Last week member SIGfourme kindly gifted me and a couple of other members some Zeta speedloaders in a Karma. Since this product is kind of new to the market (I know it was the first I've had a chance to try them out), I figured I'd post up a review comparing them to other similar products currently on the market.

When I opened the package from SIGfourme, I was suprised to find not just the J-Clip speedloader, but also a set of the J-Pack staggered speed strips and a set of K-Clip speedloaders for a K-Frame as well. Many thanks to SIGfourme for his generosity in this regard!



Initial impressions were good. The material the clips are constructed from is high quality, and firm but malleable. QC is good with no flashing or anything of that nature left behind on the product. It's easy to get the rounds in and out, but they are firmly retained and I have no concerns about them falling out. There are small relief cuts for each round to make it easier to get them in and out, but there's still plenty of material left around the rim for positive retention. I have not yet had a chance to carry them around in my pocket loaded, so I will give that a try over the next couple of weeks, but based on what I’ve seen, I don’t imagine there will be any issues.

For the range test, I used the following protocol: The reload was located in my right front pocket, with nothing else in the pocket except a pocket knife clipped to the outside. Starting at the low-ready, a full cylinder was fired from the gun into a B8 target from five yards. The cylinder was then opened, empties dumped on the ground, and the revolver was transitioned to my left hand. The reload was retrieved from my right-hand pocket and loaded into the gun, with the loading device (when applicable) discarded on the ground. The gun was then transitioned back to a two-handed grip and the second full cylinder was fired into the target. The purpose of the target was not to demonstrate pinpoint accuracy but rather to keep my rate of fire consistent through the accountability of sighted fire into the black.

Since SIGfourme sent me K-Frame clips as well, I decided we needed to test those, too. The guns employed were my 640 Pro and Model 66-4 4". Clips were loaded as pictured below:



A note about the times: Jerry Miculek I'm not, and I would never pretend to be. Typically when I carry a revolver, it's in a very low-threat environment or as a backup, and I don't usually even carry a reload. If I do, it's more just to have something to top the gun off with after having to use it than the idea that I could pull off a reload mid-gunfight. I'm sure that there are many of you out there who are better trained on revolver reloads and could put these times to shame. These aren't intended to be any sort of benchmark or par time for a speed reload, but rather to serve as a comparison between how the different tools and techniques performed for me.



Stage 1: Loading with Loose Rounds from the pocket.
Times:
640 Total: 20.36
640 Reload: 12.78
Model 66 Total: 26.68
Model 66 Reload: 17.14

I figured I'd start with this one as it would provide a good benchmark. I found that trying to grab more than 2 rounds at a time, I ended up fumbling with them. I got away with it on the 5-shot J-frame, but had to make a 3rd trip to the pocket for the Model 66, and that cost a lot of time.



Stage 2: 7-Round Tuff Strips
Times:
640 Total: 20.80
640 Reload: 12.36
Model 66 Total: 24.52
Model 66 Reload: 14.9

I bought these things a while back because I thought that it made a lot of sense to have a speed strip set up for a J-Frame that would allow for gaps between pairs of cartridges to facilitate easier loading. Conceptually, it actually works. Unfortunately though, these things are terrible. They are very stiff and hard to load and unload. They worked ok on the 5-shot J-frame because the gaps allowed plenty of clearance between pairs, but on the 6-shot K-frame I didn't have enough room to leave a gap between the last two pairs, and the strips were very stiff and lacked clearance so it was hard to start the rounds into the chambers, which cost me time. I think they would have been faster on the J-frame, too, if they were made of more malleable material.


Stage 3: 6-round Bianchi Speed Strips
Times:
640 Total: 19.91
640 Reload: 12.61
Model 66 Total: 22.28
Model 66 Reload: 12.81

The traditional standard for speed strips, there were really no surprises with the Bianchis. They worked as designed, and I had no problems getting the rounds into the guns. They were a hair slower on the J-frame than the Tough Strips, but a hair faster in the K-Frame, both times probably due to the spacing of the rounds.


