Lefty Reload Critique

[atlscrog]

A video showing three reloads... I'm a lefty and use the "thumb over the top" method with my right hand when reloading.

Looking for advice, feedback or comments (especially regarding weight or baldness )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gI_rmEO9n4

Edited April 12, 2009 by atlscrog

[OPENB]

Looked pretty darn fast to me. I'm a hack with a revolver, but I am left handed. When I do my reload, I put my right thumb thru the cylinder window, and hold the cylinder with my right thumb and middle finger. The video is too fast and far away to see how you are holding the cylinder, but it obviously is working. 625 I assume? Looks great. Phil Griggs shoots in my area, and he is left handed, and is known to hold his own with a round gun. He does the thumb thru the window technique. Usually wraps a band aid around his right thumb to keep from burning it on the forcing cone.

[Bubber]

atlscrog, I doubt that you will lose a match because of that reload. It is consistent and any improvement with be in the hudredths of a second. As with OPENB I cannot see much with the video but do you think you can start closing the cylinder a tad sooner with your thumb through the frame instead of over the top as it may give you more control on the revo. I am not a lefty but have watch several do a lefty reload and studied it a bit. I may be off base with my thoughts, and the reload may not be able to be improved. my 2 cents and I may owe you some change. good luck

[atlscrog]

Yes, it's a 625, bought it from a guy here race ready.

I'll go back and give the the thumb-through method another try.

Thanks for the comments!

[Carmoney]

Looking good!

I would recommend that you do some practice reloads using moonclipped brass that fits the chambers fairly tightly. Always using dummy rounds that fall out easily on their own weight can be misleading, and can reinforce a reload style that may not adequately "pop" the extractor rod every time.

Edited April 13, 2009 by Carmoney

[Tom Mainus]

C'mon Mike, I saw you post in another lefty reload thread and thought for sure you had some new pictures

The video is shot a little low to see everything. It looks pretty solid to me. The only thing I saw is when you grab the gun with your right hand, you get pretty close to the end of the barrel, an over zealous RO could call you for sweeping yourself if he is watching real close. I am a lefty revolver guy myself.

Tom

Edited April 13, 2009 by Tom Mainus

[Matt Griffin]

Looking good, but . . .

Your movements seem a bit piecemeal. It seems that you'e doing things in a 1.2.3.4 cadence when you could be combining a few to increase efficiency. There's no reason that you can't combine things like

1. Release the cylinder while lowering the gun

2. Fast hand motion to grab moonclip while right hand takes care of ejecting.

I picked up an easy .3 seconds when I realized that I was subconsciously waiting for my right hand to eject the moonclip before I was finishing my grab on the next moon. Check out the video I posted six or seven posts down, your mental focus after the last shot needs to be entirely on getting the moonclip to the gun as quickly as possible, while your right hand takes care of the ejection subconsciously.

Linky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTT8qZkuWjI

H.

Edited April 13, 2009 by Houngan

[Carmoney]

I guess while we're at it, I would offer one other suggestion that applies to all of us: Make sure you practice reloading on the move, including a full run. Even if you're stuck in your garage or rec room right now, don't just stand there, find a hallway or something, you never want to reinforce the habit of doing flat-footed reloads. Flat-footed reloads are time-wasters and match-killers.

[atlscrog]

I would recommend that you do some practice reloads using moonclipped brass that fits the chambers fairly tightly. Always using dummy rounds that fall out easily on their own weight can be misleading, and can reinforce a reload style that may not adequately "pop" the extractor rod every time.

Great advice! I discovered that after my first match

I now keep a couple of moonclips full of shot brass and use them to begin the reload sequence.

Scott

[atlscrog]

The video is shot a little low to see everything. It looks pretty solid to me. The only thing I saw is when you grab the gun with your right hand, you get pretty close to the end of the barrel, an over zealous RO could call you for sweeping yourself if he is watching real close. I am a lefty revolver guy myself.

Tom

Good point... the thumb-through method may also help keep my hand from getting to close to the end of the barrel... maybe a 5-inch barrel would help as well

[SteelShooten]

Looking good!

I would recommend that you do some practice reloads using moonclipped brass that fits the chambers fairly tightly. Always using dummy rounds that fall out easily on their own weight can be misleading, and can reinforce a reload style that may not adequately "pop" the extractor rod every time.

+1

Moonclips do a good job of covering this kind of mistake since everything is positively extracted. If you use loose ammo, like 357s from speedloaders, the above is vital to maintain good habits.