bianchi speed strip v. hks speedloader smith &wesson 640

[SlickVega]

thanks for showing me how those strips work, and nice background music!

[polishnightmare]

for practicing reloads, you need to have fired brass in the gun to start. As others mentioned fired cases don't fall out. I took some fired cases and marked the ends of them so I can tell in addition to there being no bullet that they are empties. I use these strictly for training rounds. I put the fired cases in the gun and then snap caps in the speed loaders or strip.

[coltperc]

I use and often carry both together. The HKS is perfect for a full reload. The speed strip is perfect for "topping off" a cylinder that still has live rounds left. If I could only carry one it would be the speed strip because it is far more versatile and easier to conceal and more comfortable to carry.

Started my CCW with 1911's and XD's. Sold them all and have gone to revolvers. FAR more versatile, reliable, capable and accurate than auto-pistols.

A 357 revolver is SO damn versatile!

[vash241987]

@coltperc funny you should say cause I retired mt XDM9 for copmetition use only and sold my PPS9 for a S&W boduguard 38. Thing is I actually shoot better with a revolver!!

[coltperc]

@vash241987 I think I just got tired of the complexity of carrying auto-pistols: loading/unloading magazines, rotating mags every week. The aggravation of constantly loading mags at the range while firing.

The revolver is simplicity itself. Don't have to rotate anything, just slip it on for CCW, and take it off at night.

You can put 50 rounds down range MUCH faster with a revolver than an auto IF you start with both guns totally unloaded! Loading mags takes a LOT of time!

[vash241987]

@coltperc lol dont forget the price of mags. My PPS had one mag and the 2nd I bought cost close to $40. What holster do you have? I just bought a remora pocket/IWB holster for the BG38. I bought it so that I can pocket carry when wear my cargo shorts and where it IWB when in pants/jeans.

[coltperc]

@vash241987 my primary carry guns are a Taurus 85 2-inch 38 Spl blued in double-action-only with a spurless hammer and a S &W 66 4-inch 357 Mag. My primary carry load in both is the 38 +P 158gr LSWC-HP, either Win or Rem. Both have Bianchi IWB holsters, and the S&W 66 also has a Dillion pancake holster for side carry under a jacket or un-tucked shirt. Often I simply drop the Taurus 85 in my right front pocket as it carries so well that way.

[John234pwns]

@coltperc Changing out ammo is a myth. Magazine spring wear is all about how often you load and unload the mags - you shoot the gun more, you have to swap the springs more.

[coltperc]

@John234pwns There have been tests conducted that show otherwise. Magazines left fully loaded for months will reduce spring tension by 20-30%. Check out some of the informal tests here on YT to see the effect.

My personal experience with 1911's is that 8-round mags left fully loaded will develop failure-to-feed problems. It helped to load only 7 rounds in the 8-round mags, but did not eliminate the problem of magazine spring weakening when left loaded for extended periods.

[John234pwns]

@coltperc On the other hand, there's plenty of surplus magazines that have never lost a noticeable amount of tension after sitting for years. I just think that one should not rely on X amount of time loaded but just rotate springs on a regular basis.

[coltperc]

@John234pwns Unloaded mags should not lose any spring tension. It is fully loaded mags that weaken the springs after remaining loaded for long periods.

When carrying my 1911's, I unloaded and swapped mags every-other-day. I replaced mag springs whenever a particular mag started having failure-to-feed problems on the final two rounds in the mag.

With revolvers, I simply fire all carry ammo every month and load the revolver, speedloaders and speed strips with fresh ammo.

[John234pwns]

@coltperc These were loaded M1 Carbine and Browning Hi Power magazines. And I think every single day is overkill personally, and loading and unloading, if anything accelerated how fast your magazines wore out.

[John234pwns]

I'd carry a snub if one-hand manipulation wasn't so impossible with them.

