Product Endorsement/Speed Strip PSA

[Ivan the Butcher]

About a year ago I bought a bunch of speed strips for 22, 38, and 44mag. I have not opened the 22 strips yet but the 2 months ago the 38 were opened, filled and fell apart about tw weeks into being used! This Monday I opened the 44-45-410 six round strips and one fell apart while loading and the other fell apart over night just sitting on my table!

The brand is TUFF. The package is marked Made in China.

I bought them either from Dillon or Midway, but don't remember which.

On the way home today, I stopped by LEPD gunshop in Columbus, Ohio and bought Bianchi Model 580 speed strips for 44/45. The package isn't marked, so I think that means Made in USA.

The two brands look so much alike if the cartridges are pointing up, but the backside is well marked. In loading the 44 Specials into the Bianchi speed strips the first thing I noticed was the flexibility of the urethane and not really oil, but an oily feel (so they should stay flexible!)

I didn't know Bianchi/Safariland, made speed strips other than 38 Special. Now I won't need to look anywhere else!

Ivan

 

[Alpo]

Few years back, when I first heard about TUFF products, I bought several in different calibers. Last year I found an unopened package of 38 357. It looked like it was full of mud. The strips had fallen to pieces. Two, maybe 3 years old. Never taken out of the bag they arrived in.


These things are trash.


But I'm not so sure bianchi is that much better. They used to have a piece of spring steel running down inside that rubber strip. I picked up one a few months ago that I had for a couple of years and when I picked it up it broke in two. No spring steel strip. Just rubber or plastic or polymer or whatever the hell they're made of, and it broke like an icicle.


I have some HKS speed loaders that I have had more than 10 years, and they still work fine. But speed strips seem to be good for about 2 years, and then you need to scrap them and buy new.

 

[mckenney99]

I've got some of the Bianchi Speed Strips that have got to be approaching 40 years old and they still are flexible and still hold the rounds securely. I carried my extra rounds for my backup revolver (m64/m49/m649) in speed strips in my right front uniform trouser pocket and the same ammo could also be used in our issued duty revolvers (m10/m681) if needed.

 

[Maddog 521]

I don't remember when I bought the Bianchi speed strips I have. They are all still working. TUFF is not it seems.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

I've got some Tuff strips for 38s that are many years old and holding up just fine.