.38 Speed Strips- In the Dark?

[Gearhead Jim]

For the last 30 years, my "OD/Retired" gun has been a J-frame in the right front pocket, with a pocket holster.

I always carry spare ammunition, either a Safariland speed loader or a Bianchi Speed Strip.

The Speed Strip is more comfortable, and prints less. It also allows a partial reload much better than the speed loader. With practice, my reload times using the Speed Strip are only marginally slower than the speed loader.

But it all falls apart in the dark. Dim light, ok. But if it's too dark to see what I'm doing, then the first two rounds go in ok and it takes until sunrise to get the remaining three loaded. I've tried all sorts of tricks to index the cylinder/cartridges in the dark, tried putting only 4 rds in the strip with a gap in the middle, etc. None of it works worth beans for me.

Does anyone have a technique with the Speed Strips that really works in darkness?
Thanks.

 

[BaldEagle1313]

I'm not sure if this would work for anyone but me. I carry the same as you do - Model 38 in a DeSantis Nemesis in the right front pocket. My speed strip is a six-shot variety, with two loaded, empty space, then three working down toward the pigtail of the strip. After I eject the empties, I go muzzle down, place my left thumb (I'm right-handed) on an empty chamber and index it as far clockwise as I can. Holding the cylinder in place with my right hand lets me get the first two in the uppermost empty chambers that sort of point northeast, then do the lower two that point southeast. Then I rotate the cylinder and feel where the remaining empty is and insert the last round.

It takes a lot more time to explain it here than it does to do. Practice with some snap-caps. It may not work for you at all. But it's the best I've come up with for me.

 

[chief38]

Nothing fancy, just practice in dim light then in the dark. Eventually it will become second nature. I have loaded up dummy rounds with spent primers for this and other practice purposes and have painted the head stamp to differentiate them from anything else but what they are.

We do lots of things in the dark and can always find where the parts go.

 

[P&R Fan]

It's never gonna be too fast.
I always have Bianchi Speed strips on me when I carry a .38 Special or a .357 Magnum. (Oh, and did you know Tuff Strips make them for the .41 Magnum and .44 Special and Magnum?). I've practiced, but it's still slow. Still better than loose rounds though.
Almost 30 years ago I took Police Science. In the firearms class we shot M10 S&W revolvers. They made us load them from dump pouches without looking at the cylinder. Never could do it then, but I've since practiced and I can load a revolver one round at a time now without looking.
Just takes practice.
Jim

 

[AZretired]

Just need to practice at home in the dark with dummy rounds.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

 

[shouldazagged]

I carry a J-frame and (sometimes, not always) a Speed Strip. But I'm a realist. I'm old and half crippled and walk with a cane. If I find myself in a situation calling for a reload I'm probably in way over my head anyway. I play the odds based on the FBI studies showing that most shooting incidents involve the firing of no more than three rounds.

If it proves not to be true for me, so be it. I doubt I'll ever need to draw my gun; but it I do, there's little likelihood there'll be time to reload even with a speed loader.

 

[Old cop]

Way back when we were trained to load from the loops. Duty holsters had 12 loops and we loaded two at a time indexing the cylinder and rotating it counter clockwise with each two rounds loaded. I also carry a speed strip and practice with it at the range, but it is slow. As another old guy who walks with a cane I hope the bad thing does not choose to visit me, I had enough of that during my career.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

Thanks for the replies. I've been out of town and not reading the thread.

BaldEagle's idea sounds best so far, I'll try that in normal light and, after getting it down, in darkness.

 

[Poodle Soup]

Look up. Keep your eyes on your target (threat) and reload by feel. I reload (keeping my index finger along the ... spine? back? of the speed strip and peel off by pivoting on my finger tip, the motion moves the cylinder exposing the next two holes. When you run out of bullets on the strip drop it, click the cylinder shut bring the gun up and pull that trigger.

 

[WR Moore]

.............. I play the odds based on the FBI studies showing that most shooting incidents involve the firing of no more than three rounds.
.

Those studies included ADs, suicides and putting down injured animals. When looking only at actual shootings, the round count goes up.

Depending upon year, NYPD Firearms Discharge Reports show that: a shooting involving one BG, one GG uses between 3.5-4.7 rounds. A gunfight-bullets going both directions- involving one BG, one GG uses between 6.2-8.7 rounds.

If you're really a realist, you might want to consider toting some extra ammo. I've got memories of two unarmed thugs who kicked an old guy to death after he gave them all his money.

 

[mc5aw]

I carry a J-frame and (sometimes, not always) a Speed Strip. But I'm a realist. I'm old and half crippled and walk with a cane. If I find myself in a situation calling for a reload I'm probably in way over my head anyway. I play the odds based on the FBI studies showing that most shooting incidents involve the firing of no more than three rounds.