Stage 4: J-Pak Speed Strips
Times:
640 Total: 18.84
640 Reload: 12.2
Model 66 Total: 23.90
Model 66 Reload: 14.7 (dropped 1 Round)

These staggered speedstrips from Zeta are actually designed around proper spacing for a J-Frame, not a K-Frame, so using them in the model 66 was a bit unfair, but since I was there I figured I'd give it a try anyway. They worked very well in the J-frame, shaving a small amount of time from both the Bianchis and the Tough Strips. While a bit wider than the traditional speed strip, they still offer a fairly flat profile for carry, which I find appealing, and the spacing made them easy to load into the gun. They are not spaced to line up perfectly with the 6-shot cylinder of a K-Frame, however, and as such a round fell out onto the ground when I tried to withdraw the strip, which accounts for the poor time for that gun. I actually tried it again later to see if it was just a fluke, and got the same result. These work great for a J-Frame, but are not designed for a K-Frame.


Stage 5: HKS Speedloaders
Times:
640 Total: 20.11
640 Reload: 13.39
Model 66 Total: 38.18
Model 66 Reload: 28.84 (interference with target grips)

The traditional HKS speedloader is a well-known entity amongst most revolver shooters. I've never been a big fan, because I have trouble lining them up, and they are dependent upon good grip relief. I had trouble with them binding a bit on the J-Frame even with the low-profile boot grips. The target grips on the K-Frame are not relieved for a speedloader, and they were pretty much a no-go-altogether...I basically had to hold the loader behind the cylinder at an angle, open it, and hope everything fell into the chambers. This comparison likely would have been more fair with different grips on the gun, but the results do illustrate a limitation of this reloading method.


Stage 6: J-Clip
Times:
640 Total: 14.97
640 Reload: 8.46
Model 66 Total: 17.01
Model 66 Reload: 8.81

These things are awesome...basically game changing. They shaved almost 5 seconds off my reload time. Their low profile allows them to clear even the bulky target grips of the 66, and once I figured out the proper technique for removing them, they come right off and leave all rounds behind in the cylinder as desired. Reload times with these far outpaced any of the other techniques used. I found the best technique was to insert them at about a 45 degree angle as pictured to provide maximum clearance around the top of the grip and the cylinder-release thumbpiece, then just grab the tab and rip towards the gun.



Overall, I'm impressed with the product. I've always preferred speed strips to speed loaders due to their flatter profile, and going into this I figured I would perform better with the J-Pak than the J-Clip. I can't argue with the results, though, and these are kind of the best of both worlds. I need to carry them some and see how they ride in the pocket, but I think I may have found my new favorite revolver reloading device!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 92fstech,

When I shot USPSA revolver division, I had 6 HKS speedloaders on belt (shot a S&W Model 10).
Fast reloads for competition, but even just one is too bulky for CCW carry.

When I carry a J-frame (642-1) I carry the J-clip in pocket.

PC

quote:

When I carry a J-frame (642-1) I carry the J-clip in pocket.

Do you carry it loose in the pocket, or is it in some kind of container? Also, is there anything else in the pocket, like wallet, keys, etc? Ever have any issues with rounds falling out?

Great review! I’m going to have to check into these devices!

That's a great review of interesting products. I was not aware of these speedloaders. Back when I carried a S&W Model 638, I kept an old Bianchi Speed Strip in the right rear pocket of my slacks. Not the fastest reload, but faster than loading single rounds, and much more concealable than an HKS speedloader.

I've had a couple of occasions to speak with SIGfourme and he's a very pleasant and really nice guy.

Pretty neat product. I didn't jump on that Karma as I rarely shoot my S&W 36 boat anchor & have never carried it in CCW duty.

Nice to see it compared to multiple other reload methods/options.

quote:

I've had a couple of occasions to speak with SIGfourme and he's a very pleasant and really nice guy.

He is indeed, and I greatly appreciate his generosity as these had recently been brought to my attention and I was considering trying them but hadn't figured out which ones to buy. Like you, my previous go-to had been Bianchi speed strips due to their portability and concealability over the HKS speedloaders.These seem like a decent medium-ground between the two in that regard, but I'm going to have to carry one around for a few weeks to be sure. The drastic speed improvement on the reload is a fair trade for a bit more bulk in my mind, though...which was never the case for me with the HKS speedloaders.

The more I look at these things, the more impressed I am. You can tell the designer put a lot of work into the small details to produce a successful design. Even the hexagonal shape allows for greater clearance around the frame to overcome some of the issues inherent with the round design of traditional speedloaders.

