J frame speedloader issue

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w8lfter

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Hello all,

Just bought a 642 today to augment my Glock 27 in an off duty role. First, it's perfect, much lighter than the 36 I used to have and no hammer to snag and tear my pockets.

The only issue I have is that my HKS speedloaders bind and don't work. ??? Am I just special or does anyone else have this issue. I'm getting the cylinder open all the way and I don't think they're hanging up on the grips. The HKS speedloaders worked great with the 36 so I was kinda shocked.

W8lfter
 
It could be the grips, but I doubt it. J frame's tolerances are just too tight for a lightning fast speedloader reload. What I would suggest is lose the HKS loader and switch to a Safariland Comp I loader.

With the Safariland, you can insert a couple of rounds and turn the cylinder with your fingers while pushing on the loader. Safariland speedloaders release the rounds by the little device in the middle when it comes in contact with the cylinder's star instead of a knob like the HKS.

Once enough rounds are in the charge holes and the loader is satisfied with it's chambering, it will jetison the cartridges by itself. You can then close the cylinder and the loader will fall away from the gun, putting you back into the game/fight.
 
I had problems with both HKS and Safariland speedloaders. With the HKS loaders I was trying to insert the rounds all the way into the cylinder until the speedloader was touching the cylinder. The rounds would then hang up and not drop into the cylinder without some additional help. The best method I found was to hold the cylinder in my left hand with the gun at a slight angle so the barrel is pointing towards my left foot. Turn the cylinder so two empty chambers are on the outside (away from the gun). Hold the speedloader at a slight angle so that the speedloader is not touching the grip. Insert bullets into the two outside chambers and then the other bullets will line up with the other three chambers. Only insert the bullets of the rounds into the cylinder (not the entire round) and don't let the speedloader touch the grip. Turn the HKS knob and let go of the speedloader. The rounds will fall freely into the cylinder and the speedloader falls on the floor. With a little practice it works every time. I hope I was able to explain the details well enough. Good luck.
 
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J-frame speedloaders

Shot my model 60 in a backup gun IDPA match the other day. I used a HKS speedloader with no problem. Factory grips with Tyler T-grip adapter.
 

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I use HKS speedloaders with my M-642 with the grips that came on them. Yes, space is tight but I never had a real problem. Like an above poster said, don't try to force the loader all the way down into contact with the rear of the cylinder.
 
Remove the grips & see if the speedloader will work..
I bet it will..
That'll give you the answer..
HKS #36 works in my 642..

The Newer S&W Grips have been giving alot of people trouble lately
Good Luck!!
And Congrats on the 642
Gary/Hk
 
Speed Strips

May I suggest Bianchi Speed Strips in lieu of any speedloader? They are flat and disapear in a pocket with no rattle or bulk. With a little practice they are about as quick. I have carried them since about 1985 and have grown to greatly prefer them. They also come in pairs and I'll often drop one in a trouser pocket and the other in a jacket on the same side. Even if I put two strips in one pocket it gives me twice the round-count of a speedloader while still making less bulk.
One sometimes falls into thinking that something that works better on the range for qaul or competition is also good for the street. The range is, after all, where we do the vast majority of our shooting. Such is not always the case, of course.
 
Probably a grip issue. Headknocker has the right idea. Give that a try.

I like to reload my 642 by grabbing a second 642. :) On the days that I carry just one, I use an HKS or S.L. Variant. I've used the Comp I's in past also. Just practice with what you use.

If using Speed Strips, try loading them up with two rounds, a space and then two more rounds for a total of four rounds only. Gets you back in the fight quick.
 
gkitch said:
May I suggest Bianchi Speed Strips in lieu of any speedloader? They are flat and disapear in a pocket with no rattle or bulk. With a little practice they are about as quick. I have carried them since about 1985 and have grown to greatly prefer them. They also come in pairs and I'll often drop one in a trouser pocket and the other in a jacket on the same side. Even if I put two strips in one pocket it gives me twice the round-count of a speedloader while still making less bulk.
One sometimes falls into thinking that something that works better on the range for qaul or competition is also good for the street. The range is, after all, where we do the vast majority of our shooting. Such is not always the case, of course.
Click to expand...

+1. :D

Photoman44 said:
I like to reload my 642 by grabbing a second 642. :) On the days that I carry just one, I use an HKS or S.L. Variant. I've used the Comp I's in past also. Just practice with what you use.

If using Speed Strips, try loading them up with two rounds, a space and then two more rounds for a total of four rounds only. Gets you back in the fight quick.
Click to expand...

