Speed Strips and Revolver carry

[WildBill]

I use the strips and the handy little pouch to carry them in ...

What size gun belt will fit your handy little pouch?

My belt is 1.5 inches but there's plenty of room to use a wider belt.
The great thing is that you just slip the flap up under your belt and
then fold it down to close it...no threading onto the belt.

Thanks for the reply!

[74novaman]

Anyone else just throw a couple of speed strips in the offhand pocket?

If I'm pocket carrying my .357, I'll throw 2 bianchi speed strips with 5 in each. They lay flat and aren't even as noticeable as the revolver itself, which only shows up as a slight bulge.

[Excaliber]

Anyone else just throw a couple of speed strips in the offhand pocket?

If I'm pocket carrying my .357, I'll throw 2 bianchi speed strips with 5 in each. They lay flat and aren't even as noticeable as the revolver itself, which only shows up as a slight bulge.

I carry mine on the strong side, because that's the hand I use to load the strips into the gun. For me, it's faster.

[flintknapper]

Anyone else just throw a couple of speed strips in the offhand pocket?

If I'm pocket carrying my .357, I'll throw 2 bianchi speed strips with 5 in each. They lay flat and aren't even as noticeable as the revolver itself, which only shows up as a slight bulge.

I carry mine on the strong side, because that's the hand I use to load the strips into the gun. For me, it's faster.

^^^^^^^^^^Same.

Carry on strong side, revolver is in weak hand (held with fingers through frame and around cylinder), so strong side hand is used to reload.

[Mike1951]

Anyone else just throw a couple of speed strips in the offhand pocket?

If I'm pocket carrying my .357, I'll throw 2 bianchi speed strips with 5 in each. They lay flat and aren't even as noticeable as the revolver itself, which only shows up as a slight bulge.

I carry mine on the strong side, because that's the hand I use to load the strips into the gun. For me, it's faster.

^^^^^^^^^^Same.

Carry on strong side, revolver is in weak hand (held with fingers through frame and around cylinder), so strong side hand is used to reload.

You can tell us old revolver shooters! Especially those who received some LE trainng when revolvers were the norm.

[Divided Attention]

Thanks for the suggestions! Would love to get instructions on making my own speed strips, that sounds intriguing!

Can't wait to practice with wheel guns again! Strangely therapeutic....

You guys are a wealth of info!

[Mike1951]

Thanks for the suggestions! Would love to get instructions on making my own speed strips, that sounds intriguing!

Can't wait to practice with wheel guns again! Strangely therapeutic....

You guys are a wealth of info!

It was easy enough. Just cut a wide Kirby vacuum cleaner belt and use a hole punch to cut evenly spaced holes.

Keep in mind the only reason I did this was because the Bianchi .38 strip was the only thing available.

I was making them for .44 and .45. Since TuffProducts is making those, there is no longer a need. When I asked them for strips for .41 Mag, they were in production in a couple of weeks.

[speedsix]

...got two black leather strip pouches that go around the belt from Dillon a coupla years ago...wear them either side of my spine and have two more strips in a small zip pouch in front pocket...that gives me 29 rounds for my backup Bodyguard...at no expense to my comfort...got rid of all my HKS when I got tired of finding them open in my pocket...I'm real active and crawl attics and under houses...I've used both the Bianchi originals and Tuff's new ones...especially like Tuff's for my .44 special snubs...best thing about them is if you carry primary in .357 and backup in .38...your reload ammo will feed either gun...no need to sort during a bad time...I use the Rem 158gr LJHP +P...plenty hot(don't even load .357 in my GP 3"...

[KD5NRH]

I carry a 5-shot, but I only carry speed strips when I can't manage to stuff a speedloader somewhere, or when I want a different ammo type available. (Usually some 158gr PMC if I'm going to be in the woods, or 110gr PowRBall if I might need lower recoil and lower penetration.

Obviously, I only put 5 in the strip, but I put them in the middle, so that it doesn't matter which end I happen to get hold of.

[mr surveyor]

hhmmm...I may have to try that diy speed strip thing. Spent brass and a small hammer makes a pretty good hole punch, and in the proper size too I would suspect. My Dad taught me how to use spent brass for a hole punch to make my own gaskets back in the day when I would attempt the diy things to keep my own vehicles running.

[Excaliber]

Anyone else just throw a couple of speed strips in the offhand pocket?

If I'm pocket carrying my .357, I'll throw 2 bianchi speed strips with 5 in each. They lay flat and aren't even as noticeable as the revolver itself, which only shows up as a slight bulge.

I carry mine on the strong side, because that's the hand I use to load the strips into the gun. For me, it's faster.

^^^^^^^^^^Same.

Carry on strong side, revolver is in weak hand (held with fingers through frame and around cylinder), so strong side hand is used to reload.

You can tell us old revolver shooters! Especially those who received some LE trainng when revolvers were the norm.

Very true!

I could still do this stuff in the dead dark - maybe even in my sleep.

[speedsix]

...I had a Sgt. shot in the wrist while he was down behind the car trying to load from a 12-shell loop slide on his gunbelt...the greenies had taken over and no way he could get 'em out...they had laughed at the rookie(me) who had spent good money on speedloaders...after that, several asked for the ordering info...that was the 70s...we've come a looooooooong way since then...gross pay was $500 per month...good equipment was a sacrifice...but if you only need it one time...you know the rest....

[The Annoyed Man]

I need to try these things out. I usually carry a HKS speedloader with my revolver, sometimes two, but they do take up a lot of room in the pocket. And like speedsix said, I have gone to remove it from my pocket at the end of the day to discover that it had opened and dumped the loose cartridges into my pocket. Praise God I didn't make that discovery during a gunfight.

Revolver reloads are a tad awkward for me simply because I'm left handed. To effect the reload, I have to switch the gun to my right hand, push the cylinder open, and use my left hand to charge the cylinder while holding the gun in my right hand. Cylinder charged, I swing it back into the frame, swap the gun to my left hand, and resume firing.

I've also noticed that there must be some minor differences in dimensions between my old 642 and my current 340 M&P, because it is noticeably more difficult to get the 5 shot HKS speedloader to line up with the open cylinder on the 340, even though it is supposed to be the same unit to service either revolver. So I'm going to order a couple of these things and the belt case.

[speedsix]

...I'm southpaw, too...remember the days when we had to pay $5.00 extra and wait 30 days for a holster?!!! I load just like you do...my right fingers would never find the holes...

[flintknapper]

If you do choose to carry speed strips, make certain you practice getting a good hold of your weapon. Cartridges do NOT just drop in….as with a speed loader.




Remember also…. some speed strips are a bit ridged when you first get them. So… “break them in” by flexing them back and forth before carrying them.

Depending upon the spacing of your cylinder, you might be able to load two cartridges at a time with a speed strip. (Some folks don’t know that).