kiyshooter Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 If you are right handed, do you load the cylinder with the left hand or right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vrmn1 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Most righthanders use their right hand to load revolvers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bwana Six-Gun Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 VRMN1 is right, most right handers use their right hand, particularly if they are using some type of speed loader. If they are using moon-clips, you can go either way, whichever is most comfortable for you. I use a 625 with moons, and use my left hand. It is more comfortable and I never have to re-acquire my grip on the gun. Whatever works best for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robopup Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I would comment but you can't call what I do "speed loading". I am right handed and load with my right hand. It seems to work the best for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Most righthanders use their right hand to load revolvers. With moonclips it's now about half and half. It is becoming more common to see righthanders throwing the moons in with the left hand. Lots of converts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 FWIW, I use my left hand to load both with speed loaders and moonclips. You can be smooth either way but it takes "perfect" practice. Because you do what you practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.carden Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I use my left hand......Even WAAAAYYYY back when I was using SafariLand stuff and a 686 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 For the most part the right hander reloads with the left. The older set of right handers has a tendency to reload with their right. It is likely a carryover from earlier PPC and range shooting when consistency and speed was not a factor. But test for yourself, on the clock. Which is faster for you and which is more consistent? It is also going to depend on what sort of speedloader you use. If the HKS type then I don't think anything can help. If you are using Comp-3's or the like, reload with the left. And also use the search function - the great reload debate is something that can get a bit heated at times. It has been well covered before. But whatever you start using - put it on the clock. Use a timer and determine what works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Fay Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I am right handed and load with my left hand, either way will work, it is just got to be PRACTICED so it can be done on command. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnSchuler Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 (edited) VRMN1 is right, most right handers use their right hand, particularly if they are using some type of speed loader. If they are using moon-clips, you can go either way, whichever is most comfortable for you. I use a 625 with moons, and use my left hand. It is more comfortable and I never have to re-acquire my grip on the gun. Whatever works best for you. I have very small hands, and lose my grip when reloading anyway, so I load with my right and re-acquire my grip very consistantly (with practice, I'm still pretty new at this). I started out loading with left, but now I don't even remember how. Good luck! P.S. I'd love to find a nice L frame 646 out there floating about! Edited July 14, 2007 by JohnSchuler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imashooter2 Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I use my left hand......Even WAAAAYYYY back when I was using SafariLand stuff and a 686 Same here. Tried the right hand and it never worked well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 (edited) One of the guys I used to shoot with in Arizona had a viveo at azwildbunch.com showing a snippit of a reload while moving. I played with it to slow it down to see the reload. He was wearing a muffcam of sorts and looks pretty good. Here is hoping it works it took me 2 hours to download it, Did I mention I hate dial ups.. Les's Reload Let me know if it works. Maybe someone should delete movie maker from my computer. Edited July 17, 2007 by Bubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganShootist Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I'm right handed and I have always loaded my wheel guns (mostly S & W 66's and 625's) with my left hand. It just seems to require a lot less movement and the gun can stay down range during the reload.... near the shooting window. I've seen a number of shooters DQed in USPSA matches because they broke the 180 when reloading right handed.... that would never happen using the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revchuck Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 If I ever again get time to practice I'm going to give the left hand reloads a try...especially now that I've come up with cleaner-burning loads. The right hand reload is the traditional way, based on police and self-defense needs. It includes pointing the barrel straight up to ensure that all the crud from shooting factory ammo stays out of the chambers and from under the extractor star. The straight-up barrel is what can get you DQed for breaking the 180. Factory ammo is not designed to be clean burning - factories use the cheapest powder they can find that meets velocity and pressure requirements. Competiton revolver shooters, OTOH, work to load the cleanest possible ammo to ensure the fewest problems during reloads. Left hand reloads are much more certain with moon clips - no chance of a case slipping off an extractor star during almost-horizontal ejection. Since I shoot speedloader guns, I've been mistrustful of the left-hand stuff, but I want to give it a try. "That's the hand to use - well, never mind..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerba Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 He was wearing a muffcam He He Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulie686 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Bubber, the "Movie" seems to work, at least on my "Confuser". BTW, it looks like your old "Shooting Buddy" was using the "Speedstix" Moonclip Speedloader--Do you know if they are still available? Thanks!...Paulie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Bubber, the "Movie" seems to work, at least on my "Confuser". BTW, it looks like your old "Shooting Buddy" was using the "Speedstix" Moonclip Speedloader--Do you know if they are still available? Thanks!...Paulie That was the infamous speedstix.. Phil is no longer making them. There is a fellar in Arkansas currently looking into the production and is kicking around the "next Phase" of the speedstix design. And there have been a few other people look at the design also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
