Gratuitous images of some of my J's, along with a few of my fedoras (comments about speedloaders to follow) ...
Okay, first of all speedstrips are for those instances where you might have enough time and cover after shooting to remove and discard some empty cases and top off again.
Speedloaders are better for "time compressed" loading, but if you aren't well practiced with loading a snub, it's not going to be bordering on "fast", let alone quick.
I used both HKS and Safariland (I & II) speedloaders in my service revolver days, as well as off-duty.
HKS are easier to grasp because of the tall knob. They do, however, require a separate twisting motion (knob) to release the rounds. The rounds are held a bit "looser" and easier to slip into charge holes, though. HKS are easier to load rounds into, as well. You can just insert them all and twist the knob.
Safariland I & II's are a bit harder to grasp. Especially the I's. Once you slip your fingers around the body, though, all it takes is a shove to release the rounds, and let the loader fall away as you close the cylinder. Safariland loaders require a solid surface to press the noses of the rounds against while turning the knob to secure the rounds.
Now, I still use both brands for my J's. Why? Well, I spent so many years using and practicing with both of them, that my fingers still seem to "recognize" what I'm touching and grasping and just work with either brand.
Grip stocks, though. Neither of the original Bantam type grips that came with my M&P 340's would allow either brand of speedloader to properly align with the cylinder and charge holes. I had to replace them with other Hogue or the discontinued UM Boot grip stocks for the desired clearance.
My 37-2DAO (pictured with grey hat) currently sports some nicely restored smooth factory grip stocks (gifted from former/passed mentor). The Safariland loaders won't clear the left side of the gun enough to align with the cylinder and charges holes. However, the HKS loaders
will (in
my gun, when
I'm using them, with
those grip stocks).
Guess which loaders I'd carry when choosing to carry the 37DAO?
The original skimpy factory grips don't fill in the space behind the trigger guard and the front of the grip frame. Not everyone has fingers of the best size (or grip strength), to comfortably and firmly stabilize and control a recoiling J-frame when the slim grip stocks are used. The Tyler T-Grip is a handy device. (I really need to replace a couple of the original ones that somehow ended up lost over the years, dammit.
)
I recently tried another brand of newer speedloader, that was all-metal, but both examples I ordered wouldn't function properly when it came to securing and releasing the rounds. I returned them. I'd already ordered more HKS speedloaders.
Now, in the older service revolver days even the folks who could rapidly reload their full-size revolvers could experience increased difficulty when trying to reload the smaller revolvers. Smaller revolvers involve somewhat "tighter" manipulations, and that doesn't include the smaller dimensions of the snubs overall being a bit more difficult for the average revolver shooter.
Nowadays? When many younger shooters being drawn to revolvers don't have the advantage of having already been trained to shoot and use speedloaders?
Dunno. Find yourself an experienced revolver shooter (older LE or current revolver competitor) and ask for some instruction and help Research the available video and DVD resources from the recognized names?
There used to be a couple of "opposing" preferences for which hands to use to hold the revolver and the loaders in earlier LE days. (i.e. keep the revolver in the strong hand and use the loader with the support hand, or switch the revolver to the support hand and use the loader with the strong hand.) Proponents of both techniques could be quite fast.
FWIW, I don't often carry speedloaders with my snubs when I carry them as retirement weapons. I typically carry a speedstrip or two. Unless I'm planning to go places where it's a bit more remote and any help is going to be delayed, or places where I'm unfamiliar with the daily activities and threat assessments. Then I may substitute the loaders for the strips. Old habits. Speedloaders at work and off-duty in more "active" environments, and speedstrips for off-duty in less worrisome conditions and environments.
Gotta be able to use whatever you choose, for whatever reason you decide to choose it, though. Speedloaders are bulkier and quicker. Speedstrips are slim and take up less pocket space, but slower to use, being marginally faster than using loose rounds (by virtue of all the rounds being held in sequence, and being oriented in the same direction, unlike grabbing loose rounds
).
