OM .45 Vaquero moonclipped!!

[Carolina Sorillo]

Several years ago I bought an extra cylinder for my 3.75" Birdshead Vaquero. It's been laying in a drawer collecting dust until recently. I have been wanting a .45acp revolver but just haven't had the $$. So I contacted TK Customs and asked if they could cut a Vaquero cylinder for clips. After making sure I understood (which I did) that the cylinder must be removed to load and unload the clips he said sure send it on in. The only other thing he required was for me to also buy at least 10 of his clips. Which I did, as well as a clip loader and unloader. I had it back in about a week and a half. It's a real pleasure to shoot and loading and unloading is light years ahead of using the ejector rod. Which I thought about removing but with it installed on the short barreled Vaquero it holds the base pin in place while I swap clips.

TK just machines enough cylinder to allow for the clips. They leave a rim around the outside of the cylinder including the outer edge of the chambers which still allows .45Colt and Schofield cartridges to be used.

C.S.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

You must be good at removing and installing that cylinder. Was this a 45colt cylinder to begin with? I was going to poo-poo the idea of a single-action with moon clips but heck I ain't got one and you do. Kool.

 

[Carolina Sorillo]

You must be good at removing and installing that cylinder. Was this a 45colt cylinder to begin with? I was going to poo-poo the idea of a single-action with moon clips but heck I ain't got one and you do. Kool.

Got 2 of'em Yeah, it was/is a .45Colt cylinder. I ain't no Jerry Miculek by any means but like I said it beats the crap out of using the ejector rod on one case at a time. With the short barrel you can't pull the base pin all the way out without removing the ejector rod and housing. So you just push the release, pull the base pin out til it stops, drop the cylinder, dump the empty clip, reload and reinstall the loaded cylinder and base pin. It ain't a DA but it's as fast as a SA can be reloaded.

C.S.

 

[DGW1949]

You must be good at removing and installing that cylinder. Was this a 45colt cylinder to begin with? I was going to poo-poo the idea of a single-action with moon clips but heck I ain't got one and you do. Kool.

Got 2 of'em Yeah, it was/is a .45Colt cylinder. I ain't no Jerry Miculek by any means but like I said it beats the crap out of using the ejector rod on one case at a time. With the short barrel you can't pull the base pin all the way out without removing the ejector rod and housing. So you just push the release, pull the base pin out til it stops, drop the cylinder, dump the empty clip, reload and reinstall the loaded cylinder and base pin. It ain't a DA but it's as fast as a SA can be reloaded.

C.S.

Yep, SA's are somewhat slow to fully reload....but....
....Mine aint a range toy, it's a usin' gun, so I don't often shoot it dry before reloading.
I can't imagine having to pull the cylinder and fool around with moon clips every time I need to replace a cartridge or two....which BTW, can be done perty-dern quick...and while maintaning it in a (mostly) ready to use state.
Not knocking your idea, and I'm glad that you find your modified gun to be usefull. But I reckon that I'll just keep mine as-is. :wink: .

DGW

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Interesting concept. That said . . .

I'm a single-action guy. I have . . . um . . . several.

But if I think I would be in a position requiring ultra-quick reloads I'd at least pack my old Security-Six, or better still a 1911.

Progress, man, progress.

JMHO

 

[Carolina Sorillo]

That's the beauty of it!! I can still use it as intended with this "conversion" or I can shoot clipped acp's.

C.S.

 

[s4s4u]

Pale Rider

 

[Muley Gil]

I took a NM .45 convertible and had the ACP cylinder machined so I could shoot .45 Auto Rim cartridges in it. It will also accept moonclipped ACP rounds, same as a 1917 S&W/Colt or newer M625 S&W. Like Carolina Sortillo, I can pull the base pin, drop out the cylinder and drop in a full moonclip of .45 ACP cartridges.

 

[Joe S.]

id like to see pics of how that looks if you can!

 

[Hondo44]

Carolina Sorillo,

Cool! I like the idea of the rim left on the cyl to still be able to shoot 45 Colt ammo.

