I’ve carried 1-2 older Bianchi speed strips for years. Just recently, the tab end on one broke off. Time to get a few more I guess.

Just curious, for others that use this form of spare ammo carry, what are your thoughts? Stick with the old 6 round Bianchis? I’ve been looking at the kind that have the rounds spaced in pairs. (Need to recheck the manufacturer.). Do they work better? Tad faster?

I carry a J frame most times, or a Colt Agent.

Have some of most all, speed loaders, strip loaders, rubber J Frame speed loaders, etc.
When pocket carrying a J Frame, ammo in a card case is handy.
I should add - there’s a definite trade off - on how easy it is to use vs how easy it is to carry.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I’ve become a fan of the Zeta 6 K-Pak speed strips.

They are compact and let you load three, or three and three for a full six rounds.




The K-Pak will fit the Colt D frame revolvers. They also make a 5 round J-Pak for J frames.

When I use a regular speed strip, I prefer to use one with space for an extra round, for example a 7 round strip for a 6 round revolver. Leaving the space empty on the tab end gives you a little bit more to hang on to.

https://zetasix.com

https://zetasix.com/product/k-pak/

When I started pocket carrying almost 50 years ago I tried carrying speed loaders - it didn't work out for me as they were too bulky and too weird in my pocket. Even when carrying OWB I did not like the bulk of the speed loader pouches on the belt. I then tried the Speed Strips and while they were much more comfortable and convenient in a pocket, they were still not my cup of tea.

I had purchased a few thin but strong nylon dump pouches that were meant for carrying a small pocket knife horizontally on a thin belt. I then had a local Seamstress cut and sew the pouches to exactly fit 6 38 special cartridges to make them as compact as possible. The pouch flap closed with a thin piece of velcro and was not overly difficult to open up. They could be carried either in my pocket or around a belt - and still used as dump pouches.

I practiced loading 2, 2, & 1 from the pouches (had 1 extra round) many many times, both from in my pocket and on my belt. I got pretty good at it and got almost as fast as with a speed loader. The system worked like a charm for me and because it was such a comfortable system, I never went anywhere without spare ammo. BTW, when I carried a revolver that held 6, the pouch also held 6.

I still have one of those pouches left however I now carry a Sig P365. If I am pocket carrying, one of the old style soft cheap eyeglass cases cut down works well to carry a spare magazine in the other pocket. It protects my pocket, keeps the sweat off the ammo and is extremely comfortable - much more so than just a lose magazine in a pocket. It weighs almost nothing. When carrying OWB in a gun-belt, I use a Horsehide magazine belt pouch.

IMHO, speed loaders work best for uniformed LEO's or Security who do not need to conceal. The speed strips are OK, but what I came up with worked better for me.

I did some testing recently of the "traditional" in-line strip-loaders in comparison to the Zeta 6-Pak staggered style strip-loaders. A few conclusions:

1. If you only carry one, the in-lines are more compact in a pants pocket. The Zeta-6 is fairly bulky, and the staggered design is not so pocket-friendly, getting easily tangled up and potentially losing a round on drawing it.

2. If carrying TWO loaders, the Zeta-6 is designed to nestle into each other, creating a compact and secure unit - albeit somewhat bulky. The advantage though is that the Zeta-6 presents itself in the same way every time. Two in-line loaders in a pocket tend to tangle up with each other, and not necessarily present themselves at the same orientation every time.

3. Speed. The single in-line loaders are predictable: so long as you find set the tab into your pinky or palm, they work the same way every time, and for every gun too - 5-shot, 6-shot, 7-shot, etc.

The Zeta-6 in the 5-shot version is just plain odd, and due to the small cylinder diameter, trying to load 2+3 or 3+2 is difficult. Aligning three rounds at a time requires a lot of looking at the cylinder. If you load 2+2+1 with it, it is actually slower than the in-line type. For a 5-shot gun I would recommend the in-line type (Tuff Products makes a 5-round Quick-Strip which is more compact).

