Are Revolver Moon Clips a Good Idea?

Jump to:

• What is a moon clip for a revolver?
• How to use moon clips for revolvers?
• What are the benefits of revolver moon clips?
• What are the drawbacks of revolver moon clips?
• Moon clip best practice

If you own a firearm for self-defense, you understand how important it is to be prepared. While your firing skills and accuracy are key to staying on the winning side of a life-or-death situation, you don't stand a chance if you can't quickly load and reload your firearm. If you carry a revolver or use a revolver as your primary home defense weapon, your handgun may present a challenge in this department.

If you are new to owning a revolver or are struggling to load it as quickly as you want, you may have explored various speed-loading methods, including revolver moon clips. If you're curious about this loading format, read on to learn how revolver moon clips work and their pros and cons. 

What Is a Moon Clip for a Revolver?

A moon clip for a revolver is a thin metal piece that snaps multiple revolver casings into a single unit, allowing the user to load multiple bullets into the revolver simultaneously. The user then leaves the clip in the revolver until all of the rounds have been fired or they are ready to reload, ejecting all of the casings as one unit.

Patented in 1909, moon clips were developed to help revolver owners quickly load their firearms and make rimless ammunition compatible with the handgun format. During WWI, U.S. semi-automatic firearm manufacturers could not keep up with demand, leading to the development of moon clips to make .45 ammunition compatible with revolvers.

After the war, revolver owners used moon clips as a fast, cheap way to load revolvers. At their inception, moon clips only held three rounds at a time, creating a half-moon shape. Today, most moon clips are circular, holding five to eight rounds.

How to Use Moon Clips for Revolvers

Before you snap a single bullet into a moon clip, you must ensure the clip you're buying is compatible with your revolver. Placing bullets in the clip with the manufacturer's loading tool is a great idea, as it can help you achieve better alignment and limit the chance of bending or warping your clip. 

Once the clips are loaded, you can place all the bullets into your revolver's cylinder chambers and push the cylinder back into place. The moon clip stays attached to the ammunition while you fire the gun. Once all rounds are fired, you can eject all the cases with the ejector rod and reload.

What Are the Benefits of Revolver Moon Clips?

If you're considering using moon clips for your revolver, there are three advantages they offer, including:

1. Speed of reload. Moon clips' simple plug-and-play nature allows them to instantly reload the entire cylinder in one motion. Then, you can snap the cylinder back into place with the moon clip attached.

2. Compatibility with rimless rounds. If your revolver uses .45, 9mm or another rimless ammunition type, moon clips ensure all casings are ejected at once. 

3. Reduced casing jams. While revolvers are known for being less prone to jams than their semi-automatic counterparts, casings can still get jammed. When the ejector rod is used, a functional moon clip pulls all the casings at once.

What Are the Drawbacks of Revolver Moon Clips?

While moon clips can help you quickly load your revolver, it's critical to be aware of these potential drawbacks before relying on them in self-defense.

1. They are susceptible to bending or warping. Due to how thin moon clips are, they can bend or break, leading to malfunctions with your revolver. Like other magazine types, ensuring your moon clip is in proper condition before taking it with you is essential.

2. All-or-nothing loading system. Whenever you rely on moon clips to load your revolver, you can't partially reload the cylinder; you must wait until all of the bullets are fired or drop live ammunition to reload.  

3. Carrying them can add more bulk to your setup. If you plan to carry moon clips, you will want to invest in a protective pouch to prevent the loading of a bent clip. These cases can also add bulk to your daily carry setup and are more difficult to conceal. 

What Should I Do If I Choose to Use Moon Clips?

If you want to use revolver moon clips for concealed carry or home defense, it's essential to practice loading and unloading them. Like any other setup, you want to establish strong muscle memory to ensure you can draw, load and fire your revolver effectively in a stressful situation.

If you want to use a revolver for home defense, investing in a concealment case is a great idea. A reliable concealment case can make your handgun more accessible while making it more difficult for unauthorized users to find. With concealment cases from Liberty Home Concealment, you can customize the interior of your case to fit a wide variety of firearms and ammunition clips.

Explore our full range of firearm concealment flags, furniture and decor today!