The Lost Art of the Revolver Speed Loader

[Old_Gun_Hand]

The following article by Dave Lewis will demonstrate how to use a revolver speed loader. I personally have a few and use them when I can. With practice you can load a revolver almost as fast as a semi auto.

The Lost Art of the Revolver Speed Loader

 

[Sam1911]

That is indeed one common technique. Wonder if he'll do a follow-up to discuss any of the other advantageous methods.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I'm a little disappointed that he picked that technique..maybe it is a OK thing.

I'm a little concerned that he chose a technique which:
1. is prone to leaving cases under the ejection star
2. doesn't take full advantage of gravity to load the fresh round into the cylinder
3. doesn't offer index points for loading in reduced light.

That is the technique that I first learned and used when I started in LE in the late 70s, but the above issues become apparent when you try them under stress.

If you take a look at the latest IDPA magazine, Massad Ayoob goes over all the different techniques and you can decide for yourself which works the best.

 

[Blackstone]

Interesting, that's the only way I know of to speed reload a revolver. Only step I do differently is to slap the case ejector with my right hand, instead of using my left hand thumb.

 

[Sam1911]

Blackstone, obviously the basics of a revolver speedload are all the same. The differences are in whether you're using gravity or not, using finer or grosser motor skills, which hand you prefer to do what tasks, etc.

Here are two variations that get into what 9mmepiphany's saying about gravity.

In my usual speed reload, I start like so:

Then cradle the gun with my support hand...

So as I press the release with my strong thumb, my support hand middle and third fingers press the cylinder up and out...

And rotates the muzzle up as my strong hand comes up high ...

 

[Sam1911]

(Seen from the other side ... note to self...diet. )

And slams down on the ejector rod. This is the most positive ejection I can perform and it really sends the most stuck case flying.

Then I go for the reload at the belt, in front of the holster...

Insert, twist the knob... Note: The support-hand grip here gives me control of the cylinder's rotation as I insert and twist. I find that this makes it really easy to counter-rotate the cylinder and the speedloader to convince those six bullets to funnel down into the chambers when they want to hang up.

 

[Sam1911]

Re-establish firing grip and rotate the cylinder closed...

Begin to move support hand back to support grip...

And present the gun again.

 

[Sam1911]

The other variation here, which some extremely accomplished revolver shooters do prefer, is to eject with the weak hand thumb, thus removing the time it takes to do the big eject motion with the strong hand before going to the belt for the reload.

Like so:

I find that I don't get such a violent "pop" of positive ejection this way, and the occasional case will hang up on the grip or get bounced under the star, which grinds things to a halt.

But, as long as the ejection goes according to plan, this method is unquestionably a bit faster than mine.

If I kept my wheelguns scrupulously clean, I could probably rely on this more...

 

[Sam1911]

There is at least one other school of thought which keeps the revolver gripped firmly in the strong hand the whole time, relying on the support hand to reach forward and press the ejector and then get the loader into position.

I find that very awkward because I've got to twist or turn either the gun, or the loader, or both to get them all pointed in the same direction. With the "swap-over" reload like I use, the strong hand is bringing the fresh rounds directly in from behind the cylinder, already pointed the right way, still pretty much pointed at the target.

Crossing my body with the weak hand to do that means at some point I'm changing directions of something at least 90 degrees to get everything heading the right way.

And, I'm doing the fiddly bit of getting the cartridges lined up and in their chambers and the speedloader disengaged all with my less dexterous support (left) hand.

 

[sidheshooter]

The reload in the article is a "lost art" because it should be.

Disclaimer: I am no LE trainer or armed professional; just a hobbyist. My only credentials on this topic are that, almost 20 years ago, I outshot all the other (auto) shooters in my LFI-1 class with a K-frame to get my target signed by Mas and, as recently as this March, took 2nd score in an advanced class (204/240) on a demanding, reduced-time motorized target qual (using another K-frame) in a class of auto shooters. BTW, high score there was 233, by a retired army/champion shooter who's been in every retake class I've ever done at this place: just mad skills; the majority of the class, all trained shooters, ran 150-185 on the compressed qual, by comparison). All this to say, I've shot revolvers against autoloaders on occasion in the intervening years, and usually survive with my ego intact.

Like others here, I prefer a reload that is more mechanically sure, even if looking slower in theory. The version I chose is the stressfire reload, exactly as taught by Ayoob, and described in his material. It's worked for me with no cases under the extractor, and allowed me to regularly run with bottom-feeders. Grant Cunningham has a variation in his recent revolver book that appears to accomplish much the same thing mechanically.

If one is going to choose "six for sure", may as well go for a speedloading technique that ejects and replenishes "six for sure" with similar reliability. Same goes with choosing a carry system/loader design that keeps the reload rounds in the loaders where they belong, and not in your pocket or spilled on the ground. Reliability first and second; whatever else a distant third, IMHO.

