696 speedloader?

[fridlo]

Roadies --

I asked this question on another thread, but I think it's buried too far in the thread for anyone to see it.

I'm looking for a speedloader for a S&W 696. At a gun show, the only one I could find was one for a Charter Arms .44, but it looked a bit small. Will this one work okay in a 696? If not, which speedloader does work with a 696? Thanks!

Fridlo (new guy)
[email protected]

 

[Preacherman]

Yes, the HKS speedloader model CA-44 for the Charter Arms Bulldog will work with the 696 (also with the Rossi 720, Taurus 431, etc.).

 

[fridlo]

Thanks Prescherman!

Fridlo

 

[Brasso]

It works, but barely. It is just a tad too small to be as effective as it should be, but it does work. It's about the same as trying to use a 686 speed loader in a GP100, it works, but not as well as you would like it to.

 

[Dave T]

I agree with Brasso, the CA-44 works but not well. HKS would have probably come out with dedicated 696/396/296 speed loaders except the bean counters at S&W refuse to keep any 44 Special in continuious production.

 

[Gewehr98]

Fridlo, sorry for not answering your question in the other thread...

Been awfully busy, and the thread got buried pretty quickly. Yes, I use the HKS CA-44 for my 696. The rounds are locked in, but they're really sloppy as they're held inside the speedloader. The 200gr Federal LSWCHP load I carry in the gun and speedloader find their centers pretty quickly, even though the speedloader is sloppy. (Compared to the HKS and Safariland speedloaders I have for my .38 Spl race gun, .357 Model 19, and .38 Spl Model 36)