Wheelgunners: CCW: Cartridge belt, Speedloader, a few in pocket?

Bianchi

Speed Strip. For a while I was carrying 5 rounds for my 642 in the speed strip because I saw pictures on the message boards that showed other people carrying 5 extra rounds. Than, one day I thought to myself, one extra cartridge doesn't weigh all that much, why not carry six?

So, under your 1 or 2 shot find cover scenerio, you could reload only the 1 or 2 spent shells. Although, in a real shooting situation, I'm not sure if I'd be calm enough to open the cylinder, identify the empty casings and swap them out for live rounds.

But, having 11 rounds available makes the 642 a dandy front pocket pistol.

New York Reload/Tactical Reload

Personally, I carry two five-round S&W Centennials plus six rounds in a DeSantis 2+2+2 pouch, just to the right of my belt buckle, where it is accessible to either hand. Obviously, the second revolver would be the fastest reload. I do not carry a Speed Strip because, if I ever have to perform a reload one-handed, the Speed Strip would pull the two-inch barrel of the revolver out of my waistband, where I would need to stuff it in order to accomplish the one-handed reload.

As to distinguishing the fired from the unfired rounds for a tactical reload, I use the old LASD technique. If the revolver is in the right hand, when you open the cylinder, depress the muzzle only about 30 degrees. Place the right thumb at the center of the extractor star, after you have opened the action (swung the cylinder out of the frame) and press the ejector rod part-way back; the right thumb will keep you from dumping all the rounds from the cylinder. Most of the time, when you release the ejector rod, the empty cases will stay back and the weight of the bullets will make the unfired rounds follow the extractor star back into place. You can then pluck out the fired cases and can replace them, one or two at a time, as appropriate, from belt loops or a 2+2+2 pouch. If you are holding the revolver in your left hand, you can use the left index finger in place of the right thumb, to prevent a full-length stroke of the ejector rod, under stress.

I bring this up since my earlier training with instructors taught that in a firefight it was best that after firing 1 or 2 rds, you should have been able to reach some kind of cover.

You're actually better off going to cover first. If the BG has a firearm he has already displayed it and the intent to use it you'll be trying to draw,aim,and fire and he alreday has his gun out. I heard a stat saying that something like 98% of LEOs who take cover first come out of the fight without a scratch. I was 17 in basic training and they told us if you are fired on to take cover first. If he's using a knife and is that close falling on your gluteous maximus will give you time to draw and you'll be able to fend off any slices or stabs with your feet. Shoes give a lot of protection from a knife and even if you have sandals on I'd rather take a cut or stab to the feet or legs than the torso.

If I'm carrying a revolver obviously a NY reload (as spwenger said) is the fastest reload in the world. I carry at least one reload for any gun I'm carrying. A 2x2 pouch or a dump pouch with a speed strip and a speedloader is what I usually carry for a revolver. I have the 2x2 or dump pouch for partial reloads and the speedloader for a complete reload. I might throw a few extra speedloaders in my pocket (with nothing else in that pocket). I never cared for carrying loose rounds in my pocket. I found a speed strip in my pocket would usually result in in the rounds coming off the speed strip.

Although, in a real shooting situation, I'm not sure if I'd be calm enough to open the cylinder, identify the empty casings and swap them out for live rounds.


I agree. That's the importance of carrying that reload. You can just dump them all. Most likely the fight will be over before you empty your revolver.

I was a LE firearms instructor for almost 30 years. The agency I worked for used Glocks as a primary and S&W j frames as a backup/off duty. Most agents never fired anything until the Glock in the academy and received no revolver training there. I would make them all adept at loading by hand and make them qualify without speedloaders (although speedloaders were allowed) for the reload stages before I would issue the revolver. Partial reloading drills were done but it's hard to be calm enough to do that in a fight. Just like counting your shots. Easy to do on the range but in a gunfight you will not be sure how many shots you fired. that's the importance of tactical (partial) reloading during a lull in the action.

I pocket carry a 642,and have 1 hks speedloader in my vest pocket,1 in coat pocket(if I wear one)......on really hot days when I don't wear a vest I put the speedloader in my strong side rear pocket.I like the idea of the strips,but never tried one.I also tried the comp 2 safarilands,but for some reason,they don't work well w/ my j frame.K frame,yes,but they get hung up w/ the 642.On the rare occasion I carry an auto,an extra mag goes in my weak side rear pocket.
Plus if I make it to my car,I have about a case of ammo in the trunk

I like the bianchi speed strip because it doesn't rattle and you can load as many as you want and it is flat. I also have on order a holster from simplyrugged.com that will have 5 loops sewn on the outside of the revolver.

