Snubbies

                                                                Snubby Tips

  This is a pretty interesting video. As usual, I don't agree with everything in his vids, but I can find something useful in most of them.
  The vast majority of us bring our own personal experience to the table when picking a gun or judging a firearm's usefulness. As Yeager worked as a contractor in the Middle East and teaches tactical shooting, it's easy to see why he's all about the round count in handguns.
  I'll be honest. I prefer a semi auto over revolvers. Regardless of that, I still think that most of us would be well served by a revolver, and they are often the best choice for some people.
  Let's face it. Most gun owners aren't going to put a lot of rounds down range. Simpler is usually better. If someone isn't going to learn how to clear malfunctions or shoot enough to build muscle memory, then they're probably better off with a revolver. Wheel guns are simply more forgiving than semi autos in regards to mediocre gun handling.
  I'll use a long time gun owner that I took to the range recently as an example. Due to his using a really poor grip, the shooter was causing constant malfunctions in his Taurus 24/7 OSS.  Bear in mind that this was in a no stress environment at the range instead of during a stressful situation when things go bump in the night.
While revolvers aren't bulletproof (no pun intended), they are easier for some to understand and operate.
  Before watching this video I hadn't worked with speed strips in years. I usually keep a couple of speed loaders on hand for each of my revolvers, and use them regularly.
Speed strips... not so much.
  I decided to get some practice in with them last week, and realized that I've never seen any instructions on how to use speed strips. Yeager demonstrates the shoot two, load two concept. Most right handed shooters seem to prefer reloading with their right hand when using speed loaders or speed strips.

  This is how we use speed loaders and speed strips (at least in my home). The Daywalker was drafted into helping with this (so no... those aren't my little girly hands).

Speed loaders:


1) Press (or push forward) on the cylinder release with your right thumb while pushing the cylinder open with your left hand.
Rugers, Colts, and S&W revolvers have different types of cylinder releases. Taurus, Rossi, Charter Arms, etc generally have the same kind of release as Smith & Wessons.

2) Push on the ejector with your left hand while tilting the firearm up.
Most shooters hit the ejector with the palm of their hand, but pressing it with a finger will work if you do it firmly.






3) The empty cases should drop free, but you may have to give the gun a little shake, or hit the ejector a few times. This is especially true with snub nosed revolvers.
It's important to tilt the gun up so that gravity helps the empty cases drop free of the cylinder.
That should be a given, but I learned otherwise when taking a new shooter out recently. He kept trying to eject the spent cases while keeping the gun horizontal. This didn't work very well.
You may find yourself with a case stuck under the extractor star if you don't elevate the muzzle when pressing the ejector.

4) Hold the revolver in your left hand with two fingers inside the frame. Control the cylinder's movement with your thumb and the fingers reaching through the frame.

5) I carry my speed loader on the right side if possible.
Using your right hand, line the speed loader up with the cylinder. You will be controlling the cylinder's movement with the left hand. You don't want it spinning as you're trying to line the bullets up with the chambers.
The handgun should be pointed downward in order to help the bullets to drop into the chambers when released from the speed loader.
You want to build good habits so that muscle memory takes over if you're under stress (such as in a defensive encounter).

6) The bullets are released from the speed loader and hopefully have dropped into the individual chambers. A slight shake might be needed.
The speed loader is now worthless to you. If I was in a defensive encounter, I would simply drop it to the ground. This would save a few seconds, and there's no need to pocket it as it's now empty.

7) Push the cylinder closed with your left hand while keeping it pointed in a downward direction. Spin the cylinder until it locks.
DO NOT simply flip it closed as you see in Hollywood movies. You may damage your handgun.

8) Now you're ready to get back on target.











Speed strips:


1) Eject the spent cases as shown above. Hold the revolver in your left hand. The first two fingers should be reaching through the frame. Control the cylinder's movement with your thumb and first two fingers.




2) Place two rounds into the chambers. Peel back the speed strip and pull it away from the bullets.







3) Spin the cylinder a little, and then add two more rounds to the chambers. Peel the speed strip back until it releases the bullets.

4) If you have a 5 shot revolver then you'll have a round left over, and should try to retain it if time permits.

5) Close the cylinder. Give it a slight turn until it locks. Now you're ready to get back on target.










Remember to be consistent in how you carry, and where your reload is kept. The method shown above is used when carrying a speed loader or speed strip on the right side. You will have to make some changes if you carry your spare ammo on the left. Big changes will have to be made if you're a lefty.
Just something to think about.

And now, in her video premiere...
The Daywalker

For the record, I had to slow her down for the video. She's probably moving at about one third of her normal speed in the reloads. The Daywalker has been using speed loaders for a long time, but this was only her second time using speed strips.
As she was seated during the filming it was hard to get the camera angles right. Tilting the gun forward during the loading, and upward while unloading was a little harder.
She did pretty good though.