Your choice of speedloaders (and similar)?

[CountryGent]

So, I've played a few over the years. The ones I've stuck with are the Speed Beez (for larger, holstered revolvers) and the Speed Strips (for a snubbie carried with CHL).

​

Any that have worked for you? Any that didn't?

Thanks.

Read More

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

In my own use I have found that:

5 Star is superior to HKS,

Bianchi is superior to Tuff Speedstrips.

 

[Bill Siegle]

I use Safariland speedloaders or Speedstrips. Mostly the speedstrips in a front pocket

 

[nammac]

HKS can be kinda finicky... Bianchi speed strips rule, but require practice to become proficient...

 

[41Slinger]

I use HKS, but most of my revolvers are used for hunting and are carried in Uncle Mikes Vertical shoulder rigs with UM's Velcro speed loader pouches on the off side. Inexpensive and very functional. I had a Taurus 85 titanium 38 that I carried for awhile and used HKS loaders but my wife took it from me for her night stand. What's a guy to do ?

 

[Guardian 380]

A woman who's willing to help shoulder the burden of her protection, and yours, is a woman to ride the river with.

 

[mcfoto]

I'm subscribing to this thread and giving it a bump. Considering shooting my Smith 66 in USPSA. Most revolver shooters there do moon clips but a) I don't want to have my cylinder carved out and b) haven't found moon clips that fit a K frame 6 shot.

The Safariland comp III gets good reviews but they look plastic and fragile. I see a lot of slamming during matches and wonder if they'd hold up. The Speed Beez look promising but at $35 each - I'll need at least 8 to get through the larger stages - that's going to add up. I have a set of HKs and they're finicky at a lazy day at the range. No way they're smooth enough for competition.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I only have old HK's, and they are indeed finicky and unreliable! I used speed strips when I hunted varmints with revolvers! If I still carried wheel guns I'd definitely be reasearching the newer loaders on the market. The only revolver that I occasionally carry is a "J" frame in a cross draw rig that includes a pair of, loose rounds, dump pouches. They work well, but they aren't even close to a mag switch on an autoloader!

 

[Certaindeaf]

I'm subscribing to this thread and giving it a bump. Considering shooting my Smith 66 in USPSA. Most revolver shooters there do moon clips but a) I don't want to have my cylinder carved out and b) haven't found moon clips that fit a K frame 6 shot.

The Safariland comp III gets good reviews but they look plastic and fragile. I see a lot of slamming during matches and wonder if they'd hold up. The Speed Beez look promising but at $35 each - I'll need at least 8 to get through the larger stages - that's going to add up. I have a set of HKs and they're finicky at a lazy day at the range. No way they're smooth enough for competition.

All Safariland speedloaders are super tough.. I've never actually seen one fail or break.. seeing 10's of thousands of them being dropped (purposely) on the asphalt or whatever all day long.
I only used the comp III's a little bit though.. they really shoot the rounds in there and are large for fast handling (yada). To be more "practical" off of the range and still allowing fast reloads on the range, I'd recommend the comp II's and then the comp I's for J-frames.
They are way better than the HKS's

 

[Tony617]

I use HKS speedloaders for my 357 magnum. I only have two of them so I am limited to 18 rounds if I count an already loaded cylinder.

 

[teflon6string]

I've had round HKS in three sizes for decades. And I have some of those flat rubber speed strip thingies, too. Never a problem with either variety.

I use them all occasionally just to keep my hands somewhat familiar, but I sometimes wonder how I'd do in the flight/fight pumping adrenaline mode.

It would probably be revealing and worthwhile to work with a friend and a stopwatch a few times a year. Magazines, too!

Obligatory Small Print: When endeavoring to speed up any gun skill, it's all about consistency. Practice crisp range discipline and be safe.

 

[Benchrest]

Uplula

 

[mcfoto]

Thanks for the input. I ordered three Safariland comp 3's and a 333 holder from Midway today. I'll post a review when I try it out.

