Author Topic: 625 {moon gun} 45AR information (Read 1075 times)

TMAKER · « **on:** September 18, 2009, 04:38:57 PM »

I have a 625 {moon gun} and want to load some rimed cases to use as a close range backup hunting gun. Any info would be appreciated but I am looking for where to order brass. Favorate bullet and load that has been used sucessfully on deer? What would you consider effective range?

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #1 on:** September 18, 2009, 11:53:53 PM »

for the most part any load you can load in ar brass you can load in acp brass. I actually prefer acp brass for hunting as in moon clips its much handier for reloading.

Bitterroot Bob · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2009, 12:59:55 AM »

Howdy,
Starline Brass (www.starlinebrass.com) lists .45 Auto Rim 500 for $85.55, but is back-ordered right now.
I'm with you on the rimmed brass. The ACP is a wonderful cartridge, but those clips...
Data for the Auto Rim is slightly different than for the ACP, so check some old manuals for help. The Lyman Second Edition of Cast Bullet Handbook has pages for both. Score some #452423 240-grain Keith SWC's and work that revolver a little!

Bitterroot

Ak.Hiker · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2009, 07:49:00 PM »

I have both Starline and Remington brass. Double Tap loads the 45 AR. If you can not find brass you could order several boxes and use the brass for your reloads. They have a 255 grain Keith at 900. Their load is just about the same as what Elmer Keith suggested for game and SD in one of his Gun Notes articles. I think he loaded Unique with his cast bullet. I can not see any reason to go any hotter than this load.

Shawnee Gene · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2009, 08:18:10 AM »

HKS makes a speedloader for 45AR.

Blackhawk44 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2009, 06:15:25 PM »

Rimz makes a full moon clip that can be loaded and unloaded easily without tools.

Savage · « **Reply #6 on:** September 22, 2009, 04:37:20 AM »

Must be missing something here. I can't see any advantage to using the AR cases in the 625. The ACP cases will handle any sane load you care to use in your 625. If case strength is a concern, buy .45 Super brass and stick with the moon clips. If it were my revolver I'd stick to a 255gr LSWC over a healthy charge of Unique (In ACP Cases). That loading will handle almost anything in North America at reasonable ranges and proper bullet placement. Reasonable range depends on your shooing ability. At what range can you put all your shots in a 6" circle from a field position? When you answer that question, you've found your "Reasonable Range".
Savage

Autorim · « **Reply #7 on:** September 22, 2009, 03:38:47 PM »

I will respectfully disagree with Savage. IMHO the only reason to use ACP cases in the 625 is a fast reload.

I think you will note that all cartridges designed for revolvers are rimmed. Certain models have been adapted and altered to use rimless cartridges that were designed to fire in autos. Why screw with moon or half moon clips unnecessarily. Would you load .22LR cartridges in a moon clip to shoot in a revolver if you didn't have to?

I have both the 625 and 25 in ACP and rarely shoot anything but .45 AR. The only problem you might have is finding brass to load. Check out the Smith and Wesson forum for .45AR loads - lots of info there. It is one of my favorite cartridges to load and shoot.

Dale53 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 22, 2009, 07:44:38 PM »

I have shot my 625's (.45 ACP and Auto Rim) more than all of my other revolvers put together in the last couple of years. I am a FAN, I am, i am...

I have been using Starline Auto Rim brass for the past year or so even tho' I have a LARGE supply of ACP brass. I just find the Auto Rim cases present less aggravation in general. Nothing wrong with using ACP cases and the RIMZ clips minimize the aggravation but they are just something else to fool with.

Most of what I shoot are 200 gr SWC target loads (4.0 grs of Bullseye or equivalent) and my guns shoot those loads extremely well. Little recoil and great accuracy - just flat friendly loads, they are...

Right now, Starline is out of .45 Auto Rim without a future ship date

, but I would suggest if you are interested to call them and place an order. If they get enough orders, it may speed up the process. I have bought lots of brass from Starline and like the quality, price, and delivery (when they are in stock).