TonyB said: I also tried the comp 2 safarilands, but for some reason, they don't work well w/ my j frame. K frame, yes, but they get hung up w/ the 642.

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Its the grips. My gut says your grips are rubber, and rather large compared to the earlier/original J-frame design. A J-frame has a lot less clearance than a K frame. When the grips on a J-frame are fitted with ones that fill your hand better, this can happen. Put on a set of wood ones on it, scalloped out to fit a speedloader, and that problem will go away. Or get rubber grips designed to specifically allow for that clearance.


Bianchi "slow strips" . . . I tried them in the shoothouses and in Sims. Forget it. Either I'll carry two revolvers, or just do something else when the only one runs dry. I've never seen anyone actually be able to use a Speed Strip in Sims. I've never even seen anyone use a speedloader in Sims. Neither have any of our Team Members that I can recall, and we've discussed this issue before because we use J-frames in Sims. Plenty of guys intended to, but things always seem to have a way of working out other ways when it came time to reload that revolver.

Speed Strips

I have a leather pocket on the inside left side of my vest.
Put your speed strip there.
Don't mix it up with your firearm or wallet of keys.
when you practice at the range, do a reload with your carry ammo and get used to the speed strip, this will also keep your carry ammo fresh.
I always start my carry gun practice by drawing and shooting the ammo thats in the gun. When I'm done reload with fresh stuff.

As long as you're carrying a speedloader, I wonder if there's an advantage to modding the cylinder to accept full moon clips? From what I've seen, they take up less room in the pocket (or on the belt) and they're easier/quicker to use under pressure.

Mad Magyar said:

I bring this up since my earlier training with instructors taught that in a firefight it was best that after firing 1 or 2 rds, you should have been able to reach some kind of cover. You should be concerned only with keeping the suspect from successfully rushing you. Load 1 or 2 from your pocket or cartridge belt.

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I just don't know how practical it would be to unload just a round or two from an otherwise full cylinder. I mean, the spent cases are going to be stuck in the chambers...which means you'll need to use the extractor. So, all the good rounds are going to want to come flying out at the same time.

I know that the theory is you push up part way on the extractor to just pop the rims of the spent cases up. Then you pull out the spent cases with your fingers...theoretically keeping the good cartridges in place. I just don't see this working under stress at all. I bet you'd end up dumping everything on the ground and now having an empty cylinder.

But I really don't know...it's not something I've ever practiced!

I just don't know how practical it would be to unload just a round or two from an otherwise full cylinder. I mean, the spent cases are going to be stuck in the chambers...which means you'll need to use the extractor. So, all the good rounds are going to want to come flying out at the same time.

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The solution to this problem of course is the uber-tactical single action revolver

have gun, did travel

Speaking of "uber tactical" single action revolvers. Ruger S. Blackhawk.
It's adequate to me.

I use a cartridge belt. Yes, I'll admit it, I'm an anachronism. It goes under pull over clothing and coats. Cold weather operations only.

One thing I can do, depending on the "tactical" situation. Oh yea, tactical.
I can flip open that reload gate and stoke one in at a time, like feeding a lever action.

The hot actions that I have been involved with always presented brief pauses that enabled reloads, although those were with a magazine.
Shooting never did involve a continuous or uninterrupted volley of hundreds of rounds. Even when that was coming my way! It's hard to imagine, but when reloads were required, it was almost always because of lack of "fire discipline" rather than enemy hordes.

I'm convinced that carries over into the civilian equivalent of self defense.

Perhaps someone could suggest a training method to instill fire discipline; my own method is simply self control. It is not that I cool headed either. It is just that I know that if I don't exercize it, I may end up loosing. Determination.

Cartridge belt...hmm, I like the idea myself...wonder if they make one that has stealth qualities? Well, in order to make the five rounds in my 642 count, I've decided to go with the Crimson Tracer LG-105 grip. I figure that if I place all five rounds where I want them, I may not need the reload...eh? Oh, the safari land speedloader does not work well, if at all, at times with the CT grip....so, I've gone the speed strip route. I carry four speed strips of four rounds each. I have it down pat, two rounds...gap...two rounds. These load fairly quickly...not having to worry about the lone 5th round. Close it up and ready to fire.

