Who has had problems with their Safariland speed loaders dumping rounds?

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

flip180

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2004
Messages
722
I have gotten back into pocket carry buy buying another S&W 642 with a Milt-Sparks pocket holster. I had that same combo in the past but, I foolishly sold them off. I'm currently speed stripping it as far as carrying extra rounds go but have two Safariland Comp-I's on order with my local gun store. I am a search button kind of guy which is why I don't post too much. Most of my questions are answered using that button. I have ran accross an instance or two while searching where the Safariland speed loaders will release their roinds either in the pocket or when accidentally dropped. I've used HKS in the past but I like the simple idea of just haveing to push the loader against the star of the ejector to release the rounds with the Safariland's. It just seems to me that that is more of a gross motor movement and easier to do under stress. I just can't get used to the speed strips. I fumble too much with them to be any good under stress with them.

Thanks, Flip.
 
I haven't had this problem myself. I saw a reference to it on one of the boards (maybe here?) that said the problem is caused by how you load the loaders. Instead of pressing the bullets point down on a table and pushing down on the speedloader from the top, try holding the speedloader in your hand, with the bullets facing up, and then push down on the bullets with one hand while you lock the loader with the other.

That's what I seem to remember from that other post. Try that and any other variation on how you load the rounds you can think of and see if it makes a difference. Btw, that is how I load my Comp II's and I've yet to have any problems. I only recently switched from HKS though, so I might not have been using them long enough for problems to appear.
 
I carried Safariland Comp II speedloaders on duty for 8 years, I also used the Comp II speedloaders in PPC competition, they worked very well for me. I never had a Comp II speedloader do anything funny while on duty, during all those years in competition I did drop a speedloader a few times, I found that when a speedloader hits a hard surface it will release the rounds, a soft surface like grass didn't cause a problem.

I never had that happen except in competition, when I was really trying to load as fast as possible, as a smart competitor I always carried at least one extra speedloader when I was competing.

Can it happen? Under certain conditions it can.
Is it a problem? I didn't think so.
 
Interesting blog article - I see you use the Comp II's. Any experience with the Comp I's for j-frame use? I, too use speed strips right now, but I'd like a couple speedloaders to keep in a jacket pocket for faster reloads. :)
 
Yes, I do use Comp I for J-frames; they are functionally identical to the Comp II, just without the shrouded button.

While I don't have the thousands of reload cycles on any of my Comp I (I just don't shoot J frames all that much), I have carried them for years with no problems. In fact, because I usually carry the Comp I in a jacket pocket - as opposed to the belt carrier I customarily use with the Comp II - I would have a greater expectation for problems, if there were any. Never had one.

The only time I use anything other than the Safarilands is if a) I have an SL Variant for the gun in use, or b) I'm using a gun for which neither Longwitz (SL Variant) nor Safariland made loaders. The incidence of the latter is, mercifully, fairly rare.
 
Have been carrying, using and abusing Comp I speedloaders for years and have never had that happen as long as the loader was properly "closed." If you don't fully rotate it to lock the cartridges. I suppose you could wear one of these out so it wouldn't lock up correctly, but it hasn't happened to me. The SL loaders are probably twice as fast to use as the HKS (that's a WAG but I bet I'm in the ballpark - used to use HKS).
 
Thanks for the info!

I've never used either brand with a j-frame. Back in the 80's when I was a Reserve Deputy, I used the HKS ones with a 686. Never liked how the rounds wobbled.

I'll pick up a couple Comp I's to try out...
 
I have Comp 1 and Comp 2's for SP-101 - no problems. I also have an N frame couple of Comp 2's for M28 - again no prob's.

They are tho a pain sometimes to charge and it is essential that the holding tabs rotate to full end travel. Does not matter which way you load them but that full travel is IMO the key essential. If Comp 3's were not so big they'd be the ultimate for speed but too big really for carry.

Biggest plus to me is that the rounds are held real firm - not sloppy like HKS, and release is fast and intuitive.
 
Thanks for the input everybody!

Now, to figure out a way to effectively carry them with good concealment and obtainability. I have been mulling it over for the past couple of days on how best to figure out a way to carry these. Speed strips are nice but like i said, I suck with them even with practice. They sit nice and flat in my pocket but when the other pocket is full of a gun, there isn't much room in the other three pockets for the wallet, cell phone, the E2O Surefire and my keys. Being as though speedloaders are as wide as the cylinder of the revolver which, is the hardest part to conceal, I don't feel the left front pocket with all that is in it is the best place for them. I don't want belt carry for those shirt tucked in days. I have thought about a form of neck carry with a military style dog-tag chain with an upside down double speed loader carrier to where the speed loaders are slung under my right arm. When a reload is needed, I reach up under my shirt with my right hand and pull out one loader and pop it in with my right hand while holding the revolver with my left hand. That stays with what I feel is a standard method of loading a revolver. That way I can tuck and untuck my shirt at will with out having to reposition my speedloaders. What do you think?

Thanks, Flip.
 
I use a Jetloader. Never dumped rounds, even when dropped on carpeted concrete floor.
 
I Can Answer This One

I've carried revolvers on my CHL for 10 years and have used both Safariland Comp-I's with my J-frames and N-frames for the first several years. Later I bought some HKS loaders as well.

In 1999 I attended LFI-I with Massad Ayoob and put 500 rounds of .41 Magnum downrange in two days. Boy did I learn a lot about speedloaders!

Over time, it seems like the spring in the Comp-I's weaken if kept loaded for long periods of time. As time went on it became more and more difficult to push hard enough on the speedloader to release the bullets. It seems this is not as common in the Comp-IIs and Comp-IIIs as I have both of these models and they have been left loaded much longer than the Comp-I's I used to use. Talking with some old hands at my old club who shot PPC they found the same thing in their use of them. It seems to vary somewhat though depending on how often they are left loaded. Ayoob suggested using HKS as well given their ruggedness.

The other thing I learned at LFI is that I was able to reload my revolver just as quickly whether it was a HKS or Safariland Comp-I loaded. Not someone else...ME. So I dumped the Safariland loaders and gradually replaced them all with HKS models.

Hope this helps.
 
Used Comp IIs for many years with my duty Security Sixes. Also knew the guy who designed and manufactured them for Safariland...

I kept a pair for range use and practice and abused them regularly. Never had a minute's trouble with them and still have them. They are probably getting on towards 20+ years old now.

Never had any use for HKS--cheaper but not worth even that IMHO.
 
Had many HKS, swapped them for SLs several years past.

Have never regretted it.

Some of my Comp Is have seen upwards of 2,000 reloads w/o a hitch.
 
OK,I may crazy,but for my j frame,I find the HKS 's to work better.The comp.I's I've tried actually take longer.Now with my k frame I use the compIII's and they're waaaay faster.Maybe I just need to practice more with the j frame.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

W
  • Locked
Safariland COMP-2 Speed loader
Replies
7
Views
765
Jim Watson
J
B
  • Locked
Funny little speed strips
2 3
Replies
67
Views
4K
CajunBass
CajunBass
N
  • Locked
Carrying Safariland Comp I Speed Loaders
Replies
5
Views
1K
Malamute
M
N
  • Locked
Speed loader and S&W Model 60-4
Replies
1
Views
414
ruger357
R
weblance
  • Locked
Safariland vs HKS Speedloader
2
Replies
39
Views
7K
Malamute
M
Back
Top