What Speedloaders Do You Like?

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Nalapombu

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Hey,

I have a S&W 357 and I have always used HKS Speedloaders. Lately I have read about some of the others from Maxfire (I think) and Safariland Comp I, II, and III. Although I have never seen or used any of the other brands, many people seem to like them.
What do you all think? Which loaders do you prefer? Are the Safariland loaders better than the HKS?
Post your thoughts...

Nala
 
FWIW, I prefer the Comp II's first, then the Comp I's. They are smoother and faster for me than the HKS's. The finger grooves on the Comp II's line my fingers up with the cylinders, and the rounds go right into the chambers without any hangups or problems. With practice, it is very, very smooth and quick. Haven't used the other brands though..
 
Just say no to Maxfires. If you don't believe me then do a search and find hundreds of other dissatisfied customers.
 
Comp II's hold the rounds better than the HKS's in my opinion. The HKS's let the rounds flop a little to much and it is harder to reload fast with them, because the rounds don't always line up with the holes.
 
I have used the Maxfires and find them a bit awkward to use, and they want to drop rounds while riding in a fanny pack. I can't really compare because this is the only speedloader I have found for a Taurus five shot .41mag, the only double action I own. If anyone knows of another brand, I would love to try them. Jim.
 
i've owned and extensively used the safariland I&II, hks, dade and second-six speedloaders. i've also tried the safariland III and maxfire. (yup, my gunning started with wheelguns)

the fastest to use were the dade, but they would loose rounds if dropped, the safariland III comes close but is a bit bulky to carry...both were designed for competition.

the safariland I is the most compact and it's flaws (no index for fingers, small knob) were corrected in the II. the rounds don't come loose and they don't jiggle in the loader

the hks has a taller release knob, but there is a bit less to grab (diameter-wise). they do not have index notches. what they do have going for them is they make a model for just about any wheelgun you might have. the hks requires two motions to use while the safariland only requires one.

safariland used to make serveral more models, but the only ones i see now are for the small and medium frames. i had to go with hks for my L-frame 696 because they were the only ones making one for the .44 5-shot
 
I'm in the process of converting my "serious social use" revolvers to moon-clips, because I'm not happy with the speed of reloading of any of the speedloader designs. See www.moonclips.com for details, and to have the work done, PM Wildalaska for further information. He's just sent back two of mine - and has one VERY satisfied customer in me! :D :D :D
 
I've used both HKS and Safariland and as noted above prefer Safariland due to one less motion to release. Safariland does make a large speedloader for the .44 mag as I recall as have several for a 629.
 
I've only used the HKS speedloaders, and never tried the Comp's from Safariland. None of the gun shops around here stock them...only HKS...

What is the difference in function between the HKS and Safariland Comp II's......?

Maybe the next time I order from Midway, I'll get a couple if they're "that" much better than the HKS's I'm using now.....:confused:
 
With the Comp II's, you just insert the rounds and keep pushing. The rounds release into the cylinder without you having to do anything else. It is one simple easy motion.

On the HKS's, first you put the rounds in just like above, and then you have to twist the knob. That's two motions and takes more time.

Plus, the HKS's seem to hang up a lot more (so I have to jiggle it to get the rounds to fall into the cylinder) than the Comp II's. When I practice, the Comp II's don't hangup on me.

So altogether, the Comp II's are a lot smoother and faster for me to use than the HKS's. Those HKS's are built like a brick though.

Speedwise, the Comp I's are between the Comp II & HKS for me.
 
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I have always used the HKS speedloaders. They seem very secure but you do have to practice with them as it's a little more complicated. Of course now I have a handgun that uses moonclips so I don't have to deal with that anymore.
 
Where can you get the Comp I & II's....No one around here carries them...I need an internet source...Thanks
 
I like Comp 1s for pocket carry, because they are more compact. I prefer Comp 2s for carrying when I will have the speedloaders in some kind of leather, as the large knobs make them easier to pull out quickly. Both are just as easy to unload into the gun, though. Just insert and push. It's all a matter of how I'll be carrying them. The Comp 2s are easier to load due to the large knob, though. So they're nice for taking to the range.

Ebay is a good source for safariland speedloaders on the internet. You might be able to get a nice holster and speedloaders for the price of one new one somewhere else.
 
I understand the safariland speedloaders are basically push to eject, but what are the mechanics of it? I suppose I could buy one and take it apart. The HKS design seems durable to me with few parts that can break or fail to operate. When I'm using a revolver (my home piece), its that reliability that I am looking for.
 
With the Safariland speedloaders you insert the cartridges then push them into the loader while pushing the "button" and twisting it slightly until it snaps locked. This forces the "star" away from the loader and against the walls of the cases at the rim and holds them tightly.


WHen you insert it to load the gun the star presses against the cylinder until it snaps open rotating the star to release the cartridges allowing them to drop into the chambers.

The only way to unload the Safariland loader is to push against the star which is surrounded and protected by the cartridges.

If you need me to, I can do some photos showing this later today.
 
I prefer the simpler motion of the Safariland units. If you use the HKS loaders, be wary of handling them by the knob instead of the speedloader body. I've seen people dump the rounds prematurely because they grabbed the knob for handling the loader. In terms of quality and retention of rounds if dropped, etc, the HKS units are fine. I once saw a photo of a couple of HKS loaders that were filled, and then run in a paint can that was placed in a paint mixer for several minutes. The hollowpoints on the ammo were battered closed, but all teh rounds were still in the loaders.
 
I am a huge fan of Safariland Speedloaders, specifically the CH7 model. This is the only speedloader I will use now, with my snubbies.

For my N Frame Smith's, I like the HKS speedloaders. The ones I bought for my 25-5 (.45 colt)work just as well for my Model 29 Mountain gun(.44 Mag)
 
There's an issue about my Safariland Comp II's that I'd like to mention. First, they are great speedloaders. My concern: speedloaders have only two applications that I can think of. These are competition and combat. If the user of the revolver is in a possible life-or-death situation, small motor co-ordination can go out the window. Thus, if one tries to force the cartridges into the cylinder before they are properly aligned, the loader can release them before they are in place. This might dump the new loads, causing a real problem for the user. This is theoretical, I know, but I've been able to reproduce it at home. The HKS can't release the cartridges until the knob is twisted. Any thoughts?

Chuck
 
never heard of that problem, but i'm interested...

a question...how do you force the release of the cartridges being held in the speedloader without first aligning them with the chambers. the release is buried so far down between the cases that the only way i could do it would be to push the ejector rod in.

the comp 1 is just as fast as the comp 2 when looking at the loader/cylinder while loading, but...i've found the comp 2 faster when practicing loading in the dark (loading with eyes closed)

we older guys who carried wheelguns for a living have all kinds of hidden skills :neener:
 
Safariland Comp II Instructions

Hey out there. Anyone know where I can download a copy of instructions on loading the Comp II's. I've been away from my wheelguns too long and I want to shoot in against some of these quick young uns in an upcoming match. Thanks in advance....:D the Wethammer
 
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