Any Redhawk 8 shot .357 Mag Owners out there?

[RoninPA]

Have a question for any owners of a Redhawk 8 shot .357. I got a new one and the machining of the rear of the cylinder just doesn't look correct to me. Would like someone to take a picture of theirs to compare mine to.

Here is what mine looks like:


Notice the cartridge head is not completely supported. Almost looks as though the rear of the cylinder wasn't milled correctly. I sent an email/photos to Ruger after talking to customer service but haven't heard back from them yet. The end of the ejector rod (where cartridge is sitting) doesn't look quite right also.

 

[contender]

I THINK,, (and this is only a guess,) that the cylinder has been cut for moon clips. JMO!

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

Yep.
They're all made that way.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/tested-ruger-redhawk-8-shot-357-mag-revolver/

 

[RoninPA]

I didn't think about that and now I'm thinking that is what Ruger will tell me. Plus I'll go on the Ruger site and see what is shown (DUH!, should have done that first, just wasn't thinking)
Thanks.

Just looked at the spec sheet on the Ruger site and it said nothing about moon clips for the 2 3/4" model but it did (last entry) for the 4 " model. Guess they forgot to put it in the specs for the short barrel. There were NO moon clips in the box with mine so I'll call Ruger CS back and say sorry, I screwed up.

 

[hittman]

Make this make sense that they’d have a 357 require moon clips.
Total buzz kill / deal breaker for me. :cautious:

 

[Laserbait]

Yep.
They're all made that way.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/tested-ruger-redhawk-8-shot-357-mag-revolver/

Mine does not have that, but I bought mine as soon as I heard about them, so it's gotta be a newer development.

 

[LDB]

Close, but no cigar. I was seriously considering one but the 8.25" OAL won't work with the 8" hard limit for my carry scheme. So I went with the 1774 GP100 instead. Sounds like I dodged a bullet, or at least the ill-fitting of bullets. I hope I don't discover the same when mine arrives.

 

[RoninPA]

I really don't know why either...other than the loading/dumping of 8 rounds instead of 6 might make a difference??? I'm guessing it is the newer models (higher s/n's) are cut for the moon clips.

While typing this response, I was also on the phone with Ruger CS and they are going to send me some moon clips gratis (I'll probably go on to ShopRuger.com and order some more just to have). But the kind lady also checked and said what she read was that you can load and safely shoot it without moon clips, apparently they did this for the 8 shot revolvers to make it easier to load and unload.

Now my older 5 1/2" .357 Mag Redhawk is a 6 shot and it is made the "normal way"....But it is a 6 shot, so maybe they a moon clip would make things easier as she told me.

 

[s4s4u]

Make this make sense that they’d have a 357 require moon clips.
Total buzz kill / deal breaker for me. :cautious:

It can be shot with or without moon clips.

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

Mine does not have that, but I bought mine as soon as I heard about them, so it's gotta be a newer development.

Interesting..
Obviously some of the earliest production weren't machined for them.
A friend of mine has one that he purchased within a few months of release, and it's cut for the clips. He's brought it out to my place to shoot a few times, and it does just fine with or without them.

 

[contender]

"Make this make sense that they’d have a 357 require moon clips.
Total buzz kill / deal breaker for me. :cautious:"

I do not think it's REQUIRED to use moon clips,, just an option. Look at Ron's picture & you and see it loads ammo just fine.

In some revolver competitions,, for speed, moons are used. Plus,, a lot of folks will use .38 Spl ammo in competition.

 

[LDB]

Make this make sense that they’d have a 357 require moon clips.
Total buzz kill / deal breaker for me. :cautious:

It isn't required at all. It's an available option should one so desire. A little research can go a long way.

 

[arcticruger]

“Any Redhawk 8 shot .357 Mag Owners out there?”​

Not yet, but it’s on my short list

 

[Wvfarrier]

Mine has the cut but I primarily use speedloaders. Its never been an issuse....I too had the same concern. My smiths with moon clip cut do not protrude like that

 

[RoninPA]

UPDATE: Just looked at the specs on the web site again. The 2 3/4, 4.2, and 5.5 inch models are ALL cut for moon clips. There are suppose to be 3 moon clips included in the box.