For a 6-round cylinder, the Zeta-6 6-shot version is more predictable - it doesn't matter which end you present first, it's always 3+3 loading. The larger 6-round cylinder makes aligning three rounds easier. With practice, it can be about 1 second faster than the in-line type, as it is only two moves to reload, instead of three. Practice is essential because aligning three rounds at a time is not as easy or positive as only two, and also requires a full 180 turn of the cylinder after the first three are loaded.

For what it's worth, I use a 5-round in-line Quick-Strip for 5-round .38/.357 guns, and the Zeta-6 staggered style for the S&W K-frame or Colt 38/357 (carried as a deuce).

Your only choice in other calibres (.32, .41, .44, .45) are the in-line styles.

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Retired LE Instructor/Armorer

I carry them in the mag pouches on my shoulder rigs and sometimes in my pockets. They are better than loose rounds, but very slow. I am glad the odds of ever having to use them are very low.

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213th FBINA

I like simplicity, and the original Speed Strips have always served me well.

I have been using QuickStrip speed strips for my Model 640-1. I did buy the 6-round versions as the empty spot provides additional gripping area when using them with my J-frame, plus I can also use them with any of my 6-shot 357 Magnum revolvers.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I've considered other styles but I'll stick with the Bianchi speed strips.

I end up carrying them in my pocket...
I prefer the Bianchi Speed Strip's light and compact design ...
anything else is just bulkier .
Bianchi also makes a quality product ... They last !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

I have used the Bianchi brand Speed Strips since 1980. Over that period I had sets that were easily 10+ years old and still pliable. Eventually those older sets hardened and cracked and I replaced them again with new Bianchi brand Speed Strips. Those newer Speed Strips however only lasted about 5 years before they hardened and cracked.

I ordered a couple sets of the TUFF brand Quickstrips and they are manufactured using a polymer that is already stiffer/harder than the Bianchi brand. Reportedly the Quickstrips have a much shorter life span than the Bianchi brand.

Tuff does offer a condura nylon Quickstrip/Speed Strip pouch that will hold 2x6 Speed Strips that wraps around your belt horizontally and is very low profile.
7907 QuickStrips Tactical Pouch - TUFF Products

I follow Ayoob on this. He says to load five rounds into a 6-round strip. He does this even for a six-round revolver. The idea is that there is more to grab onto than just that little tab.
I really have no idea whether this is right or wrong, better or worse. Sometimes you just go with what the teacher says because you cannot know otherwise.
I do like the idea of loading only two rounds when in an emergency.
BrianD

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696-6906-457-38-3913-CS40-411

Why limit yourself to speed strips that holds or 6 rounds.
There are examples that hold 8 or 10.
Just because your gun only holds 6 rounds doesn’t mean you have to carry 6 round strips and nothing more.

The last active shooter training I attended included a fella with Model 65 snub. He was fast.....FAST with a speedloader. A Speed Strip of any brand is way better than fishing a round out of your pocket.....but still slow.

If you are empty and behind cover or even running, then a speed strip (I like Zeta) can be a very helpful tool......IF you have a little practice with it.

PS: as mentioned above....I have 2 decade old Bianchi that are still pliable.

I'm fond of the Bianchi Speeds Strips when it's not practical to carry a speed loader. I load six rounds in the strip and it fits perfectly in the watch pocket of my Wranglers.

I can retrieve them quickly without having to look down. Works for me!

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Death? Smile back...

Another one here for Bianchi. They don't last forever, but they last a long time, MUCH longer than TUFF. Just took my .44 revolvers out for a little range time a few days ago, and saw pieces of TUFF in one of the boxes. Checked them all out, and chucked them all out.

Zeta is still too new to know about longevity. I have not yet checked them out for function.

I do not find it an advantage to remove a cartridge from six-shot strips. I don't even care whether the tab is still around.

