S&W Bodyguard speedloader

S

softmentor

New member
I want to get my wife a speedloader for her new S&W Bodyguard. Anybody have actual experience with HKS 36-A and the Bodyguard? or is there another make that works well/better?
the HKS 36-A is the model that should work with it but I'm wondering if it will be to tight to the frame to fit easily.
 
Get one and try it? They're inexpensive and readily available.

(HKS is the only thing I see in retail gun stores around here. For other brands I need to go to online vendors.)
 
hoping to save myself the time, money, and lesson if someone else already has the experience with it. Anyone know if this works well with a Bodyguard?
 
WAY back when....

I was the lead firearms inst for an agency that used S&W revolvers as duty guns. Got way too much experience with speedloaders.

IMHO forget the HKS style and order some of the safariland ones. If you want the smallest one, thats the Comp 1. The Comp 2 is a little easier to load the rounds into the speedloader but is a little larger overall

Heres my reasoning. The HKS uses a twist the rear knob action to release the rounds. This twisting can occur before you want it to. Ive seen COUNTLESS. Guys grab the loader out of their pouch by grabbing the knob and then impart a twisting motion to said knob as they withdrew the loader from the pouch.

End result, they were holding an empty loader and had loose rounds at their feet.

The Safariland loaders ARE HARDER to put rounds into, but will not accidentally spill the ammo at your feet

I guess i would rather work a little harder to load the loader and make loading the gun easier

I could load a Comp 2 and throw it against the wall. It would still hold its rounds. The HKS ones spilled their rounds if you looked at em crossways:(
 
Forgot to mention..

I carry a Titanium framed J frame as a BUG with a comp 1 speedloader in a coat pocket to this day:D
 
I have used both hks and safariland for years and have never had one dump on me....just spent the last half hour trying to do so...I got one hks and on safari land to do so but had to work at it. YMMV
 
punishment.... just tossed five of each hand underhand at wall. both brands had three failures.

should height drop. 2 safariland and 3 hks lost their bullets.

YMMV....
 
Sharkbite - I'm "one of those guys" who started out with a HKS and fumbling and dumping the cartridges - I was using it with my LCR that I had at the time. Since then, I've taken the time to train with it and now have no problems . . . but I've seen others do just what I did plenty of times. I got rid of the LCR and now use a Model 36 - the HKS speed loaders I had for the LCR work well with it even though it's a tad smaller.

I have no experience with the BG - I'd suggest going to a LGS and trying one if they'll let you. I have heard that the Safari is better as the cartridges stay put until you release them - it's on my list to get and try one.

Whatever way you go . . . . practice with it. I don't mean a couple of times, I mean practice with it so you can do it in your sleep. To me, if you're using a revolver (and I am very partial to 'em) - it's just as important to practice your reloading skills as it is to keep up on the range time and familiarity with the handgun.
 
softmentor, I would encourage you to continue seeking first hand experience from someone with the specific gun and HKS36/HKS36A you are interested in combining. I like the loaders and have several for various revolvers, all are dependable IMO.

I can offer an assumption that it may work on your gun, read on. This is based on my personal experience with a HKS36 and a recent manufacture M642 no-lock and an older M642 w/lock. The loader does not work with factory grips on either. It binds on the grip just after point of insertion and I can imagine would turn the pistol into a rattling rock at the worst opportunity.

In comparing photos of the grips on the new Bodyguard, they appear thinner in the offending area on the BG. You need to get an actual owner of the combo to confirm.

Good luck and consider speed strips until you get an answer.
 
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Safarilands definitely hold on tighter. So much so that I had to take a nail and use some considerable force the other day to get one to give me back some of my .357 ammo.

So I'm back to the HKS.
 
well, no one with a Bodyguard has chimed in yet so, ordering one HKS, one Safariland and one of those 5starfire darlings (by the price they must be very proud of them) So, I'll have to report back with what I found.
and badge851, love your signature
 
I don't use them with a Bodyguard, but with a Model 36. Here's my take at it (YMMV):

-HKS: Fine, but nothing to write home about. Cartridges are held quite loose, and aligning the speedloader isn't as quick as it could be.

-5Star: Total loss of money. Just a fancy expensive HKS equivalent with reverse release, so your training with HKS is screwed. Cartridges are looser still. It seems to be a little bit fatter, as it is less forgiving regarding grips.

-Safariland Comp: That's more like it. Harder to load and unload at first, but cartridges are held very rigidly, so alignment is perfect at the first try. And then, nothing to do, as cartridges are released automatically when the speedloader hits the cylinder.

After testing all of the above, I will never use anything but Comps.
 
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The best speed loader for a 5 shot J Frame has been missed. The 5 shot J Frame Jet Loader. This is a spring driven speed loader similar to a Safariland Comp III only a little better built. And Safariland does not make a J frame version. The J Jet Loader is not much larger than an HKS speed loader.

This is the best deal I have found on Jet Loaders. Scroll to the bottom of the link.

http://powercustom.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=12

The Safariland Comp I is the only Safariland speed loader currently made for a J Frame. To me it is about the same speed to use as an HKS. I have all the above speed loaders. I have a 442 Pro however and not the Bodyguard, which you are pretty much stuck with factory grips, as it is not a true J Frame design.

Check out clearance with an HKS you have on order. If you have grip clearance you might want to try a couple J Jet Loaders.

Bob
ICORE MO2908
 
-Safariland Comp: That's more like it. Harder to load and unload at first, but cartridges are held very rigidly, so alignment is perfect at the first try. And then, nothing to do, as cartridges are released automatically when the speedloader hits the cylinder.
Click to expand...

I picked one up a few months ago for a J-frame equivalent Taurus. The first time I tried it, it jammed up hard. I disassembled it, put it back together, and it's been fine since.

A little finnecky to load, but rounds are locked in tight. To use, line it up and push.

I'll be getting more.
 
Back in the 80's I used to carry a pair of S&W Model 38 revolvers as my primary concealed weapon. One on the strong side in a Milt's Summer Special IWB and second one in the front weak side pocket using Bruce Nelson's early prototype pocket holster.

HK speedloaders will work with any factory grip with speedloader cut out on the top of the left grip. Those tiny factory wood grips would work too. Safariland Comp I speed loaders will work with most but not all factory grips with speedloader cut out. Comp I was a little larger than HK so they were more problematic than HK. A lot of aftermarket grips would not work with either speedloaders. Some Pachmyre compact grips would not work with Comp I

Both speedloaders are a bit large and can be clumsy to carry especially if you carry 2 or more. I carried my spare ammo in the Bianchi Speed Strip which I carried in my coin pocket of the jean. With a little practice I could reload with speed strip as fast as I could with speedloaders. Towards the end I was just carrying ammo in a pair of Bianchi dump pouch as they looked like leather Zippo lighter case and nobody cared to look.
 
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