I owned a 38spl/357 speedloader 30 years ago. It worked well.
I started shooting Model 29s again and researched speedloaders for .44. Every site said Safariland was best. I order 2 of them. They are more trouble than they are worth. 2 minutes to get bullets locked in and will not release. Anyone out there have better experience or recommendation. I called safariland and they readily agreed to send replacements.

Claymore

I've had nothing but good experiences with Safarilands's Comp II speedloaders in 38/357. The only three things I can think of are that your set happened to be defective, you might be trying to load/unload them improperly, or there's some difference between the 38/357 models and the 44 models aside from dimensions. I don't believe the third point is the case.

When loading, place the rounds in the speedloader and hold the loader so that they're facing upwards. Hold the body of the loader and the rounds cupped from the side in one hand, and use the other hand to push up on the knob and turn it until it clicks while still pushing upward on it.

To unload it into a cylinder, just push the speedloader body downward toward the cylinder until the rounds release. If you're trying to unload the speedloader without putting the rounds into a gun, use a pen or rigid rod to push the center section until it clicks and the rounds release.

This video demonstrates the procedures. See 0:44 for unloading rounds into a cylinder, and 1:35 for loading the speedloader. Granted, the method he uses of placing it facedown on the table to load it is different than what I described above, but it seems to work fine.

I was looking for 44 mag speedloader for my new 29 a couple of weeks ago. I must have read the same article you did.

I decided to cover all bases so I ordered the Safariland Comp 1 ( fits in pocket Best and is smallest; I really like it.

HKS that has a turn to release. Easy in and out.
speed Beez: really cool looking. Largest of all. But had to have cut out grips to fit fast( which I have)

The Safari are hardest to load : I push them up against a WALL and then turn till hear them click.

I bought a vintage Tex Shoemaker and the Safari comp 1 fit flush.
I am favoring the comp 1 as it slips right in, then a downward push and it drops bullets in and drops free on its own.

I can throw 3 of them in my pocket and they take up little room.

I bought HKS speed loaders for my model 29 and 629 they work great, no complaints. I got talked into buying a Safariland, not my cup of tea, I gave it to a friend and he passed it along as well. The Speed Beez work great but their size is an issue. I tried some Five Star speed loaders, they are great, I bought more and a range block as well. I use the Five Star speed loaders and blocks for competition and the HKS speed loaders are for my in the mountains gun.

A link for Five Star: Speed Loading Accessories

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U.S. Coast Guard, retired CPO

Add me to the HKS fan list. Simple, durable, reliable, fast.

My safariland Comp 1 loaders do not look like the ones in the video at all

Claymore

The Comp I loaders are a little different than the Comp II's (in the previous video), but they fundamentally operate in the same fashion.

Start at 2:10 in the video below for a demonstration on how to release and load Safariland's Comp I loaders.

That film is big help. I think HKS is best for me. I am using pouch on belt.
Thank You

Claymore33

I started shooting Steel Challenge this summer with a 686, and tried both the HKS & Safariland Comp IIs. For me the Safariland, with a bit of practice, was the fastest and easiest. A little more trouble to load, but no twisting to unload, just push in and drop it. I'm not sure how that translates to the .44, but can only imagine that it's not too different. Once I got the hang of it, loading them is fairly easy, too. For competition or self defense, the speed makes a difference.

One more vote for HKS. Use them for years. Like them. Simple, reliable, acceptably fast.

Another vote for HKS here. They’re readily available, reasonably priced and pretty effective. I own several for my J & K frames and like to practice @ the range w/them.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Yep, I concur. All of my speed loaders are HKS and work great. That said, I do not have one for my M29.

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paws for friendship

I have multiple Safariland Comp I's for J-Frame and Model 29 and Comp II and III for K-Frames. Safariland speed loaders are absolutely the best as far as speed of use goes.

HKS speed loaders are solid and reliable but are not as easy or as fast to use.

Another vote here for HKS. I use them for my 38/357 and 44 revolvers.

I started my police career using dump pouches. I purchased HKS speedloaders when I first saw them. They worked OK. I took an officer survival class which introduced the Safariland comp loaders to me. I have used Safariland ever since.

Same here, all of mine are HKS.

I had never used the Safariland until recently it was always HKS.
I was shooting a 9 bowling pin match earlier this year and watched a young police officer using a 627, he took down all 9 with one reload as fast if not faster then the auto competitors without missing a single shot.
When we were done shooting I asked to see the rig he was using they were the comp II type. I bought some and they are harder to load up but much faster when loading the revolver.

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SWHF #595

HKS work great for me and at a very reasonable price...why spend more $ for the more expensive ones?

HKS for my .44,.357's and .38's No complaints here

Wimp Way (Jimmy):
Hold loader upward
place cartridges in
with off hand place over the bullets and turn hands over where bullets are facing down
carefully place bullets on a hard surface (table/desk top. car fender)
push loader middle button down and turn to lock cartridges in.

