A few thoughts on the subject.
How often do you really need a reload?
95% of all armed citizen self defense shoots are over in under 5 seconds with less than 5 rounds fired. It's highly unlikely you'll ever be involved in shoot. That's mostly because most of us don't live in really bad neighborhoods. It's also partly because most armed citizens who conceal carry have better situational awareness and use that awareness to avoid situations where they may have to draw a firearm in the first place. Finally, people who are armed tend to be a little more confident and less afraid and competent criminals pick up on that. They won't now why exactly, but they'll usually choose another, easier, target.
Speed loaders and carriers
I like these speed loader carriers from Wild Bill's Concealment made down the round in Garner NC. On a five shot speed loader you can carry it over the belt with either two or three rounds inside the belt. With a six shot speed loader you can split the rounds three and three Either way it gives it a much lower profile while still being comfortable.
I'm probably in a minority, but I like the HKS speed loaders - small, compact, and they won't release if you don't turn the knob, so having one come open means you need to modify your technique.
Using a speed loader
With any speed loader, I push it all the way in until it is pressing against the rear cylinder pin, then press or twist them open and jiggle them just a bit to get all five or six rounds to release.
That occurs naturally with press to release loader, but it is also key with the twist to release types. Many shooters who have problems with them opening prematurely are holding them by the knob and are turning it before it's pressed all the way in. Since they release with a clockwise turn, you want to make sure any pressure on the knob while extracting it from the holder or aligning it with the cylinder is in the counterclockwise direction.
When you draw it out of the holder, once you have it clear of the holder, you want to hold it around the cylinder end with your fingers curved around it sand extending slightly past it, so that as you insert it into the cylinder you can feel the cylinder and align it faster and more positively.
Once it is fully seated, lifting the thumb the knob and giving it a short stroke in a clockwise direction releases the rounds. It is very quick, very positive, and avoids any unintentional opening.
Speed strips
I'll often carry one in my right rear pocket as they are light and low profile and easy to carry.
I will sometimes is a shoulder holster and I prefer one that is tied down on both sides. The basic jackass rig works fine and the pouches on the left side allow you to carry a five or six shot speed strip in each one.
I prefer to carry six rounds in a speed strip rather than following Ayoob's advice, as I don't want to leave an empty cylinder in a six shot revolver - but I'm not opposed to using a six round speed strip with a five round revolver.
Re-loading techniques
You'll note in the video above that Ayoob is loading the rounds in the speed strip with his strong hand, basically using a modification of the Stress Fire speed reload used with a speed loader that was developed in the early 1970s.
1. The Traditional reload
I see way too many shooters trying to keep the revolver in their strong hand and doing all the fine manual dexterity work of reloading with their weak hand. It ends up being very slow, rounds get dropped, etc. Usually, no one ever taught them anything more effective. The only advantages are that the revolver stays in the strong hand through the entire evolution, and the rounds can be ejected very positively with an unobstructed whack on the ejector rod with the weak hand.
2. The FBI reload
I've also observed a large percentage of revolver shooters in tactical matches using the FBI reload, where the strong hand thumb is used to release the cylinder, which is then pressed out and held in place by the two center fingers of the weak hand. The advantage is the reload is then done with the strong hand while the weak hand holds the revolver.
This is the fasted method of reloading, and like all the methods described below it allows the loading to be done with your strong hand, but it has some significant limitations for self defense shooting:
- It works best with short cartridges like the 9mm Para and .45 ACP - and those are typical rounds shot by tactical revolver competitors. They also tend to use moon clips so it's almost impossible to have a round slip past the ejector star and get lodged under the ejector start - preventing the cylinder from going back in. It also is well suited to the standard pressure .38 Special provided the revolver has a full length ejector rod, as the rod is long enough to press the non adhered .38 cases cleanly out of the cylinder.
- The standard pressure .38 Special fired in a 4" revolver with a full length ejector was the norm when the FBI reload was developed in the 1930s. However in a short barrel revolver with a short ejector rod, you won't have enough movement to push the cartridge all the way out (and it's one reason I don't go shorter than 3" in a concealed carry revolver if I plan on a tactical reload).
- The .357 cartridge is longer, but also operates at higher pressure and a full power .357 case will often stick in the chamber and needs more ejection force than a thumb can always provide.
- The .357 generates substantially more heat and if you look at the photo above, you'll see the middle finger in contact with the forcing cone. With six rounds rapid fire in .357 Mag, you may find the forcing cone is hot enough to burn your finger and after twelve rounds it is almost certain. Shooters have been known to reflexively drop the revolver when they got burnt by the forcing cone.
- Speed loaders weren't mainstream in the 1930s, so the revolver could be held at a 45 degree angle when being reloaded with single rounds, moon clips or half moon clips. However, if you are using a speed loader, the rounds fall into the chamber via gravity, so the revolver has to be near vertical. That requires you to bend forward as you are already at the maximum extent of your forearm rotation. That tends to put your head down and takes your eyes out of the fight. It's not a big deal in a revolver match, but it can be fatal in a gun fight.
3. The Universal reload
Some of the above faults of the FBI reload were addressed by the Universal reload, as it allows more force and momentum to be used to eject the rounds, overcoming the problem of sticky .357 Magnum cases. The revolver is gripped in the same way but with the thumb over the front of the cylinder with the palm of the strong hand being used to smack the ejector rod. It still has some downsides however:
- It does not remove the risk of getting burnt by the forcing cone
- You invariably start hitting the ejector rod at an angle and you create the potential to bend the rod over time.
- Your thumb and forefinger tend to block some of the movement of the ejector rod as your strong hand will impact the weak hand before the rod is fully depressed.
- If you miss the rod to the right, you smack the barrel and lose time, and if you miss the rod to the left, you can smack your won radial nerve and drop the revolver.
- You still have the same need to keep the revolver vertical as in the FBI reload and you end up with a strained forearm and a bent over stance.
4. The Stress Fire reload
In this approach the revolver is held in strong hand until the rounds are ejected, then transitions to the weak hand.
The thumb is used to open the cylinder which is pressed out by the weak hand fingers. However the strong hand thumb then moves forward to hold the cylinder in the open position with the web of the hand up under the hammer spur.
The rounds are then ejected with a sharp rap straight down on the ejector rod with the weak hand, with the thumb and fingers spread so that the barrel passes between the thumb and fore finger. This ensures good alignment on the ejector rod. Once the brass is ejected you just slide the palm back enough to release the ejector rod to hold the revolver in the weak hand and rotate the revolver vertically bringing the butt down and in to your torso.
That results in a vertical revolver in the weak hand, with no stress on the forearm or wrist, and it keeps your head up and your eyes on the threat. It also avoids any contact with a hot forcing cone, and it eliminates any potential to hit your radial nerve.
In short it has everything:
- It allows a sharp unobstructed whack on the ejector rod so it even works with .357 Mag cases in a revolver with a short ejector rod.
- You won't burn yourself on hot forcing cone.
- You won't hit your radial nerve.
- You can reload with your strong hand.
- You can stay erect with eyes on the threat.
- It's nearly as fast as the FBI reload, and just as fast as the Universal reload.
Carrying extra rounds; reloading.
Linear Mode