[coltperc]

@John234pwns A revolver can be easily reloaded with one hand. Open the cylinder, dump the empties, stick the barrel in your waistband, reload, close cylinder and you are ready to fire. It is an old technique taught to FBI and police many, many years ago. A retired deputy sheriff demonstrated it for me back in the late 1980's. Works very well. It is one of many actual advantages revolvers have over auto-pistols.

[John234pwns]

@coltperc Do you realize how difficult that process is if you have to do it with your left hand? It involves a lot of mashing the gun against your chest and god forbid you drop it. Also, with a snubbie used typicall for defensive carry, good luck trying to get enough of the gun into your waistband to hold it steady. Another problem - if you're using HKS speedloaders, you have no second hand to hold the cylinder in place whilst you drop the rounds into the gun. That's a lot harder than an auto.

[coltperc]

@John234pwns Have you ever used an HKS speedloader? I just performed the operation with my weak (left) hand only, using my Taurus 66 7-shot 357 Mag revolver.

Using left hand ONLY, Opening the cylinder, dumping the empties, inserting barrel in waistband, reloading with HKS 587 speedloader, closing cylinder and returning to fire position took about 17 seconds. I can do it in about 14 seconds with ONLY my strong hand. With both hands I can reload in 5-to-7 seconds with the HKS speedloader.

[coltperc]

Cont: I will agree that the 2-inch Taurus 85 is less secure than the 4-inch Taurus 66 when using the waistband technique. With many trousers, jeans in particular, it is more secure to use the front pocket in place of the waistband. With that minor modification of the "waistband technique' the 2-inch revolver is as easy to reload as the 4-inch, using one hand.

An alternative procedure is to place the open revolver between your knees for reloading. This works well when seated behind cover.

[John234pwns]

@coltperc Yes, if I'm not mistaken the HKS requires you to turn a knob to drop the rounds, correct? A Safariland is my choice as you just push to drop the rounds. It generally chops a second or two for my reloads (about four seconds with Safariland in Python)

I can do it in five seconds with an autoloader, either hand. Around nine if I have to rip the mag and flip away a coat. Seventeen seconds would be incredibly long time in a defensive encounter, wouldn't you think?

[coltperc]

@John234pwns Yes; clockwise twist with HKS drops rounds.

How long does it take you to load a magazine with one hand only? Do you even carry extra rounds to load a mag in the event of running your mags dry?

In loose loading conditions the revolver will simply run rings around auto-pistols. When mag-loading time is factored in, the auto-pistol is far less efficient than revolvers. The revolver can operate efficiently with a belt bag of loose ammo and the auto-pistol cannot.

[John234pwns]

@coltperc Well, I'd debate that if I fired 8 + 10 + 10, spare rounds might be pretty useless. This is why I own both guns; I can't carry since I'm in California, but if I did, I would carry both a revolver and a pistol. But the pistol would be my primary simply because I'm more efficient with it.

[jillgivler]

@John234pwns You can't carry in Cali? We just got CCW in Wisconsin on July 8 - I though IL was the last state that didn't have it. Or does Cali make it so impossible or expensive for you that most people can't manage it?

[John234pwns]

@jillgivler It's an individual case kinda deal. You have to be in the right city, with the right sheriff, and generally have had some kind of injury or something done to you to justify it - which really sucks. Fortunately, open carry is a loophole in the laws so I've been considering it.

[jillgivler]

@John234pwns We've had open carry in Wisconsin forever - not many people do it but there's no law to stop them. If you don't have hysterical neighbors calling the police on you every five minutes, open carry is definately something to consider. Good luck, dude.

[John234pwns]

@jillgivler Thanks.

[cmcollis]

@coltperc why are you rotating your mags? You're not worried that you will weaken the springs are you?

[coltperc]

@cmcollis Yes that is why I rotate mags. I started rotating mags years ago in my carry pistols. I began suffering failure-to-feed in many of my older 1911 mags. I replaced the springs and followers with the 8-round Chip McCormack mod, which solved the problem for some time, until it reappeared after 14 months of constant use (armed security guard). After replacing the springs again, I began rotating daily a set of 9 mags (one-in-gun & 2-spares), This practice kept the mag springs strong.

