9mm Revolver
Anyone have any good or bad experiences with a 9mm revolver?
Recently I've gotten intrigued with the S&W Model 547. Specifically due to the fact that HKS makes a speedloader that fits this model. And from what I've read it is designed to work with 9mm rimless ammo without moonclips.
email: sass16111@hotmail.com
Recently I've gotten intrigued with the S&W Model 547. Specifically due to the fact that HKS makes a speedloader that fits this model. And from what I've read it is designed to work with 9mm rimless ammo without moonclips.
email: sass16111@hotmail.com
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I'm thinking about getting a 9mm Revolver, like the Taurus 905. But I'm not clear on how these work. I saw some folks on GB selling 9mm FEDERAL ammunition that is rimmed, specifically for revolvers. They said it is very rare ammo. I've also heard that some revolvers require moon clips in order to eject the cartridges correctly.
So I guess my question is: given that 9mm is designed to be an auto cartridge, how do these 9mm revolvers work? If I buy a Taurus 905, or similar 9mm revolver, will I need to buy this special 9mm ammo or get a special moon clip for it?
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." -Gandhi0 -
To the best of my knowledge all the revolvers chambered for the 9mm P cartridge use some form of "moon clip", EXCEPT the Ruger Single Action and the S & W Model 540. 
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This topic comes up every couple of months and basically you have three choices: Poke out the empties with a stick (a real pain), use moon clips (the most common), or purchase an S&W Model 547 M&P which used a brilliantly designed star ejector system that would spring out and under the extractor groove of the rimless 9mm case allowing for the normal method of ejection. Federal discontinued loading the rimmed 9mm ammuntion 10 or 12 years ago and what stock may be left sells at premium prices. I am never a supporter of depending on the availability of "special" ammunition to allow for proper functioning of a firearm because such ammo will never be around or be located when you need it.
I have a S&W Model 940 Centennial in 9mm (uses moon clips) and although it is a fine pistol, the 9mm chambering offers no advantage over an identical 640 Centennial in .357 Magnum. The only good use a 9mm revolver offers is as a backup weapon for LEO's who carry a 9mm automatic as a duty weapon and want to use the same ammunition in each of their pistols. This idea however proved to be a stretch because I sell guns to cops for a living and could NEVER raise even the slighted bit of interst in my concept. The introduction of super compact 9mm automatics pretty much doomed what little use a 9mm snub nosed revolver had and full sized revolvers are much more versital in .357 Magnum since they can also use the lighter .38 Special loadings.
Mark T. Christian0 -
quote:Originally posted by mark christian
I have a S&W Model 940 Centennial in 9mm (uses moon clips) and although it is a fine pistol, the 9mm chambering offers no advantage over an identical 640 Centennial in .357 Magnum.
True, although most 9mm loadings fired out of a short-barreled revolver (I have Ruger's SP-101 in 9mm with 2-1/4 in. barrel) would be somewhere between a .38 and a .357 in energy and felt recoil. If I had the choice between a .38 or 9mm revolver in a self-defense situation, I'd choose the 9mm because of the extra energy. The moon clips act as nice "speed loaders" too.
9mm's also makes a nice revolver if you're primarily and "auto" person (like me) and want to be able to shoot the 9mm ammo you might already have in quantity.0 -
You don't want to use "specialized" ammo. As Mark said availability is "iffy" and then there is the cost, which will be significantly higher than standard 9mm which is relatively inexpensive.
As for the revolver to buy, the S&W 940's can be fussy about the ammo they use. The Ruger SP-101 9mm uses moon clips, but has been out of production for several years and if you can locate one it will probably run you as much as a new Taurus 905. All three of these revolvers use "moon clips" and they also headspace on the case mouth so they can be fired w/o the clips, but they will not eject.
The Smith 547's don't use the "moon clips", but they are hard to find and pretty darn expensive when you do. Also compared to the previous 3 revolvers they are appreciably larger, but they do hold 6 rounds.
If your buying a used revolver make sure it comes with a supply of "moon clips" as you sometimes have to hunt around for them unless you buy a Taurus because their "stellar clips" are current production and can be obtained directly from the mfg.
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
i use a ruger speed six 9mm m-209. i use the 1/2 moon clips. fyi...full moon clips hold all 6, 1/2 moons hold 3, and 1/3 moons or 'dualies,' hold 2. they look like the letter x. it is important to know the history of 9mm revolvers. they werent designed to have any improved tactical applications or improved performance, they were specifically designed to be a cheap economical gun that would be capable of chambering european 9mm cartidges that have been already sold and positioned in 3rd world countries, (namely the island nations, i/e: jamaica, west indies, bermuda, etc...) they were designed to be 'simple' for 3rd world police and security forces to use. when new improved double action 9mm guns became standard thru out the world, the need for 9mm revolvers went by the wayside. the concept came back to usa and a small following kept them. they are more of a novelity than a practical gun. i own one for the wife to have. not that she has a 3rd world mentality, [:I] but its simple for her to understand in a stressful situation. i also use it for beginner students when im teaching. besides, ive got so much 9mm laying around, i figured it to be a practical choice to have in my lineup. other than that, those moons are a pain. its one of the reasons i sold off my m-25 45acp. the m-209 goes when im out of 9mm too!