 

[jimbo1096]

@RoninPA
A word of advice. I have the eight shot Redhawk with the set of moon clips and to be honest with you, they are a real PIA. You can get seven to go in the clip, but number eight is a major struggle. The gun shoots just as well without the moon clips as it does with them. In my opinion, the eight shot moon clip was to provide you with a reload that could be carried in your pocket without having the extra bulk of the speed loader. And it doesn’t just slide in like a speed loader does on a six shot or a five shot, you have to play with it and jiggle it and turn it just right before they’ll finally fall in. Now they do come all out at one time, even by just turning the gun muzzle up with the cylinder opened.
Before ordering the extra set of moon clips, wait for Ruger to send you those and try them out. There’s usually three in a pack I think they send you three in the pack because they know you are going to bend one trying to figure out how to use them.

 

[hittman]

I wonder if somebody makes half moons for these and if they’d work any better.

 

[eveled]

I carry a S&W 8 shot .357 snub nose. I like the moon clip in the gun, it makes them all drop free easily. I prefer speed loaders for the reload. .357 rims are all over the place I don’t think there is an exact specification. Some are definitely easier some are impossible to get the 8th round in.

My 8 shot Redhawk won’t close if I load it with moon clips.

 

[RoninPA]

Jimbo, thanks for the advice. Yes, I am going to wait until I get the ones from Ruger and try them before I buy more.

eveled - Does it happen with all .357/.38 brass or just specific brands? If it happens with all, then I would call Ruger CS about that problem.

 

[DRAM40A1]

I bought mine used on Gunbroker and the clips were missing as well. I bought mine from TK Custom. I also bought the de moon tool. Good stuff.

 

[eveled]

eveled - Does it happen with all .357/.38 brass or just specific brands? If it happens with all, then I would call Ruger CS about that problem.

It’s all of them. The star doesn’t sit flush. The cylinder isn’t machined deep enough


I called Ruger. They won’t send a call tag. So shipping is on me. I’m not sure its worth it. I use speed loaders anyway. Still mulling it over.

Your picture was helpful to me. See how there is a space between the rim and the star? Mine doesn’t have that space.

 

[contender]

I used to think moon clips were a PIA to load. Then I got the tools to do it correctly. Now,, it's easy & NO WORRIES! And de-mooning the clips with a tool makes that easy too.

eveled,, are your moon clips Ruger factory or another brand? Some brands are "thicker" than other brands.

 

[eveled]

They are Ruger clips it came with .025” thick. Which is what shopRuger says they should be. I tried my S&W ones they are the same.

 

[contender]

(y)

 

[eveled]

I think I have it sorted out. Took a magnifying lamp and some diamond files to get the star to sit more or less flush.

I didn’t mean to high jack Ron’s thread. Here is the link to thread I started about my revolver

Thread 'Redhawk moonclips'

Nov 14, 2025

I just bought an 8 shot .357 Redhawk with moonclips.

It is very clean. It functions fine without the moonclips, but won’t close with the moonclips.

I’m thinking it needs a trip to Ruger. Unless someone has any suggestions.

Thanks.

• eveled
• Replies: 9
• Forum: Ruger Single Action & Double Action Revolvers

 

[eveled]

I wonder if somebody makes half moons for these and if they’d work any better.

None that I’m aware of. I thought of cutting one in half, but it won’t work. The half finger at the end would be too thin.

The only half moons I’m aware of are for .45acp N frames, they must have more space between chambers.

The 8 round clips aren’t that bad to load for most ammo, but at least one brand I tried was impossible to get the 8th in and I bent the clip. It was a lesson in tolerance stacking, each one got progressively harder, the 7th was real tough the 8th impossible.

Like I said before, I carry loaded with a moon clip, re loads are in a speed loader if in a pocket. But I found the 8 round clips fit in my duty belt pouches, the 5 star speed loaders do not.

I also found .38 specials being shorter are less fidgety to drop into the cylinder.

 

[RoninPA]

eveled - you didn't hijack my thread by any means, lots of good conversation about moon clips, use, functionability, et al came out of my original post (which wouldn't have happened if I had used my noggin and done my homework first :mad: )

Once I get my clips from Ruger I will report back with photos. In my semi-defense, I really didn't think about moon clips with a standard case like a .357, I'm so used to seeing them on semi-auto ammo. But- you're never to old to learn new things.

 

[hittman]

For use in the Speed Six 9mm …… work ok if you are good with semi auto ammo in a revolver

 

[RoninPA]

Well, the moon clips that Ruger said they'd send arrived this morning. They sent me 2 packs of 3 each. That was a nice surprise, was only expecting one pack of 3 as that is what comes with the revolver. Just now loaded one up with 8 rounds and it was easy to load and unload (I could unload with my fingernail but they were loaded rounds.) We'll see how it goes once I get out and shoot it :) . I'm quite happy with it.

 

[contender]

Sweet!