IDPA revolver gear

Status
Not open for further replies.

lions

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
1,204
Location
Kansas
I've been shooting with my G17 for a while now and I think its time to mix things up and shoot my S&W 19-4.

Problem is I don't have all the equipment I need and thats where you come in.:) I already have a holster but I need speedloaders and speedloader pouches. What are you using? What do you like? What should I stay away from? What will make me the blazing gunslinger that practice never could?:rolleyes:
 
ReadyTac's good stuff. I use and prefer their speedloader holders. BladeTech holders are another choice. For IDPA, avoid Safariland speedloader holders that don't cover the body of the speedloader.

I use cut down JetLoaders and Safariland CompIIIs (prefer the Jetloaders). CompIIs are good speedloaders, but if you're getting some purely for IDPA, CompIIIs or Jetloaders are the way to go. BTW, Midway currently has CompIIIs on sale.

What will make me the blazing gunslinger that practice never could?

A good dream :D Even with mac daddy gear, you'll need a metric boatload of practice to become that guy. And even more to be that guy while able to consistently hit the down zero zone before and after the reload. ;)
 
Thanks for the link, Jim. I'll be checking that out.

I think the safarilands will get the nod, especially considering they are on sale. Thanks for the very timely heads up MrBorland.

Oh, and I have a new press on the way to upgrade my single stage so I can get to work on that metric boatload!:D

Thanks again, gentlemen. And if anyone else has more info to share I'd love to hear it.
 
AVOID READY TACTICAL I have a bunch of his stuff - the speedloader holders will crack and break. (For full disclosure - I'm also still unhappy because the owner never shipped everything on a group order and ignored emails and regular mail letters - not the sort of guy you want to deal with!)

This guy makes a similiar, but better designed product. I had him make mine a little deep (for .357 Mags). http://grandfatheroak.com/
 
Oh, and I have a new press on the way to upgrade my single stage so I can get to work on that metric boatload!

Live fire's great, but don't forget you can practice your reloads (and other gunhandling skills) daily right in your own garage through dry-fire. It's very effective, and takes far less time and is far cheaper than going to the range daily.

Not the best vid (or reloads), but here's a vignette from my own session:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boGaIPyBNR0
 
Yes, you can learn a lot dryfire at home, especially with a revolver which you can cycle click, click, click without having to cock the hammer or rack the slide of an auto.

Some empty brass and some dummy rounds will let you practice reloads, just be sure the empties are empty and the dummys are really dumb. A couple of targets or half size targets cut out of cardboard will let you work on transitions. You can do all manner of high and low cover practice, although your family will think you are strange when you snap in at the villians on TV while hunkered down behind the easy chair.
 
What will make me the blazing gunslinger that practice never could?

Some empty brass and some dummy rounds will let you practice reloads

Just some follow-up on both points:

1). One of my own criticisms of my reload video is that I start with an empty cylinder. As Jim suggests, it's better to start with empties in the cylinder; otherwise, you can easily develop a "soft eject" habit, which is guaranteed to bite you in a match. And as far as the empties, dirty, non-resized brass - just as you'd be ejecting in a match - is best.

2). Cruise youtube, and you'll see plenty of fast IDPA/USPSA shooting & reloads, but it's important to keep something in mind: Vids often don't include full reloads (e.g. my vid, and even this one by a revolver GM) or information on actual hits made - and even if they did, they have little bearing on what your hits would be like at similar speed. It's an important point to make because the score is a combination of raw speed and accuracy. Use those vids for information and inspiration, and push your speed during dry fire session (a timer helps), but always remember that in a match, you'll always do best doing what you've practiced, and that boring 4-second reloads with no points down before or after the reload always trumps exciting 2.5-second reloads flanked by 5 PDs.
 
MrBorland, you mentioned BladeTech holders, are they good equipment? I'm asking because it would be cheaper than other options if I ordered them from midway along with the speedloaders but I only like to go cheaper if I'm getting a quality product.

I read your description of your reload technique in a recent thread, nice to see a video of it too. I have been practicing it and I really like it so far but I'm only doing half the equation until I get the rest of my gear in. Thank you for all your input.

although your family will think you are strange when you snap in at the villians on TV while hunkered down behind the easy chair.
Haha, they are used to me snap capping bad guys on tv. I hadn't thought of practicing my use of cover inside though, that could be good for some interesting looks tonight.

And good call on the empties, I'm going to start incorporating that. Thanks again.
 
I liked the BladeTech holders. I don't think there's a huge functional difference between them and the ReadyTacs. They probably don't, but the ReadyTacs seem to me to hold the speedloaders a bit more securely. Also, by design, you can slip them on & off without un-doing your belt. Unlike the ReadyTacs, though, the BladeTechs index the speedloader, so it's positioned the same way for each reload, and some might find this is a helpful feature. I have both, and tend to use the ReadyTacs, but the BladeTechs have worked well for me, too.

BTW, I have both the single and double BladeTech holders, but for IDPA, prefer singles, as they give me more flexibility to adjust their positions.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top