Speed loader opinions needed

C

Civilian

New member
I am in the market for a bedside speed loader for my GP100. Please let me know which ones you have tried and what you like/dislike about them.
 
Civilian--There are several different makes of speedloader on the market today...they range from the simple, "gravity fed" HKS to the "Hi-tech" spring-powered jobbies like the Safariland Comp III's and the S.L. Variant. Which one is most appropriate to you??? That depends on what qualities you're looking for and what you want the speedloader to "do" for you. I'll give you a brief "thumbnail sketch" of each that I'm familiar with, along with their respective pro's and con's...keep in mind that this is my opinion only, YMMV. The oldest "speedloader" still on the market is the HKS...it is gravity-dependent, i.e., it just "drops" the loaded rounds with a quarter-turn of a knob on top of the loader. If the loader is NOT held straight up vertical, the loaded rounds can "scatter"...same thing if you try to "disengage" the loader before all the rounds have dropped clear of the loader. It is probably the slowest of the speedloaders still available, BUT--they are plentiful, INEXPENSIVE, and VERY SECURE--in other words, they hardly EVER "drop" the loaded rounds before you want 'em dropped. The next step up would be the Safariland Comp II's...also gravity-fed, like the HKS, the Comp II's "drop" the loaded rounds when the loader "bottoms out" against the ejector...they are a little faster than the HKS, but not quite as secure, IMO...however, MANY LEO's used the Comp II's with very good results before the en-masse change to self-stuffers, so...The next step "up" in speedloader technology is the Safariland Comp III...designed primarily for competition use, they are the largest--and fastest--of the currently available speedloaders. They use a coil spring(!) to "propel" the loaded rounds into the chambers when the loader "bottoms out" against the extractor...as a result, they are the fastest loader available...also, the most forgiving as far as the position of the loader and revolver when the reload is performed...its not uncommon to see someone using the Comp III's in competition reload with the gun and loader at a 45 degree angle relative to vertical...something that would NEVER work with the HKS and would be "iffy", at best, with the Comp II's...the downside to the Comp III's is that they are HUGE, they are "sensitive" to being handled roughly--they'll "drop" rounds much more easily than the previously-mentioned types if dropped, for instance...and lastly, some worry about the coil spring being under compression for long periods of time. Personally, I wondered about that too, so...I took two each of the K-frame size and the L-frame size and left 'em loaded for four months...after four months, I couldn't tell that they were any "weaker" or "slower" than any of my other Comp II's...YMMV. The last type of loader that I'm aware of--that'll fit your GP100, anyway--is the S.L. Variant, imported from Germany and sold by Dillon Precision thru their "Blue Press" catalog and their website. These are ALSO spring-loaded but, unlike the Safariland Comp III's, instead of ONE large coil spring, the Variant has one for each cartridge!!! They SEEM a little less likely to "spill" rounds from rough handling than the Comp III's, but...the jury is still out...haven't been using 'em that long!!! They ARE significantly smaller than the Comp III's, however...making them better for CCW, for instance. They are also "adjustable" to fit YOUR gun...a feature I'm not sure is either wise or needed. The BAD NEWS is that they are the most expensive of the lot...$20-$30 EACH, depending on which gun you get 'em for...So, it all depends on WHAT you want the loader to "Do" for you...if its' for a reload AFTER firing the first six, I'd look at all of 'em... depending on whether or not you forsee needing to "move" while reloading, the security of the HKS might or might not be comforting ...if you keep the gun UNLOADED and want the speedloader to put the piece into action as quickly as possible, I'd look at the Safariland Comp III's and the S.L. Variant. Whichever speedloader you decide on, be sure to obtain some "dummy" cartridges and PRACTICE using them...it COULD save your life....mikey357
 
Mikey,

I must say you gave a very good overview of speed loaders. I learned a lot from it. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge.

However, my preferred reload is of the New York variety.

In other words, I believe in picking up a second gun.