Bullfrogken:you're right,rubber grips...maybe I will get some wooden ones...not that I mind using the HKS..but it's good to have options.

I saw pictures on the message boards that showed other people carrying 5 extra rounds. Than, one day I thought to myself, one extra cartridge doesn't weigh all that much, why not carry six?

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From what I've read about it - it's not the weight saved, it's the extra room to grasp the strip for better control of it.

I dunno....if I carried a revolver, part of me thinks "speedloaders for ease of use," and part of me thinks "speed-strips for ease of carry/concealing."

Since if you need more than 5 or 6 shots, you probably need them FAST, I'd probably pick the former.

Generally just a K-frame and two Comp I or II speedloaders. Have been known to pocket strips -- birdshot for critters on trails/woods.

If I anticipate travelling through a not-so-pleasangt neighborhood, a second K-frame rides crossdraw to the IWB. This makes for a lightning reload whether standing, sitting, or other activity.

I'm partial to speed loaders, but I always have a speed stip in my watch pocket on jeans/ casual pants. Most of my dress pants have a pocket in the pocket, and the speed strip goes in there. It fits well. Oh, and mine are also downloaded to four (my 642 holds five).

When I took a class from Mike Debthencourt, he pointed out that putting two bullets (from the speed strip) into 6 empty holes is nice and easy. You have a lot of holes to choose from. Putting another two into 3 holes is also pretty easy. However, trying to line up the last bullet into the last hole takes way too much time. Also, by only loading 4 bullets, the strip becomes universal. If you drop it and bend over to grab it, it is the same from either end (I ignore that tabs).

I will put a loader in a pocket if I can.

Most of the time when I carry a revolver, its either in my pocket, in a pocket holster, or worn IWB in a holster. I have Sam Andrews make all my leather.
I use his speedloader holder. With this design, you sit the speedloader astride your belt, and wrap the leather pouch around it. This has a top snap, and is very fast to bring into action. The main benefit of Sam's speedloader pouch is that it is half as 'thick' on belt as a normal holder would be, so it is easier to conceal.

Usually, my reload is another revolver first, then Speed Strips. "Speed Strips" is an oxymoronic term in that they are NOT speedy or fast, but they are a convenient means of carrying a few rounds securely held together. Speed Strips ARE a quick way to load two rounds rather quickly. When I carried a sixgun as a primary duty sidearm as a big-city police officer, I carried a 2x2x2 carrier on one side of the buckle and two speedloaders on the other, plus a backup revolver, and I REALLY DO WISH that was still my duty rig set-up. In a moment of insanity, I switched to a 1911 right before a policy change to .40 autos, so I did not "grandfather" my sixguns. Once my 1911 fantasy was cured, I could not go back to the sixguns for uniformed duty, so now it's a SIG P229 with the DAK trigger, as close to a DA sixgun as possible. Thankfully, I can still carry revolvers off the clock and as back-ups while on the clock.

I keep a speed strip in the watch pocket of my jeans.

I currently pocket carry a 642 hammerless w/ 5 rounds in a Bianchi speed strip. Carrying that 6th round does have merit, though.

Open carry S&W 65 with two speedloaders. I have been trained only to load a revolver with a speedloader so no partial reloads for me. The speedloaders that push in are much better than the ones that twist IMO.
I wonder about a situation in which i have used say 3 rounds and then got to cover. Do I reload (and dump 3 live rounds) or shoot the thing dry ? Hope I never find out the answer the hard way...

By the way I have a have a S&W 627 and I find reloading with moonclips really slow and difficult. OK with something like round target ammo but difficult with hollowpoints and nigh-impossible with wadcutters. I guess the point of the 627 is that you don't need to reload !

Safariland Split Six

holds a speedloader on the centerline of the belt. I carry the N-frame in a Blade Tech IWB holster with the safariland speedloader holder and I'm good to go. If I have a jacket one, I drop another speed loader in the front pocket.

One Bianchi speed strip for my snubby.

I have practiced with it and became "less slow" than I used to be. I used "less slow" because no one will accuse me of being fast with it.

The speedloaders are too bulky for when I carry a snubby.