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Posted: 2/14/2022 11:36:26 AM EDT
It does seem like they are made out of pretty cheap plastic compared to the hks ones, but ive tested a couple of them by loading them, throwing them up in the air about 15 feet and letting them hit the ground. I have yet to have one blow apart yet by doing that. I can reload probably 2 or 3 times faster with the safariland due to the fact that you just simply push the rounds in vs having to twist something to release them on the hks. In fact, i would dare almost say that using those is probably just as or almost as fast as changing a mag in a semi auto. But it seems like everyone still just sticks with the hks speed loaders for some reason.
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It's because revolver people don't really care about fast reloads. They mostly care about being able to shoot from inside a jacket pocket and yell at those damned kids about policing their brass.
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I like them, just a speed strip is more compact and easier to carry
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Actually I'm running Comp II's from sometime in the Mid 80's. But I'm also running 5 star.
Then again, I finally wore out the original Bianchi speed strips from before speedloaders. |
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Several reasons.
HKS speedloaders were cheaper, (I seem to remember them being half the cost) easier to find in gun shops, smaller and commonly mandated by equipment policy for police at the time. The belt carriers also were easier to come by. I'm still using the same ones from the 80's. |
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I like my clips
I wonder if I can get my bodyguard cut for clips |
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I love Safariland and almost use them exclusively. But I do wish they were made a little
tougher. That being said I have several that have been used quite a bit, though not abused, with no issues. I've had one that would not grab the rims. |
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I bought a couple Pachmayr speed loaders to give them a try, but they sucked bigly. I stick with the basic HKS ones, or moon clips for my (not so serious) speed loading needs.
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Speed loaders were necessary at some point because there was no alternative.
Now, with the widespread use/adoption of mag-fed semiautos, revolvers have become more of a niche product. I don't need a speedloader to protect my life. I have 17-round mags for that. And a lot of those who still use revolvers use moon clips. That's what I use in my M&P R8. |
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Quoted: It's because revolver people don't really care about fast reloads. They mostly care about being able to shoot from inside a jacket pocket and yell at those damned kids about policing their brass. View Quote I mean can you blame them? Do you want to be seen on video with a gun out at a shooting or have your brass picked up by an evidence technician? That and while you young'uns are learning lessons it's much easier to pull a steel barrel off and throw it in acid or any other corrosive liquid than it is to destroy the rifling in a stainless steel barrel. |
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When I bought my 357 I ordered 3 hks speed loaders, the ball bearing jumped out of one the first time I twisted it. I still have the other 2 but have gone to strips, and just use the speedloaders for the first reload.
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Quoted: I have a bodyguard in my coat pocket right now I have yet to actually shoot it though View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: @chase45 did you buy it? I have a bodyguard in my coat pocket right now I have yet to actually shoot it though I dare you to go get a few coats at the goodwill store and go to a public range and practice shooting through the pockets |
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Quoted: Actually I'm running Comp II's from sometime in the Mid 80's. But I'm also running 5 star. Then again, I finally wore out the original Bianchi speed strips from before speedloaders. View Quote Speed loaders have existed since more than a hundred years ago. They were common for WW1 revolvers even S&W and Colt and could be bought by anyone who wanted a quicker reload. You could even get leather speed loader pouches for your belt that look quite modern but matched your particular country's gear. |
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Harder to load than HKS? Safariland was easier to load a revolver with. One push and it dumps the cartridges into the cylinder. HKS required fine motor skills (twist knob to dump cartridges).
There are trade-offs between HKS and Safariland. I carried HKS when I wore a revolver. |
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Quoted: Speed loaders have existed since more than a hundred years ago. They were common for WW1 revolvers even S&W and Colt and could be bought by anyone who wanted a quicker reload. You could even get leather speed loader pouches for your belt that look quite modern but matched your particular country's gear. View Quote Yep, British had a spring loaded speedloader for their Webley revolver. |
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Quoted: Harder to load than HKS? Safariland was easier to load a revolver with. One push and it dumps the cartridges into the cylinder. HKS required fine motor skills (twist knob to dump cartridges). There are trade-offs between HKS and Safariland. I carried HKS when I wore a revolver. View Quote |
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HKS are smaller and lighter which seems to win out for priorities. Competitive shooters moved on to moon clips which are the fastest.
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I thought they were highly regarded amongst cops that carried wheelguns. I carry speed strips for my J frame and have hks for my N frame and Alaskan. I'm looking at 5 star now though. They are made in the U.S. and seem like quality loaders.
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Quoted: I mean can you blame them? Do you want to be seen on video with a gun out at a shooting or have your brass picked up by an evidence technician? That and while you young'uns are learning lessons it's much easier to pull a steel barrel off and throw it in acid or any other corrosive liquid than it is to destroy the rifling in a stainless steel barrel. View Quote Exactly. If I'm shooting a revolver it's because I don't want to shoot fast. Take my time and savory |
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I've still got a bunch of HKS but use Safarilands almost all the time now. I keep a handful of Speedstrips around but as they get older they get dry, the tab breaks off and they don't hold shells well anymore.
