If you can do without your gun for a while, have a reputable gunsmith chamfer the cylinder holes. Makes a world of difference with speedloaders. This was pretty much the only modification I made to my carry revolver, back in the dark ages when I cared one daily.
And experiment with different bullet shapes. Some are more speedloader friendly than others.

Last Friday I ordered three HKS speedloaders for my M-66 2-1/2", so if I need it for carry, I have some reloads. I used HKS in competition years ago, and prefer the twist-release to the push-release mentioned by another poster, feeling they are more reliable in stressful situations.

I haven't yet figured out how I'd carry them concealed, so I'll be watching this thread for suggestions. I'm not comfortable with the idea of carrying them in a pants or coat pocket.

Hmmmm.

Looks like instant karma time.

V-tail, please send me a mailing address to the email in my profile. I have something for you to use to make life MUCH easier at the range.

An additional hint, useful mainly with speedloaders, is to carry whatever load you like in the gun, but for your reload a jacketed hollow-point works better. The smooth rounded shape slips in more easily than any bullet with a shoulder like wadcutters or semi-wadcutters.

I have trained hundreds of people on speedloaders using both HKS and Safariland. Although I personally prefer Safariland my students have less difficulty with HKS. I train my folks to use a speedloader and have a speedstrip on board for tactical reloading. Learn to load without looking at the gun it will serve you well

I've carried revolvers for years. I like the Safariland "push" speedloaders best. The strips are nice for a "slimmer" option.

If you go with the strips, take a look at these:
http://www.leathercreekholster.../5541372/8045894.htm

Since I only carry a revolver when I need something small and inconspicuous, a round speed loader generally defeats the purpose of concealment. Bianchi speed strips loaded 2 at a time work for me and hide well in the pocket.

If you are going to do a lot of shooting, match, practice, or plink, one of those speedloader trays is a big help.
https://www.safariland.com/pro...ing-block-23131.html

Drop a round in each hole, set the speedloader(s) down over six at once, latch up.

I prefer HKS. There is also the moon clip option.

I carried a M65 3" for about 18 months. I used speed strips typically but did use some Safariland speed loaders as well, if I was wearing cargo pants / shorts.

And if you ever find yourself having to reload with speed strips for real, remember you don't have to get all 6 in the cylinder - load 2 shoot 2 is a valid option if you need to return fire quickly, just index the cylinder to ensure the first trigger pull makes a BANG.

quote:

Originally posted by SgtGold:
I prefer HKS. There is also the moon clip option.

I liked moon clips when I had a revolver that used them.

Not an option on this one, as the cylinder is not cut for them, and I do not want to mess with the cylinder. This particular model is pinned and recessed, which I understand has value, so I don't want to change that.

I'm really looking at the reloading mechanism as more of a convenience than a tactical speed thing. Not likely that I'll be using this gun for carry; I have SIGs for that. This will be more for range use, maybe bedside, maybe vehicle, but not concealed carry.

My revolvers are only for range use...but i use mainly safariland Comp 2 for my Ruger GP100, but i also have a pair of HKS..it is simpler and easier to find in our country..for my 642 i use an HKS(which is the only option i have here) and a bianchi speed strip

I preferred the safariland. Once the rounds were in the cylinder the act of pushing down to release the rounds as opposed to the fine motor skill of finding the silver knob and twisting it in the correct direction keeping the pistol pointed down so gravity can help.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
. Visualize the following:

Pistol areas are 20 - 25 yards deep, from back to front... When shooting, you walk forward toward the target until you're at whatever distance you want, ......

SpeedLoader or Speed Strip in a pocket or belt pouch is fine. Shoot, reload, shoot more. Then, with unloaded gun, walk back to work table and reload magazines or speed loaders or speed strips.

HORRIBLE range-safety practice! You ought to work to change that immediately. If all shooters are on the the same line, each has 90-degrees to either side as a buffer for errant muzzle control. (Yeah, crap occurs!) OTOH, if you're at the 5yd line working up-close, and the shooter to either side of you is several feet or yards BEHIND you, that buffer becomes a very, VERY skinny angle, indeed.

Unless I am missing something, such as all lane dividers are 7' tall solid CBS block rated to stop anything allowed on the range ?

I use Comp I and II for the J-K. I hate the rattle-around of the HKS, and I've had HKS come loose and dump the rounds in pocket carry. Firm hold of the Comp series has no such problem. However, yes, belt-line holders designed for either is certainly the superior method.

quote:

Originally posted by VictorLouis:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
. Visualize the following:

Pistol areas are 20 - 25 yards deep, from back to front... When shooting, you walk forward toward the target until you're at whatever distance you want, ......

SpeedLoader or Speed Strip in a pocket or belt pouch is fine. Shoot, reload, shoot more. Then, with unloaded gun, walk back to work table and reload magazines or speed loaders or speed strips.

HORRIBLE range-safety practice! You ought to work to change that immediately. If all shooters are on the the same line, each has 90-degrees to either side as a buffer for errant muzzle control. (Yeah, crap occurs!) OTOH, if you're at the 5yd line working up-close, and the shooter to either side of you is several feet or yards BEHIND you, that buffer becomes a very, VERY skinny angle, indeed.

