NotTwoShure
Well-known member
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Any one still use speed loaders for wheel guns?
- Thread starter NotTwoShure
- Start date
gunnerbob
PEW Professional
Yep, I have lots of 'em! I use the HKS loaders. With practice, you can become quite efficient with them (& revolvers) and be able to run the same drills you run with an auto... successfully, mind you. I too, also have Speed Strips for carry duty... Again, with practice you can become pretty good with them but not as fast as with Speed Loaders. My usual carry load-out is one Speed Loader and two Speed Strips.
Why do you ask?
Why do you ask?
NotTwoShure
Well-known member
My wife does, Lady Smith on K frame, and good old Model 15. She will not look at my Kimbers or Glocks.
Ringo
A WATCHMAN
Yes sir gunner, 90% of my serious carry is with my Ruger Vaquero in .44 magnum. Feels so right.
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I have multiple speed loaders for each revolver including a J frame, GP100 and most recently a 686+. I admit I tend to not use them much. Partly because I have been a traitor and moved on to a semi-auto for CC, and partly due to bulkiness and lack of proficiency with speed loaders. At the range I like unloading spent shells and loading my hand loads the old fashioned way. Doing it the slow way allows me a final glance at the brass/new cartridges to see if there is anything untoward going on before I pull the trigger again. I also find loading the speed loaders a PIA, and the J frame grips sometimes interfere with loading, so I have faded away from using them.
Gaining proficiency in this basic skill is a worthy project though. As to whether you can carry a revolver effectively for defense, I give you Jerry Miculek who carries a .357 magnum revolver for concealed carry. Check him out starting at 55 seconds of this video clip:
Gaining proficiency in this basic skill is a worthy project though. As to whether you can carry a revolver effectively for defense, I give you Jerry Miculek who carries a .357 magnum revolver for concealed carry. Check him out starting at 55 seconds of this video clip:
wolf_fire
New member
I have a .38 snubbie with three speed loaders.
To me a speed loader is as much a necessity as an extra magazine, if not more with the diminished round capacity of a revolver.
I marvel at the "old-timers" who still are allowed to carry revolvers for LE when they qualify. When we get to the "magazine changes", they have to perform a speed loader change. It's amazing, a lot of them are faster at swapping out rounds than the Glock boys are.
To me a speed loader is as much a necessity as an extra magazine, if not more with the diminished round capacity of a revolver.
I marvel at the "old-timers" who still are allowed to carry revolvers for LE when they qualify. When we get to the "magazine changes", they have to perform a speed loader change. It's amazing, a lot of them are faster at swapping out rounds than the Glock boys are.
gunnerbob
PEW Professional
I love Jerry's stuff, his *6 shots-reload-6 shots* record is the most insane revolver work I've ever seen. As to the first paragraph, I have an Armscor M206 .38Spl that I had put a set of Pachmayr grips on but later I had to trim the grip down on the left side to facilitate a proper reload. What you (shooters in general) learn when trying to become proficient with revolvers and their accompanied reloads is that many more things have to be tailored to the reload itself, and not you. The shape of the grip plays a large part, the shape of your bullets can either speed up or slow down the process, finding speed loaders that work for your gun (& you) and finding the manner of reload itself that suits the gun and you. I prefer the method shown here by Massad Ayoob:
gunnerbob
PEW Professional
Damn, that's a good looking gun.
Happypuppy
New member
I only use them at the range. The strips since flat are easier to carry. The speedloaders are easy to accidentally drop your rounds unless in a dedicated poach as well. Too much of a fine motor skill under stress; at least more so than the strips IMO
Just ' bout the action Boss...
Just ' bout the action Boss...
leadsender
New member
Yes, I still have and use speed loaders. I have HKS speed loads for .22 and .38 for my Colt Diamond Backs. Back in the day, training to reload with your speed loader was part of your training as it is today with training to swap out magazines for semi autos. They must still make them because the speed loader in the first picture is for one of those eight shot revolvers. It has eight bullet in it.
longslide10
New member
Question should be does anyone still load a DA wheel gun one chamber at a time.
Ringo
A WATCHMAN
Bob, I had never seen that technique in the Ayoob clip. Thank you. I was taught the FBI style from back in the day. I'll have to spend some time trying that "newer technique.
I also find that some individual speed loaders, even from the same manufacturer, work well in a particular firearm, and others have trouble releasing the cartridges into the cylinder, or they are a hassle loading rounds into the speed loader. Anybody else find this to be the case? If so, any easy solutions other than just ditching a "defective" and going with the reliable ones? To be sure it wasn't my technique, I marked the couple I was having trouble with, and it was always those two giving me fits. Kind of like some magazines in a semi-auto have trouble loading or feeding I suspect.
I also find that some individual speed loaders, even from the same manufacturer, work well in a particular firearm, and others have trouble releasing the cartridges into the cylinder, or they are a hassle loading rounds into the speed loader. Anybody else find this to be the case? If so, any easy solutions other than just ditching a "defective" and going with the reliable ones? To be sure it wasn't my technique, I marked the couple I was having trouble with, and it was always those two giving me fits. Kind of like some magazines in a semi-auto have trouble loading or feeding I suspect.
longslide10
New member
I was thinking the same Gunner, it's sexy for sure.