professor Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I've been reloading right-handed since I started playing USPSA games in late 2000. Originally, that was using Comp 3s with a Model 29. I've since switched to a 686 with moon clips, but the thumb release is too far forward for me to release the cylinder while retaining a good right hand grip on the gun, so I stayed with transferring the gun to my weak hand and inserting the moonclips with my right hand. Even with lots of practice, the reloads are slower than I see others doing with left hand reloads, so I just got the Hogue extended thumb release and I'll be practicing reloads retaining the right hand grip on the gun. We'll see which way turns out faster in the next couple of weeks. BTW, breaking the 180 vertically should not be a factor no matter which hand you use. Transferring the gun to your weak hand to reload can lead to breaking the 180 by pointing the muzzle toward the crowd, if you're moving from right to left across a stage. So go the other way if at all possible. Jerry d Geek had a neat video of a left-handed pistol shooter DQing by reloading while travelling left to right across a stage. Of course, he ejected the mag then was holding the pistol with handle parallel to the ground to slide in the mag, rather than keeping the gun oriented normally and just shoving the magazine up into the butt end of the grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganShootist Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I have to disagree with the previous comment about getting DQed..... Cheetah a VERY good Master got the big DQ--- right in your home state last year at the Summer Blast. His barrel was pointed straight up and the RO said he could see the end of the barrel--- thus the 180 was broken. I'll never have that problem loading left handed.... plus-- all those thousands of 1911 reloads came with the left hand doing the reload too.... so it just seems more natural to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I'm right handed and I still reload the 625 with my right hand even though I know of the potential 180 hazard. I have been playing around with reloading the 686 with my left hand lately. It's not as difficult as I thought it would be for me to do. We'll see. I did see an RO at an area match give Danbagger a verbal warning after shooting a stage stating that he pointed the muzzle straight down during a reload. Do I have that right, Dan? I don't remember exactly what the RO said to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 What it comes down to with a lot of RO's is they are not familiar with or used to ROing a revolver shooter. Ro's are not very used to an UP or DOWN orientation on a gun - most of what they see is semi's, and some don't deal well with new things, even if they don't actually break the 180. Remember, you own the 180 but not 181. The "dangerous reload" for the right hand/strong hand reloader is when moving from right to left. That requires a sort of sideways crab-waddle movement to stay within the 180. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopalong Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Viggen is right, many ROs' are not used to a revolver getting reloaded.......especially one getting done quickly and correctly when the gun gets pointed up and down to have gravity assist in the loading and reloading. I was warned by the same guy 3 years in a row at A-4, after that third time I took him to the safety area and showed him the two most common reloads for a 625 and told him that gravity is the biggest trick in the reload and why. He then thanked me and said he had no Idea and seeing the gun flipping up and down was different/strange. As far as the going left trying to reload with my right hand (the way I normally load) I usually do it with the left hand to keep from flirting with the 180. Practice both the right and left hand loads, it doesn't hurt to know both. (you might find out you need to do it the other way) Hopalong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear23 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I was told by George J. at our RO class that while reloading the revolver (with the cylinder open) there would be no 180 call. Correct or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I was told by George J. at our RO class that while reloading the revolver (with the cylinder open) there would be no 180 call. Correct or not? Wow, I sure wouldn't count on that. I have personally seen revolver competitors DQ'd at major matches for 180 violations that occurred during reloads with the cylinder open. I can think of two in the last year. There's no reason anybody needs to break the 180 during the reload, using either strong- or weak-hand technique, as long as he keeps his wits about him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Round_Gun_Shooter Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 I was told by George J. at our RO class that while reloading the revolver (with the cylinder open) there would be no 180 call. Correct or not? I think what he meant was the "Vertical" 180 that some get nervous about. There should be no reason for a 180 DQ otherwise if you reload correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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