Gentlemen, and Ladies, If you carry a Revolver for PD, do you carry your extra ammo in Speed Loaders, Loose Rounds [LR] or both???

Way, way back in the day, when there were no speedloaders the "cops" carried their spare ammo in either loops, or in a dump pouch.

Then Speed Loaders were invented.

Strange as it may sound some Police Depts would not let their officers carry speed loaders because of the bulk and way they looked on the Sam Brown Belt?

So what is best in todays world.

Well as someone that carried a revolver way back in the day [notice, only one "way"], I carried BOTH.

The problem with only speed loaders is that you have only one choice, wait to reload until you have shot your gun dry, or dump some live rounds on the ground to reload with 6. And you need to decide when and how many live rounds to dump...

No IMHO no doubt speed loaders are a GREAT THING. Especially if you practice with them.

However it is a good idea again IMHO to be able to "top off", ie, reload just the number of rounds you have fired, if the situation allows it.

For instance you have fired a few rounds and are currently "safe" then you can recharge your revolver, with your "loose" rounds, saving the seed loader for later...

I carried 2 speed loaders, and 12 loose rounds, for my primary.

At first I carried the 12 loose rounds in a dump pouch that held 6 in 2 seperate compartments. After a while, when it became avialable, I got a 12 round loop competition carrier. I carried a 44 Mag, and a Competition Loop carrier is designed so it is easy to push the round up and take it out of the loop.

Worked great.

So what should the Concealed Revolver Carry person do???

Well I would recommend carrying a speed loader or two, as well as maybe 6 "loose" rounds in either a loop carrier or a flap carrier.

The flap carriers called 2x2x2 are my favorite.
Check out the Galco company.

Many of will feel that speedloaders are just to bulky for everyday CC.

In that case I recommend that you carry 2 of the 6 round loop, or 2 6 round "flap" carriers.

Also check out "Speed Strips". They are now offered for even 44 Mags.

They can be carried in a pocket or in the regular 6 round "flaps".

It is IMHO, a good idea to have extra ammo, ON YOUR PERSON.

The 2 Speed loaders that I have used the most are the HKS, and the Safariland.

In a belt carrier the HKS with its knob is easier to "grab".

However when carried in the pocket I prefer the Safariland as I think it is less likely to accidently release its rounds.

I am curious to hear what system the the rest of you use.

I too have carried spare ammo in many differant ways.

A lot depends on how I am carring the gun. If in a shoulder rig I attach the speedloader in a pouch under the off shoulder. I also have a rig with a double dump pouchs under the off shoulder.

I also used a small nylon speedloader pouch on the belt or a double leather one. Or I have just put a speed loader into a coat pocket.

A older police dump pouch also comes in handy. I have thrown just a few extra rounds in the pocket.

No one way is the best for all days.

I've used all of the above.

I'm currently carrying my 325NG with two moonclips in a jacket/vest/pants pocket.

When I carry a .44 I use a Safariland speed loader in a tan carrier that splits three rounds on each side of the belt and holds it with a flap. And somewhere around here I've got the clarino double pouch that I used twenty five years ago for duty carry...

I figure that if I'm a big enough boy to carry an N frame then a couple of speed loaders/moonclips isn't too hard to conceal. Loose rounds might be a good idea but aren't really practical with the 325.

What I was taught, many moons ago, was the two speed loader, 12 single thing. We've still got one old head who still carries only 12 singles!!

If you add a lever action rifle, in the same caliber as your rifle, there's not alot of problems that can't be taken care of, except the administrator who won't let you carry that lever action.

For everyday civilian carry, I'd say one full reload should be carried. Speed loader, speed strips, or loops. I do not like the idea of dump pouches, though they are appropriately named, as rounds just dump on the ground/floor.

Semi-Auto, back up.

The revolver I carry is a small hammerless D/A snubby in 9 m/m Parabellum...the S&W 940 stainless.

I carry my reloads in full-moon clips. Bone simple to use. Open revolver, push extractor rod to get rid of empties (and/or any remaining loaded rounds). Drop in next full moon clip, close cylinder. You're good to go! Two loaded clips in in my pants pocket take up so little room as to not be felt or visible in normal daily use. Have two more in my jacket pocket.

