Anyone have info on 9mm revolvers?

J

Jack 99

New member
I'm considering a Ruger SP101 in .357 or 9mm. I'm thinking about the 9 for 2 reasons. One, I already own 2 .357s and two, the full-moon clips seem to be a handy deal.

What kind of velocity loss are you looking at out of a 2 1/2 inch tube? Any downside to the 9mm revolver I should be aware of? How about recoil? Accuracy?

Any info appreciated.
 
I don't have one, but I'll tell you what I know. The SP101 is a great revolver, but slightly larger and heavier than it's S&W 9mm or .357 counterpart.

Regarding the 9mm, it's great if you carry it as a backup to a 9mm auto because you can interchange ammo. I'm not a big moon-clip fan (though keep in mind I don't own a gun that takes them) because you need them to shoot the gun. If you want to reload without a moon clip, I believe you need to unload the moon clip, reload it, and then insert it. Anything a moon clip can do can be done by a speedloader.

Thus, my humble advice is that unless you carry a 9mm auto and plan on carrying this as a backup, I'd go with a .38 or .357 (I have both a .38 342ti and a .357 60).
 
Branrot,

Well, a moon clip IS a speedloader, and quite frankly they tend to give faster reloads than traditional speedloaders. No buttons to twist or push. Just drop it in an go.

Technically you do NOT need the moon clips to fire the gun, just to eject the spent casings.

All modern guns requiring clipped ammo have shouldered chambers. This holds the case in position in the chamber by having the case mouth rest on the shoulder.

Obviously, with no rim, you can't eject the cases in traditional fashion, you would have to punch them out with a rod of some type.

Jack, as for moon clips, they're OK, but the biggest drawback is that if the clip gets bent you may not be able to get it into the gun. And, because they're flat pieces of spring steel, they can get bent, so you have to treat them a little more gently than a traditional speedloader.
 
Some of the 9mm revolvers have special extractors and can be fired and unloaded without moon clips. Moon clips obviously make reloading quicker, but they are not needed for firing, only for extraction. For firing, the case is supported on the case mouth, just like it is in an auto pistol.

I can't be more specific about the Ruger because I don't own one and forget whether they use moon clips or not.

The idea of using the 9mm revolver as a backup to a 9mm autoloader sounds better than it is. If the primary gun quits or runs out of ammo, you are not going to unload the backup and its clips to feed the primary gun, you are going to fire the backup. If for some reason you are using the backup, it would not be easy to take ammo out of the auto's magazines to load the backup. Same problem in using another person's ammo in your backup. I think this sort of thing sounds better on this board than it would on the street with bullets flying.

Jim

[This message has been edited by Jim Keenan (edited June 01, 2000).]
 
My experience with 9mm revolvers is with the S&W Model 547. Recoil feels like .38 Special +P. The heavy-barreled 547 handles the recoil quite well.

I don't necessarily recommend the non-clip extraction system of the 547. It's clever and it works, but it takes some getting used to. So, on balance, I'd probably prefer a 9mm revolver that uses clips.

HTH.
 
I wonder why Jerry Miculek uses moon clips? Perhaps because they are faster and more reliable than speedloaders.
 
I had a S&W 940, and thaught it was a great gun. Recoils less than .357, and the velocity is close, due to shorter case = less powder, which is better for short bbls. Sold it because I can't afford two, and alloy gun does the pocket pistol job better.
The guy that I sold it to had it rechambered to 9X23 last I heard. He added a detent at the top of the crane.
I think Ruger SP-101 is great too, although not as good for pocket carry. That one would be great for rechambering to 9X23, you get a durable two caliber gun.
 
Thanks guys. I've always thought a revolver in 10mm would be a good deal as well. Question: could a 10 mm revolver fire .40 as well?
 
Jack99,

Smith & Wesson made several runs of 10mm revolvers, called the 610.

And yes, you can shoot .40 in these revolvers, but ONLY if you use the moon clips. Otherwise the .40 rounds will simply slide too far into the chamber.
 
Miculek uses moon clips? In the records he broke recently, he was using a speedloader - albeit a custom one.

Of course, in different events he probably uses different things/guns!! Don't we all :)

Battler.
 
glockgazda--interesting post about the S&W 940. This model has been on my wish list, although now it's probably too late.

BTW, my 547 is a 4-inch. I had a chance years ago to get one in 3-inch as well, but didn't go for it. Now I wish I had, despite the peculiar extractor.
 
I had a 649 in .38 spc and got rid of it to get a 940. We chrono'd loads from the 940 and 3" mod 65 .357. The ONLY load that would exceed the velocity of a 9mm Corbon 115gr HP was the 125gr .357 mag. It did not beat it by much, maybe a little more than 100 fps. We have not tried the .357 out of a J-frame yet, they were not available when we did the test, but I suspect that the 9mm will beat every .357 when each is fired out of 2" barrels. The .38 spec. and .357 are VERY dependent on barrel length. In fact a 110 gr Treasury load in .38 spec. will hit 1400 fps in an 8 3/8" barrel, but put it in a 2" barrel and it drops closer to 1000 fps. How many people do you know that have the .357 J-frame and actually CARRY the .357 loads? Most I know carry .38 spec. in theirs.
 
Good info Jeff. Thanks. It stands to reason that the 9mm would be more efficient through a short-barrel revolver.

That's why I love TFL. No matter what your question, someone on this board has either shot it, reloaded it, tried it, chrono'd it, shot it, or blown it up. Can't get this level of experience just anywhere ;)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Battler:
Miculek uses moon clips? In the records he broke recently, he was using a speedloader - albeit a custom one.

Of course, in different events he probably uses different things/guns!! Don't we all :)

Battler.[/quote]

In the film of his record-setting event that I saw -- it was on TV several times -- I could've sworn he used moon clips, and talked about it to the camera, after the record was set.

He grabbed them with his left hand and dropped them in. Maybe my eyes and ears were deceiving me, and I was "seeing" what I expected to see... (Psychology is strange.)

I have a S&WW 547 with a 4" bull barrel; nice gun, very low recoil, and speed loading is not a problem, if you have the right grips -- which don't interfere.
 
I had a 2" SW 940 9mm for a while. It was a very nice gun. No complaints. I foolishly traded it for something else.

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Get your 1911s and AR15s while you still can!
 
Micuklek (sp?) DOES use firearms modified to take standard .38/.357 rounds that are held in a moon clip.

The revolver is altered, which makes it subsequently unusable with unclipped ammo.

The benefit is absolutly positive extraction which, if you've ever had a rim slip under the extractor star, you know to be VERY important.
 
I have a S&W940 9mm. Great little gun. The last time I had it at the range it made my shooting partners .38 body guard look sick. At 10 yards it can hold a 2 inch group all day. "I sure would not want to shoot it all day." It kicks like a mule with any factory round. Shoot Safe....CO

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Never saw a gun I didn't
like.
TFL End of Summer Meet, August 12th & 13th, 2000
 
Full moon clips are better than a speed loader because there is only one motion - drop the rounds in. No twist, squeeze, or push. Many new moon clips are quite thin and some do not give the support the GI clips do in the .45. The result is the rounds tend to droop (.357 and .38 being worse than 9mm in this respect) and take some feeling around. Good full moon clips give a reload that is hard to beat for speed.

Of course, the drawback is altering the revolver.

Jim
 
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