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Formerly Model520Fan

NO MATTER which reload method one uses, it is so important to practice regularly - otherwise fumbles, slow reloads and dropped bullets will be the result!

I concur on carrying speedloaders off duty. Bulky. But I carry some in center console. I like the Tuff brand 5 shot in Orange so I can easily spot the reloads for my 36. I’ve had the Bianchi 6 shot for years and they have held up very well. Nothing wrong with carrying a 6 shot for a 5 shot gun - gives you an extra round in case of a fumble. I had some older black 6 shot Tuff Products strips degrade and totally fall apart. They had been been bouncing around in car console and glove compartment for some years. I called and they said they had a new formula. They asked for the old ones back. I sent back the pieces. They sent me new ones and some extra ones in several calibers at no charge. The new ones seem more flexible and are holding up well. Thumbs up to their customer service.

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Been using speed strips since '73. 6 in a strip with K frame, 5 loaded 2-3 for J frame qualification. Even when on the club range (no holsters) I do my reloads with the strips to keep in practice. My old, arthritic hands and fingers can still reload in the dark.
Partial reloads with proper indexing is a skill set drilled into me way back when and I haven't forgotten to practice that either.

Use it, or lose it.

Bianchi Speed Strips are made of a neoprene type rubber that will degrade somewhat over time and use. Loss of the tab or tearing around the cartridge head recesses is normal wear and tear.

I think I first started using Speed Strips about 1976, carried them in leather pouches on my duty belt and also carried them working plain clothes (belt pouch or jacket pocket). Probably had to replace them every few years as they started to exhibit wear.

Still using Speed Strips now, nearly 50 years later. Four of them in my little fanny pack bag I stash under the truck seat for road trips along with other handy items.

Nothing is perfect, but Speed Strips are reliable and much better than trying to fumble loose rounds while reloading a revolver under stressful conditions.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

I started using the watch pocket of jeans for speed strips 29-30 years ago, with the jeans I wear I can get two in there no problem. My pants are loose enough I can carry a couple of speed loaders comfortably as well.
I used to carry a couple of speed strips in the back pocket of my uniform pants on duty. I think sweating on them daily through the summer contributed to the rubber hardening.
Also as mentioned no matter what device for a reload a person carries the most important thing is practice.

My condolences.

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Retired LE Instructor/Armorer

I've been using these loaders for almost 50 years.

Some posters here think these loading strips are like gold bars and should last forever. They are a relatively cheap product - in all senses of the term - and not designed for a lifetime of use. Regular practice, and carrying them loaded, will degrade them.

Having said that, I agree that the Bianchi brand, even the current crop, are more durable than the Tuff Products. I've had numerous examples of the latter dry and crumble to pieces over the course of a few years. The larger calibre models seem more prone to this - I now replace the .44 calibre versions every year just to be safe. The 5-shot .38/.357 models seem far more durable.

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Retired LE Instructor/Armorer

The watch pocket in my jeans is the perfect spot for speed strips and my 640-1 is either in a DeSantis pocket holster or an IWB holster.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Zetasix's "Sym-strip" is a symetrically 2-1-2 strip with a tab on each end. The advantage is that it doesn't matter which end you grab from a pocket, or which end you put in a carrier or pouch. Disadvantage is that its slightly longer than a normal 2-2-1. In my experience, practice with 2-1-2 means the 2-2-1 is no longer 'automatic'.
https://zetasix.com/product/sym-strip/

So I'd say with whatever you go with -equal spaced- 2-2-1 or 2-1-2 some adjustment is needed when switching.

I like 38Chief's creativity for holders. I like to keep the cartiges protected and well as out of possible view. Some leatherman sheaths work pretty well and have a snap button closure that can be opened easily with one hand.

I CCW speed strip and speedloader. also I cheat and carry a "New York" reload. (old guys and old habits)

Because the general assumption is the strip will have to be dropped in the interest of speed rather than repocketed.

