Which side do you carry your speedloaders?

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When I've carried a speed loader I carried it on the right side. The revolver is cradled in the left hand while being reloaded with the right. Look around on YouTube, I remember that there used to be a few videos showing how to do a combat reload on a revolver.
 
With my hunting rigs, I carry them left side side to the front.

I don't have enough room on the right side cause thats where the holster is.

And it helps balance the load so I don't walk lop-sided.

rc
 
Speedloader on dominant side. When gun is empty, open cylinder with right thumb as I switch the gun to my left hand. Wrap two middle fingers around open cylinder to keep it stable and use dominant hand to use the speedloader.
 
I'm still working out which works best. I'm lefty but shift the revolver to my right hand to pop the cylinder, so I am practicing left side about 10 o'clock with round loaders. Thnking about trying a crossover sort of reload so I don't have to change hands.

A speed strip or two can easily be carried in the left front pocket. Though I think they're not really very speedy (practice, I know), they are faster than one-at-a-time.

Semi auto mags right side, 4 o'clock. But I usually carry a revolver.
 
When I carried speedloaders, they went on my left side. After the sixth shot, open the cylinder, eject the shells, grab the loader with my left hand and recharge the cylinder. I learned this in competition, under a clock, and carried it over to duty and civilian use. The revolver never left my right hand (I am right handed.) When practiced, it is a very efficient way to reload a revolver.
 
Carried them for years as an LEO in the 70's and 80's. Right side. If you can still find the holders that ride high (Straddling the belt instead of sticking out front in the old pouches), it distributes the weight better. Doesn't work so good though if you get older and the old pot belly starts to show. :D
 
OK so most carry strong side. Most of the old police training I see shows shifting the revolver into the left hand and then reloading from a speedloader on your strong side. Most of the stupid hollywood movies show them on the weak side (I guess both work)

Any old police officers here who used dump pouches? Which side did you keep those?
 
Another vote for speedloaders being carried on the right side and magazines on the left (assuming a right-handed person). The only problem I have with this formula is when pocket carrying a revolver and I'm not wearing a jacket.
 
I'm right handed, and carry a revolver reload on my right side. The revolver is moved to the left hand temporarily so my left fingers can support the cylinder and more dextrous right hand can load the cartridges, then back to the right hand for shooting. This remains so even if I carry the revolver crossdraw. (For a pistol you carry the reload, i.e., the magazine, on the opposite side from the gun.)
 
It sort of depend on the kind of loader too

Safariland usually works better (speed) on the strong side (change hands), moonclips better on the left (maintain master grip). I've worked with Safariland, HKS and Dade from both the right and left sides...and it really makes a difference in comfort
 
Back in the day the speedloader pouch was carried just to the right of the belt buckle, dump spent casings with left hand and recharge with right.

Dan Wesson models, with their crane located open cylinder button, slow me down a bit. :)
 
Before we were issued speed loaders, we had the old dump pouches and they were also carried on the right side of the buckle. Then we went to speed strips carried in the pouch. The first dump pouches were carried "upside down" which always had the jokester reacing over and unsnaping it, sending rounds on the floor. Later we got the pouches that had a leather "hinge" so the snaps ere on top.

Hey, I rememder up into the early 80's, the local Sheriff's office carried the twelve round belt slide with cartridge loops. No weather protection at all.
 
I carry cross draw most of the time, and therefore carry my speed loaders on my right. There are times this is reversed though.

GS
 
My dept. mandated (1970s) dump pouches on left then when we were allowed speed loaders they also were required to be on the left. Fire all 6 open revolver elevate vertical hit ejector with weak hand, place revolver in left hand, draw speed loader with right hand, load, drop speed loader, close revolver return to right hand.


Scott Campbell
Remember wheel guns are real guns too
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Hey, I rememder up into the early 80's, the local Sheriff's office carried the twelve round belt slide with cartridge loops. No weather protection at all.
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When I graduated the academy in 1980, we all wore out cartridge loops because they were so much more impressive looking, with shined bullets and cases, than dump pouches of speedloader pouches (we were given the option)...that was the last time I ever used it.

The SO issued the loops and the PD issued the dump pouches...but none of us ever used them.

I can actually reload six rounds faster using belt loops (grabbing two rounds at a time) than loose rounds in a dump pouch...we had competitions in the academy, both in lighted conditions and in the dark. I could load faster using the loops, in the dark, than half the class using speedoaders...it is all about technique
 
How did you guys with Dump pouches do it?

Carry strong or weak side?
If you carried strong and shifted the revolver to weak for reload, when you dumped, did you keep all the rounds in your hand, or put them in the left hand with the gun and use it as a loading tray?

Thanks
 
chrisf8657 said:
How did you guys with Dump pouches do it?

Carry strong or weak side?
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It would be the same as a speedloader; change hands:strong side, weak hand:weak side. You just open the pouch and let the rounds fall into your hand. If you understand what you are doing, it can be pretty smooth, but not as fast as using loops.

If you carried strong and shifted the revolver to weak for reload, when you dumped, did you keep all the rounds in your hand, or put them in the left hand with the gun and use it as a loading tray?
Click to expand...
I've actually seen it done that way and he was the butt of jokes for the rest of the week.

The trick to loading efficiently (it's never quick) from pouches is the orientation of the cartridges in the pouch (so they fall correctly) and how you catch them in your hand (to reduce reorienting your wrist as you load). The bullets should point away from your thumb
 
Mr. Moderator is 100% correct. It's just practice and muscle memory under stress, correctly loading the pouch and so on. We could actually get more rounds in the dump pouch before we went to speed strips. I know it sounds so slow compaired to the newer officers used to autos and mags, but the concept of having your mags facing the correct way for a reload is the same.

As for lack of available ammo or slow reloads, most of us carried a .38 snub BUG in our coat pocket, or an AMT 380 in the back pocket.
 
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