"new" S/W 25-2 questions about moon clips.

[HappyHunter]

I am getting a "new" 25-2 Smith and Wesson in 45 acp.

I know almost nothing about the moon clips and tools required to use them.  

Would someone please educate me and advise what and where to buy them.

The 45 auto rim will work in this wheelgun as well, and I intend to use this cartridge as well as the ACP cartridge.

Any thoughts and pet loads are welcome...this gun will be used for target and bullseye shooting and perhaps bowling pins

Thanks!


Fred

[John Traveler]

HappyHunter!

The S&W M25 .45 ACP is a great revolver!  I'm sure you are going to enjoy yours as much as I have mine.

The gun is plenty strong enough to take standard and warmish .45 ACP loads.  It will handle anything you can safely load into an M1911A1.  I would not hotload mine as the .45 ACP can be touchy with powder charges/chamber overpressures.  Plus, the hazard of shooting that fine gun loose.  The S&W .44 Magnums on that size frame are subject to shooting loose and mistiming problems when fired a lot with full loads.

"Halfmoon" and "fullmoon" clips are used to expedite reloading of .45 ACP cartridges in this gun.  They are required for simultaneous extraction of fired cases.  I would recommend the fullmood clips as they are more convenient and can be carried in a large speedloader pouch.  Watch out for warped clips because they can cause misfires.  You can buy clips at most gunshows or from Midway and other mailorder outfits.

For bowlling pin shooting, standard loads are fine.  For best accuracy with taget loads, use tapered crimps only, not heavy roll crimps.  The round headspaces on the case mouth.  For serious loads, heavier crimps are needed to prevent bullets from recoiling out of the case.

The same cautions apply to using the .45 Auto Rim case.  You won't need clips with these because they load and eject like normal rimmed cases.  However, I would not use bullets heavier than 240-250 grains with loads heavier than safe with M1917 revolvers.  The caution to not overload .45 AR loads applies too.  That is a fine revolver and there's no reason to abuse it with hot loads.

[De41mag]

Happy;

I have a 625 and use moon clips. You can get moon clips and a demooner tool, it takes the spent cases off your clips without busting your fingers and knuckles. You can get both from Dillion, the ones who makes the reloading presses. I strongly suggest the demmoner tool.

As far as loads go, I have two pet loads for my 625. One is 5.7gr. of Bullseye behind a 185gr. SWC hard cast bullet from Leadheads. this load will dot your i's and cross your t's out of the revolver or a Kimber Auto.
The other load is 4.9gr. of Winchester WST behind a 230gr. FMJ Magtech bullet. Both loads using a Fed. #150 std. Primer.

Good shooting.  :grin:

Dennis  

[jimmyp50]

I have been wondering how durable the new 625 airweight .45 ACP revolvers might be.  I like to shoot a bit, would love to have one, but am concerned that it might not last as long as a good stainless steel model might.  I do like the shorter barrels offered but have no idea how they would hold up. jimmyp

[John Traveler]

JimmyP50,

If I read your pot correctly, you want the airweight S&W 625 .45 ACP?

I have not seen the new gun yet, but think that would be the "N" frame stainless with round butt and shorter, lighter barrel?

If only the barrel is shorter, thinner, and lighter, I would have no reservations in shooting standard or warmish .45 ACP loads in it.

A lighter barrel would make the gun kick more, but does not affect it's durability.  The frame, cylinder, and stressed components are the same as the full-size model.

[jimmyp50]

John,

the one I saw had a scandium frame.  It weights 24 ounces according to the S&W web site.  I did not like the big day glo orange front sight either.  I would like a 2 inch barreled 625 but the scandium frames durability is a question to me. Jimmyp

[DPRinks]

I have used S&W metal half moons for several years in my 1917, recently ,I stumbled on a web site of a plastic injection firm in Cal. that advertised some sort of polymer full moon clips that are easily loaded and unloaded.
I bought 15, the price is about $6-7 for a pack of 5 with a minumum $ amount order, the reason I got 15.
They were ordered over web by cc and were in my mail box 4 days later,they seem to hold the cases quite well and I shot 60 rounds in one clip with no signs of wear.
Cannot remember name of place but you should be able to find it by searching for moon clips.
I like them so far.
Don

[bgjohn]

The same cautions apply to using the .45 Auto Rim case.  You won't need clips with these because they load and eject like normal rimmed cases.  However, I would not use bullets heavier than 240-250 grains with loads heavier than safe with M1917 revolvers.  The caution to not overload .45 AR loads applies too.  That is a fine revolver and there's no reason to abuse it with hot loads.[/quote]


Overload the AR case? These have a thicker head on them than the ACP case. I don't think you can overload it. The 25-2 is a large frame S&W, they build 44 mags on this frame. I don't have mine any more. I needed money and sold mine. I do have a quantity of new AR brass I will sell.
JM

[TScottO]

Happy,

http://www.moonclips.com/

This place will have everying you need and good quality to boot. I use their moonclips, demooner tool and moonclip loading tool. Makes everything nice and easy and is worth the money.

Be Safe,
Scott

[StrawHat]

I have several 25-2's, 1917's and the like. Use full and half moon clips.  Someone gave me some 1/3 moon clips but I never cared for them.  There wasn't a demooner when I got started, but a piece of 1/2" thinwall tubing with a notch groung into the end has worked well for the past 35 years.  I have used loads with 185-270 grain bullets, full wadcutter to RN.  My prefernce is the full wadcutter.  Venturino did a write up in "Handloader" magazine on the .45 AR.  It is well worth finding.  My preference is the 4" barrel but they don't come that way too often.  Never had one go loose but I got out of the habit of hotloading cartridges a long time ago.

It is a great piece, enjoy it.

[Broom Rider]

The cylinder wall thickness in the cylinder stop notch is quite thin in the S&W revolvers chambered for 45acp or 45 Colt. I'd advise against trying to hot load one past the +P levels.
My 25-2 and my 625 are a lot of fun to shoot and I only use full moon clips any more. My favorite load uses a 200 grain swc in the style of the H&G 68.

[Tom C.]

I have a 25-2 that I have had for 30 years, and a 625-8JM that I got last year. I use moon clips when I am interested in rapid  reloading, as when I shot IPSC with my wheelgun. For normal range use, I use .45 AR brass. I am loading them most often with 200 gr. swc lead and jacketed bullets. I measure the cylinders and the walls are a little thin. I value them too much to load them hot. I have other guns for that.