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.0 -
With all due respect, I am at a loss to understand the fascination with the 9mm round. For what it was designed (machine pistol) it was fine. I can understand it IF the purpose is interchangeability of ammunition between arms. All I can gather is it is the love for the current military sidearm round, as I know that is why the Law Enforcement community (prematurely, I would add) `jumped' on the bandwagon early-on. Had they waited awhile, more of them would have had the .40 S&W. A round much better suited for LE application.
IMHO; there are other cartridges out there that do a much better job than the 9mm. Albeit, there are some concealed-carry applications for which it is well suited. I KNOW this will draw instant retaliation, but I am interested in the opinions out there[:0]If you are not part of the solution,
you are most probably adding to the problem!0 -
The 9mm Parabellum cartridge was developed in 1902 and from its inception was intended as a service cartridge for pistols. Adopted in 1904 by the German Navy and in 1908 by the German Army it became the most widely accepted centerfire handgun cartridge around the world and remains so today. The first 9mm Parabellum submachinegun to be adopted into general service by any military was the German MP18, which although under developement at the Bergmann plant in 1916, did not see service until early 1918...a full 14 years AFTER the 9mm cartridge was adopted for use in the Parabellum (Luger) pistol. This cartridge was not designed for machinepistol use because such pistol caliber machineguns did not exist when the 9mm Parabellum was developed at the turn of the century. The Italian made Villar Perosa was the first known weapon to fire pistol ammunition automatically. It was patented in 1915 and saw service in 1916, 12 years after the 9mm Parabellum was adopted by the German Navy.
Mark T. Christian0 -
Mark; Thanks for the educational post on the 9mm development.
I STAND CORRECTED.
The rest of my statement/question remains standing though. I believe the German-developed machine pistols were/are very effective for what they are intended to do.
I do believe history will reflect many cartridges that were effective (usually) when introduced, but have been easily replaced with newer developments.
Fair statement?If you are not part of the solution,
you are most probably adding to the problem!0 -
Great responses, guys. I am really getting an education on this, which is exactly what I wanted.
To bring this back down to a practical level, maybe I should explain why I am looking at 9mm revolvers. Currently, I have a Ruger GP100 .357 Mag revolver and a Sig P228 9mm semi. My fiance has a Springfield 1911 Ultra Compact in 9mm on the way.
I love my GP100, it is rock solid reliable, it was my first gun, I shoot accurately with it, and I have no problem with using it in a home defense situation. Having said that, my home defense gun is my Sig P228. Why? I don't know exactly. One big reason is that my fiance can't get her little hands around the grip of the GP100. Also, I keep my P228 with the magazine in, but unloaded. I guess this is my warped sense of security in case it got into the wrong hands, where as a loaded DA revolver is ready to rock and fire once the trigger is pulled. For some reason I feel more comfortable with the Sig, even though I know that a DA revolver is probably the most reliable firearm to have in a defense situation. So my GP100 sits locked and boxed at night, while my Sig sits on the nightstand.
Anyway, I recently decided I would like to get a more practical conceal carry gun, just in case I ever needed it. Neither of the guns I currently own are CCW practical, IMHO. So I would like to get a DA snub revolver, like the SP101 (the little brother of my GP100), or the Taurus 905.
So the question comes down to caliber. Do I get a 9mm revolver, so that the ammo is compatible with my other 9mm home defense guns? Or do I get another .357 Mag, which is much less of a hassle ammo-wise, but I loose the 9mm compatibility. Also, if needed, my fiance could probably handle a 9mm snub a lot better than a .357 Mag.
I know, I know, I can always load the .357 Mag with .38 Spl in case my fiance ever needed to handle it. Plus this whole moon clip thing kinda sounds like a hassle if were honestly in a self-defense situation, but I guess I wouldn't really be worried about reloading. Probably those 6 shots would determine the outcome.
So that's basically my situation. Any opinions you all may have are greatly valued.
Thanks!
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." -Gandhi0 -
I'd go with a Ruger SP101 in .357. Mine is very controllable with 110 grain jacketed hollowpoints in .357 magnum. If that's too much for your fiance, maybe look at Federal Hydra-shoks in .38+P. This way you have two good strong revolvers that operate the same way and use the same ammo. As a side note; if you keep your SIG properly cleaned and lubed, it will be as reliable as your Ruger. Just my $.02.
"One day lad, all this will be yours."
"What, the curtains?"0 -
9mm revolvers are more oddity than commodity and this is coming from a fella that has both round and square butt SW 547's a SW 940, and a Ruger SP-101 in 9mm ... oh yeah then there is the Ruger Single Action convertable in 38/357/9mm
However, keep it simple ... 357 for the revolvers and 9mm for the semi's ... you have both types of ammo already[;)]
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0
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