extra ammo carry

[smolck]

I just joined the wheel gun crowd with a new S&W airweight. I pocket carry in a pocket holster. Best, most comfortable method to carry extra ammo? Five shots might not be enough if the Zombies come. Thanks for any suggestions you might give me.

I had one of these briefly. My worry wasn't ever round count, it was putting them WHERE it counts. I couldn't hit jack squeeze with a snubster, and I am not a bad shot at all. Just didn't work for me and it was such an uncomfortable gun to shoot with and become proficient I sold it. But some of my buddies carry wheely guns in a belly band with speed strips and love them.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[9MMare]

I just joined the wheel gun crowd with a new S&W airweight. I pocket carry in a pocket holster. Best, most comfortable method to carry extra ammo? Five shots might not be enough if the Zombies come. Thanks for any suggestions you might give me.

Only 5 zombies?

I want to be in that movie.

[Vlad883]

Check your Snub. I have a 642 and most speed loaders don't work. I carry 2 Bianchi speed strips and practice the Ayoob method with just 5 rounds in the strip. Good luck. 5 Star firearm has a speed loader that works great on a 642 type snub. Going to but a couple and try 'em out.

[Rexster]

Didn't know what a speed strip was since my revolver is SAA. When I looked it up. I read a short article on making your own. Then I saw an image I'd a bianchi strip. The thought occurred to me that they might be more efficient if the spacing was aligned to insert two rounds at a time instead if one. Have never used one but have a pretty good idea how they work.
Anyone ?

That IS how Bianchi Speed Strips are designed; two cartridges at a time is how I practice with them. I am not sure about Tuff Strips' spacing.

While Speed Strips are certainly a handy, organized, and compact way to carry spare ammo, they are most certainly not very speedy for a complete reload. When I still carried a sixgun as a duty handgun, I practiced reloading with speedloaders, with Speed Strips, with cartridge loops on the belt, and when that innovation arrived, with a 2x2x2 carrier. The Speed Strip is the SLOWEST of these for a complete reload, but its handiness is worth it, in my opinion.

One reason I love the Speed Strip is that it is a VERY fast and sure way to get TWO rounds into one's weapon. I believe that if one's revolver is totally empty, two very fast rounds may well trump a complete reload that takes longer.

Of course, my preferred emergency reload is made of stainless steel, and is made by Ruger; an SP101!

[Jaxon06]

A couple of speed strips in the opposite pocket. That's 17 rounds.

This, and a speed loader or two.

[OldVet]

My reload is my Keds. I'm bringing more than my handgun to take on Zombies.

[dawei]

I've carried a 5 shot J frame 38 Special since May 1971. In all that time I've carried at 4-4:30 o'clock, either IWB or OWB. I carry two Bianchi® Speed Strips™ rubber banded together in my right year pocket. Additionally I carry a HKS® #36 Speed Loader in each front pants pocket. In colder weather I carry the gun in my inside left breast jacket pocket with speed loaders and speed strips in the outer jacket pocket(s).

In over 41 years of carrying, drawing, shooting, and reloading my J frames I am very confident in my abilities with same.

[TonyDTrigger]

I just carry 1 extra magazine ... 15 + 1, + 15 = 31

[GunTrooper]

I think that reloading with those strips uses fine motor skills. Even with enough practice to develope so-called "muscle memory" your fine motor skills break down once you get into the survival mode. If your life is threatened, your body will automatically devote more juice to essential survival motor skills, and the fine motor skills, (fine details accomplished with finger movements and manipulations) are degraded. S

[GunTrooper]

...realistically, I think that if ammo supply is a concern, then the threat you anticipate facing may involve a protracted gunfight. If that's the case, then a high capacity semi has to be your tool of choice. If it jams, clear the jam... That's a task that uses gross motor skills vs fine motor skills. And anyone using any type of gun other than a single shot shotgun, a double barrel shotgun, or a revolver has to learn to clear a jam...

[matthew03]

Whatever grabs you. Personally, I have a distinct problem just having a load of metal on my body--I need more mags and speedloaders like a need a hole in the head--no pun intended on my part please. If 21 shots are not enough I am dead already.

What happens if you have a magazine related malfunction after the first of those 21 shots. Fouled mag and no spare to replace it. You do know the magazine is the most oft. part of a semi. to fail and after having to rip it from the gun after something like a double feed it will more than likely take reseating the top round before you can replace it in the gun, that's if it will still function at all. Just saying.

[donp326]

I just carry 1 extra magazine ... 15 + 1, + 15 = 31

If I carry my CZ-75 it's 15+1 no extra mag. If I carry my Sig P-220 I carry 8+1 and 8. Even though it's the first 5 shots that count in most situations. I carry good Mecgar mags in the CZ and the P-220 These mags have never failed me yet in work outs.

[ksholder]

Whatever grabs you. Personally, I have a distinct problem just having a load of metal on my body--I need more mags and speedloaders like a need a hole in the head--no pun intended on my part please. If 21 shots are not enough I am dead already.

I agree that if 21 shots are not enough, you have big problems - but... What if your primary mag takes the opportunity to die after the first or second shot and a tap-rack drill does not solve the issue? I have had this problem, fortunately in training. If you are not carrying another mag, you have a pretty hammer or weird shaped rock.

Carrying an extra mag is at least as much about reliability as it is about more ammo. To each his own, but I would not want to be out an about with an auto-loader and a single mag.

ETA - looks like Matthew03 had the same thought I did. I was answering g as I read the thread and noticed his response above mine. I guess great minds think alike. :)

[ksholder]

Thanks for all the good ideas. I think I'll try the Tuff Strips. Thanks Superhouse 15 for the help. I'll have to leave my pocket watch at home.

I took TDI's snubby class about 18 months ago. There were two distinct groups of people when we started, the speedloader group and the speed strip group. By the end of the weekend, after many, many reloads, most, if not all of the speed strip group saw the benefit of the speedloader. I don't care how much you practice, speed strips will never be as fast as speedloaders. My preference, when carrying a revolver (which is pretty rare these days) is for speedloaders. Try both, train with both, see what you really prefer.

[ksholder]

Check your Snub. I have a 642 and most speed loaders don't work.

^^^This is good, solid advice. Depends on the grips you have on the gun. The stock grips on mine do not work with speedloaders. The Hogue boot grip works fine with them and makes the gun easier & more comfortable to shoot, if a bit less easy to conceal.