Speedload video

[KD5NRH]

I've gotten some questions about my reloading method with a revolver, so I stuck a video on my blog.

http://kd5nrh.blogspot.com/2009/10/revolver-reload.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry about the lighting; my wife was already in bed, and I didn't want to make too much noise getting lights set up.

[srothstein]

Watching that reload, it looks to me like you are doing it very similar to the way I do mine. You are switching the gun to you weak hand while you punch out the expended rounds (and putting the strong hand underneath to catch them). I think I still keep it in the weak hand while I drop in the speedloader and you are switching it back to the strong hand for that.

[KD5NRH]

You are switching the gun to you weak hand while you punch out the expended rounds (and putting the strong hand underneath to catch them).

Actually, it's hard to see from that angle, but my right hand never leaves the grip: my left only catches the front of the frame and barrel to help turn the gun up more, and index itself to the ejector rod. The right hand has some control of the gun at all times, (though it does loosen up during the push up and eject - still, if I removed the left hand at any point, the gun would not fall) and the only part of the reload it performs is the cylinder release and pushing the cylinder out with the trigger finger.

I'll see if I can set up some lights and do another angle or two sometime next week.

[joe817]

I'm not a revolver person, but looking at your video and watching other similar speedload videos, you seem right on.

From the time you began your speed load, to returning to the low ready position took 3 seconds according to my chronograph, if that's any help. To me that's pretty quick. Is a reload on an auto any quicker??

[KD5NRH]

From the time you began your speed load, to returning to the low ready position took 3 seconds according to my chronograph, if that's any help. To me that's pretty quick. Is a reload on an auto any quicker??

In practice, I tend to be bringing the gun back to eye level as the speedloader drops and I close the cylinder, so my usual finish from that reload is in firing position at roughly the same time my left hand gets onto the grip.

If I'm topping off with single rounds, I also do it left-handed and maintain firing grip with the right hand, so that if the situation changes I can close the cylinder at any time and just start pulling the trigger until I get to a live round. I don't normally carry loose rounds, so I don't expect to ever do that in a real encounter, but since there's often a spare box of ammo in the car it's a possibility.

Also, FWIW, every time I clean the gun, I clean the chambers carefully and polish them with Flitz to help the fired hulls drop more easily. Barring sloppy reloads with shaved lead on the case mouths or near-max magnum reloads, it's rare that I need more than a firm tap on the ejector, though I do push it all the way to avoid building a dangerous bad habit.

With a practice, one can get faster with an auto. OTOH, it's more important to be fast with a a revolver, since the gun is completely out of commission while the cylinder is open, while most autos (the ones without a mag disconnect) can still fire once during the reload if needed.

[joe817]

With a practice, one can get faster with an auto. OTOH, it's more important to be fast with a a revolver, since the gun is completely out of commission while the cylinder is open, while most autos (the ones without a mag disconnect) can still fire once during the reload if needed.

I see your point, and well taken. I'm sure that is critical(with a semi-auto) in a competition shoot, but in a real life situation I'm not sure I could remember the number of rounds I have fired, before remembering that one is left in the chamber before I have to reload...if it reaches that point. I pray to God that I never reach that point.

OTOH, I can sure see the need to perfect the speed load in a revolver. I learn something new here every day. Thank you.

[KD5NRH]

I see your point, and well taken. I'm sure that is critical(with a semi-auto) in a competition shoot, but in a real life situation I'm not sure I could remember the number of rounds I have fired, before remembering that one is left in the chamber before I have to reload...if it reaches that point. I pray to God that I never reach that point.

I wouldn't even try to count rounds during an active encounter; the idea of keeping it ready is for when you don't have a target at the moment, but want to switch to a full mag in case things pick up again. It's also part of why I don't like the "tactical reload" or "reload with retention:" I'd rather drop the partial mag to the ground in favor of getting the fresh mag in as soon as humanly possible, and if the lull lasts long enough, (and I still want it badly enough) then I can pick up the partial and pocket it.