In fact, for home defense, I consider handguns to be secondary weapons anyway.

If things go bump in the night at my house, one of two things will happen.

(1) I will barricade the door and cover it with my 12 pump shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot and slugs. At least two loaded handguns and a double barreled shotgun will be close at hand. More armament is a distinct probability.

(2) My wife will guard the bedroom with the shotgun and call the cops while I investigate. I will have a .44 Spl Uberti SAA in my hand and a S&W M-686 tucked into my waistband. I have the single action in hand because I find it better for point shooting which low light conditions will dictate.

If you get down to it, for in home use, bulk is not a problem. Either use a second gun or the very best speedloader available.

For CCW use, consider Bianchi Speed-Strips. They lack the speed of speed loaders, but they are far more concealable.

Doc Hudson
 
My personal choice is speedloaders is the SL Variant. It has the advantages of the Safariland Comp III but it is more compact. I have been using them quite a bit for over two years now and they have held up quite well. I used them at the IDPA Winter Indoor Championship and they worked flawlessly.

In my mind, the jury is still out on the speedloaders.com unit. They work great in demos when you don't have empty cases to extract. When I spoke to the makers at the SHOT show and asked them to show me the whole reload cycle including ejecting the empty cases, they were at first speechless and then started tap dancing better than Gregory Hines. I am trying to keep an open mind about it, but from their reaction, it was obvious they had designed and tested the unit principally in the shop and hadn't tested it much with live ammo. If anyone has used them extensively in competition, please let me know what your results have been, including with what type of ammo.
 
I've not used the speedloaders available from "speedloaders dot com", but...IMHO, there seems to be one fundamental FLAW with those units...if I understand correctly, the speedloader itself has to be correctly oriented or "pointed" toward the gun and cylinder for them to work... they won't work in any other than the correct "rotational" orientation...that would seem to require LOOKING at the gun to accomplish the reload...IF you can look at the gun, great, but I personally prefer to use equipment that I KNOW will work for me under the widest variety of conditions...I daresay that I CAN reload in the dark with the HKS's, Safariland Comp II's or III's OR the S.L. Variant...no, I won't be very fast, but...I'll get the revo reloaded and back into action. The "staggered" speedloaders available from "speedloaders dot com" just don't impress me as being that...well, foolproof, for lack of a better term....mikey357
 
Thanks, guys, for the kind words...BTW, I'm with Doc Hudson on the "N.Y." Reload...it truly IS the FASTEST!!! Unfortunately, a second gun isn't always available, so...speedloaders were born!!! After thinking over my second post where I addressed the "Maxfire" speedloaders--those available at "speedloaders dot com"--I've found a SECOND thing about them that I just don't like...it LOOKS LIKE--to ME, anyway--that they are suitable ONLY for "manipulation" with the left hand...at least, IF you want any kind of "speed" out of 'em, and that IS what we're after, right? Some of us--myself included, prefer to hold the empty revo in our left hand and manipulate the speedloader with our right hand...just doesn't appear to be very practical with this design...FWIW....mikey357
 
Valid concerns on the Maxfires and I'll try to address them. I have not had good luck with either HKS or Safailand. Then again I am more of an auto guy and have not practiced a whole lot with them. Their main weakness for me was the need for turning a knob or pulling a handle or pushing a button. Perhaps I simply lack the dexterity for these actions. The Maxfires are like a circular speedstrip and require no manipulation of a control.

Concern #1 - The speedloader must be oriented correctly to work. True, but the handle of the speedloader is positioned such that you naturally have the loader positioned correctly.

Concern #2 - You can only use the loader with the left hand. False, they are just like other speedloaders in the sense that practice makes perfect. I can use the Maxfire with either hand.

The Maxfires work for me but may not be for everyone.

My newest craze however are the 610, 625, and PC627 which all use moon clips. By far, the best way to speedload a revolver but unless Civilian customizes his GP100 or buys a revolver so equipped, not an option :(.
 
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