 

[GuyBMeredith]

I use Safariland when moonclips are not allowed in competition. They are collecting dust. I have never had a good experience with HKS-always had problems with rounds failing to release. I am a klutz and too often dropping rounds from speedloaders before I can get them to the cylinder.

T.K. Custom / moonclips.com produces moonclips for a wide variety of revolvers, including the Ruger LCR.

After experience with moonclips in a S&W 627 PC I had both my 686+ and my M66 machined for clips. The M66 is my carry gun and I carry reloads in two moonclips.

One advantage to moonclips is that all rounds are loaded and dumped together, so it is like loading or dumping one heavy object rather than several light weight pieces, making for faster reloads.

 

[WillametteWill]

One thing you have to watch is aftermarket grips and any speed loader. Some may work fine with the factory grips (many S&W have the cutout for them) but others don't. I've had good luck with HKS and like their security...never had them lose a round or open. I used Dade for duty carry back in the day; they were fast but rounds would fall out and you were toast if you dropped one. Carry speed strips for my 5 shot and as others have noted, must practice with them to be proficient (like everything else).

 

[mcfoto]

I now have been using the Comp III's with the 333 holder for a couple weeks. It's a month until my first ICORE competition and feel confident that I'll be proficient enough to at least not spray rounds on the ground. Its a little tricky getting the speed loaders into the 333's. I got out the instructions (shocking!) and they mention that with the Comp III, you can take the retaining clips out from inside the cup although they recommend you leave them in (sounds like lawyer talk). My inclination is to take the clips out but wonder if I risk the loaders coming out during the running and gunning. Anyone out there got experience with this?

 

[taroman]

Ansac all the way:

 

[KKG]

HKS are what I have always favored but as with any product you do have to practice, practice, practice and then Practice. I shot PPC for a number of years and that was a great training ground for getting thinks Right. I like the Safariland Split-6 pouches for off duty use and the standard HKS pouches for "Duty" use. I carried a pre 29 Smith and Wesson as primary and a 2-1/2" Model 19 as a bug. On my Duty belt I had 12 extra rounds for both guns. But again practice is the Key and yes you do have to take into account what the Pistol is wearing for Stocks.

 

[ma96782]

As a PO, for my uniform duty belt, I/we were issued HKS speedloaders.

For my PPC competition shooting, I used Safariland,

Aloha, Mark

 

[HB of CJ]

I carry some in my Levi pants pockets. Usually 3. They print badly. These are the round black plastic version. Right now I can not remember what manufacture. The older ones do wear out. The .44 special Silver Tip rims break loose from the loader.

Edit: the older HKS type.

When that happens the speed loader gets tossed. About 10 in the drawer. When one wears out it just gets replaced. The spares are kept loaded. Probably about 50 rounds ready to go. One must prepare and be aware of the Zombie Hoards. Difficult.

Meant to be funny and not true about the Zombies. Everything else applies to the thread. Oh boy. More. I am left handed and lots of time is spent practicing with the fired brass dump out of the .44 Charter Arms 3" blue Bulldog revolver. Slow to do.

The empty brass that I keep for practice usually do NOT easily dump out of the cylinder when inverted and smacked with my left hand. The revolver must we transfered from my left hand to my right for the dump. The brass sticks inside the cylinder.

I at one time had gotten to the point of practicing that the cylinder dump and speed loader charge could be done with my eyes closed. Or in a dark room with both eyes open scanning 360 while doing so. Doing the slow reload leaves me gun less. Not good.

Probably the main reason why the Bulldog will probably be retired to inside the 7-10 wildfire evac bag. Old. Still tight but old. Slow to reload. The new-to-me Mark 3 Browning Hi Power is a snap to reload while eyeball scanning 360. Anyhow, just how I do it.

The factory Italian spring assisted 13 rd 9mm mags just jump right out of the HP, empty, full or partial. Very quick reloads. Button, jump out , reload, slide release. Again I was kidding about the Zombie Hoards. But living in Cave Junction Oregon I wonder.