A few revolver questions...

[Bosshoss]

So, can you shoot 9mm out of a .357?????

No 9MM will only go in the cylinder about halfway. I can shoot 9MM out of my .38 super 627 but they don't fit the moon clips very well, would work in a pinch for anything that doesn't require a reload on the clock.

 

[gunbunnies]

the 9mm brass is actually larger at the base than it is at the case mouth. The 38spcl/357magnum/357maximum are all straight walled cases.

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

So, can you shoot 9mm out of a .357?????

YES, you can! BUT..... wait for my next post

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

No 9MM will only go in the cylinder about halfway. I can shoot 9MM out of my .38 super 627 but they don't fit the moon clips very well, would work in a pinch for anything that doesn't require a reload on the clock.

the 9mm brass is actually larger at the base than it is at the case mouth. The 38spcl/357magnum/357maximum are all straight walled cases.

Both these guys are 100% correct, but heres teh BUT....

You said can it be shot from a .357..... yes! As teh bullet diameter is .355 it will go down a .357 barrel so yes it can.
All you need is a 2nd cylinder chambered in 9mm to do it ala teh Ruger convertible.

.38/.357 mag case is .375" at the base
9mm is .384 at the base

so what does the difference of .009 look like? you'll be shocked how much something that small makes a huge differnce!

break out the old model 10, a 9mm a .38 and the micrometer

 

[gunbunnies]

Soooo does anyone make a 9mm chambered cylinder that could be swapped regularly in my S&W 686 357 mag revolver... that would be the sh!!!.

and for that matter one for my Ruger SP101 also...

 

[Bosshoss]

Soooo does anyone make a 9mm chambered cylinder that could be swapped regularly in my S&W 686 357 mag revolver... that would be the sh!!!.

and for that matter one for my Ruger SP101 also...

Welcome to TK Custom.com & Moonclips.com

Tom does what you want and is a super guy that does some great work.

 

[LowerSW]

I was just starting to look for a revolver for my daughter to carry.
Like the OP I was starting to formulate a bunch of questions I had.
Go on to INGO and BINGO.... you guys have already answered them.
Thanks to all for not making me have to search for the answers.

 

[actaeon277]

I was just starting to look for a revolver for my daughter to carry.
Like the OP I was starting to formulate a bunch of questions I had.
Go on to INGO and BINGO.... you guys have already answered them.
Thanks to all for not making me have to search for the answers.

That's not the INGO way.
You're supposed to re-ask the question, so that everyone has to re-answer.
Glad you got your info.

I've been carrying semi-autos for 20 years, shooting them for over 25 years.
But I have a S&W Model 19, my first revolver, and I've been carrying it more and more. I don't like how speed loaders stick out so much, so I got speed strips instead.

 

[jgreiner]

I carried a 1911 back in my Army days. That was 25ish years ago, so I consider myself "rusty" with a semi-automatic, but when it comes to revolvers... I have zero experience.

1) I think I read that a .357 will shoot .38 special rounds. Does that mean a .38 special will shoot .357 rounds?

2) With the new(?) hammerless design, why would anyone still want a hammer? It just seems like something to get caught on your clothes, holster, etc...

3) What in the heck are Moonclips?

I'll probably think of some more, so please bear with me.

1. No. The 357 round is slightly larger in diameter.....plus it puts a lot more stress on the frame of the gun. Most normal 38's aren't built for that. Even some .357 frames will flex over time from lots of .357 rounds.

2. If you haven't shot a real classic wheel gun, you can't appreciate a truly great trigger like a single action S&W can give you. My model 66 (possibly one of S&W's finest revolvers ever) has had a trigger job done. When in single action, the trigger is like butter...and extremely light. That makes the gun EXTREMELY accurate to shoot. So when the Zombies come, i can pick which eye socket I want the bullet entering. I find single action (cocking the hammer) hard to beat.

3. Some cartridges, like the .45acp, don't have much of a rim on them, and they wont stay in the cylinder of a revolver properly. Moonclips give them that lip, so that a .45 acp round can be fired in some revolvers, such as the S&W Governor.


If you ever want to try out a revolver, give me a shout, and head up to Lafayette, we can hit the range here in town.

 

[Indianavette]

If you are not going to carry, how do you determint the barrel length you want?

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

If you are not going to carry, how do you determint the barrel length you want?

Barrel length should be determined by purpose.

Remeber, length equals a minor gain in velocity and a greater sight radius which is more usefull when trying to hit a target out to distance.

4" carry gun, target generaly under 20 yards

8" target out to 75+ maybe if you practice

6" paper out to 75 yards

again, teh gain in FPS isnt huge, but the sight radius is.

 

[gunbunnies]

Depends on what your intended use is...

I like my 6 inch Smith 686 in the woods and on the range or out hunting...

I like the 4 Smith 66 when carrying OWB, or the little Ruger SP101 4.2 inch, as they are easier to shoot, more foot lbs of energy on target than the little snubbies...

but then there is CCW which means the little Ruger SP101 2inch(actually less) or the Ruger LCR goes into play.. You have to figure out what you want to use the gun for and then you can make a decision on bbl length...

Just a note, Deer legal in Indiana is 4 inches or more...

 

[Mcolson181]

Since I now know how moon clips work thanks to you guys I was wondering...if you have your gun modified to accept moon clips can you still load rounds in the cylinder without using the moon clips?

 

[Bosshoss]

Since I now know how moon clips work thanks to you guys I was wondering...if you have your gun modified to accept moon clips can you still load rounds in the cylinder without using the moon clips?

Most of the rimmed cases(38/357) can be used with or without moonclips.
Rimless cases(9mm/10mm/45) can usually be fired without moonclips but the empties have to be removed one at a time, usually with a pencil or something similar. Not the easiest but will work in a pinch.

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

Since I now know how moon clips work thanks to you guys I was wondering...if you have your gun modified to accept moon clips can you still load rounds in the cylinder without using the moon clips?

Yes, generally the firing pin is still long enough to engage the primer even thoug the case is sitting lower than without the moon clip. The chambers are cut deep enough that even after machining the cylinder they have plenty of depth for the cartridge.

In the few instances that the firing pin was short a longer one was put in to solve any issues.

 

[Smokeeater]

What is the best thing to use to clean the powder residue (staining) off the stainless steel?

 

[Tombs]

What is the best thing to use to clean the powder residue (staining) off the stainless steel?

Depends on where, but a trick I learned was to use a white eraser (the type for erasing ink) on the stained area.

It's always worked for me, be careful of doing that on any matte finish though, as it will eventually polish it.


I'm mainly just talking about removing the powder burns from the front of the cylinder.

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

What is the best thing to use to clean the powder residue (staining) off the stainless steel?

The only thing I've found that works better is a belt sander!

Keep away from the blued guns!!!

 

[Smokeeater]

Thank you for the suggestion! Will try both. Anyone ever try Birchwood Casey Lead remover and Polishing cloth? or Hoppe's Quick Clean rust and lead remover?

 

[gunbunnies]

For cleaning the front of the cylinders on stainless steel guns I have used the plastic type bristol sponges you use to clean dishes and pans with some hoppe's 9 but can't do that on the blued ones and don't do it anywhere you might be worried about left over possible scratches... the front of the cylinder is more or less blasted with lead every time you fire a shot so it's already being treated to a very harsh environment in being fired... the plastic doesn't normally dammage anything but you can get lead or steel particles into the motions of cleaning if not careful...