I’ve carried a J Frame since my ‘68 rookie year and use the old speed strips in the watch pocket of my jeans. Two speedloaders are in the center console of the car and I still have a six round side-by-side dump pouch from my early ‘70s detective days.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

As another poster stated, nothing is perfect.

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I always carried the 6 round speed strips for Model 36, then M-60, then M 637. I also watched the Masood video many eyars back and adopted his 2 rounds, 1 blank, 2 more for quicker speed using one speed strip only.

I OWB belt carry on stiff gun belt at 3:30 usually in S&W leather with one speed strip in each front pocket. Haven't ever had trouble with printing or accessibility, even when going with 6 rounds for Model 64 when wanting to carry that gun.

Yes....the tabs do indeed wear, but the strips have always been pretty economical as far as I could tell.

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

John Correia at Active Self Protection, his YouTube channel, still says that no armed citizen reloads under fire. He says if YOU ever do that, you "will be the first armed citizen ever to have done so." He did a study of how many rounds were "needed" analyzing many years of thousands of videos including all the ones he watched for show prep but never included on his channel. He showed very few that needed six rounds, none more. It is not round count, but the first anatomically significant hits that matter. He shows one recently where a revolver guy "needed" all six rounds, but that is debateable.

If you are carrying a revolver, are you going to do what amounts to a "mag dump"? A cylinder dump? Or are you going to fire once and assess? Are you going to double tap and then assess? Is there any way to know what you are going to do when you are in the fight of your life, for your life?

I had to quit watching the "mag dump" videos on YT, because it is so disheartening. It does not instill confidence in LEO's, y'know? Most people will just thrust the weapon in the general direction of the threat and run the trigger until it occurs to them to stop.

This actually works to save lives!!!

It works so well so often, that I believe in tempering my comments on such subjects as caliber, especially.45ACP versus 9mm, spare mags, barrel length, carry position, etc., etc.
It works so well so often that you must understand that when you are practicing reloads, you are preparing for the worst-case scenario. Yes, if you are ready for the worse thing, a fortiori, you are ready for the better thing.

(Here is an anecdote, which does not prove anything but does illustrate my thinking
There were two officers pursuing a perp who wrecked his car and jumped out shooting. Happens a lot. Both cops jumped out and started shooting, emptying five 17 round magazines, between the two of them, at the man who emptied his pistol at them.
They were about a car length apart.
Nobody was hit.
He was arrested successfully and prosecuted successfully.
This is a total win in my book.

Please correct me. I write on the internet to give people an opportunity to contradict me. That is how I learn.

Kind Regards!
BrianD

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696-6906-457-38-3913-CS40-411

I send a request to Zeta asking if they would consider making theirs for .32. Here is the response:

Hi (Sistema),

I really like the 32 magnum. We met with Smith and Wesson and their distributor, Lipsey, at SHOT Show this past January. They were both very excited about seeing a Zeta6 speedloader for their new 32 magnum. But since the January show, only crickets. No word from S&W or replies to our emails.

So, while we want to enter the 32 caliber market, we must continue to wait until we see some support from manufacturers.

Michael
--
Michael Lyle
Zeta Industries

I'm scratching my head wondering why they need help from either S&W or Lipseys. Are they expecting them to be their customer? If they "really like the .32 Magnum", and "want to enter the .32 market", why would they need assistance from either S&W or Lipseys?

Am I missing something?

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Only a cold warrior

Data from manufacturer's specs would be my guess. Gun and ammo builders.

That may well be true, but I look at a reload in the same way I view the fire extinguisher I carry in my vehicle. I don't plan on using it, but if I ever need it, it's there. And yes, I have had one occasion where I did have to use my fire extinguisher.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I'll give this a shot, but I think your point is key to why having extra rounds is prudent. We can not know exactly how we will react when a situation unfolds. We can train and practice mechanical skills. But even in combat there are examples of soldiers who freeze or get excited the frst time in spite of all their training, and sometims soldiers with experience who freeze or get excited. We see performance in sports varies all the time. It's a mistake to assume it will be different in emergency circumstances that call for mental and physical response.


