A "magazine type stick speed loader" for revolvers - anyone make 'em?

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bedbugbilly

New member
On another thread here, speed loaders were discussed. I am pretty much a "revolver" person although I do have several semis. I currently carry a Smith M36 for my CCW which works fine for me and I'm totally happy carrying a 38spl. I've used speed strips and HKS speed loaders for a number of my revolvers. Right now, I carry a speed strip in a OTWB "dump pouch".

Anyway . . . the discussion got me to thinking. Does anyone make a "magazine style" speed loader for revolver cartridges? What I'm talking about would be very similar to a spring loaded magazine for a semi-automatic but which would hold cartridges such as the 38/357, 44, etc. I would think that something like this could be easily carried either in the pocket or in a belt pouch, would be fairly flat and not take up much room and in use, the cartridges could be quickly "thumbed" into the chambers.

In one of my training classes (taught by a former military spec. ops and currently a SWAT team member), he instructed me in the last resort of using a semi auto if it went south and wouldn't feed to use the magazine to individually thumb the cartridges in to the chamber. Thinking of that, it seems like a "stick magazine" for rimmed cartridges should/could work if the cartridges were loaded correctly so that the cartridge being thumbed out had the rim resting in front of the cartridge below it. As the cartridges were loaded into the stick magazine, the rim of the one loaded should/would be in front of the one below it so there would be no snags in thumbing them out. Just curious if anybody makes something like this?
 
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Nickel Plated

New member
Yea try Desert Eagle mags for .38/.357 and .44. Maybe pry open the feed lips a bit to give your thumb more room and clip the magazine spring a bit so it doesn't put so much pressure on the cartridges to make them easier to push out.
 
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44 AMP

Staff
I have a Desert Eagle and a Coonan, and you would have to do some mods on the mag and spring so you could easily and rapidly thumb rounds out of them in to your revolver. Very likely doing that would make the mags unusable in the auto pistol.

Considering what the mags for those beasts cost, I think its a waste of money.

I think you would be as well served (for flatness of carry) and better served (for ease of loading) with Speed Strips or something like them.

people have used 1911A1 mags to speed up reloads with SA .45acp revolvers, but compared to the DE & Coonan magazines, 1911A1 mags are much easier to strip the rounds out of.
 
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ClydeFrog

Moderator
Back to the future...

I'm not quite sure what the forum member is asking for but I think there are or maybe were :rolleyes: a few gizmos & gadgets from the 1980s/1990s that worked like that.
I recall a plastic .38/.357 holder that held approx 18 rounds that you could strip off. The holder attached to a duty or field belt. I think MTM or Unkle Mike's sold it.
As posted Id suggest a few speed strips from www.Bianchi-Intl.com or Tuff Products. I prefer the safety orange 5 shot Tuff Products Quik Strips ;) .
As a young police officer in Orlando, Florida asked me; "Why are your handcuffs bright red?, Oh so you can see them in the dark!" :D

Clyde
 
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bedbugbilly

New member
I currently do use speed strips and keep them in dump pouches. I've used HKS speed loaders but don't' like the bulkiness of them - especially in a pouch on the belt. As far as carrying speed strips in a pocket - I know a lot of folks do that but for me, my problem would be getting them out of the pocket in a hurry - that's why I use a drop pouch OTB.

I was just wondering if there was any device like a semi-auto mag for rimmed revolver cartridges. I agree that the cost of the mags that would work would probably be the factor in not going that direction.

I love the "PEZ" dispenser - basically what I was talking about! :)

Yes, you can load two at a time with a speed strip . . . if you are young and have good working fingers. Mine don't always work well. The speed strips work the best for me in my Smith M36 as compared to the HKS loaders I have. Even with the cylinder out all the way it is close quarters and even with lots of practice, it isn't always "speedy".

After trying a lot of different things, I've found that for me, the speed strip in a dump pouch is the quickest. The speed strip keeps from fumbling the cartridges if they were dropped "loose" as the dump pouch was originally designed for. I was just wondering if a loading magazine was ever made and marketed for wheel guns.

I suppose the solution to fast reloads could be solved by going to a semi-uto but I have been a wheel gun shooter for 50 years - old habits die hard. :D:eek:

Thanks all for your thoughts and information - greatly appreciated! :)
 
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Nickel Plated

New member
Yea the cost of .357 or .44 semi-auto mags would probably make it better to try to just fabricate something purpose built out of sheet steel yourself and end up cheaper anyway.
 
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g.willikers

New member
Inexpensive .38 Super mags for .38/357.
Cut it in half lengthways and extend.
Or
Cut slot in the front for bullet clearance.
Maybe?
Anyone want to give it a try?
To start, Metalform makes one that sells for under $20.
 
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357 Python

New member
Many years ago a friend of mine used a stripper clip from some old military rifle. It easily held 38 Special or 357 Magnum ammo and he could line it up to load 1 or 2 rounds as needed. Wish I could remember what rifle it was that the clips were from.
 
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James K

Member In Memoriam
I used to carry 5 rounds of .38 Special (I carried a Model 36) in a modified Springfield clip. I took out the spring, cut a tad off each side and pinched the sides just enough to retain the .38 Special rim. Trouble was that it was basically a two hand proposition to use, one hand to hold the clip, the other to strip out the rounds and the third to hold the gun. (Hmmm. Something seems wrong there, maybe someone can help me figure out what it is. :rolleyes:)

Anyway, I went to a regular speed loader.

Jim
 
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CajunBass

New member
I've tried using the magazine for a Ruger 22 automatic pistol as a carry magazine for a 22 revolver.

It worked, but wasn't near as practical as I thought it would be. I gave it up and went back to carrying ammo in a pouch on my belt.
 
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Sky_DiveR

New member
Find a S&W model 547 9mm pistol. Holds 6 rounds of 9mm Luger and you can use any number of 9mm magazines to load it. Not sure if the Model 940 can work without the moon clips but it also shoots a 9mm cartridge.
 
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bedbugbilly

New member
Bob - LOL . . anyone facing you and that SA would take the time to let you reload one at a time just out of respect! :D:eek:;) I love SAs as well but they are a little big for the type of carry that I do. I do like your belt pouch and I'm sure that it's pretty quick.

I was just wondering if a magazine type loader was ever made or not. On the farm, I have carried my New Vaquero (.357) for critters and usually, I just use a dump pouch with that as well. If I wanted something that was truly quicker, I'd carry a semi (which I do at times depending on the area I'll be in) but I'm pretty partial to revolvers. For CCW, I usually have my Model 36 with the dump pouch - sometimes loose, sometimes in a speed strip.

Thanks for the photo - looks like a nice set-up. If I ever run across a good short barreled 45 Long Colt SA, it's coming home with me as I'd have no problems with using a SA for carry at time. I've shot SA for 50 years and love 'em.
 
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Shotgun Willy

New member
I've got a couple of the Bianchi speed strips, but they don't work that well for me. What does work, is stripper clips for an SKS/AK47. You can fit 10 rounds in each one and they're cheap. I suspect they're what Python was thinking of.
 
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