P.S. now that my pants have sunk smaller hanging in the closet, I normally carry speed strips

I used an early model of the speedloader in a 1974 gunfight w/armed robbery suspects and it got me back in the fight in an instant. Another cop was shot trying to reload from his dump pouch. Speedloaders were not issued equipment until later, I’d purchased these on my own.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

For speed- Safariland.
HKS are somewhat slower. For twist knob, 5- Star is much better made than HKS

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

I never liked the HKS. Too wobbly, and they take a bit of fidgeting to make line up. Plus, a knob to turn just adds more steps. Safariland is the only way to fly. I have them for all my revolvers, including my model 629. 38, 357, 44 spl/mag. J, K, L, and N frames. They work flawlessly, and are easy to load. For my money, they are THE best. I practice with them often, and can peel very respectable reload times with them.

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Matthew 5:9

Safariland for me. Once you put the rounds in, press the bullets against the palm of your hand while pushing down and turning the knob with your other hand. You'll hear a click and they are locked in. Should take less than 10 seconds.

I still have two HKS 44 speedloaders which work. The cartridges were never loose while in them but they are quite a bit older. I also have the double holder to put them in (boy is that a big block of hard leather!).

For CC, to me, they're too big/bulky to lug around, unless I plan on wearing my old duty belt, not! I went to speed strips. A hunting firearm would be a different story...

I use the HKS. I've seen the Safariland do one of two things more than once on the range.

a: Fail to release because of debris under the star . . .

2: Fly apart like an Indy car, sometimes as the reload is completed, sometimes while it's in progress . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Ditto that. The issue we had with the HKS loaders were officers would grab the speedloader by the knob when removing them from the pouch and often times wound up twisting the knob as they were removed, dumping the rounds onto the ground. Never had that issue with the Safariland's. Safariland also held the rounds tighter with less wiggle which facilitated loading.

Still using Safariland loaders in competition.

If you are doing casual reloading - as in hunting, then HKS might be your ticket. Critical reloads - I would go with Safariland.

When I was shooting PPC in the 80s I started with HKS..... but carried in a Bianchi double leather open top "pouch" that retained the speedloaders with friction. When you grabbed the knob on the HKS speedloader it "wasn't hard" to twist the knob; leaving you holding a empty speedloader and leaving the reload loose in the pouch.

I switched to Safariland Comp IIs (and Comp I's for J-frames)

I was mandated to carry what are now called "Comp 1" N-Frame Safarilands in the 80s. After buying several I found 2 that would work...mostly...in the right phase of the moon. In one case while qualifying the thing seized up and would not until release the rounds until thrown to the ground and smashed with a boot heel (remember - I'm staking my life on this junk). I did qualify - that's a revolver malfunction drill. Once I found the ones that usually worked I kept them in my pouches and used them for qualification. I carried HKS in my pocket in case I actually needed a reload. Maybe I was just unlucky and kept getting Friday production, but I never trusted them after that. I had 2 K-frame models for my wife's 67 that worked fine.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

I started using speedloaders in the mid 80's when I started as a resrve officer in civilian law enforcement. Tried both HKS and Safariland and preferred the Safariland. One of the more senior officers criticized the Safariland as being too fragile. I really hadn't considered that so I popped one out of my pouch and chunked it down the 40' hallway hitting the floor then bouncing off the metal door at the end. No rounds came out and the speedloader was undamaged. He had nothing more to say and my question was answered. Never had a failure with them. HKS are good too, Safariland is just my preference.

HKS speed loaders require some proactive treatment to prevent dumping the rounds. They release with a clockwise twist on the knob, so you intentionally put some counter clockwise pressure on the knob when you pull them out of the holder.

And you do it every time you pull it out of the holder, so that it becomes an ingrained habit that you'll do under pressure without having to think about it.

Similarly, with any speed loader, you use the speedloader for EVERY reload, tactical or administrative, so it becomes a natural, unconscious act that will happen naturally under pressure.

As noted in my post above, what you are describing is a training issue, not a fault with the HKS speedloader. Then again, most LEOs are not gun people, don't shoot more than necessary to qualify, and are on balance poorly trained, so a Safariland speedloader arguably eliminated an item from the (dumbed down) training syllabus.

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As for tighter versus looser, it depends. In general "tighter" seems to facilitate loading better - with round nosed bullets.

However with hollow points, I generally find a little wiggle makes alignment with the cylinder easier and faster.

True ... not saying it happened every time,twice in competition was enough, once it happened the second time I lost some faith in the HKS.... figured it would/could happen at the worst time ..... so I tried the Safariland and "never" had the issue again.......

By the way still have some HKS and it's not an issue with loose fit flapped pouches.....which I'll use for woods carry!