Also, for anyone curious, I also tried these (dry, with dummy rounds) in my Rugers. The 5-Round J-Clip works perfectly in my SP-101, just as they do in a J-Frame. The 6-shot K-clips work ok in my GP100 and Speed-Six, but the spacing is off just enough that they will only allow seating the rounds about 50% of the way into the cylinder before they bind. You can get away with it, but it's not the perfect fit that you get when using them with the S&W K-Frames that they're designed for.

I have been working with mine and like them. They just need a carry pouch of some type.

I have not got mine to the range as yet, but feel like they will perform nicely. I do like the J-clip more than I thought that I would.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

quote:

When I carry a J-frame (642-1) I carry the J-clip in pocket.

Do you carry it loose in the pocket, or is it in some kind of container? Also, is there anything else in the pocket, like wallet, keys, etc? Ever have any issues with rounds falling out?

Not had any fall out yet. Loose in pocket. Left side pocket with only a small knife. I know not the best setup for a reload, but sometimes (almost always in Wyoming) place in right hand coat pocket.

PC

Nice trial and review, 92fstech!

By the way, those 'watch pockets' on most blue jeans and in the bottom of the right hand pocket of many trousers are incorrectly named.

They are "Speed Strip" pockets.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RichardC,

I threw a loaded J-clip in my pocket yesterday along with my clipped knife and 2 large rings of keys, and had no issues with rounds falling out. Compared to all the other junk in my pocket, the clip was barely noticeable.

This is quite a review 92fstech! Thank you for spending the time testing the products and writing the review. A special thanks to SIGfourme for sending you samples.

Information for all - Zeta6 speedloaders were not designed to be the fastest range loader, but the most comfortable and concealable speedloaders for everyday carry.

I've carried the Zeta6 5-shot and 6-shot products since they were first available. I gravitate to the offset J-PAK and K-PAK in warm weather because I can nest two PAK's together for 10 or 12 rounds and carry them comfortably in my front pants pocket. When the weather allows for a vest or jacket, or when wearing cargo pants, I will carry J-, or K-CLIPS.

J-STRIP and SYM-STRIP are great to carry anywhere. For me, I will carry two SYM-STRIPs, with the two tabs cut off, in a top shirt pocket.

Again, thanks so much for your published review. It is one of the most thorough I have seen.

No problem! I enjoy this kind of stuff, and it was a good excuse to spend some time on the range with revolvers, so it was a win all the way around for me .

I'm glad the product ended up working as well as it did. I'd much rather give a positive review than a negative one, but to be honest, going into it I did not expect the speed improvement in my load times to be anywhere near what it was. To be fair I'm not a highly skilled revolver reloader to start with, but I definitely had more experience with the other methods going into the test, and the J-Clip still smoked them.

It's nice to have better options for reloads, and encouraging to see a company still putting in the time to develop new stuff for old guns. I still carry a wheelgun on a pretty regular basis in some capacity or other, so stuff like this is practical and useful to me.

If you're looking to expand your product line, I'd love to see a J-Clip released for my 5-shot Model 69 in .44 Mag!

I too got the sigfourme pack. I've been trying them out and I think they are great. Surprisingly I think I prefer the J clip. Its like a very light, very small speedloader. I got sent the J ClipR which is for the Ruger LCR. I didn't notice at first and honestly it works great with my 640 and 649. I thought the package might be mismarked but they are stamped for the Ruger LCR as well, but they work great so I'm not sure if the J version is even better.

These are great and I am going to pick up some more, probably the K Clip as well.

Like 92fstech said, add some more options, I'm in for the GP100 clip.

I carried a 642 for years as a back up gun on duty and often as a primary off duty. Usually kept a speedloader in a cargo pocket on duty and a speedstrip or two as reloads when off duty. You can get pretty quick with the HKS, but it takes a good bit of practice. Some people found Safariland to be quicker speedloaders, but I never liked them. They held the rounds steadier, but I broke a few and for my uses I found being able to jiggle the rounds a bit to get them to fall in place was quicker than precisely lining up the safariland.

I'd not heard of these products before your review, but I find myself interested. I don't carry a revolver much anymore, but I may have to hunt some of these up to play around with a bit. Good job on the review.