Speed Strips and a J Frame

[FW]

Perhaps it is silly to wonder about this. When using speed strips to carry extra cartridges for a J Frame, should one have five rounds in it or six?

While having one extra "wouldn't hurt", It is difficult to imagine a situation where a person would shoot all five in the revolver, reload, shoot another five, and then have one left over to load by itself and shoot. Two speed strips would ultimately have two remaining, etc. Maybe carrying five speed strips with six rounds could ultimately result in five extra rounds to fully load the cylinder, but it seems to get more and more unreasonable to think of this.

Another more practical question to ponder would be how many speed strips should be carried.

Is there a best way to carried speed strips? Is just in a pocket ok?

 

[Serpico]

I carry 5 because I leave a space in the middle so it is split into 2 and 3...this way the first two go in real easy..then flip it and load the other two, than the last one...some experts say to only carry 4, 2 and 2 so they load even quicker but I can't bring myself to not carry 5...

 

[VA27]

Since I work outside, the speed strip for my back-up 342 has a CCI shotshell in the extra space, in case I need snake medicine.

 

[ChefJeff1]

I have 5 in mine in the little change pocket in a pair of jeans. Sometimes I have a CCi shotshell in the summer. I like them way better than the other kind because they're flat.

 

[Beachcomber]

Why not a full strip?

I don't understand... Why not just carry the six rounds that the speed strip was intended to hold? I don't see where the the indexing of two rounds from a partially loaded speed strip would be any easier than loading from a full strip. To me if I have to reload my J-frame after using five rounds... I want as many spare rounds as possible because I am already in deep sh*t.

Will one more round make a difference... who knows???

 

[cslinger]

Count me in the use all six slot. An extra round is an extra round.

 

[steveracer]

Six.

I do have one shotshell in there, but I always have the strip full.

 

[kmrcstintn]

I don't understand... Why not just carry the six rounds that the speed strip was intended to hold? I don't see where the the indexing of two rounds from a partially loaded speed strip would be any easier than loading from a full strip. To me if I have to reload my J-frame after using five rounds... I want as many spare rounds as possible because I am already in deep sh*t.

I load my Bianchi Speed Strips with 5 rounds when carrying my j-frame S&W 642; I find it easier, quicker, and simpler to not have the 6th round on the speed strip to contend with when performing a reload; I load with a 2 + 2 + 1 manuever and the 6th one has to be bent outward to avoid hitting the cylinder and it takes time and motor coordination that slows down the reload

 

[Rodgerp]

I make my own:

I have a bunch of turkish 8mm, most of it is on the cheap one piece brass strippers.
I put five empty cases in a clip and crimp the clip against the base of cases.
Those brass clips have a tab at each end which can be pressed in to make sure the two end rounds don't fall out.
I have tried most of the speed loaders made (Maxfire,HKS,Safariland,Speed strips) and this has proven, at least for me, to be the perfect balance between speed and concealability for the 5 shot revolver.

 

[MCgunner]

I carry six. Sometimes I'll carry a 3" .357 revolver IWB primary and a .38 snub back up and the .38 loads will go in either gun. But, if you have six spots, I figure take advantage of all six, even when I'm just carrying the snubbie.

 

[orionengnr]

I once read someone suggest to carry six, in case you fumble one.
The fact that I own both a J and a K-frame supports that argument...

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I have two small-frame revolvers, for which I carry reloads in Speed Strips. I load the strip according to the capacity of the revolver (one five, the other six). I see no point in the additional cartridge for the five-shot. As well, if you load the five cartridges starting at the opposite end from the pull tab, in effect you have a longer tab to grasp.

As for carrying, loose in a pocket is less than desirable as you will have to dig and claw around the bottom of the pocket, especially if other objects are also in it. The exception to this would be the watch pocket in blue jeans. There are Speed Strip cases available, and they take up very little space on your belt - much less so than speedloaders, which must necessarily be the same diameter as the revolver's cylinder, and are shorter than magazine carriers for autoloaders.

 

[Serpico]

Beachcomber...it is a little faster...I use them when I qualify with my off duty instead of speed loaders since I don't carry speed loaders..I can keep up with the course of fire but it takes some practice....the space makes the first two load quicker since there isn't a round to worry about separating from....the last three load the same....

 

[RustyShackelford]

Massad Ayoob-magazine article...

You could PM firearms expert Massad Ayoob about this subject.

He wrote a recent magazine item about speed strips for concealed carry/duty revolvers. The magazine should be at a bookstore/news stand near you.

I've used Bianchi speed strips for about 2 yrs. I like them. I carry 6 rounds because that's the way John Bianchi made them. Ayoob says to only carry 5 rds and hold them like a doctor holds a scapel. It's a good idea but I still say carry 6 rounds. Unless you have a 5 rd J-frame.

RS