The Lost Art of the Revolver Speed Loader

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I can execute a weak hand reload in the dark and without looking. It is not hard. I practice it often with a-zooms. I naturally did whr when I started da revolver shooting. I used my own "natural" way first but since looked up and practiced the DeBethancourt method. I carry my speedloaders in my left pocket and my revolver strong side (mostly iwb). I do WHR with speeds trips too albeit much slower. I barely practiced with the strips.
 
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I'm more worried about the lost art of hitting ones target.

I see so many at the local gun range who can't hit the brood side of a barn.

Makes me understand why the hit rate is so low on the street.

Deaf
 
Just buy and use a Webley Mk VI and all the above mentioned problems will disappear from your life. You will be doing consistent shot to shot reloads under 2.5 seconds after very little practice. :D
 
pezo said:
I can execute a weak hand reload in the dark and without looking. It is not hard. I practice it often with a-zooms. I naturally did whr when I started da revolver shooting. I used my own "natural" way first but since looked up and practiced the DeBethancourt method. I carry my speedloaders in my left pocket and my revolver strong side (mostly iwb). I do WHR with speeds trips too albeit much slower. I barely practiced with the strips.
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I'm sure you can. But how long does it really take?

I don't care for debethencourts method, (or Clint Smith's) but I'm glad it works for you.
 
It's pretty fast. Especially since I have burned it into my muscle memory. I don't feel like my "weak" hand is anywhere near to weak to perform the reload. I will agree that a given individual will have to try all methods and find what works best. I actually suspect some people have a much weaker "weak hand" than others all else being equal. I have worked with my hands in construction for years and always seem to have to use both my hands for certain strenuous or odd task. Maybe I'm used to it. But from my experience the weak hand reload is almost second nature if not second nature for me. I have practiced it eyes close and in the dark. The cylinder of a DA revolver swings out to the left. By the left hand. I use and carry ruger ruger revolvers mostly and the cylinder release is very easy for the left thumb to pop in.
 
Forgive me, please, but I had to chuckle a bit when I read "It's pretty fast" without a specific time given.

EVERYBODY is "fast" in their mind, until a shot timer is used.

Clearly, you're the exception to that rule, but it might be interesting to know what the actual time frame is.

No one doubts or disputes your ability to open the cylinder, etc while keeping the gun in the strong hand. The fly in the ointment is being able to quickly, reliably and consistently align the rounds with the chambers in the dark, without looking, since their position is inconsistent.

Perhaps you could enlighten us.
 
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No problem. Sorry not trying to come off strong. I use hks loaders and handle the body of the loader with my fingers extended towards the bullet tips. When you place the loader towards and onto the cylinder, a little bounce if needed and the tips of the bullets will fall in. With the left hand/debethancourt method the revolver muzzle is straight down at waist level. This takes full advantage of gravity. Seriously it's easy and I'd say fast in a non-miculek way but still fast to give me confidence. Some one mentioned earlier about not being a "defeatist". I agree. So practice my friend and get confident. God bless.
 
Glad you found a way that works for you.

Still would like to put a shot timer on it.
 
I'm not impressed with the technique the OP mentioned.

No need to bring the revolver down to a 45° angle when opening the cylinder. Also, I find that it's best to smack the ejector rod with the support hand while the gun is pointed straight up into the air. Gravity and momentum help eject even the most stubborn spent case. I use Massad Ayoob's preferred method here.

Just a much better method than what the OP mentioned when one REALLY need to reload a revolver QUICKLY!
 
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I don't compete, too old. Speed is not a concern. I have the use of but one eye and I have no wrist in my left arm. If I can use a speedloader in a reasonable time in daylight without tossing ammo all over the place, I am tickled pink.
 
pezo said:
I can execute a weak hand reload in the dark and without looking. It is not hard. I practice it often with a-zooms. I naturally did whr when I started da revolver shooting. I used my own "natural" way first but since looked up and practiced the DeBethancourt method. I carry my speedloaders in my left pocket and my revolver strong side (mostly iwb). I do WHR with speeds trips too albeit much slower. I barely practiced with the strips.
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I would not worry about reloading the weapon. The only difference between revolver guy and pistol guy is that at finito time the pistol would lay on the ground with magazine well empty and revolver with cylinder swung open.
 