Most people don't realize how fast a SA "speed load" can be. Swapping out clipped empties to a full clip is truly much simpler and faster. I have a New Vaquero Montado in 45 Colt, 3 3/4" barrel. Last year I took some of my S&W 'N' frame full moon clips and surface ground them from .040" to .020" and modified the clips slightly since they have a larger cartridge center diameter than the smaller NV mid size cylinder. It shoots 45 ACP w/o any modification to the Colt cylinder.

Then I picked up an extra 45 Colt cylinder to carry loaded with clipped 45 ACP in a pouch. Now just swapping cylinders, that's a fast reload! And it allows for shooting 45 ACP in both cylinders or a cyl full of 45 Colts then swap to the pre loaded ACP cyl.

 

[Carolina Sorillo]

Hondo,

I thought about just carrying the extra loaded cylinder. But a Vaquero cylinder is heavy for just one reload, and my cylinder pouch will hold 2 loaded moonclips. Either way is still quicker than using an ejector rod.

Speaking of a fast SA "speed load". I also have a Uberti Schofield that I bought for just this purpose. Unfortunately, it doesn't shoot as fast as the Vaquero nor will it handle the "Ruger only" loads. So it will be leaving soon. But it reload faster.

C.S.

 

[Joe S.]

Pic for Mr. Carolina Sorillo

 

[Carolina Sorillo]

Thank you Joe

 

[Joe S.]

My pleasure! Looks fun!

 

[Rafsob]

Sorry, not trying to sound like this is stupid but I think it is. I have been shooting .45 ACP for over ten years in my old model Vaquero. I bought my gun with two cylinders, one long colt and the other ACP. And it doesn't need moon clips!!!

Why would you want to take a single action handgun and treat it like it was a double action gun??? Were you bored?

 

[Carolina Sorillo]

Sorry, not trying to sound like this is stupid but I think it is. Opinions vary. I have been shooting .45 ACP for over ten years in my old model Vaquero. I bought my gun with two cylinders, one long colt and the other ACP.I've got 2 Colt cylinders but one of them will also accept moonclipped acp cartridges. And it doesn't need moon clips!!! Well, congratulations to you!! Unfortunately, they didn't make an old model convertible with Birdshead grips. So I did!!

Why would you want to take a single action handgun and treat it like it was a double action gun??? It's the best of both worlds.Were you bored?Yeah, a little.

I agree it's not for everybody. But I love it's versatility. So I'll tell ya what I'll do. I'll tell my wife not to sell it to you when I cash'em in.

C.S.

 

[Rafsob]

From our reaction, I'll go with the stupid!!!

And don't worry, I would not have any need for a gun like this -- no thanks!!!

 

[VAdoublegunner]

I guess the ~disadvantage~ I see in doing that to a SA used as a field gun is that you can shoot a round or 2 then easily reload a full cylinder rather quickly. In a Ruger that is especially easy by just opening the loading gate and by holding the cylinder to keep it from rotating eject/reload almost simultaneously. You can't do that with moonclips.

It's an interesting concept though.

I can possibly see the advantage to having the ACP cylinder machined to use Auto Rim, especially since you can easily load up 45AR to 45 Colt levels (Brian Pearce data) and from a logistics perspective carry a few more cartridges in the same space than 45 Colt. But the bulk of carrying moonclipped 45ACPs sort of defeats that concept.

 

[edlmann]

I can possibly see the advantage to having the ACP cylinder machined to use Auto Rim, especially since you can easily load up 45AR to 45 Colt levels (Brian Pearce data) and from a logistics perspective carry a few more cartridges in the same space than 45 Colt. But the bulk of carrying moonclipped 45ACPs sort of defeats that concept.

OP's cylinder won't work with .45AR - the star needs a clearance cot for the rim.

 

[santabob]

another reason to do this is Ruger will not make a .45acp cyl. unless the gun had one when built.
and who is is in such a hurry to burn up ammo. relax, hit the gong and feel good.