So, lets review Mr. C's assertion. I'll posit that it carries a faulty assumptions. First, that his videos reviews capture all the defensive gun usages that have occurred. That's just ridiculous even though video is more common now than two decades ago, it is not in many locations and it certainly was not in the past. Nor is it always shared. To be correct his statement should be if YOU ever do that on video, you "will be the first armed citizen ever to have done so that I've seen."

Second, that a reload 'under fire' is the only time a reload will be needed. After the immediate threat has been stopped, but before help arrives, making a reload could be very prudent. This is true whether you're in an urban area - where help is going to be relatively quick, or in a rural area, or way out in the wilderness.


I'm not sure where the 'anatomicly significant hits' fits in. My understanding is that many defensive gun usages involve no shots fired. And another signifcant percentage involve 'psychological effect' - the attacker is stopped or flees when either fired at or hit in nearly any manner. I guess his point is that 5 shots should be enough, point taken. But that's not an arguement for whether having a reload available is prudent. Its akin to saying that situational awareness should ensure no shots are needed. That's true. But some still think it is prudent to be prepared to respond to deadly force.

I don't carry revolvers much these days, but I have a variety of mechanisms for reloading them faster than one chamber at a time. Here's some stuff recycled from an old post I made here.




Nothing is faster for my LCR than a J-Clip-R - wow, it works GREAT. Rounds go right in and the rubbery plastic peels right off. That LCR is fast to reload with these.


Because they're not easily distinguishable from the J-Clips, I put the yellow tape on so I know what's what and don't carry the wrong one with the wrong gun (I store the J-Clip-Rs with the LCR, but still.)


Not so with the J-Clips in the J-frame. The rounds seem reluctant to slip into the chambers and the plastic seems less pliable. The rounds strip off, but less readily. I'm faster with a Safariland Comp 2 . . . and even with an HKS, believe it or not.


The J-Clips seem to work better for me in an SP-101 than in a J-frame, FWIW (they seem to fit the chambers better and faster) - and that's where I'm using them right at the moment.


The K-PAK is what a speed strip should have been in the first place: blop, blop, close the cylinder and you're back in the game. Wow, they're fast, with either the Rhino or the Speed Six. You can see from the photo above that they're not especially obtrusive for carry and they're a LOT faster to load than an old fashioned Speed Strip.


I have played around more with the CK Tactical Ripcord loaders since I wrote them up (feel free to search here; I don't care to take the time), and I actually find them faster than the K-PAK with the Rhino. The Speed Six is fast with the K-PAK, but I think the Safariland Comp-2 is faster. Maybe not the HKS, though.

Things to remember as we go into the future: these things are wear items - plastic becomes brittle and stiff and speed strips break.

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How God has blessed us!

When I'm carrying a .38 or .357 revolver, I always have a speed strip. When it's a K/L/N frame and occasionally with a J frame, I've got a speedloader as well. The speed strip is there to top off the gun after an incident, at least in theory. Thankfully, I haven't had to do that outside of training/practice. I hope I never have to do that for real.

Tom Givens is a trainer of some repute. I've taken two of his classes. He has upwards of 70 students who've had to use their pistols in a defensive situation. None of them have had to reload during their gunfight, though some shot to slide lock.

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Regards,

Chuck

I bet that I could find everything that they would need in five minutes on the interwebs. And if I couldn't, 10 minutes with a caliper on a cylinder and a round of ammo.

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Only a cold warrior

I’ve found the K-Pak also fits the watch pocket in a pair of jeans quite well.

Update on my communication with Zeta concerning producing their products for .32.

They say that they need some help from S&W and/or Lipseys in promotion since they need to be assured of selling at least 1,000 units to break even on their production costs. I told them that I would buy 4 each of any style that they produce, so you guys need to step up and buy the other 996.