[cmcollis]

@coltperc Mmmmm. You know, repeated cycling is what will over a long time weaken a spring; not prolonged compression. Rotating, ie loading and unloading, your mags will technically wear them out faster than simply loading and carrying day in and out. To each his own tho.

[coltperc]

@cmcollis All I know is that cycling the mags kept them working. Keeping them loaded for weeks at a time made them malfunction. We can theorize all week about the "hows and whys". All I can go on is practical experience, and my experience is that leaving mags loaded for long periods makes them feed poorly.

I've owned a Ruger Old Army revolver since 1973. It has been fired 10's of thousands of times. It's coil spring lock-work functions as well as the day I bought it in 1973!

[flatliner1015]

both reloads were close to five seconds with the speedloader slightly faster. However, the speed strips a lot easier to conceal.

[pb6977]

Good demo.... Tool F**kn Rock.

[relicright]

something tells me these arent snap caps, lol. its all good. the one guy is right though yo ushould use fired shells because they are harder to extract without the rod.

[FirearmPop]

Fired Cartridges don't fall out. You need to use the extractor rod.

[TheGrandmasterfresh]

weak as loader

[megadeth22885]

i like the speed strips.. so much easier to carry, and if youre trying to conceal your gear.. theyre easier to hide too

[ajgranda]

HKS all the way, not even close!

[EastCoastEric2]

Rammstein16-- I agree with you as to train as you live. However anyone with a Dillon can make training ammo sans primer and powder for almost free in two minutes.

[gumbokiler]

great demonstration. thanks for posting

[sw640]

i always carry extra rounds mostly in a 2x2x2 belt pouch but i think im gonna stock up on some speed strips i have some speed loaders but they are a bitch to carry unless you have a coat or jacket

[WaywardAce]

NIce demo ..... i picked up an HKS today at a gunshow .... wrong size :( but they still are faster than hand loading.

[LecticProverb]

I second the use of spent shells for practice. They ain't gonna free fall like that without a tap from the ejector.

[1xadavid]

It's crazy how fast some guys can reload revolver...

Some in under 8 seconds!!!

[GradyWhite2007]

Heck...just carry two 640's!

[klown8745]

YEAH! lol

[SkallagrimNilsson]

Interesting, thank you for this demonstration. Seems like the speed strip is not too slow either... I guess it all depends on the amount of practice.

[khoff2]

I have both. I use speed strips for summer carry, and HKS when wearing a jacket. I also keep an HKS in the glove box of my car. Obviously, the HKS is faster. Please practice your reloads with snapcaps, not live ammo, if at home and not at the range.

[Rammstein16]

I have to disagree with practicing reloads with snapcaps.

You should always "practice how you play" and prepare yourself by reloading live rounds, because in a real life situation you would not be reloading snapcaps. Trigger discipline is key. The greatest safety mechanism of any firearm is the brain of the person holding it. as long as you are safe, smart, and always treat every gun as if it's loaded, it can't hurt anyone. There's no such thing as an "accidental discharge"

[NiNjaTurtLe697]

@Rammstein16 In parts I have to agree, but there are such things as FAULTY products.

[doughesson]

@Rammstein16 The problem with practicing reloads with live ammunition away from the range is that you might pull the trigger afterwards,just as you would should you have to reload with more than holes in a piece of paper on the line. Be safe,even when practicing.

[22131ngst]

fall of spent shells won't be that fast if it's empty

[WeerdBeard]

The biggest advantage to the speed strip is its flat so it carries much better than a more bulky speed loader

[John234pwns]

I heard that the safarilands dump rounds much easier

[flashdoggie79]

HKS is a far superior loader!

[cramsa]

Don't use live ammo to practice that... those rounds look live.