PS. Don't let experts BS you and get yourself second gun, but give some thought how it will be deployed and make sure it's as good as your primary one. Remember small high quality things usually cost more then large samples.
 
If I might add. I have tried various ways to perform speed load. I like the "stress fire" by massad. It is reliable but I find I do it significantly slower than the WHR. I have tried the old fbi reload. The procedure involving using the thumb to hit the ejector. Doing that one I managed to get a casing under the star. The most dreaded malfunction. I cleared it quick but still. I like having the muzzle straight up for ejection and straight down for loading. I like having reloads in left pocket and gun on right. To each their own.
 
EVERYBODY is "fast" in their mind, until a shot timer is used.
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Tell me about it. I have been wondering what the average reload times are for various posters usig various methods. When I was shooting PPC I used the reload shown in post 34 (strong hand). I also used that method in USPSA with a model 610 using moon clips, and the charge holes were chamfered. My reload was fast enough to shoot the El Pres in just under 6 seconds on a routine basis.
 
pezo said:
Doing that one I managed to get a casing under the star.
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Are your chambers chamfered? If so, is the star itself also chamfered? Chamfering of the star, especially anything more than a very mild chamfering, can increase the likelihood of a case getting stuck under the star. A chamfer that matches the full chamfer on the rest of the chamber mouth can greatly increase the chances of getting a case caught under the star.
 
No not chamfered. Approx 4 to 4 1/2 seconds. (Operating the stop watch myself creatively. :)) hks loader and gp100.
 
Stopwatch operated creatively by you...

Taking that at face value, you're asserting that a 4 to 4.5 second reload is, to quote you from Post #55, "pretty fast," right?
 
I prefer the second method Sam demonstrates. It seems to work very smooth with a minimum of waste motion. The only issue that I could imagine is if some cases were pretty stuck it might take more than one's thumb to push them out.
 
David E. I'm not trying to come off like a show off. I'm not a competitor. Just trying to defend the WHR. Which I believe is a very good method and can be fast I'm sure. It can be executed in the dark and muscle memorized. Faster people and more practice can make it very fast I'm sure. If you are a competitor great. I'm using stock everything. Carrying a reload in my pocket. No gamer devices or equipment. Just how I carry when I'm carrying. It's all good. I will continue to practice and try to develop a more accurate way to time myself. I'm to strapped in other parts of life to compete in ICORE. Beginner novice amateur way. But will consider if time and money allows. Last I checked in this area ICORE needs a few revolver shooters. I vastly prefer the platform over the auto loader based on strictly personal preference. Have a great day. :)
 
Pezo, not trying to do anything other than determine what "pretty fast" means to you.

The whole idea about reloading is to get the gun fully charged in the quickest, most consistent way possible. Then, we need to factor in real life obstacles...or figure out ways to minimize them. For example, wearing a competition speed loader holder on the belt isn't the most comfortable or concealable thing to do, regardless of how fast it is. But instead of putting a loose loader in the pocket, what about a Split-Six holder on the belt? It's concealable, comfortable and faster than digging deep in your pocket for a loose loader that is oriented differently each time. One wonders how you could retrieve the pocketed loader at all if crouched behind cover when you run dry.

There are shot timer apps available for smartphones for free. These will be more accurate than a stopwatch that's creatively started/stopped.
 
Smith and wesson model 10 - main gun.
Ruger LCR - BUG.

Could anyone direct me to a part of this thread or another thread that talks directly to left handedness and reload methods?

Would anyone simply fire all six out of the Smith and then fire all 5 out of the LCR, THEN reload?
 
Ayoob covers the left hand reload on YouTube.

Drawing the BUG or reloading the primary depends on which you can do faster.
 
SwissArmyDad said:
Smith and wesson model 10 - main gun.
Ruger LCR - BUG.

Could anyone direct me to a part of this thread or another thread that talks directly to left handedness and reload methods?

Would anyone simply fire all six out of the Smith and then fire all 5 out of the LCR, THEN reload?
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See Post# 44 for my LH reload method with a Ruger. It doesn't work so well for me with a Smith or Colt, so if I carried your two guns, I would fire both then reload the LCR, especially since it would still be in my hand. ;)
 
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