I like Speed Strips. They may not be as fast but, I fumble less with them. I do not shoot competition.

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Two Handguns every day

HKS loaders have almost always worked well for me. My experience with the Safariland is that it won't lock.

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Let's be careful out there

I've used both, prefer Safariland. However, at least the N frame ones are larger than HKS and you have to use Safariland pouches. Anyone know if the Comp II versions fit the faux leather cheapo HKS pouches?

Added info: the HKS large pouches take both the HKS & Safariland N frame speedloaders. However, the HKS units are much taller and the Safariland loaders would need the tops of the pouches trimmed to make quick access easier. The smaller knobs on the top of the Safariland Comp 1 loaders make grabbing by the knob a possible problem. Probably not an issue with the Comp 2 loaders with the larger knob.

I like HKS as well.

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No baby we aint

I have had the HKS drop rounds before getting to the empty cylinder also, not good. Safariland has never done anything like that and for me are much faster. Agree they are harder to load I have found two ways that work for me. First is a loading block, easy peasy. The other is if I am loading at a table or bench instead of holding the rounds in place while I turn them up side down keep right side up and push up against the bottom of the bench. Jim.

I agree, but I wish that 5-Star turned the same way as the HKS that have been around for ever.

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Only a cold warrior

In all the years we carried S&W m65 on duty I never saw this happen. I suspect ether old worn equ. or people playing with their gear. Some people just can't keep their hands off stuff. Put me down for HKS, but thats what I'm used to. I'll bet Safariland are just as good.

This is how I load mine. I prefer Safariland for anything they are available for.

I am a vote for HKS... only because my father used them in pistol matches in the 70's and 80'... he had over 2 dozen HKS & 1 Safariland.. that one lone Safariland was probably a door prize at the club banquet ...

Takes me about 8 se onds to reload the Safariland speedloader if I hurry. Double that if I don’t.
Safariland is way better than HKS

Yep, Safariland is the way to go. I carried them on duty for many years. I've carried them for J frames, K frames, L frames and N frames. I carried the Safariland loaders on duty for my 629 for many years. I've never had a problem. All were/are the Comp 1s.

The only problem I ever had was I noticed the roll pin working out on a loader after much use. I pushed it back in place and spread the ends of the pin a tad. I had no more issues.

Loading the things does involve a bit of a learning curve. Initially they are easiest to load if you place your bullets in the loader then smack it up against a table, wall or any flat surface and then push in and twist the knob. With practice you'll get to where you can just hold them upright and twist the knob. After you have the loader loaded you should look at it to make sure the rounds and star are properly aligned and then hold the loader with the bullets up and push the knob in. It is possible to to get the star caught on a case rim as opposed to properly placed behind the rim.

I've never had Safariland loaders release unintentionally. I have on several occasions during qualifications observed others LEOs dump rounds from HKS loaders. I think what they did is, during a timed qualification, jam the bullets against the cylinder and turn the knob when they weren't actually in the chambers. You can't make that mistake with the Safariland.

I received this product and made attempts to load cartridges without success. The product information fails to advise that the wooden handle on the gun has to be replaced for the speed loader to work. I am returning my speed loaders to Safariland and looking for a viable alternative that will fit the wooden grips that are standard on the model 29.

My impressions with preference for HKS:

Safariland, load rounds, hold under a table
edge and press, twist upward. Locks quickly.

HKS, no more wobble with the newer
models in .38/357; easier to load.

Safariland, takes a lot of pressure against
the cylinder to release.

HKS, must hold or stabilize cylinder to allow
proper twist of knob.

Safariland, a bit faster to use in reloading.

HKS, more durable with use over time.

Safariland, "new" school method but
reliable.

HKS, "old" school method but reliable.

Safariland, not as many caliber choices.

HKS, seems to cover most any revolver
caliber.

Safariland, not as durable with repeated
hitting of concrete floors, being stepped
on.

HKS, never seem to get damaged.

Safariland, more expensive.

HKS, more economical.

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Ubi Est Mea

You must have a very vintage 29. I think all have come with grips cut for speedloaders for many, many years. It the grips aren't cut for speedloaders neither Safariland or HKS will work and you're left to use loose rounds or strips. If your gun is that old, the grips are original and you plan to shoot a lot then remove the grips and stash them so they don't get beat up and buy some more modern grips for everyday use.

Got sad news for you. The stocks on your revolver were designed before speedloaders were invented and all speed loaders have about the same dimensions. If you want to use speed loaders your choices are new stocks or modification of the old ones with a speed loader cut like more recent stocks have.

At least where I shop, the price difference between Safariland & HKS is about a one buck apiece.

I too use HKS for my j frames,k frames and colt d frames.They work great and are very easy to use and carry in my don hume pack six on the belt speedloader pouches.

I have two Model 547's, and I dream of finding a speed loader for them. HKS made them back in the day, but I suspect I'll never come across any.