JCooperfan1911
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- Oct 8, 2020
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I pocket carry this Ruger LCR .38 special when in my house and on my property doing yard chores etc. Obviously it’s not a high firepower piece but it is very convenient, and allows me to realistically follow that famous “first rule of a gunfight” with no excuses to not be armed.
I carry a reload using a Tuff Products quick strip on my belt in a Simply Rugged Most Versatile pouch. Using the quick strip (or a Bianchi speed strip) you’ll see guys (and gals) setting up their strips in various methods. Some use a dedicated 5 shot strip and carry all five rounds positioned right next to each other, some carry four rounds (more on that later) and the list goes on.
The four round reload method is designed to speed up the reload off the strip. Two rounds are placed next to each other, then a space, then two more rounds. This is a fast technique but loses you a round in a 5 shot revolver. By spacing the pairs of rounds out, it streamlines the reload and keeps that third round from binding or interfering with the cylinder, as only two rounds can be inserted into the chambers at a time.
I am using a modified variant on this utilizing a 7 round speed strip. As shown in the picture, I’ve got the 2x2 setup going but opted to keep a fifth round in the last hole on the strip. By using one of these 7 round strips, I keep the full capacity of 5 rounds while still allowing for proper spacing to avoid clearance issues that can crop up by stacking all rounds right next to each other on the strip.
If I need to quickly reload, I can just do the fast 2x2 reload method and close the cylinder with the empty chamber behind the barrel, causing the next round to be lined up and fired when the trigger is pulled. But the fifth round is there in case there’s extra time to bring the gun back to full capacity.
It fits very nicely in the Simply Rugged pouch and I like how the hinged nature of the pouch allows the strip to be quickly and easily retrieved by pulling it out and away from the body at an angle. I’ve found with other pouches the strips can get caught up as the pouches don’t have much give so you’ve got to pull it straight up and out, which can be problematic depending on your physique or clothing.
This is but one of many options for carrying a reload that you 5-shot snub guys might consider. Speedloaders are definetly the way to go for the quickest reload, but are awkward to carry and conceal due to their bulk.
Just an idea I wanted to share. Thanks all!