Ayoob Stressfire reload. Opinions wanted please

[EricO]

What do people here think of this reload technique? I've never owned a revolver (I'd like to change that) yet the rationale and explanations for the technique seem to have many merits. Yes, it may save a fraction of a second or even a full second or two with the FBI style, but the sureness of the Ayoob technique seems comforting. Please, lets hear some opinions. Which of you use it, are familiar with it, despise it, or wonder what the @#$! I'm even talking about!
EricO
by the way, the revolvers I'd love to have (in no particular order) are:
S & W model 27 and 28 - 4" or shorter
S & W model 625 4" or 5"
S & W model 65 3"
S & W model 66 2 & 1/2"

 

[4v50 Gary]

Educate me. What is it?

 

[SnWnMe]

Knowing Ayoob, it's probably the "insert two rounds and close the cylinder" reload. I remember him writing about this in Amer. Handgunner a few times. The rationale was to get you back in the fight ASAP.

BTW EricO. The 625s are probably the best revos that Smith makes.

The full lugged gun in the pic is the 625

 

[Hkmp5sd]

I've seen Ayoob do the revolver reload with speedloaders and he is fast! He can do it faster than most folks can replace magazines in an autoloader.

I have practiced it with my Ruger GP-100 and have become fairly proficient with it. It does work.

 

[VictorLouis]

I've used it ever since I read it about it the first time. IIRC, it was his book "StressFire", rather than in a magazine article.

 

[CWL]

I don't know what this technique is but there's a guy who shoots IDPA at our Chabot Gun Club (CA) meets with six-guns.

He shoots and reloads as fast or faster than any of us semi-auto guys. Practice gives smoothness and speed.

 

[EricO]

4v50Gary, I'm short of time so I can't quote verbatim from one of his articles or a book. The tech. has the user's (assuming a right handed shooter) left hand coming down forcefully on the ejector rod directly after opening the cylinder and grasping the gun with the web of the right hand under the hammer spur, with the thumb parallel to the barrel. (Actually, I did quickly find an article - this was paraphrased from it). The tech has the gun oriented perpendicular to the ground instead of the old FBI tech, which has it more at a diagonal. The hard slap on the ejector rod better serves better than a press with the left hand thumb to release "fire formed cases" and makes it "impossible for a cartidge rim to get caught under the ejector star using this technique." That is one prominent difference in the reload.

SnWmMe - Nice 625! Yes, I need to purchase a revolver to become adept with it. It's a glaring omission to my skills.

Hk..- Yes, I've seen him on tape perform a reload. He is fast and smooth. Now, he's not as fast as Miculek, but the tech are different, and Mic' uses the FBI style and doesn't use speed reloaders also. Ayoob's tech has to be slightly slower because the right hand isn't released to retrieve the ammo as soon as the FBI tech, but it is SURER, and that has to count.

VictorLouis - Do you have any insight you can offer regarding the comparison?

CWL - Yes, smoothness and practice, speed follows.

EricO

 

[Hkmp5sd]

For the average person, the Ayoob method is better than the FBI technique because it is easier to learn and become proficient and takes less practice to maintain that proficiency.

4v50Gary,

Ayoob's method (hard to describe without photos):

1. Move the muzzle upward while releasing the cylinder. Slap the ejector rod with the left hand.

2. Shift the gun to the left hand by grabbing the cylinder. The index and middle finger go around the ejector rod while the thumb goes over the cylinder, holding it firmly open. The left hand thumb and index finger acually touch each other on the otherside of the frame, the thumb going through the cylinder opening and the index finger under the frame. At the same time, rotate the gun so the barrel is pointing down.

3. Grip the speedloader with the right hand by having the fingers and thumb parallel to the bullets, the release knob touching the palm of the hand. The fingertips extend past the end of the bullets so they can be used to align the speedloader by encircling the cyclinder. This permits reloading in complete darkness.

4. Using the fingers to align the speedloader, insert the bullets into the cylinder.

5. Turn the release knob of the speedloader and then let go of the speedloader so that it falls out of the way.

6. Move the right hand back into the firing position on the gun while using the left hand to close the cylinder and bringing the gun back into position to fire.

 

[Drifting Fate]

I don't agree with everything Ayoob says, but I think his revolver reload technique is about the best out there.

The advantages really come out when you think about the loss of fine motor skills under extreme stress.

You are using the entire left hand, not just trying to fiddle with the thumb on your weak hand. This leads to positive extraction and works with the body. You are using the dominate hand to manipulate the speedloader, which helps reduce the effect of your body converting over to gross muscle movements. Also, you are bracing the entire gun and cylinder in your weak hand to prevent cylinder movement.

Frankly, it's a good system. I think there are techniques that can post better times on the range, but don't think that they will reliably work as well under the stress of a fight.

 

[BluesBear]

I think the Ayoob reload works better with the Safariland speedloaders than with HKS. The Safariland release automatically when you press it against the cylinder while the HKS has a knob you have to turn. Since you're pushing the speedloader with the palm of your hand in the Ayoob tech you don't have to worry about the knob.

 

[Jeff OTMG]

I don't care for the Stressfire technique, having been raised on the FBI method of using the thumb. I have managed to combine the two, still holding the gun in the left hand only with the muzzle up then slapping the ejector rod with the right hand. It has the advantage of not having the right hand behind the cylinder for the empties to hang up on. To me it gives a more firm grip since you have two fingers (middle and ring) sticking through the frame window holding the cylinder. It just seems easier to me since I shoot two handed and my left hand is there already to push the cylinder open with the two fingers. The right hand just has to let go, slap the rod, and reach for the reload.

 

[Dave T]

I was shown a techinque something like what Jef OTMG is describing. The guy demonstrating it was an old Border Patrolman.

He opened the cylinder with his left hand and held it with his left hand thumb, while the fingers of the left hand went in the frame opening and held the cylinder from that side. He moved the gun somewhat to his left side with the back of the cylinder pointing back and to the left. He then smacked the ejector rod with the open palm of his right hand, forcefully ejecting the empty cases. Then he would rotate the gun into a slightly barrel down position and use his right hand to insert the speed loader and release it, then re-grasp the grip in his right hand and close the cylinder with the left. All the while he had his head up and was scanning the target area.

Although this technique wouldn't win any matches, I suspect it might just win a fight!

 

[Majic]

I too prefer the FBI method as the right hand has gotten completely out of the way and there is nothing to impeded the ejection of the fired cases.