Love some critique about reloading the revolver

[robot]

here's a quick video I put together during my dry fire practice with my S&W 625 JM. Would love some feedback or critique about form and how I should improve/change things.

thanks in advance.

[Carmoney]

Looks good to me, Bro!

I reload the other way most of the time, keeping the gun in my strong hand. But the way you do it works well for Jerry, Cliff, and Ricky also, so you're in excellent company.

[robot]

Thanks Mike! I have to send my revolver to you one day to get it Carmonized.

[MrBorland]

Looks pretty good.

You're closing the cylinder using The Pinch, which gets your weak hand on the gun later than it could be getting there. Since you're using a thumbs-forward weak hand grip anyway (sorta), you could try using the meaty part at the base of your thumb to push the cylinder closed as you're raising the gun. Once closed, your weak hand is nearly already set, so you'd re-establish your grip earlier and have an extra moment or two to adjust if necessary.

Tom

Edit: I'd be remiss if I didn't point this out, but the first time the trigger guard comes into view (at 1:09), your finger's already in there. Check to be sure you're not getting in there as you're pulling the gun out. Better to have it pointed out here than by a spooked SO.

Edited September 21, 2010 by GrandBoule

[robot]

Thanks Tom! good point on using the meaty part of the thumb. I'll give that a go.

you also caught me on that, I realize I only do that once in a while with the revolver. It never happens with my 1911, I think I'm putting too much emphasis trying to get a good trigger pull with a heavy DA trigger that i'm unconsciously being impatient and my finger is anxious to get things rolling. I did catch myself a few times during the practice. I'll have to work on that or it'll be disastrous when I switch back to my 1911.

But it's a good draw no?

[GMM50]

Hi:

Also Looks good to me. You've got to realize you're doing a lot more reloading a revolver that that other type of pistol.

Smooth is the key. Lots of reps. Go slow and be smooth.

The fine points will come in time.

George

[MrBorland]

But it's a good draw no?

Yep, your draw looks good to me.

As you raise and grip with your weak hand, though, it looks to me as if you intend to grip in a thumbs-forward style, but don't end up there, which would require you to cant your weak hand forward so your thumb lies along the bottom of the cylinder. Check out Bones' grip in the link below, for example. The thumbs-forward seems to really lend itself to closing the cylinder with the butt of the thumb as the gun's being raised.

http://gunnuts.net/2010/03/02/thumbs-forward-grip-on-a-revolver/

Speaking of the butt of the thumb, after thinking about it, I actually contact the cylinder at the base of my thumb, just ahead of the meaty section. The pic shows the position of my weak hand thumb pushing the cylinder closed as the gun's coming up. My strong grip is mostly established, with the strong thumb swinging over to the weak side. I canted the gun to the right to get a better view.

Thanks for posting!

Tom

[robot]

Tom: that's what I'm used to, thumbs forward grip but I heard that it might be dangerous to do it because of escaping gas from the cylinder. I don't want to blow my thumb off, that's why I curl my thumbs down a little after I get the forward grip. That grip feels weird for me though because there's a missing space where my support thumb is supposed to be at. I've also experimented with placing my thumb on the side of the frame to give it a little more support.

[TMC]

It all looks good to me the only suggestion I can think of is it looks like your placing the rounds in the cylinder rathing than letting them fall. I find that if the gun is almost straigt up and down and I drop the rounds from about 1-2" above the cylider that gets them in quicker (gravity is your friend) and as soon as I let them go I can start reaquiring my strong hand grip.

My .02

[MrBorland]

I heard that it might be dangerous to do it because of escaping gas from the cylinder. I don't want to blow my thumb off, that's why I curl my thumbs down a little after I get the forward grip.

Yeah, I've heard the horror stories, and saw the widely-distributed (and likely apocryphal) pic of a mangled thumb. It's my understanding, though, that it's the high pressure of the magnums that can do the damage, whereas SSR and ESR loads are relatively low pressure. At any rate, as you can see in that link, relatively little of the escaping gas is directed thumbward, so an SSR can be shot thumbs-forward without problem (blackened thumb notwithstanding). Others should chime in specifically about a 625 and a thumbs-forward grip: I have much less trigger time with my 5" 625, but I've shot it thumbs-forward without problems too.

I've also experimented with placing my thumb on the side of the frame to give it a little more support.

Like your grip and reloads, experiment to see what works best for you: In my (albeit limited) experience, though, the less "neutral" the grip, the harder it is to establish a good index and to be consistent from shot-to-shot. I used to grip my gun like this, but I found that thumbs crossed and/or riding the side of the gun could easily push the frame and throw a shot off.

[John Z Sr]

Looks good, I prefer the extended cylinder release by Houge (*thumb rest [generic]*). As soon as my 6th shot breaks, my thumb has the release pressed as my trigger finger comes off the trigger and has the cylinder open, my left hand thumb empties the cylinder as my right hand is on the next clip, and yes use gravity to help drop the load in clip as stated above, good luck and enjoy revo !!!

Edited September 22, 2010 by John Z Sr

[robot]

Thanks for all the comments and tips. this is definitely invaluable to me.

JohnZSr: is the extended cylinder release legal for IDPA? if it is, i'd love to get one.

[John Z Sr]

Not legal for IDPA but you can use it for USPSA

[robot]

It's also pretty quick to swap back and forth right? just one screw. I think I'll go get one

[Ahab]

I use the thumbs forward grip on my 625, and I've never had any problems with escaping gas. I also have relatively smallish hands, and while my thumb turns black from carbon fouling it's never been burnt shooting an N-frame.

[eak]

Mark at pinnacle makes a large style release as well i have used mine for a couple of years and it works well.

[robot]

Here's another reload practice video this time using the Austin Moon Clip Server. There's certain way to load it that'll ensure that you have a smooth draw, other than that, I like it a lot. It gives me a consistent draw stroke. Comments please!

Edited September 25, 2010 by robot

[John Z Sr]

It's also pretty quick to swap back and forth right? just one screw. I think I'll go get one

Yes, easy to change, I leave mine on all the time except for major IDPA matches