace grips.

Also have a lcr in 357. I use 38’s in it. Shoots fine.

In hindsight I should have gotten the 9mm as a standard lcr (no hammer) as well.

Shoots well double action. It does seem the 9mm is softer shooting somehow than the 38’s. Counterintuitive but true in my experience.

Yes 357 can be “stronger” but it was so strong it took the skin off my hand.

 

[TTv2]

I still think you are comparing Apples to Oranges, until you can provide a ballistics test for
9mm with a 180 grain bullet. You can shoot a 180 grain SJHP from a 357 Mag
snubnose.

Why would I want to shoot a 180 grain bullet from a snub revolver in .357 Mag or 9mm? The point of a snub the size/weight of the LCR is personal protection, not to hunt elk or stop a charging Grizzly. That's what those .44's and .454's are for.

 

[TTv2]

Ummm yes actually....And the option of heavier ammo, especially swc or swc hp's. Why by a 9mm revolver when you could buy a 9mm sub compact? All comes down to personal preference. Again not bashing 9mm in a snubby, it makes great numbers. But just because it's the newest thing doesnt mean the old stuff is not going to work anymore. I mean .38 special has been around 120 years and is still going strong, gotta mean something.

You buy the 9mm because it's more powerful than .38, but easier (and cheaper) to shoot than .357.

Again, why do I need such heavy bullets? The LCR is meant to protect you from people and maybe a feral/rabid animal, it's not mean to be loaded for bear.

The stats show when a gun is fired defensively by a civilian, it's usually one of two shots that are fired and reloads are extremely rare. The rim is irrelevant if you never have to reload and if you do have to reload, carry the 9mm LCR with the moon clip and reload with a speed strip or speedloader. If you have to reload a second time, even if you were using a .38 or .357 LCR instead, you need to flee.

 

[BWS]

No dog in this but a serious question....

How do you single load when using moon clips? From a tactical standpoint,do you just wait until all shots have been fired? This has always concerned me with semi autos as well.

 

[thomas15]

It is amazing just how much awesomeness can be packed into one thread.

 

[mcb]

No dog in this but a serious question....

How do you single load when using moon clips? From a tactical standpoint,do you just wait until all shots have been fired? This has always concerned me with semi autos as well.

Short answer is you don't single load a moonclip fed revolver chambered in a rimless cartridge.

As mentioned up thread many rimless revolvers can be single loaded without the moonclip and will fire (head spacing on the case mouth) but ejection is less than convenient. So in a real world self-defense situation with a rimless moonclip fed revolver you shoot till you're empty and reload.

IMHO, from a self-defense point of view, if I have time to think about a tactical reload (a reload to top off a partial expended magazine or cylinder) I got time to de-arse the area. I don't think many self-defense instructors are teaching the tactical reload anymore. (Duty and military training is different) And the idea of breaking down a moonclip or speed-loader in the middle of a real fight to top off a revolver seems far fetch to me. Shoot till your empty, reload, rinse, repeat.

Even IDPA has drop almost all impetus to use the tactical reload during a match, though you still can use the tactical reload and you are not allowed to drop live rounds on the ground per the rules. I have tried tactical reloads a few times at matches just for fun and with loose rounds in a revolver it's a nightmare. At least with a moonclip I only have one object (instead of six) to drop while I attempt the three-armed tactical reload. My plan is always to shoot till my handgun is empty and reload as fast as I can with whatever reload method I have at hand.

 

[WheelGunMan]

No dog in this but a serious question....

How do you single load when using moon clips? From a tactical standpoint,do you just wait until all shots have been fired? This has always concerned me with semi autos as well.

If that's a real concern... I'd suggest to carry a speed strip for that purpose.

 

[CoalTrain49]

The stats show when a gun is fired defensively by a civilian, it's usually one of two shots that are fired and reloads are extremely rare.

Then just carry one of these.


Seriously, revolvers aren't designed to run rimless ammo. Why do you think the military went away from revolvers using rimless ammo 65 years ago? Here's a clue. As a defensive weapon they don't work as well as a pistol with a magazine. Yeah, I know, this isn't the military, but if you use that same logic for rifles the AR-15 would have no place in the civilian population. Round pegs in square holes.

I have a 625 that uses moon clips but it's a 45 ACP range gun. I shoot it often and understand how they work. I also carry a model 36 occasionally but mostly I carry a compact 9mm pistol. 8 beats 5 any day.

 

[Dibbs]

Why would I want to shoot a 180 grain bullet from a snub revolver in .357 Mag or 9mm? The point of a snub the size/weight of the LCR is personal protection, not to hunt elk or stop a charging Grizzly. That's what those .44's and .454's are for.

Oh, but it's all right to compare ballistics of 124 grain 38s to 9mm, then make the general statement that
9mm is superior. OK, I get it, now.

 

[TTv2]

Oh, but it's all right to compare ballistics of 124 grain 38s to 9mm, then make the general statement that
9mm is superior. OK, I get it, now.

If you watched the video, you'd have understood that 9mm is superior to .38

 

[fordtrucks]

If they would only make the frame and cylinder the proper length for 9mm. You could have all that performance with a 3/8-inch longer barrel within the same over all size with less weight and bulk.

One disadvantage to making the cylinder “proper” sized for 9mm - one could not necessarily count on various kydex holsters still working.

That’s one of the great things about the LCR platform- one gun to rule them all so to speak. You can go from 38, to 22, to 357, 327, 9mm etc and still use the same holsters and mostly the same grips.

bullet crimp issue? So far that’s not a problem with good self defense ammo. Range fodder, yes (had blazer brass walk all the way out the case on bullet 5). Just buy the right brand. Still cheaper than 38’s.

 

[WestKentucky]

Folks screaming 9mm over 38 are NOT reloaders. Stick a 115 9mm down the neck of a 38spl and load a chunk of fast powder... it’s gets interesting in a hurry.

 

[WheelGunMan]

My primary reason for wanting to add a 9mm to my LCR family is to have more range sessions because of the cheaper ammo. And with the moonclips making a smaller package for ammo it would definitely go into my EDC rotation.

 

[fordtrucks]

Folks screaming 9mm over 38 are NOT reloaders. Stick a 115 9mm down the neck of a 38spl and load a chunk of fast powder... it’s gets interesting in a hurry.

Correct. Not a reloader. Not interested. Too many other things currently in life to deal with. Maybe later. But really not too worried about price of either. All pretty cheap overall.