Dale53

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #9 on:** September 23, 2009, 12:56:08 AM »

im with savage on this. i can get acp brass for about a song and its plentiful. Auto rim brass can be tough to find and it isnt cheap. What i do when i go to the range is load up about a 100 moon clips watching tv before hand. the inconvience of loading them is made up for at the range when i have to pick up brass. Its much easier to pick up a 100 moon clips then 6oo empties. Its also convient when walking in the woods to have a couple moon clips in your pocket. I will sometimes carry a moon clip of cast loads and a moon clip of hps in seperate pockets. A guy can do the same with a clip of heavy cast loads in case you run into something bigger. It takes but a couple seconds to dump whats in the gun and drop in a different load. There much faster and more conveint to reload and that to me is the fun of shooting these guns. If i have to fool auto rim brass i might as well take a 45 colt to the range. Ive got a few hundred auto rim brass but for the most part they sit on the shelf collecting dust. Another thing is i shoot my 25s in competition and im sure not going to bother with working up a completely diffent load in differnt brass when the acp brass does it all just fine. As to the statement about a guy would not want to bother with them with a rimmed case. Ive had a 454 moon clipped. It made for a neat gun. It would fire 454s or 45 colts with and without clips and shoot 45 acps with clips. It made for a pretty versitile gun. Id like to also have one of my 29s moon clipped. I think it would make a great hunting gun. A guy doesnt have to reload often when hunting but i have when pig hunting and it would be real nice to have the speed of moon clips when doing it and again a gun could easily carry two different loads for differnt game.

Savage · « **Reply #10 on:** September 23, 2009, 02:41:00 AM »

For those that prefer the AR brass, is it the perceived hassle of mooning/de-mooning that turns you off on the use of moon clips? If so, there are some excellent tools available for that purpose. The moonies are great for matches too, no lost brass!

Savage

Dale53 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 26, 2009, 08:22:20 PM »

Starline now has a "ship date" for Auto Rim brass (October 30, 2009). I suggest if you want some you order NOW. The last time it went quickly. They are very good at predicting their ship date.

I have all of the tools for steel moon clips and have a supply of RIMZ clips. All work well but I still prefer the lack of hassle by using Auto Rim cases.

I can't wait to get my new five cavity custom mould for the Lyman clone - 452424 bullet to work up some hunting loads for my 625's. It should be in hand in a couple of weeks...

YMMV
Dale53

Mikey · « **Reply #12 on:** September 27, 2009, 01:38:40 AM »

Ha! Moon clips - love it. I just went through my old 'diddy box' and found 14 pair of half moon clips I used when I had my last S&W M17. I recalled loading and unloading those clips with my fingers but I guess some of the more competetive shooters felt the half mooners (one cheek???) weren't as stable or steady as the two cheek load (full mooners) so someone developed a full moon clips system that takes longer than a 1911 magazine to load and a tool to unload it. Technology I guess. Oh yeah, another point the full moon guys made was that the one cheek, sorry, half moon clips could get bent more easily than the full moon clips. Well, I s'ppose they could but isn't that why they invented pliers??? Sorry.................

Dale53 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 27, 2009, 08:17:08 AM »

Full moon clips will allow you to reload a revolver MUCH faster than half moon clips. When you are in competition or defending yourself seconds DO count...

FWIW
Dale53

Mikey · « **Reply #14 on:** September 27, 2009, 11:38:51 AM »

Dale - sorry, I should have been more specific. Of course you can load full moon clips into the revolver you're shooting faster or as fast as a 1911 can be reloaded. I was speaking to the act of reloading the moon clips which seems to take about as long or longer than it does to reload a 1911 magazine, but I guess this is why folks who shoot them have so many......

Half moon clips in the S&W M17 and Colt 1917 revovlers were indeed quick on the reload but not as quickly as with the Webley; full moons would really have had the advantage there. jmtcw.........

.41 special · « **Reply #15 on:** November 05, 2009, 10:47:22 PM »

If you want a heavy load for the outdoors, I use Buffalo Bore .45 super in clips.

coyotejoe · « **Reply #16 on:** November 08, 2009, 03:21:39 AM »

I once carried an old S&W 1917 quite a lot. I used both moon clips and auto rim loads. The big advantage of the auto rim to me was that if I fired a shot or two while roaming the Arizona mountains, I could replace the spent rounds with loose ones from a pocket to top off the cylinder without have to replace a full clip. No question that moon clips are quicker for a full 6 shot reload but when hunting and loafing about I never had occasion to fire six at a time.