[/curmudgeonly revolver rant.]

 

[lemaymiami]

Using speed loaders isn't exactly a lost art -but it will get there since the need for it isn't as pressing as it was when everyone in law enforcement carried wheel guns... I still have four loaders at the ready for my old model 10 heavy barrel that I was allowed to purchase when I retired out 17 years ago. The loaders shown are the better ones - I still have one or two of the old Dade loaders (that would allow rounds to come loose if the loader was dropped on the ground). Glad that better loaders were produced.

Mine are kept in a small waist pouch and always with that old revolver... Most young shooters don't realize how quickly you can have a revolver back in action if you've been trained to use them properly.

 

[MedWheeler]

You guys got me thinking about it yesterday, and breaking out my HKS speedloaders that I last carried on duty in 1990. I'm left-handed, though, and in 1987, when I started in LE, instructors who could teach a southpaw an effective rapid-reload technique were hard to come by. A right-handed instructor and I came up with a technique that served me well. It closely mimics the "Griffin method", except that, as the right hand takes the weapon, it's the thumb that pushes the cylinder open instead of the first-finger "ball" of the hand, and the weapon is then supported by the thumb base under the top strap. In the Griffin method, the gun is held by the right thumb over the top strap (which I found slippery with my Service Six), and the right little finger at the trigger guard.

Anyways, you all had me trying them both out late into the night last night.. though it's unlikely I'll ever really need either technique..


The Griffin reload (for southpaws with RH-ed revolvers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YXtmQjSWEo

 

[Al Thompson]

I strongly dislike any revolver reload method that has the tip of a finger hitting the ejector rod. I think that's too much precision for a nasty encounter. Using the palm of the hand as Sam demonstrates gives you a much broader surface to strike that small tip. IMHO, for those of us who carry J frames, it's even more critical as the ejector does not fully extract the cartridge. I much prefer large robust movements to get that wheel gun up and running.

Here's Mr. Ayoob's take on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXUwI_d8JlA

 

[Missionary]

Good morning
Mr. Jerry Miculec who shoots the S&W Revolvers throws the speed loader into the chamber. Granted he has done this thousands of time in his speed drills but it sure is facinating to watch.
Mike in Peru

 

[AFDavis11]

What a superb thread! This is the kind of thoughtful diverse discussion I have always hoped for on this forum.

 

[JRH6856]

MedWheeler, I used the same technique as you with HKS speedloaders and my Ruger Service Six in 1977. Like you I had to develop it myself. I practiced it with Rugers, Smiths and Colts and always found I was a bit faster with Rugers due to the cylinder release.

 

[Certaindeaf]

It seems that MrBorland knows what he's doing with a wheelgun. He has contributed well to many revolver threads if you'd care to search.

 

[Sam1911]

Good morning
Mr. Jerry Miculec who shoots the S&W Revolvers throws the speed loader into the chamber. Granted he has done this thousands of time in his speed drills but it sure is facinating to watch.

Yes indeed! I've watched Mr. Miculek work his magic as a safety officer on a stage he shot at a national match one year. His hands moved, briefly, and he was shooting again! As the time I felt like I must have blinked and missed it!

Of course, he was using moon-clips with a S&W 625 (probably with the charge holes quite a bit opened up), which sure helps!

It seems that MrBorland knows what he's doing with a wheelgun. He has contributed well to many revolver threads if you'd care to search.

Yup! Another master of the round gun I've had the pleasure to watch operate at close range.

Here's a great thread with his explanation and pics to show how he does what he does:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=708393

 

[Manco]

Just for some variety , my right-handed technique is similar to the StressFire technique except that I keep the gun in my right hand and reload with my left hand (after ejecting with my left palm). The reason I started out doing this was sheer ignorance at the time (starting from when I played with cap guns as a child)--the cylinder swung out to the left, so it seemed logical enough that I would load it with my left hand, much like I would insert a magazine into an autoloader with my left hand. I still use this technique to this day out of habit, but also because it seems to be more robust than other techniques, if anything, with no switching or crossing over of hands.

I don't know if I would recommend my technique to others because I'm fairly ambidextrous (even learned to write with both hands as a child, just in case one hand became disabled--I was always a prepper! ), while other folks may benefit significantly from using their "strong" hand to reload (but only with revolvers?). As always, people should use whichever technique works the most reliably (first) and rapidly (second) for them, taking into account things like stress, hot parts, and difficult-to-eject cases (that's why I, like many others here, slap the ejector [carefully] with a palm rather than just press it with a fingertip).

 

[MrBorland]

It seems that MrBorland knows what he's doing with a wheelgun. He has contributed well to many revolver threads if you'd care to search.