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Only a cold warrior

Fwiw, I had either Rugged or Lobo Holsters (can’t recall which at the moment) make me one six and one seven round vertical speed strip holder with a belt loop.

They work really well and I prefer them to the common horizontal holders. But I think I’ll have them make me a seven rounder with a snap strap or something so it’s easier to carry on my left side. I’ righty with handguns but lefty with long guns and very accustomed to loading long guns and semiautomatics with my left hand.

+1! I've used speed strips (mostly Tuff, but some others too!) for years, particularly when I pocket carry a J-frame revolver. They are flat and easy to conceal in the offhand pocket. I don't ever expect or intend to be in an extended gunfight, so I don't carry more than 2 strips for a J-frame. I recently had a senior moment and was going to order some speed strips for my new 7-shot Model 686-6+. Then the light came on...I already had 8-shot speed strips for my PC Model 627-5 so why did I need to order 7-shot strips??? Nothing wrong with an extra round on each strip, or I could leave one hole empty for a better grip. As Homer Simpson would say...Dohhh! 8-round strips fit perfectly in my side pocket so that's what I'm going to carry for all of my .357/.38 Spl. revolvers. I do have plenty of speed loaders, but I don't wear a sport coat like Dirty Harry ("you always carry 3, Harry"), so they're difficult to conceal. Just my 2 cents.

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That means my guess is worth doodly-squat.

Thank you for your response. I do appreciate your contribution here which you make from time to time.

--Video Reviews?
Including so many here on our wonderful forum, Correia like almost everybody else seems to forget the principle of survivorship bias in statistical analysis and the problems associated with anecdotal evidence. As far as he is concerned, this should have happened somewhere once. The quote you mentioned however does not come from his videos, but from the research of Chris Baker, LuckyGunner.com. Baker did not coin the phrase, "...the first ever to have done so..." but he does not say whom he is quoting. I believe, and please correct me, this has been conventional wisdom in the armed citizen training community, like ...forever.

He created a stir a few years ago when he took issue with Mas Ayoob who has maintained, consistently over the decades that he has been training and consulting, that the armed citizen must carry a reload. They traded YouTube rebuttals for a while until they saw each other at Shot Show and took a smiley picture together. Awwwwwww...we are all friends you know.

He eventually decided to clarify and modify his teaching. Nowadays, he says do it if you also have the other things that are more important taken care of first, e.g. a wound treatment kit.

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696-6906-457-38-3913-CS40-411

Does anyone make a holster like that that has a protective flap that extends up a couple of inches on the inboard side to keep the hammer from digging into the carrier’s side?

Yes, lots of makers do. Start nosing around and you'll find them and then figure out which of the many designs appeal most to your style of carry.

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How God has blessed us!

Recently handled the Bianchi strip that rode in the glove compartment of my car, where it was subject to great heat at times. Don't know how long it had been there.

I grabbed it and it just came apart. I've had a couple others fail after some time but just bought replacements - such a good idea I'll always have a few.

Bianchi makes a few...

Holster Finder




,

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Death? Smile back...

Brian has great points to think about.

I think people should get raining like at Thunder Ranch. They will have a Shooter Mindset and shoot better too. Cops should get the next level of Training too. With Training you will have confidence to shoot it out if you have to.

As a cop I had been on call where a armed security guard surrendered his .38 revolver to a bad guy with a .25 ACP. Another was a Liquor Store clerk who let the bad guy (who said he had a gun in his jacket pocket) behind the counter and bad guy emptied the cash register and took the .38 that was under the countertop.

Don't forget the Onion Field. The Onion Field - Wikipedia

On Topic again. I do like Bianchi Speed Strips but I EDC a OWB holster and I have a single speedloader pouch.

But when I started we had Dump Pouches so I am okay with loose rounds too.

My tip for revolver carriers; don't forget to count your rounds. Also it will help to prevent Tunnel Vision.