If it proves not to be true for me, so be it. I doubt I'll ever need to draw my gun; but it I do, there's little likelihood there'll be time to reload even with a speed loader.

Anything lost to age, Mr. Zagged, you more than make up for in fighting spirit.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

Look up. Keep your eyes on your target (threat) and reload by feel. I reload (keeping my index finger along the ... spine? back? of the speed strip and peel off by pivoting on my finger tip, the motion moves the cylinder exposing the next two holes. When you run out of bullets on the strip drop it, click the cylinder shut bring the gun up and pull that trigger.

One shouldn't get fixated on reloading if there are bad guys still ambulatory, but never looking down is the same as doing every reload in the dark. A revolver needs to be pointed downward when reloading, and most people must look at the gun somewhat to do it. It gets worse in some awkward positions behind cover.

Reloading an auto is easier for several reasons, and one of them is that you can easily keep the gun up during the reload, quickly switching focus as needed during that couple of seconds and using peripheral vision to know what is going on in the other area.

Not saying that it can't be done, but would require a level of talent and constant practice which is beyond me. Moon clips would be nice, but they have other disadvantages.

 

[forrestinmathews]

I'd stick with the safariland comp 1. My major reason is it requires only one act of dexterity instead of five separate acts. Plug in and push instead of plug, rip x 5. I fumble a bit with slightly using magnums, but once they're in they're golden and it's done. The biggest thing to master is positively 100% ejection of the empties. It's brutal, but slam and jam works. Slam the ejector rod with the palm of the hand and the muzzle vertical. Jam the comp one into the cylinder until it clicks and drops the cartridges into the cylinder with the muzzle point down.

 

[AimHigher]

Not only tricky in the dark, how about under extreme stress?

I tried speed strips back in the 70's when they first hit the bricks. Thought they would be OK for spare /extra ammo, but soon decided they would not fare well for primary reloading in a firefight.

I found this from Safariland for CCW and I still have it. Very low profile:

Undetectable under a loose shirt. 1/2 the rounds slip inside your belt, the other 3 rounds remain outside your belt. Really hugs your body and can be used with a regular belt.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

Actually, I was surprised to discover I can carry a Safariland speed loader in the same pocket as the gun.
The gun is in a Desantis Nemesis, the speed loader goes between the holster and the inner side of the pocket. That sounds like it should gouge my leg a lot, but it's surprisingly comfortable. Just not as comfortable as a speed strip.

 

[rrobertson]

When I practiced reloading my j frame in the dark I always did the first two from the end without the tab, then flipped the strip around so the tab was now were the first two reloads were. I then feel that end round against my thumb on the open and put two at that time. Left with just one round in the middle of the strip I then found the empty chamber in the cylinder with my thumb and moved the lone round in the strip to my thumb and in. Its easier to do then type. YMMV.

 

[sipowicz]

I'm kinda surprised that anyone on this forum goes out after 5pm....

 

[MrTrolleyguy]

Try this...

The Ol1911 makes a nice video that covers this issue.

Tell us what you think please.

Like most things with using a handgun responsibly the rule is practice, practice practice - that always does it. [as if I practiced enough - not!]

I was not happy when I saw the new model 627s are unfluted.

 

[-db-]

Practicing the reload in light is the answer. It's just like tying your shoes which requires a lot of dexterity but we can all easily do it in the dark because we've done it so many times we've developed the muscle memory and don't have to look at what we're doing.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My F-I-L was the principal firearms instructor at the local big city P.D. from late 60's into the 80's and helped transition the force from revolvers to autos. When I started shoot regularly he took me to the academy range and gave me a 45 min quick course on how to best use a revolver. Later, after I was done shooting for the day he gave me a lesson on proper cleaning of a revolver. After my revolver was clean, he took me back to the indoor range area and gave a lesson on how to reload my revolver and told me to continue practicing until he was ready to leave in about 15 or 20 min. On the way out of the range he killed the lights in the windowless room. I had 2 speed loaders and got OK with them in the dark then I went to loose rounds. He had told me to leave all dropped rounds on the floor as a way of keeping score. When he came back he turned on the lights and walked to where I was and saw all 5 of my dropped rounds and ask how many times I cleaned up the dropped rounds? None I responded, those five were from the first time I reloaded the speed loader in the dark. He ask that I demonstrate for him, with my eyes closed. First I did the speed loader, then dumped 6 loose in my left hand and went through the motions of ejecting the rounds from the cylinder and loading loose rounds, he said again just the loose rounds, I kept my eyes closed, found the tray of ammo on the table, put 6 in my left hand and ejected and reloaded my revolver. Good he said and we cleaned up put things away and drove back to his house. About 15 min into the drive he let out a sigh and started talking about some of the dumb cadets who couldn't reload with the lights on...after 3 weeks of range time. He never mentioned it again but it seems I passed and was capable enough to protect his daughter. Ivan