Yup! Another master of the round gun I've had the pleasure to watch operate at close range.

Thanks for the kind words. I enjoyed meeting Sam1911, and he and his gang put on a great match, though I managed to demonstrate the best way to accrue 3 Procedural Errors (3 second penalty each) in a single stage.

Sam1911's reload pics are terrific. Some do prefer to eject with the weak thumb, but he's also correct that developing a wimpy thumb-ejection stroke during practice is a bad habit that can really bite you when it matters, so it's a really good idea to practice with empty cases in the cylinder. Dirty, non-resized is good. Dirty, non-resized .357mag cases is even better.

One point I'll make about weak hand reloads and S&W revolvers: The yoke screw is a S&W's Achilles heel. It's the only thing keeping the cylinder from falling off the front of the gun when opened. During a weak hand reload, the cylinder's unsupported, so force from behind can bend that screw and wreak havoc. Newer guns have a spring-loaded plunger at the base of the screw, and unsupported force can eventually override the plunger entirely, in which case the cylinder falls out of the gun, and the damaged yoke has to be fixed by S&W. It's a bigger issue with push-release-type speedloaders. Some competitive wheelgunners have replaced the spring with a fitted solid rod for the extra insurance.

 

[Sam1911]

Yolk screw? Yeah...just a month ago a pal of mine drove right on through the yolk screw tip on his 25 and dumped the nice blued cylinder and yolk into the jagged shale gravel on our range.

We pulled the screw out and he'd completely lost the tapered tip and its spring.

 

[MrBorland]

Ouch. Yeah, I should mention that even though they're just dropped in, rather than actively pushed, moonclipped guns are susceptible as well. I've seen a few cylinders with moons launch.

Take a look at his yoke channel, too. If the tip cut a groove in the edge of the channel, the gun's pretty likely to have a repeat performance even if the screw's been replaced. Replacing the spring with a fitted rod might work, and if so, it'd avoid a trip to S&W.

 

[Sam1911]

I'll see what he's got going on next time he brings it out. I didn't notice any eroded spots in the channel like where the tip had chewed through, so maybe he'll be ok with a new standard screw. If it happens again I'll mention the rod. We could pretty easily do that ourselves.

 

[Manco]

One point I'll make about weak hand reloads and S&W revolvers: The yoke screw is a S&W's Achilles heel. It's the only thing keeping the cylinder from falling off the front of the gun when opened. During a weak hand reload, the cylinder's unsupported, so force from behind can bend that screw and wreak havoc. Newer guns have a spring-loaded plunger at the base of the screw, and unsupported force can eventually override the plunger entirely, in which case the cylinder falls out of the gun, and the damaged yoke has to be fixed by S&W.

That's why I try to put very little force on the cylinder in that direction, but I suppose that under stress I might unintentionally slam the cartridges in there. Admittedly, I haven't given it much thought because I personally use autoloaders for defensive purposes and do not participate in competitions (for now, anyway).

If I were to use a revolver in anything other than a backup-to-a-backup role, then for a S&W revolver I'd likely fit a high-grade screw to the yoke (or some other strengthening modification), have the cylinder cut for moon clips, and the charge holes chamfered (minimally). If I change my mind about the moon clip mod, then I would probably switch from my old twisty speedloaders to something like the Safariland COMP II, and support the cylinder while pressing the release button (sort of a pinch). Of course, at that time I'd seriously experiment with other reloading techniques, as well. Obviously I'm no authority on this subject, to put it kindly, but I did want to bring up "weak" hand revolver reloads while we're at it.

It's a bigger issue with push-release-type speedloaders.

What if I used a low-profile push-to-release speedloader and pinch technique to release? I haven't tried this myself yet, but it would seem to be feasible.

Ouch. Yeah, I should mention that even though they're just dropped in, rather than actively pushed, moonclipped guns are susceptible as well. I've seen a few cylinders with moons launch.

With that little force, I'd think that this would at least partially be the result of cumulative wear & tear on the yoke screw. If not, then that's pretty alarming. I've had good luck thus far, although I've heard of others having problems, which I chalked up to defects, wear, or harsher abuse than dropping in moon clips. I've always been more afraid of accidentally bending the ejector rod while under stress.

 

[MrBorland]

What if I used a low-profile push-to-release speedloader and pinch technique to release?

I'm not familiar with the "pinch" technique - can you elaborate?

With that little force, I'd think that this would at least partially be the result of cumulative wear & tear on the yoke screw. If not, then that's pretty alarming.

Speedloaders or moonclips, the wear and tear is cumulative, but the w&t can accumulate at different rates, depending on conditions. Logic and my own observations tell me moonclipped guns accumulate yoke w&t slower than push-release speedloader guns when loaded with the weak hand.