I just got a new 617 with 4 inch barrel and a set of DS-10 speedloaders. I find that the rubber Hogue grips on the gun get in the way of the speedloader.
Does anyone have recommendations for grips for these guns that will not interfere with the speedloader?
I'll be using mine for speed steel matches and want to be able to get the fastest reload I can.
Thanks,
Buckspen

My 617 has Ahrends Retro Targets round to square conversion stocks. DS-10 speedloaders work very well with these grips.

my 617s wear Ahrends "Tactical" grips, and the DS-10-SPEED loaders work pretty well with these.

Jerry Miceleks (sp) work with mine, plus great for quick grip mount...

My Ahrends retro targets work well - but there are still ten little bullets to line up. A 625 with eased charge holes and some RN .45 ACP ball ammo in a full moonclip just spoils you.



The green HiViz front sight, #SW617, makes target acquisition fast, too - fun 'kit' with the DS-10 and those great grips - great way to shoot up a bunch of ammo!

Stainz

Thanks for the recos, gents. I looked around at the Ahrends and Miculek grips and others and decided I would try a set of the Miculek grips. Ordered them today from Brownell's.
By the way, when I questioned the speedloader maker, Dave Skrzela, about this, he said they were designed to work with the factory rubber grips. He has wood Hogues on his personal gun.
Maybe I'm not doing this right or maybe because it's because I am left handed, but the upper extension of the rubber grip seems to get in the way when I try to shove the speedloader in. I thought about cutting that piece of rubber off and I may yet try that.

- - Buckspen

Just wondering, do you have the handle attachment ( as pictured by Stainz)or just the bare loader? My DS10's are on order and I've been wondering if they will interfere with my wood Hogues. (They look pretty beefy as speed loaders go.)

I'll be bummed if $66 worth of loaders force me to dump my $65 grips too :-(

__________________
Dave

Dave - I did buy the handle with my speedloader set (two speed loaders, one 60 round loading block and the handle). However, I found that the handle seemed too long for my hand. I was able to cobble up a couple of smaller handles for some aluminum blanks I had on hand. They seem to make it easier for me to use; however the rubber grips still interefere with the speedloader insertion.
As a practical exercise, I removed the grips from the gun and tried loading it that way. Much better. I believe that I will sacrifice a set of rubber Hogues (not going to do this with the S&W marked grips!) and cut off the upward extension on the left side. I believe this will give me a faster, easier reload. Not sure what effect this will have on my grip on the gun, though.
I will try out the Miculek grips when thay arrive. Being left handed, I am curious about the handling of the gun with wood versus rubber grips. If the wood grips seem to handle better, I will not hesitate to modify them to make them work with the speedloaders. After all, the goal here is to shoot fast and when a reload is required that has a very great impact on the speed for the whole shot string.
We'll see what happens!

- - Buckspen

Hey Stainz, Can you tell me more about that front sight? Is HiViz the brand name? Any drilling required for the install? Did you need to replace the rear sight as well or is that factory? been thinking about a similar mod on one of my 617s for "action shooting" games. Yours looks pretty sweet.

__________________
Dave

Yes, the HiViz SW617 needs to be mated to the drilled hole in the front sight ramp - and that requires careful drilling. I answered this in detail with a PM.

Stainz

Thanks John, got it!


btw, the DS speed loaders arrived today. I noticed that the pins in it are staggered in height so as to release the cartridges at different times. Yet to try them but it's an interesting design.

__________________
Dave

I have an older one with the rams all the same length--requires more force to pop out the rounds, and I found that I was putting a lot of strain on the yoke screw trying to load a full cylinder at once with it. I bought a newer one with the staggered rams which reduce the amount of force needed to pop out the rounds, and it is a lot easier on the yoke/screw. I use the newer one for slowfire, where I can load the cylinder full-up and not have to stop to reload in the middle of the string. I still use the old one for timed and rapid-fire, where I only need to load 5 rounds at a time anyway. The old one punches out the rounds with a bit more authority and I only have to do minimal final-seating on the rounds with it.

Can you send me an email regarding the sights also or post it? It looks great.

Just got a chance to try the DS10 loaders. I have to say that they work amazingly well on my 617 10 shot. They launch all 10 ( or just 5 if I load it that way) all the way into the chamber with no final seating required at all. I have to say that this thing works allot better than the HKS loaders for my 6 shot and at least as well as my Safariland Comp 3 loaders I use in my 38's.
FWIW, it takes as much time to load the loading blocks as the gun itself (without a loader) but once ready, the DS10 loads the gun positively in 1 second flat. With two loaders and a 40 round block, I'm set-up to shoot courses of gallery, bulls eye or action games pretty well. I'm a convert.

__________________
Dave

Try a different speed loader I carry the ones form Speed Bee. The Speed Bee pusher is smaller and doesn't get in the way of your grips! Here is the Link SpeedBeez.com

Attached Images

	SmallLowRes01.jpg (5.7 KB, 65 views)
	SmallLowRes04.jpg (4.7 KB, 54 views)

I have been using DS-10- Speed in my S&W 617 4" with org. rubber grips for five years now, works 100% for me (I'm a lefty too)
Regards,
Chris Viking

As a practical exercise, I removed the grips from the gun and tried loading it that way. Much better. I believe that I will sacrifice a set of rubber Hogues (not going to do this with the S&W marked grips!) and cut off the upward extension on the left side. I believe this will give me a faster, easier reload. Not sure what effect this will have on my grip on the gun, though.

You just hit on the easiest solution.....I've used the same method.

__________________
Bob.
SWCA 1821

I have never had a problem with the speedloader and the rubber grips. HOWEVER, I don't particuliarly try to load fast, AND, someone had preformed an operation on my grips before I bought the gun. Pretty sloppy, but when you cut into the rubber, there is a solid sheet of plastic sandwitched in there.

I did cut the extension off the left side of my Hogue grip and it works much better. I used the gun all through the shooting season last year without problems. I had two knee replacement operations over the winter and am just now getting back to shooting.

- - - Buckspen

Done that!!! One in Aug, 2000 and one in Nov, 2000. Sure wish I had done them sooner.

Yep. I feel like a new man!

- - - Buckspen