Unless I am missing something, such as all lane dividers are 7' tall solid CBS block rated to stop anything allowed on the range ?

Yup, you are definitely missing something. Might be my fault, maybe my description was not clear.

There are no lane dividers. It's an outdoor area, like your back yard. There are five of these areas. Each one is maybe 20 - 25 yards deep, maybe 15 - 20 yards wide. There are solid walls on the left and right of the area, heavy-duty construction; they will not be penetrated by a handgun round. The back of the area is open; you can park your vehicle there, unload your target stands, firearms, etc. The front is a solid earth berm backstop, maybe 15 feet high, with a wall on top of that, the top wall is same type construction as the left and right side walls.

There are a couple of moveable work tables in each area; shooters can position these as close or as far from the backstop as desired. Shooting position is anyplace between the tables and the backstop, pick your distance.

Each pistol area (they call them "pistol pockets") will accommodate one or two groups of shooters, a "group" being anywhere from a solo person to maybe four people.

The people using a pistol pocket act as their own ROs, agreeing with each other when the area is hot or cold. When it is declared cold, all handguns are to be either holstered and not touched, or on the work tables, pointed downrange toward the backstop, revolver cylinders open, semi-auto slides locked back, chamber flags inserted in barrels, and NOT touched! You can get busy stuffing rounds into your magazines, but you may not touch the gun.

When the pocket is declared hot, by the people using it, the shooters all agree on what distance they will shoot from. They walk forward in a parallel line. When ready to shoot, they are all the same distance from the backstop. Muzzle discipline is required by range rules and is discussed (refreshed) prior to shooting. There is NEVER a person forward (downrange) of anybody holding a gun.

The system works, and works well. Fairly large membership -- currently limited to 1,500 members, with wait list if that number is reached. The club has been in existence for many years and has a clean record in that there has never, to date (knock wood), been a firearm-related injury. There is a roving RSO, driving around between the pistol areas and the rifle ranges on a golf cart, eyeballing everything. If he spots a safety violation, he corrects it immediately. The correction, depending on the type of safety violation, can be anything from a corrective discussion to "pack up and leave." Anything more than minor must be reported to the board of directors and the violator can face suspension or even expulsion from the club.

A good friend of mine was hosting two new shooters, introducing them to the sport. He was very clear about explaining the safety process. At one point they called the area cold, my friend insured that the guns were unloaded and clear, chamber flags in place, then he and one of the new shooters went downrange to change targets. The other new shooter casually picked up an unloaded (yeah, we know the first commandment, they are all "loaded") pistol to look at it. My friend happened to look back from where he was changing the target and told the new person to put the pistol back down on the table, which she immediately did (she was embarrassed, had forgotten that she was not supposed to touch it). My friend walked back and calmly reviewed the rules once again. No harm done, but the whole thing had been observed by the RSO, who very politely said, "I have to ask you to leave for the day." No argument, they were all very aware that there had been a definite infraction, they packed up and left. Lesson learned.

Back to your comment, yes, there is a 90-degree buffer on each side. Anybody pointing a gun anyplace other than the direction of the backstop is spoken to, either by other shooters sharing the pocket, or by the RSO if he is there.

Except for busy weekends, each shooter or small (usually not more than four) group has a pocket of their own. At busy times there might be two groups in the same pocket; they are responsible for coordinating with each other. The system really does work, as other forum members (ArtieS, BigRedFish, Paragon, and others) who belong to this club can attest, as well as forum members who have been there as guests, off the top of my head, DrDan, DrNatasha, Rotndad, TSM11, Edmond, -- who am I missing? I know there's more than that.

Your stated perception of unsafe practice is probably my fault for not describing it well. You can read the safety rules on the club's website, here.

Just a thought here. Whether you use speedloaders or strips, you should practice using them and observing good safety practices while doing so.

I am a Safariland guy myself. I can't imagine why anyone would prefer HKS. Insert and push vice insert and twist knob. It is more intuitive.

Never used the strips but always wanted to try. I like the 2'2'1 methodology.

quote:

Originally posted by CNYTX11:
I've carried 3-inch 13s, 65s, and 66s for over two decades as CCW.

The Safariland Comp I and Comp II speedloaders are simply the best. I like the Comp II despite slight increase in bulk because the outside edges of the loader are scored to match cylinder indents so you can align the reload by feel.

DeSantis makes a nice belt pouch (A35) I believe. Hume makes the Second Six speedloader pouch that is decent too. But nothing as close to perfection as Del Fatti's SLC.

Thank you, just what I have been looking for, I enjoy carrying my M29 but hate carrying speed loaders and speed strips are too slow.

v-TAIL, nice to hear it was just over-simplified. Seems like a tight-ship. Enjoy.

Another option is the 2x2x2 revolver ammo pouch made by Galco. The FBI issued these back in the era of the 3" M13 revolver.
This goes on the strong side at about 1:30 and enables a two or four round revolver reload fairly quickly. This is great for folks like me who sometimes carry a K frame on the belt and a backup J frame secreted elsewhere on the body.