When I did carry a revolver, I carried a combination of speedloaders and speed strips in uniform, or if plainclothes just the speed strips.
The key, of course, is to practice with whatever method you choose.
One of the older guys I worked with used the old Bianchi 2x2x2 pouches, and was happy with it.
Horses for courses I guess.

I carry a 642 airweight in front pants pocket with a speedloader in the other.

I carry speed loaders. I would feel comfortable with speed strips. Loose ammo in the pocket is hard to find under keys and change.

I only carry my .38 as a backup, and if I run that dry I'm drawing my knife.

It would be great if you fellers would post pictures. As a neophyte I would like to learn what your are talking about when you speak of loops - dump pouches etc.

Palmer

Go to some of the holster makers sights like Safariland, Bianchi, Galco, etc. and you will see what is avialable and what we are talking about.

Palmer,
"Loops" are the sets of leather loops that hold cartridges usually in sets of six or twelve. Kind of like the way the cowboys carry ammo on the old western movies.

"Dump pouches" are usually leather boxes with an open top that hold six cartridges, you normally carry two. There's a flap with a snap at the top and a leather hinge at the bottom. When you need to reload you unsnap the flap, tilt the box down and try to catch AND retain six cartridges in one hand. Then while getting shot at you patiently stick them in the cylinder one at a time and try to not drop too many of them.

Makes you see how speedloaders were a welcome invention, doesn't it?

NE 450 No2,

I think we're both showing our age, I couldn't easily find a manufacturer for drop pouches to link a photo to. They may have gone the way of the dodo bird.

Try the Hellweg site. They still make "dinosaur" stuff.

How about neither loose rounds or speed loader and go for the "speed strips"?

The are pretty fast, and are far less bulky.

The original Speed Strips were only made for .38/.357 now there one or two companies making them for .44 or .45. They do make good sense.

Since this thread started I picked up some .45 Auto Rim brass. Makes an awfully cute lil cartridge, I may have to get some Buffalo Bore factory to carry in the cylinder along with speed strips or a small belt pouch for a few rounds to augument the moon clips I carry.

I have a double speedloader case for my 29-2's and the same for my Charter Bulldog.

When I carried a Revolver, for a lot of years I carried a M-19 S+W. I carried 4 speed loaders, 5 in the gun, Hammer down on and empty chamber and two loops on my belt. I went to a Colt 45 in an 1911 and three + 1 in the gun. It was easier all the way around. One of these days I am going to give a Glock a serious try.

When my brother carried a revolver (as a back-up weapon he was a police sharpshooter) he used Bucheimer "Double Six" pouches.

These were better than dump boxes as the rounds were held securely in pairs. So you could open and reload just two rounds.

Some of that Bucheimer stuff was very well thought out.

When I carry a 5 shot Smith & Wesson "J" frame I also carry one speedloader with 5 rounds. I consider this my bare minimum package, but better than a sharp stick.

However, I prefer a Glock 27, Glock 23 or Compact Springfield XD all in .40SW with one extra clip. I really like the grip safety feature on the Springfield XD's.....similar to a Gov-Model.

I just picked up a shoulder holster rig for my Springfield XD's.....fits all the models with two clips on the offside. I can wear it with a t-shirt and another button type shirt over it and you don't even know it is there.....very comfortable in a car also.

I often carry a wheel gun.

I run 2 speed loaders in a jacket pocket if I am wearign a jacket. If not I run one in a carrier right in front of the holster.

I also always carry a Speed Strip in the watch pocket of my jeans or right front pocket.

In addition I always have a J frame n me somewhere so I can always "reload" by going to a 2nd gun.

quote:

However it is a good idea again IMHO to be able to "top off", ie, reload just the number of rounds you have fired, if the situation allows it.

How do you "top off" a revolver?

You can't just selectively eject the empties. The star extractor is going to dump all the rounds, whether they've been fired or not.

It seems to me that if you have the time to pluck the empties out, you're not in a real emergency.

If speed is of the essence and you want a full cylinder, dump them all and reload from a speedloader.

If speed isn't of the essence, dump them all, reload, and then look down and pick up the live rounds.