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I like Safariland but they have not expanded their speedloader line to accomodate new models. If you have a new revolver design created within the past 20 years or so, it seems they don't care enough to make something for you.
Knobs on speedloaders suck. I like the Speedbeez stuff and they have good model coverage. I just wish they were more compact. |
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Nearly everyone I know who's serious about revolvers use safariland speedloaders or moonclips.
I've got 2 comp 2s on me as we speak. Revolver reload practice Bearcamp 4/11/21 |
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I almost bought the HKS until I was shown the light by a friend that recommended the Safariland. Before ordering a bunch online I found a stack of them in a local shops' random used mags and parts shelf.
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Quoted: I like Safariland but they have not expanded their speedloader line to accomodate new models. If you have a new revolver design created within the past 20 years or so, it seems they don't care enough to make something for you. View Quote |
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Someone used to make a plastic speed loader out of the same material that modern speed strips are made out of. I can’t see them for sale anywhere. Maybe they didn’t work very well? Does anyone know what I’m talking about
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Quoted: Someone used to make a plastic speed loader out of the same material that modern speed strips are made out of. I can’t see them for sale anywhere. Maybe they didn’t work very well? Does anyone know what I’m talking about View Quote https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2022/01/22/zeta6-revolver-speed-strips/ |
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I was a competitive revolver shooter from the late 90's until the last IRC that was held in Morro Bay/SLO.
When I started, it was all hand me down gear from my dad and my teammates. I've used just about everything under the sun. For raw speed, moonclips are king (but they are relatively delicate) For ease of concealed carry, speed strips (but they are slower to reload) Safarilands, HKS, etc are all a compromise between the 2. |
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If I'm speed reloading a revolver I've already fucked up twice.
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Quoted: If I'm speed reloading a revolver I've already fucked up twice. View Quote Even if you don't carry one you don't enjoy range days? Like pistol magazines, it's a lot easier to load a bunch at the house, toss them in the range bag then go have fun. Not everything gun related has to be about defensive use. |
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Yep. Hope they continue to grow and create more content. |
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All mine (.38 / .357 and .44) are HKS and they work well, never had an issue with them.
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I'm not really a revolver person but when I do decide to shoot one it is usually because I want to make the ammo last a little longer.
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Quoted: I like my clips I wonder if I can get my bodyguard cut for clips View Quote Talk to Tom Kilhoffer at TK Custom. He did the first clip conversion and clips for the Chiappa Rhino for my brother when they were first in country. I think we just had to send the cylinder in, not the whole gun. Point is, he can do it. |
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I've only got HKS because they're half the price* of Safariland which I have understood to be the better thing to have for 15 years or so. That said, all my speedloaders do is sit in the safe so I see no need to acquire.
*I looked them up on Brownells before completing this post and they seem to have come down to a totally reasonable price. I seem to remember them being $25-30, or maybe that's just my imagination. https://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=safariland+speed&ksubmit=y Quoted: Actually I'm running Comp II's from sometime in the Mid 80's. But I'm also running 5 star. Then again, I finally wore out the original Bianchi speed strips from before speedloaders. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Actually I'm running Comp II's from sometime in the Mid 80's. But I'm also running 5 star. Then again, I finally wore out the original Bianchi speed strips from before speedloaders. I'd never heard of this 5 Star but boy do they make some beautiful looking stuff that I didn't know I needed. Quoted: Nearly everyone I know who's serious about revolvers use safariland speedloaders or moonclips. I've got 2 comp 2s on me as we speak. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gqH43omXa4 That man has pretty much mastered the craft of speedloading a revolver. Unfortunately, it's still slower than reloading a Glock 17 and you have 11 fewer rounds to work with. Then you're sooner reloading again, which is slower...it's like a self-licking ice cream cone. |
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I've got a bunch of the HKS from my patrol days. But I do also use the Safariland Comp 2 & 3 on occasion. Now that I'm not shooting PPC the way I used to it turns into what speedloader is full.
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I have a bunch of them for K-Frames in a box somewhere from when I shot revolver class on the college shooting team.
My K Frame needs the timing fixed again, but I am not sure I want to put many more rounds on the old girl. |
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Quoted: In training, we were told that dropping a Safariland speed loader could result in you losing your ammo. View Quote I guess that's possible, but there was a worse competition type speedloader that was superfast and relied on a coiled spring that wrapped around the body of the speedloader. Pushing down forced the spring to release the cartridges. While super fast, it was very unsecure and used only for competition and not duty use. Here's a link to an image of the newer version: https://revolverguy.com/speed-beez-speedloader-review/. The assessment in the link about the cons is valid. |
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