Left handed reloads
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WardenWolf
member
In my opinion, if you want fast reloads, you should use a semi. If you have to reload a revolver fast, you're already in way over your head. However, the way I would recommend is tilt the revolver to the right side, grip the top with your right hand and press the cylinder release and swing it out. Eject the cartridges. Then put the new ammo in. I will tell you this, however: speedloaders, aren't. They're typically very slow and you frequently drop ammo because the rounds get stuck and you have to jiggle them loose from the speedloader. Plus there's the problem of aligning all 6 cartridges with the cylinder at once. Moon clips are usually the way to go, if your revolver supports them.
I'm usually a tactical glock 22 shooter so I agree with the statement referencing speed with the semi. However I see some real fast revolver reloads by comp shooters. Just wanted to know if there was a left hand way of doing this.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Well, right handers always transfer the gun to the left hand so they can use the strong right hand to handle the speed loaders.
Seems you are just going to need to do the opposite so you can use your strong left hand to handle the speed-loaders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srM2qghDFuI&feature=related
rc
Seems you are just going to need to do the opposite so you can use your strong left hand to handle the speed-loaders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srM2qghDFuI&feature=related
rc
SharpsDressedMan
member
rcmodel is absolutely right. I'm a lefty, and upon firing six from the revolver, I shift it to the right hand, open the gun and dump (vertical barrel, snappy tap to the ejection rod downward with the left palm), grab speedloader with the left hand and insert, shift revolver to the left hand again & simultaneously close the cylinder as the gun is shifted with RIGHT hand, and take up the Weaver grip again. With a little practice, this should become sufficiently fast. You may improve on this, but it sure works for me.
greyling22
Member
I"m a lefty (well, all mixed up dominance wise, but I shoot lefty) and reload exactly like miculek does in the video. shift gun, open with right thumb, shove cylinder open with middle 2 fingers of my left hand, load with right hand.
SharpsDressedMan
member
Greyling22, I beg to differ on this point. For me, loading the next six with the LEFT hand is more natural for me, so I keep the revolver in the right hand during that part of the exercise. Are you really more comfortable and natural loading the rounds with your weak hand? I guess I just have more dexterity in my strong/left hand.
friscolatchi
Member
I agree with Greyling - I'm a lefty also.
It's way easier to switch, re-load and switch using a conventional revolver then to "relearn" doing it left handed. I shoot the nasty and biting MP340 ( I call her Nitro) right handed for part of my training, and I don't have to relearn anything. My revolver "muscle memory is shooting left and reloadng right Lets see.... Left handed? no is it right handed?... maybe left? no right?.... thank God it's a belly gun....
It's way easier to switch, re-load and switch using a conventional revolver then to "relearn" doing it left handed. I shoot the nasty and biting MP340 ( I call her Nitro) right handed for part of my training, and I don't have to relearn anything. My revolver "muscle memory is shooting left and reloadng right Lets see.... Left handed? no is it right handed?... maybe left? no right?.... thank God it's a belly gun....
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remingtondude58
Member
Does the Colt have a release like a Ruger where you push it in, or a S&W where you push it forward? I think the S&W is hard (I am a lefty), but the Ruger seems a lot easier.
MedWheeler
Member
More than twenty years ago, I found myself the only LH law enforcement recruit in a class of forty-four. I had just recently been taught by a private tactical instructor a functional and swift reload technique for revolvers using speedloaders. Using this technique, I was able to rival most, if not all, the others' reload times in my class. The technique, all other factors being equal, adds probably between one half of and one full second to a reload. I never learned any others, so I do not know if any have been developed.
I'll try my best to describe the one I used.
As the need or want for reload is determined, the cylinder release is actuated with the thumb of the left hand, which must be swept high across the hammer. This is easier on Colt revolvers, but can be mastered on others. It's probably hardest on Rugers, since the side of the thumb would be used on the release button. I never tried it on a Ruger. As this is being done, the weapon is lowered to near-belt level and rotated upward. The left hand is quickly drawn away and moves to the belt for the speedloader. It is simultaneously replaced by the right hand, which holds the weapon in the following manner: inside of frame top strap resting on back of thumb base, middle pad of index finger on tip of ejector rod, and remaining three fingers across front and side of cylinder. Thumb base (right) is supporting the gun from beneath the top strap. It is the tip of the right thumb that actually pushes the cylinder out.
The gun is kept pointed up, but rotated laterally slightly to the left to insure the empty cases fall clearly as the right index finger thrusts the ejector rod.
At this time, the left hand is arriving back at the weapon with the speedloader. The revolver is rolled back muzzle-downward, and the speedloader is deployed. As the left hand allows the now-empty loader to fall freely, it grasps the grip and the right hand is withdrawn from inside the frame, closing the cylinder behind it with the four fingers as the gun is rotated back laterally to the right to a more "upright" position (grip perpendicular to the ground), and raised back to appropriate level.
