The .45 Auto Rim is now obsolete?

[muzzleblast...]

Originally Posted by jski

Is the .45 Auto Rim obsolete?

No. My both of my S&W 25-2s and both of my S&W 625s actually enjoy some .45AR.

[tipoc]

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that full moon clips came onto the US market until after World War II.

Originally it was the half moon clip, done up for WWI. You did not need them, and still don't, to fire the 45 acp round from a revolver. The firing pin reached the primer. They made ejection more reliable though and so the military wanted them. They were also a very good "tactical reloading" tool. The shooter could remove three spent cases at a time and quickly replace them with live ammo.

In 1975 a company called "Ranch Products" began manufacturing a 2 round clip for the 45acp. The idea was to allow for more versatility for the "tactical reload". No one back then talked about "tactical" equipment or reloads, we called it a "combat reload", by the way. That was when specifically you only needed to replace a couple of spent cases to have a full cylinder.

In 1982-83 Ranch Products came out with the full moon clip. It was that late. It was in response to the rise of the "combat" oriented shooting sports where fast reloads were required. They are credited with being the first. Many other makers today.

http://www.ranchproducts.com/about.html

https://www.americanrifleman.org/art...volver-rounds/

tipoc

[Mike Irwin]

Yep, familiar with the half moon clip's history. Didn't think that the full moon came out that late.

I've not seen a third moon clip in years.

I prefer the RIMZ clips by Beckham products. Polymer.

But, not all 1917s will fire unclipped ammo.

Some early Colt 1917s, and possibly a few S&Ws, had straight bored cylinders.

[44 AMP]

I've not seen a third moon clip in years.

If you mean the little 2 rnd clips, I have a dozen or so, they work in my Webley Mk VI. Never knew the proper name for them, I thought Quarter Moon clip might be appropriate, but that's just what I called them. Got them with a bunch of half moon clips (3 rnd, metal, I think S&W).

Some early Colt 1917s, and possibly a few S&Ws, had straight bored cylinders.

The story I heard (and of course, today who can really say what really happened) was that since the contract didn't specify, Colt just bored the first guns straight through, which, of course meant the guns could only be used with the clips.

When S&W heard this they thought it was a stupid idea, and that THEY made their guns properly, and apparently weren't too shy about telling people so. Colt, very quietly, then cut the headspace ledge into the chambers of the rest of their production runs.

OR so the story was told to me..

I'm in a very minority place, when it comes to .45ACP in revolvers w/clips.

My DA "clip gun" isn't a S&W or a Colt, its a "shaved" Webley. AND, its a just barely shaved Webley. Some half moon clips work, some don't, every full moon clip I tried was too thick, and so is the .45 Auto Rim rim!!!

The .45 Special case might be just the ticket for my Webley, but since it does work with the ACP cases and the clips I already have, I'll not be buying a box of new .45 Cowboy/ Special brass just to find out.