DIY speed loaders

[Mokwepa]

Hey guys

I know that some of you must have made your own speedloaders for a revolver, please could you share what you did. Speedloaders are very dificult to find here so i am going to try make my own but would first like some ideas. If possible can i see some pics of what you did.

Thanks in advance
Dylan

 

[Koos Custodiet]

I'm bringing in two or three from Brownells, should land here early next week. Yup, difficult to find. What gun?

 

[Mokwepa]

its a Astra 2" snubby 38spl 5 shot.

Surely someone has experimented with homemade speedloaders???

 

[halfded]

Have you considered speedstrips? Bianchi makes 'em for pretty cheap. Here's a link to another company that sells them too.

www.tuffproducts.com

 

[rcmodel]

I have never made any, because they are plentyful & cheap here.

I have modified a few HKS ones. They might be a little tricky to make.

Here is an idea that would be fairly easy to make though.
The coil spring retains the rims, and the pins drive them into the chambers.
http://ds10speed.spaces.live.com/

You might ought to off-set the pins off the primers in a CF caliber.

Pretty sure they are patented, so don't go into business making & selling them over there!!!!
That wouldn't be nice!

rc

 

[BCRider]

What sort of tools do you have available?

I got a batch of Safariland loaders for my K frame that had two from another gun mixed in. To the unaided eye they are the same but they hold the bullets out of place by just enough that there's no way to use them for my K frame. So accuracy in the order of plus or minus down around the 2 to 3 thou mark will be required. Not something you'd be doing with hand tools unless you can use your cylinder as a drill guide to at least form the pilot holes in the holder.

To do that you'll want to make up a special drill bit that has a pilot bushing that is the same size or slightly larger than a .38 casing so that it fits the chamber holes but can still turn freely. Plastic, brass, aluminium only for this pilot bushing so you don't scratch the cylinder. The bushing would fit over a pilot drill in the 3/16 size range. Once you've got the pilot holes drilled you can finish them out to a size and depth that'll take the rims. Then you need some way to retain the rounds and some way to push them past the retention. The Dade loaders are probably the easiest style of retention. An outer groove runs around and cuts into the casing holes enough that a small wound spring "O-ring" fits into the round holes enough to snap over the rims to retain the rounds. A center button is used to push them out.

As you can see there's a fair bit of precision needed as well as quite a bit of machine work that really would be much easier to do on things like lathes and drill presses or perhaps a milling machine. Mind you it may be possible with some thought to come up with something more "home handyman'ish" that is functional but may not look all that pretty. The real key is that the bullets MUST be held in the proper spacing. Just a little bit out of locaton and they'll wedge and jam between the loader and cylinder as they try to go in.

Good luck with an interesting project and be sure to post back pictures if you come up with something.

 

[Mokwepa]

I do have all the nesesary tools, lathe and drill press etc. I was hoping for something simple and disposable.

 

[rcmodel]

Simple & disposable would be Bianchi Speed-Strips made out of a truck innertube.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=243389

No housings to mill, or threads to pitch.
Just punch some holes in the Son of a Bit--!

Never mind!

rc

 

[Dreaded]

^^ i agree, or you could use the thick black rubber bungee cords instead of the truck innertube.

 

[BCRider]

Simple and disposable? There's the speed strips as mentioned but really compared to a 5 at one go speed loader they are not fast.

There's another thought. It would take a lot of prep to produce a mold but once the mold is done and suitable material is found to do the flexible casting the speed loader itself would be quite cheap to make. But really despite any sort of heavy shipping charges you'd be hard pressed to make a few for what these cost even with the abusive shipping to South Africa. If none of the suppliers won't ship and there's no legal impediment either in leaving the US or going into South Africa perhaps someone can accept the shipment for you and then forward them on.

http://www.speedloaders.com/

 

[Flashdoggie]

Mokwepa, you should look into HKS speedloaders. Their model 36-A fits a lot of 5 shot .38s and they ship worldwide. I've never found any speeloaders that work better.

 

[CajunBass]

How about a round "speed strip" out of a truck inner tube or some other heavy rubberlike material? Sort of like a gasket. Think that might work?

 

[Mokwepa]

That sounds like a good idea, i did think about it but dont have any inner tubes to try. I did make a bianchi type speed loader out of that 1cm thick foam used for camping materesses. It works well, 2 then 2 then 1. Not as fast as 5 full stop. but faster than fumbeling for 5 out the pocket and 1,1,1,1,1.
i will try the "gasket" thing when i get some inner tube.

Bought a lyman 55 powder thrower. Yeh baby, loads fast and accurate enough, going to shoot up lots of cardboard this afternoon.