This sounds more complicated than it actually is. I ended up actually being asked to teach it to my academy instructors, and, later, to left-handed LEOs. The nice aspect of it is that it ends with the shooter's strong hand back in control of the gun even before the cylinder is finished being slammed shut. The weak hand is never on the grip.
I'll try my best to describe the one I used.
As the need or want for reload is determined, the cylinder release is actuated with the thumb of the left hand, which must be swept high across the hammer. This is easier on Colt revolvers, but can be mastered on others. It's probably hardest on Rugers, since the side of the thumb would be used on the release button. I never tried it on a Ruger. As this is being done, the weapon is lowered to near-belt level and rotated upward. The left hand is quickly drawn away and moves to the belt for the speedloader. It is simultaneously replaced by the right hand, which holds the weapon in the following manner: inside of frame top strap resting on back of thumb base, middle pad of index finger on tip of ejector rod, and remaining three fingers across front and side of cylinder. Thumb base (right) is supporting the gun from beneath the top strap. It is the tip of the right thumb that actually pushes the cylinder out.
The gun is kept pointed up, but rotated laterally slightly to the left to insure the empty cases fall clearly as the right index finger thrusts the ejector rod.
At this time, the left hand is arriving back at the weapon with the speedloader. The revolver is rolled back muzzle-downward, and the speedloader is deployed. As the left hand allows the now-empty loader to fall freely, it grasps the grip and the right hand is withdrawn from inside the frame, closing the cylinder behind it with the four fingers as the gun is rotated back laterally to the right to a more "upright" position (grip perpendicular to the ground), and raised back to appropriate level.
This sounds more complicated than it actually is. I ended up actually being asked to teach it to my academy instructors, and, later, to left-handed LEOs. The nice aspect of it is that it ends with the shooter's strong hand back in control of the gun even before the cylinder is finished being slammed shut. The weak hand is never on the grip.
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well.. I am a righty and I support the revolver in my right hand and load with my left (moon clips usually) I just assumed a lefty would do the opposite, guess everyone does what is best for them... regardless of what makes sense..
sonier
Member
well all of you saying if you need to reload fast get a semi. if you need a semi pistol then you would be better off with a accurate semi rifle lol.
as the military says if you need your pistol your screwed
but
a revolver has what a semi usually dont "POWER"
as the military says if you need your pistol your screwed
but
a revolver has what a semi usually dont "POWER"
i wheelgun can be reloaded just as fast as a semi-auto...when using a speedloader. with a moon clip the wheelgun can actually be faster. the advantage of the semi-auto is that each reload loads more rounds into the pistol...it just takes more practice with a speedloader. i saw this demonstrated between a Beretta 92 (which has a huge mag well) and a S&W M-19 using HKS speedloaders (which are slower than the Safariland loaders) good technique avoid dropping rounds and a good speedloader avoids having to jiggle the rounds
it's much harder to do left-handed. you can't just do it the oposite of a right-handed person, because the cylinder opens to the left (away from the support hand). the Colt is actually easier because of the release moving to the rear. the only effiecient way to do it is just as a right handed shooter would...otherwise you'll end up crossing your arms trying to reach the cylinder which is being blocked by the back of your shooting hand...unless you want to turn the gun up side down to access the cylinder with your right hand.
at least that's how we were taught in the academy and how i've taught students
it's much harder to do left-handed. you can't just do it the oposite of a right-handed person, because the cylinder opens to the left (away from the support hand). the Colt is actually easier because of the release moving to the rear. the only effiecient way to do it is just as a right handed shooter would...otherwise you'll end up crossing your arms trying to reach the cylinder which is being blocked by the back of your shooting hand...unless you want to turn the gun up side down to access the cylinder with your right hand.
at least that's how we were taught in the academy and how i've taught students
thesecond
Member
The Colt with a cylinder release button moving to the rear is more difficult for one-handed reloads. It can be done right/left single-handed with Smith and Wessons (with weak hand to throw loader in), with practice, because the push-forward of the cylinder release more easily allows the one hand to maintain a positive purchase on the frame when pushing the cylinder open.
MedWheeler
Member
PT1911 wrote: >>>I just assumed a lefty would do the opposite, guess everyone does what is best for them... regardless of what makes sense..<<<
Remember that a lefty cannot simply reverse all moves and positions while reloading a revolver unless the revolver is also reversed (left-handed model.) Top-break models would, of course, be ambidextrous.
Also, how do you differentiate between "what is best for them", and "what makes sense"? I find the two terms to be synonymous.
Remember that a lefty cannot simply reverse all moves and positions while reloading a revolver unless the revolver is also reversed (left-handed model.) Top-break models would, of course, be ambidextrous.
Also, how do you differentiate between "what is best for them", and "what makes sense"? I find the two terms to be synonymous.
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