You a New York reloader too? A model 60 on the hip and a 649 in the pocket for me. :)

I kinda load my strips the same way. I load two, skip one, load three. That space between does give you more controlability. Of course, loading 5 and leaving the last one by the little plastic tail gives you a little more control as well, but I prefer the skip one method.
 
My 642 does that:stick the speed loader in and it gets stuck against the grips.

I like the factory grips,but I may need to change them because of this.
 
Try the MAXFire. Purchase them from Dillon. Again, try the MaxFire!!!!!
 
What you most likely have here is a grip problem. With a J Frame, it's just the nature of the beast.

The compact Safariland J Frame loaders are the best that I have ever used for speedloading a J Frame .38 Special. If the Safariland doesn't work for you, then you'll probably need to carve away the grips until they do or else buy new grips.

S. L. Variant loaders are almost impossible to find these days. I have a few for the K Frame that I bought years ago and they never impressed me a whole lot. I don't bother with them anymore.

I use the Speed Strip primarily for carrying different types of ammo that I might need to use, like shot cartridges. If you think you're going to effectively reload a revolver with a Speed Strip while under fire, you're kidding yourself. On the other hand, if you can not get a speedloader to work at all, then a Speed Strip is better than nothing.

I have used the Maxfire under match conditions and found that it does not work very well for a FAST reload. At least not as well as a speedloader. But I would choose it over a Speed Strip any day.

Dave Sinko
 
My wifes Model 60 LS doesn't accept HK or Safari speedloaders either with the factory grips. She like the factory grips, so changing them out was out of the question. We went with speed strips, which she likes better because you can carry them much easier than speedloaders.

FWIW the speedloaders didn't fit into my father's Ruger 101 either, grips also got in the way.
 
I too have had difficulty with the Safariland Comp I speedloaders in my J-frames, with several kinds of grips. Went with the speed strips, 5-loaded!
 
For many years (decades) I carried speed strips, but finally switched to speed loaders (HKS, then Safariland) because the loaders work much better in dim light.

On a well-lit range, I can use speed strips very nearly as quickly as a loader. But if it's dark, the strips get pretty hopeless after the first couple of rds. I tried putting only 4 rds in the strip, or leaving an empty space in the middle, but nothing really made them work well for me.

The loaders are much more comfortable and much less obvious than I expected, in my pocket.

I do need to be careful with the loaders, the factory Bantam grips on my 340PD will block the loader if I don't position it correctly.
 
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STAY AWAY FROM THE MAXFIRE SPEEDLOADER!!! Some users have bent the crane on their J frames using then. Go to snubnosetraining.com and click onto Michael's blog. I've tried them all including the S.L. Variant (Bobby Macs- Just snub holsters carries them). They are truly amazing and possibly worth the $30 they retail for. I'm also very happy with Dade speadloaders. There's a guy on Ebay that makes them now. I like both better than the HKS. My primary J frames have been altered for moon clips. The problem with moon clips for a reload is how to carry them. The clips for .38 special are thin and bend easy.
 
w8lfter said:
Hello all,

Just bought a 642 today to augment my Glock 27 in an off duty role. First, it's perfect, much lighter than the 36 I used to have and no hammer to snag and tear my pockets.

The only issue I have is that my HKS speedloaders bind and don't work. ??? Am I just special or does anyone else have this issue. I'm getting the cylinder open all the way and I don't think they're hanging up on the grips. The HKS speedloaders worked great with the 36 so I was kinda shocked.

W8lfter
Click to expand...

Evening, W8lfter,

I had exactly the same problem with my own 642. However, I had already been using HKS speedloaders with my old Model 60, and also a very old Model 36. That Model 60 has been wearing Uncle Mike's-made boot grips for many, many years, and has never bound up, or hung up. So, I removed the S&W-marked/made boot grips from my 642 and replaced them with my old Uncle Mike's version of that same grip. VOILA! Problem solved. So, emboldened by my success, I found a pair of NIB Uncle Mikes J-frame boot grips, on 'the Bay, and bought them. Like my own older Uncle Mike's, the NOS ones fit my 642 perfectly, and the HKS speedloaders now work just fine with that little shooter, too, just like they do with my M60. For what it's worth, I think that, when those S&W versions of that grip were made, something changed just enough to cause the problems that you are having, and I had. Try an older pair of Uncle Mike's boot grips, and I'm betting that your 642 will work just fine with HKS speedloaders, just as did my own. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc
 
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