OTOH, I can sure see the need to perfect the speed load in a revolver. I learn something new here every day. Thank you.

I think of it as self-preservation: another forum member might be in the same place someday when my gun runs dry at the wrong time, so it's in all of our best interests to make sure all the armed good guys are as effective as possible. (well, except for the "my CHL is for my benefit only, so I'm just going to ignore the guy beating a quadruplegic nun to death with an infant" crowd)

[jsimmons]

Is a reload on an auto any quicker??

Someone practiced at it can reload a semi-auto in less than a second, and all without the pistol leaving the strong hand or the sited target. There is at least one video on youtube that demonstrates several reloading techniques for semi-autos.

[KD5NRH]

Massad Ayoob's Stressfire reload

Looks faster than the old styles, but he's still switching hands. I don't quite buy the argument that it's easier to guide the speedloader in with the strong hand, since nobody switches hands to guide mags into semiautos that way.

Someone practiced at it can reload a semi-auto in less than a second, and all without the pistol leaving the strong hand or the sited target. There is at least one video on youtube that demonstrates several reloading techniques for semi-autos.

There's also at least one video out there that proves you can get entirely too fast with a revolver: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uisHfKj2JiI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(six shots, reload and six more in less time than it takes me just to reload)

[joe817]

There's also at least one video out there that proves you can get entirely too fast with a revolver: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uisHfKj2JiI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(six shots, reload and six more in less time than it takes me just to reload)

That's amazing! I didn't know they made a full auto revolver.

[ghostrider]

>I don't quite buy the argument that it's easier to guide the speedloader in with the strong hand,
>since nobody switches hands to guide mags into semiautos that way.


I hadn't really thought about that. However, unless you can change your grip to dump the empties with your strong hand, then you'd be using your weak hand to do that, then grab a speedloader and reload. I'm not sure that would be as fast, but I like the idea of using the weak hand to reload; that way regardless if you carry a revolver or semi-auto, you're always using the weak hand to 'insert' new rounds into the firearm.

For those who switch back and forth between a revolver and a semi-auto, it would mean the same coarse motor skills in each case: dump the magazine/empties with strong hand while weak had reaches for magazine/speedloader.

[CompVest]

It's also part of why I don't like the "tactical reload" or "reload with retention:" I'd rather drop the partial mag to the ground in favor of getting the fresh mag in as soon as humanly possible, and if the lull lasts long enough, (and I still want it badly enough) then I can pick up the partial and pocket it.

Personally I wouldn't throw any ammo on the ground during a gun fight, lull or not. I can perform tactical and retention reloads almost efficiently as a slide lock or speed reload. If I am in a position to top off my gun then I have the extra 2-3 tenth of a second it may take to perform a tactical or retention reload.

[Excaliber]

It's also part of why I don't like the "tactical reload" or "reload with retention:" I'd rather drop the partial mag to the ground in favor of getting the fresh mag in as soon as humanly possible, and if the lull lasts long enough, (and I still want it badly enough) then I can pick up the partial and pocket it.

Personally I wouldn't throw any ammo on the ground during a gun fight, lull or not. I can perform tactical and retention reloads almost efficiently as a slide lock or speed reload. If I am in a position to top off my gun then I have the extra 2-3 tenth of a second it may take to perform a tactical or retention reload.

In a gunfight, you may need every round you carry. You won't know how many you'll need for sure until it's over.

You can't have too many rounds, but you can have too few.

Practicing enough to be able to consistently execute a smooth tactical reload with a semiauto takes more effort than an empty gun reload, but it's not especially hard and worth every bit you put into it.

Tactical reloads with revolvers are lots more difficult and more time consuming, particularly in view of the loss of small motor coordination that happens in life threatening incidents. If you have additional charged speedloaders, it might be a better idea to dump live rounds and empty cases together into a pocket to preserve any unfired rounds and recharge the full cylinder.

Those who have doubts about counting fired rounds are on solid ground. Studies of officers involved in gunfights show that the more rounds they fired, the less accurate their recollection of fired round count was.