Basics 13: Left Side of the Revolver

Revolvers have a place in self-defense.  They are easier to conceal, are not bullet configuration sensitive, less sensitive to dirt and foreign material in the mechanism and can be handed to just about anyone with a modicum of training/experience.

Mod 66 .357 mag  left handed

Reloading the revolver is the issue.  The current designs were popular before speed reloads were in vogue.  I don’t see a major change occurring.

Here’s the left hand reload for the revolver.

It all starts with a click when you were expecting a bang.

Pull the revolver in from the shooting position so that your elbows are touching your body.  This takes out a degree of movement and provides a body index.  Extra, unnecessary movement is the enemy of effectiveness and therefor the fast reload.

Rest your elbows against your ribs.  Two felt points of index.

Grasp the cylinder with the right hand and push it out with your thumb while using your left fingers to press the cylinder release.  This will require a slight shift of the revolver in your left hand. 

Shifting my strong hand grip tp press cylinder release  Note Index finger.

Grab the cylinder firmly and keep your little finger from coiling under the cylinder face where it will block the ejection of empties.

Turn the revolver, cylinder completely locked out, so the barrel is pointing upward and the empties can fall free. 

Right thumb pushed through the open frame grasping the cylinder and locking it in one location

Gravity is your friend at this moment, but some empties may be stuck in the chambers.  This is likely with a dirty gun or if if you shoot .38 spl. out of a .357 magnum or similar operation with a .44 magnum.  Use the heel of your left hand to run the ejector rod.  Yes, some people use their right index finger, but if it empties are lodged firmly you may not have sufficient strength to punch the now useless empties out.  Under stress you may miss the end of the ejector rod.  The meaty part of the palm under the thumb, aka the ‘thenar eminence,’ is broad enough so a possible near miss still gets the job done. 

I'm using the meaty part of my palm under the thumb.  The action is driving a empty brass round out of the cylinder, the other five fell out.  I always cycle this step twice.

During this entire process you want to keep your thumb through the open frame and wrapped with your index and social finger in a death grip around the cylinder.  Dropping your gun during a reload could be a death sentence.

With the empties ejected, rotate your grip so the muzzle is pointing downward.  The old-timers would pull two rounds out of a pocket or some variation of a dump pouch.  Modern pistolcraft utilizes the speed loader.

Gun butt pressed into my stomach for a third felt index while my strong left hand open pouch and removes speed loader

The speed loader is typically carried in front of the revolver holster so they can be grasped by your strong hand.  In this case it is your left hand.  There are a variety of holders, but unless this is just a competition rig, I suggest using pouches with covers. You will want to retain the loaded speed loaders through the activities of the day or night. 

I'm hold the speed loader by the release to show how I'm lining the rounds up and inserting

Lined up and inserting...

Grasp the speed loader by the body of the loader and not the release knob.  You’ll have more control over them.  Look down at what you are doing, line up the rounds with the empty chambers and insert the tip of least two rounds.   Then tip the rest into the waiting chambers.

Release the rounds and... 

 

Drop the speed loader, it will tumble out of the way by itself

Once the rounds are partially inserted, release the lock and let the round fall into the chambers.  Drop the speed loader.  Don’t retain it, pick it up or pocket it.  Leave it on the ground for the evidence technicians.  Your only goal is to reload your revolver as efficiently as possible so you can get back into the fight if necessary.

In a perfect world, all the rounds would seat themselves.  In our world, you may drop a round. Let it go!  A partial load is vastly preferable to a non-operational gun.  One of more rounds may not fully seat.  Use your left thumb to push them in place.

Finger out of trigger guard, right hand closing cylinder

Right hand makes sure the cylinder is in battery  My shooting hand is low on grip to show details.

Move your left hand to your shooting position high on the backstrap and rotate the cylinder inward with your right hand.  Give it a little click to ensure the gun is in battery.

Reload complete, now assess  note finger off of trigger on frame

Slide your right hand down the frame and grasp the weapon. 

At this point you want to reassess the situation.  The shooting phase could be over.  Your adversary could have moved, retreated or is attempting to flank you.

Speed loaders

There are several brands of speed loaders on the market:  HKS, Pachmayr and Safariland among others.  Some, like the Safariland Comp III are significantly larger for better grip and spring loaded. These types are more suited to competition and are seldom used off the competition range.  They are gun specific.

The two type of speed loaders I use

Double pouch with Velcro tabs to secure speed loaders in movement 

Here too reliability is important.  A reloader that doesn’t release quickly, drops rounds prematurely or requires the loader to touch the locking stud on the extractor star, like the Safariland, could create unwanted complications.  Speed loaders are caliber specific to a large degree but are also dependent of your revolver.

While not a speed loader, the speed strip is faster than pulling rounds out of your pocket or sorting through a handful of rounds oriented in random directions.  

Speed strip I carry five rounds for my J-frame and use the space to get a better grip

Speed strips have the advantage that they are flat, easy to conceal and hold a variable number of rounds.  The short course would be to insert two rounds and peel the strip of the partial seated rounds.  One major advantage is you can load two and get back in the fight if necessary.  Our data base, until recently, is based on police performance.  More than one officer has won his survival by loading two and reengaging, followed by loading two more.

Rounds

Clearly tapered rounds, like round nose and cone shaped hollow points bullets will feed better.  Semi-wadcutters work, but require a bit of fiddling and you are likely to drop a round.  Wadcutters, well what can I say.  Little oil can-like bullets are difficult if not impossible to load recreationally.  Loading under stress with numb fingers sounds like an excellent way to committing suicide by criminal.

 

Modifications 

The cylinder release may get in your way.  You might discover you can reduce its shape and size to give you a tiny amount of clearance.  I suspect the better option is to practice and modify your insertion procedure so a different revolver does not flummox you.

The same applies to grips.  Oversized wood and rubber grips are popular and can affect your reload.  Again I suggest a little practice until you are sure that lowering a high spot or reducing the grip thickness is called for.

Do I have to mention it?  Any modification you make in a defensive weapon must be able to be defended in court.  Any modification that provides you with additional time to reflect and evaluate the unfolding event is defensible.