Been shooting and carrying for a long time, but recently decided to learn how to carry, operate and feed a revolver. Anyone have experience with speed loaders and speed strips, and can recommend good/bad points for either or both? I am working with a S&W 66, and have both speed loaders and speed strips available.
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I normally EDC a pistol but have carried a revolver at times. My experience is that the speed loaders are quicker but also more challenging to carry. With speed strips I carried 2 in a small fairly flat case on my belt that easily concealed but a bit slower to reload but remember when using them you can load 2 rounds into most cylinders at same time speeding up the process a bit.
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Just like spare mags, practice and you will get proficient.
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I am a novice, but I settled on the speed loader. I practiced with both. I used a good set of snap caps to practice with as well. I found the strips to hard to place the bullets into, and it felt as though I might damage a bullet, by having to handle it roughly. I could only find strips of the same hard material and not very flexible, I had read another blogger say that outdoors in the winter, strips may stiffen up (not good). I found my speed loaders more reliable, easier to handle when reloading. I imagine practicing and testing may yield the answers you seek. Best regards.
Speed strips are easier to carry in a pocket. Speedloaders are kind of bulky, and the belt pouches stick out pretty far. However, the Desantis “Second Six” loads half of the speedloader’s rounds on each side of the belt to cut down on bulk , but only takes HKS speedloaders (not for Safariland style). OWB holsters for the 66 take up a lot of belt real estate and the speedloader pouch(es), too, but very comfortable (I use a Kramer horsehide holster for the 66-8).
The speedloader is good for topping up, e.g. if you only shoot two rounds and have a chance to replace them. The speedloader is much faster for a full reload. I prefer the Safariland to the HKS speedloaders, but prefer the Desantis style belt pouch so I need the HKS’s.
I’ll usually carry one speed strip. If my belt has enough room, I’ll add one speed loader.
At one point in my life I was mandated to carry a Ruger Security Six as it seemed a semi auto was considered to be an “offensive” weapon (as in to carry out an attack as opposed to odious). I too found Speed Loaders to be difficult to conceal yet found speed strips to be slow and bothersome. Given the relative “bulk” of a revolver cylinder for concealment I took to “modifying” an HKS speed loader for carry purposes.
With the use of a Dremel Tool and a cutting blade I lopped off the outside 3 rounds of the speed loader without affecting it’s function. The net result was a 3 round speed loader that when tucked between britches and belt held firm and could be had one forward and one aft of the primary holster to good effect. A speed strip of 6 in a front pocket was a useful comfort item.
The most important thing to know when reloading a revolver with “half a mag” is which way the cylinder rotates. “Click! No Bang” X3 is a bad thing in most cases.
Practice of course is paramount and if you are an auto guy with a “thumbs forward” grip special attention should be paid to your revolver grip if you like the continued use of your opposable thumbs lest you discover the correlation between “cylinder gap” and 357 Magnum.
Cheers,
Craig6
IMHO, speed loaders will always be faster, Not that speed strips, with practice, aren’t fast, but they aren’t as fast as speed loaders.
I think you nailed it on the head there, @John292 - it’s what you practice that will be faster for you.
I personally use a speed loader for my preference. Reloading a revolver is a challenge just because of the type gun that it is. I haven’t been using a revolver long and am still getting proficient with it, but I think I will personally prefer the speed loader. They both take time to get used to using, no matter what.
Interesting. I had never handled speed strips, but when I bought a friend’s reloading equipment, he gave me a load of extra odds and ends that contained a couple speed strips. I was glad to find this discussion. I’m listening.
I have speed loaders, but I use moon clips in my Rhino 30DS. If you have a revolver that can take them, moon clips are an easy way to not lose casings when emptying the cylinder. It’s also very convenient when disarming your revolver, and then they’re still ready to drop back in when needed. They don’t load into the cylinder quite as slick as with a speed loader, but with a little practice it’s not bad.
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I just bought my 1st revolver for Plinking. I got the GP100 in a 10 shot .22lr caliber. The best I found was a Speed Beez speed loader. It is a case that holds 100 rounds and I have 2, 10 shot speed loades with a pouch. This set up makes shooting 150 rounds in 30 minutes possible. Having a Spped Loader from Speed Beez is the only way to go to the Range.
Been using Speed Beez for my 38 special and 357. But I just picked up the Zeta6 K-Pack-2 Stackable Speedloaders and absolutely love them. They are like speed strips but shaped in 2 half-moons so you can load 3 rounds at a time plus they are stackable which makes carrying 12 rounds in your pocket so much easier, more concealable and no rattle.