Unloading Moon Clips

[anapex]

Ok so I picked up my 1917 the other day and it came with full moon clips. Like a little kid I loaded all of them up before trying to unload one of them. Is there any trick to unloading these without bending the metal to all heck?
Are they easier to unload after being fired?

 

[ACP230]

You can buy tools from Dillon and other retailers. The "DeMooner" is one that's available.

You can also make your own with a short piece of pipe with an interior diameter large nough so a .45 ACP case will slide through it. Cut a lip, or step, in the end of the pipe that matches the back of the ACP case. I think mine has about a third of the pipe's diamter cut down and one third sticking up.

With one of these you can twist the cases out of the moon clips and let them fall into your box or range bag.

Inexpensive and effective.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Demooner

Make yourself a demooner. It's really easy. All you need is a piece of 1/2" copper water pipe. Cut one end like so (I used my handy-dandy Dremel tool and a file.):

To use it, slip the end that you modified over one a case as shown below, then rotate the demooner so that it pops the case out.

If you make the demooner long enough you can use it to catch all the empties or loaded rounds, by corking or taping over the other end.

 

[ranger7]

I have the polymer/nylon plier type Demooner sold by Dillon. It works great and is much faster than the tube type. Pops out two empty cases per squeeze of the handles.

I also found a commercially made tube type demooner at a gun show. It's parkerized steel tubing about 5 inches long. The handle end is knurled or checkered. It works well too and is "bullet-proof". Cost $5. Since I do most of my demooning at home, the plier type is great for there. The tube type is nice to throw in the range bag.

The homemade copper tubing type should work O.K. too. If you make your own out of pipe or tubing make sure the wall thickness isn't too great to fit between two cases in the moon clip. (The copper tubing wall thickness should be fine. Steel pipe or tubing maybe much thicker.)

Alan

 

[anapex]

Ok since it seems a demooner is almost required were moon clips expected to be throw aways during the war?

 

[RWK]

RIMZ

. . . or use RMIZ polymer moonclips, instead of the traditional steel ones. Do an archives search on THR or TFL, and you will find nothing but “rave reviews†re RIMZs. From personal experience, RIMZs are every bit as good as steel moonclips, they do not kink, they are far more durable, and NO TOOLS ARE REQUIRED FOR EITHER LOADING OR UNLOADING.

 

[MarineTech]

I prefer the tube type demooning tools over the pliers type for one big reason. You can't unload unfired cases from the moon clip with the pliers type. The tube type demooner will unload any live cartridges from a moon clip.

 

[ranger7]

MarineTech , I don't know if you actaully owned a plier type Demooner, but mine works just as well on loaded rounds as empty cases. Since I don't demoon loaded rounds very often, I just tried it again. Yep, works fine! Your "one big reason" needs to be re-thought.

RWK , RIMZ polymer clips are considered easier to use, but likely more expensive. (I paid $20 for 100 steel moon clips from Ranch products.) The steel clips are generally considered more reliable for defense. If the loaded steel clip is dropped or bumped hard, the rounds are more likely to stay in the clip. And if a demooner tool is used with the steel clips, there's no reason for them to kink or bend.

anapex , Yes moon clips like empty brass were not normally reused in combat. Ammo came in moon clips boxed by the ammo maunfacturer or an aftermarket vendor. Of course in the field, if ammo in clips was not available, the clips could be reused even if it was alittle awkward.

Alan

 

[RWK]

Ranger . . .

FYI, I have long heard the “drop RIMZs and loss the load†rumor. Therefore – and since I use my Smith 610-3 as a primary CCW weapon – I conducted a non-scientific experiment, dropping a fully loaded RIMZ (two types of 10mm and four types on .40 S&W) a few dozen times from about four feet onto a concrete deck. Not once were any of the cartridges ejected from the RIMZ moonclip and in all cases the six rounds were fully ready to be loaded and fired.

Therefore, based on the foregoing, I am not at all certain I accept the idea the steel moonclips – if dropped – are more reliable than RIMZs.

 

[Navy joe]

I just made a demooner out of stainless pipe, with a 90deg bend for a handle. It can only hold three cases, but is small enough for a range bag. Next time I will make a long one. Without a demooner you are still fine, I demooh with a swiss army knife screwdriver, just pry one case using another as a lever, pull the last out by hand. Pry up next to the clip and no bending will result.

 

[cane]

Ranger 7 I don't believe full moon clips have been used by the military in combat, they are a relativly new concept. The Colt and S&W revolvers used half moon clips, holding 3 rounds each. There are some neat pouches that hold 2 half moon clips in each segment.

 

[ranger7]

Cane, Did I say FULL moon clips were used by the miliatary in combat? I guess I expected most people here to assume half moon clips were used in combat. Also, before the invention of full moon clips, I bet half moon clips were referred to as just "moon clips".

Alan

 

[targetshootr]

This is what I used before I sold my 25-2. Its steel and its for sale.

 

[Bainx]

Thank you Dave Markowitz. You put into pictures what I have trying to put into words for several years.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Two things - - -

1. The half-moon clip are somewhat easier to unload than the full moon ones. Has something to do with loading from inside the curve than from the outside.

2. I really LIKE the three-shot clips better than the six-shot type. If you are in the field a-hunting, you seldom shoot up all six rounds. And, if you've only fired a shot or two, it is easy to replace only one three-round clip. It is easier to carry the three-shot clips in pocket or pouch, if you are carrying concealed, than a six-shot type. A lot of people say they don't mind packing a speedloader in their pocket. A five-shot for a J frame, or even a six-shot for a K frame, is a good deal less bulky and weighs less than six .45 rounds.

ALSO - - The "demooner" tools shown above are really quite neat. I discovered long ago that an old, pitted, 1911 barrel is just right for the job. I was thinking of boring out the barrel to allow the spent cases to slide all the way through, when first I read about the tube tool with that same function. I decided to just leave this old barrel the way it was, as it performs the additional function of letting me use it as a guage for reloaded cartridges.

Best,
Johnny

 

[fedlaw]

Thanks, Dave Markowitz. Your photos and instructions were perfecto!
I'd heard about using a length of copper pipe as a demooner, but until I saw your post, I wasn't sure what it was supposed to look like. I made the demooner and took it to the range today with my new 625. Both were lots o'fun.
I also made a little demooner out of a 1/2" copper tee and opened it up a bit for use with the half-moons.
Thanks again, Steve

 

[grendelbane]

Maybe I am doing some thing wrong. I haven't had the troubles that other people describe when loading or unloading either full moon, or half moon clips.

I don't think that I am super strong in my fingers either.

Anyway, that is my experience with .45 ACP, 10mm, and .40 S&W.

It is not something that I would want to do under fire, mind you.