Hey,does any body remember these speed loaders made by Hunt Engineering Inc?I have a few for K and L and N frame 357's and am always looking for them at gunshows.I like how they work.Does any one know where to find any these days?
Old time speed loaders
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Dave T
Member
Those were the first "practical" speed loaders I ever came across. I say practical because they were the first ones that I saw which worked. One guy in my academy class had them. He had to talk the staff into letting him use them. We all thought they looked funny sticking so far out on his belt. Our issue dump pouches were much trimmer...and quite a bit slower too!
This was in the last half of 1973.
Dave
This was in the last half of 1973.
Dave
Revolver M65
Member
Those are very stang but they do look cool. nice post.
blueknight7
Member
Hunt Manufacturer. First half of 1973. First set of speedloaders I ever carried. A whole lot faster than the dump pouches, that we were issued. They worked well in my Python. I was a motorcop back then.
They worked, but, could string rounds out, if you didn't seat them all the way in, before you peeled them off. Faster than a Bianchi Speedstrip.
They worked, but, could string rounds out, if you didn't seat them all the way in, before you peeled them off. Faster than a Bianchi Speedstrip.
WyoStillhunter
Member
I bought a few of those in the 70's when I was active in the Midwest Practical Pistol League, Columbia, MO. Practical pistol competition was truly practical in those days. We all had stock, or slightly modified, handguns: M15, M19, Python, Browning High Power, and misc. 1911s. Skill trumped technology in those days.
Hunt Speed Loaders: I still have them. Today there are better models for competition. I found my old Hunts to be very clumsy and slow in a recent Intermediate Defensive Pistol course I attended. Maybe the "rubber" is not as supple as it used to be.
For all around convenience of carry and reliability I prefer speed strips for field use. Speed strips keep my reloads organized and handy for woods loafing and hiking. They are more adapted to reloading a cylinder or two when a complete reload isn't required. I no longer compete and rarely "carry concealed" so speed strips work best for me.
Hunt Speed Loaders: I still have them. Today there are better models for competition. I found my old Hunts to be very clumsy and slow in a recent Intermediate Defensive Pistol course I attended. Maybe the "rubber" is not as supple as it used to be.
For all around convenience of carry and reliability I prefer speed strips for field use. Speed strips keep my reloads organized and handy for woods loafing and hiking. They are more adapted to reloading a cylinder or two when a complete reload isn't required. I no longer compete and rarely "carry concealed" so speed strips work best for me.
I believe that Safariland also marketed these. I got my first set in 1975. As were required to carry our reloads in an open loop style holder, I carried them in my uniform jacket pocket. I believe that Clint Eastwood used these in one of the "Dirty Harry." movies.
P.s. I believe the movie was Magnum Force.
P.s. I believe the movie was Magnum Force.
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I carried the Safariland's for several years. Safariland had a metal insert in the center and it hooked over a spoke in the middle of the open top holder. Push down and they popped loose. It is much easier to strip off of the rounds in the cylinder if you spray them with a silicone spray. They are pretty quick this way. The Comp l Safariland replaced this style. They were preceeded by a strip that was held together with a hook making a circle. I have not seen any of those for many, many years. I think I might still have one of the Safariland ones in k frame in a misc. box of stuff. When I first started shooting PPC we used the loops that held 18 rounds. We plucked them out two at a time. These speed loaders were much better.
WyoStillhunter: I used to shoot in Midwest Practical Pistol League. I was one of the original members, Member number 4. Things have changed a lot since then!
LSP 972
Member
Ah, so... the old Kel-Lite "FirePower Clip".
While they weren't the first (the old metal one the Brits made for the Webley has that honor), they WERE the first practical ones US cops ever had. Shortly after these came the Dade Machine Tool offering... anyone remember those? That's what was used in the movies referenced to earlier.
I had a couple of the Hunt's; ended up up using one to slip over the end of my little carbide smoker, as a holder. That thing got mighty hot while it was ginning up carbide gas to blacken sights with.
Ah, the old days... Fred Romero (LAPD retired) and I (LSP retired) have been discussing that topic. Many of the young coppers these days have no clue what to do with a revolver.
They sure are proud of their sometimes-working .380 LCPs, etc., though... those that grasp the concept of a back-up/off-duty gun, anyway.
.
While they weren't the first (the old metal one the Brits made for the Webley has that honor), they WERE the first practical ones US cops ever had. Shortly after these came the Dade Machine Tool offering... anyone remember those? That's what was used in the movies referenced to earlier.
I had a couple of the Hunt's; ended up up using one to slip over the end of my little carbide smoker, as a holder. That thing got mighty hot while it was ginning up carbide gas to blacken sights with.
Ah, the old days... Fred Romero (LAPD retired) and I (LSP retired) have been discussing that topic. Many of the young coppers these days have no clue what to do with a revolver.
They sure are proud of their sometimes-working .380 LCPs, etc., though... those that grasp the concept of a back-up/off-duty gun, anyway.
.
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blueknight7
Member
Oh yeah, I carried a 2 battery Kel Lite, and the cars had 6 battery Kel Lites, in them. Talk about a baton. You could smash through a door frame with one of those, and barely scractch the paint on the barrel of the light.
I did see a few Dade speedloaders, when on the city's police pistol team We did a bit of traveling, and got to see some of the cutting edge items. Funny now, to call that stuff cutting edge. I guess I never expected to live this long.
I did see a few Dade speedloaders, when on the city's police pistol team We did a bit of traveling, and got to see some of the cutting edge items. Funny now, to call that stuff cutting edge. I guess I never expected to live this long.
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