How Fast Are You When Speedloading Your Snub?

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

I need to know if I'm on par, behind par, or ahead of par on this issue.

I received my speedloader and belt pouch yesterday. I found i had to modify my Pachmayer grips and the old style cylinder latch in order for it to work, but no big deal. Still have to reblue the cylinder latch though.

Anyway, today I started practicing with the speedloader, just using dummy rounds.

The drill was

1. Bring revolver down from target

2. Switch hands, break open, work extractor 3x with my thumb while grabbing the speedloader out of the pouch

3. Point muzzle down, drop dummy rounds in

4. Close cylinder and switch back to lefty grip

I could do this in 3-5 seconds after I got practiced (I'd already been using the whole technique for years but loading loose ammo instead of using a speedloader). If I hurried, I messed up, and had to start over.

Live fire, 30 rounds:

First fire, reload, fire: Cases all extracted properly, but two live rounds hung up instead of dropping in. Dirty ammo.

Second fire, reload, fire: I emptied the gun then ran to a ladder (nearest concealment). While running I broke the action and ejected the shells. Squatted down behind the ladder, I had to "play" with the speedloader a bit to line up the round to the holes.

Third fire, reload, fire: Case extraction failure. The chambers were getting carboned. Had to clear them manually to use the speedloader.

Also, in cold practice, I can reload just fine without looking. In live fire, I have to look. Which is the preferred method, and which do you use?

I guess my main concerns are sticking cases and not being able to line the holes up quick enough should I ever have to use that reload "for real."

Any tips, tricks, etc would be appreciated. I know lining up the holes is a practice thing, but how about if the cases stick, or the rounds stick, keeping them from dropping into the chamber?

I do just drop the speedloader btw, and it falls away when I close the cylinder.

Help?

Thanks,

Josh <><

[ezearln]

Well Josh to be honest I haven't done any speed loader drills since I sold my Colt Trooper many many years back, but as I recall I could run the Combat alley the dept used to set up, in about 2:30 flat quite possibly the most dynamic course of fire I ever shot. Course of fire was as follows:

In patrol car, get simulated call for officer needs assistance proceed up range road to 20 in call, masked suspect "fires" at patrol car, you full reverse to clear fire zone, stop exit patrol car after simulating call for assistance, jump/climb over 6' fence engage "Suspect" #1 from behind cover (mailbox) at 10 yards 2 rds, proceed to "alley", find body of "Officer", engage armed suspect #2 at corner of alley 7yds 2 rds (had to beat the turning suspect before his "shotgun" fired),perform tactical reload enter alley engage multiple targets (friend/foe) 3-7-10 yds 2rds each, perform tactical reload, proceed towards "Apartment building" engage suspect #6 at 25 yds from behind cover (fire hydrant) 2 rds, enter apartment of screaming victim kick/force/open door engage/identify friend/foe suspects#'s 7&8 3 yds 2rds each course finish. Total distance run 200yds, total shots fired 18, reloads 2 (speed loaders)
To "qualify" you had to have at least 1 hit on each suspect, zero civilians shot and do it in under 3:30 minutes. My best time ever was just under 2:00 with a perfect score (18 hits) now to put this in perspective I was 25 at the time and full of viss and pinagar LOL. I doubt I could do it that fast today at 50 but I'd bet I'd still more than qualify as long as they'd let me use my M1911A1.
PS: My weapon then was a 6" Colt Trooper round butt.
I did own a Charter Arms Snub .38 back then but the Range Master wouldn't let me use it cause it was 5 shot not six

[DrBoomBoom]

Josh,

I practice using the speedloader for my wife's 642 or the moonclip for my 9mm Taurus snub when I'm at the range. I haven't timed myself, though I should.

What I do when empty, I'm right handed, is work the cylinder latch with my right thumb and reach under and around the bottom of the gun, popping the cylinder open with the fingers of my right hand, thumb forward. Then, holding the gun by the cylinder, I turn it upward and slap straight down onto the extractor to eject the bullets or moonclip and let them drop. As I point the gun downward, I retrieve the new speedloader or moonclip from my pocket, load up and snap the cylinder shut as I bring the gun up and take hold of it with my right hand.

I've got a buddy who wants me to do some IDPA shooting, so pretty soon I'll get all the timing I could possibly handle.