Anyone here used a Speed Beez speedloader for a centerfire revolver?

[oldtexan]

While searching for speedloaders for my wife's S&W 686 PLUS (her nightstand gun), the only speedloader I can find that is both available here in the US and doesn't require twisting a knob to release the rounds is this Speed Beez. It's hard to tell from my limited info on it, but it looks like the speedloader may use a spring to eject the rounds into the cylinder instead of relying on gravity. Anyone know if that's actually the case? Until a day or so ago, I had never even heard of them. Searching this forum returned nothing and searching Google returned no reviews. Anyone here have any reports on good or bad points with this speedloader or other Speed Beez speedloaders?

http://speed-beez.webstorepowered.com/Speed-Beez-Smith-Wesson-Loader/dp/B00HCQBRA2?field_availability=-1&field_browse=8485274011&id=Speed+Beez+Smith+Wesson+Loader&ie=UTF8&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Cbrandtextbin%2Cbran d_name%2Cgeneric_text_1-bin%2Cgeneric_text_2-bin%2Cgeneric_text_3-bin%2Cgeneric_text_4-bin%2Cgeneric_text_5-bin%2Cgeneric_text_10-bin%2Cgeneric_text_6-bin&searchNodeID=8485274011&searchPage=1&searchRank=salesrank&searchSize=12

[Hizzie]

Looks like you just volunteered to test them out.

[jetfire]

I have literally never heard of those until today. It's actually the lack of a good speedloader that's kept me off the 7 shot 686 guns.

[LSP972]

News to me as well. But my suspicious nature...

See that lighter "line" around the circumference of the loader body? That looks like a coil spring... a'la Dade Machine Screw Company. IOW, the loader will probably work fine, and be very quick... but the slightest bump, jar, mis-handling, etc. will result in lost/dropped cartridges. And God help you if you drop the thing; they will go everywhere.

Again, just surmising here. But there are only so many ways to skin this particular cat, and most of them have been tried already. Dade loaders ruled PPC until the Jet Loader (and Safariland's Comp III copy) appeared, but very few savvy cops carried them on the street.

But by all means, throw yourself on that grenade and help your brothers here out... inquiring minds want to know!:cool:

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[El Cid]

If you can find them in stock the SL Variant models are tough to beat IMO. I have one for the 5 shot snub but they have 6 and 7 shot versions.

http://bobmacs.com/products/speedloaders

[Malamute]

You can get them cut for moon clips.

Or, have a brother thats a tool and die maker and likes weird projects and will machine you out some copies of the Safariland Comp IIIs for your 7 shooter. A friend had such a brother. Kinda cool, all metal 7 shot Comp III's.

[oldtexan]

If you can find them in stock the SL Variant models are tough to beat IMO. I have one for the 5 shot snub but they have 6 and 7 shot versions.

http://bobmacs.com/products/speedloaders

Yeah, Bob Macs is completely out of SLs and has been for some time. No indication of when more might show up. I have found an online retailer in Germany and one in Australia that carry SLs. Unfortunately, both are out of the 7 rd L-frame version.

[SeriousStudent]

I have a S&W 43c. I used the Speed Beez 8-round .22 LR speedloaders for it. It is NOT a centerfire revolver.

Three range trips with a pair of the speedloaders, and no problems. I did drop one of them once, and the rounds did not come out. But, they were new.

All my other revolvers use Safariland speedloaders. Unfortunately, they do not make one for the 43c.

I've order 2 more, based on how the first two worked. If you wish, I can keep you apprised of how they work. I wished I could be of more help.

[Totem Polar]

I have literally never heard of those until today.
This. Very interesting. A quick eyeballing gives me the same concerns about dropped cartridges in EDC application that LSP972 notes. But history shows that none of this will stop me from trying one with my K-frames.

[LSP972]

I have a S&W 43c. I used the Speed Beez 8-round .22 LR speedloaders for it. It is NOT a centerfire revolver.

Three range trips with a pair of the speedloaders, and no problems. I did drop one of them once, and the rounds did not come out. But, they were new.

All my other revolvers use Safariland speedloaders. Unfortunately, they do not make one for the 43c.

I've order 2 more, based on how the first two worked. If you wish, I can keep you apprised of how they work. I wished I could be of more help.

Well, you can confirm if the cartridge rims are "held" by a coil spring, and "pushed" past it by the loading plunger. Are these two new ones going to be for centerfire?

Dunno, at 36 bucks a pop I would expect some revolutionary new system… but I cannot see such in the photo.

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[oldtexan]

I have a S&W 43c. I used the Speed Beez 8-round .22 LR speedloaders for it. It is NOT a centerfire revolver.

Three range trips with a pair of the speedloaders, and no problems. I did drop one of them once, and the rounds did not come out. But, they were new.

All my other revolvers use Safariland speedloaders. Unfortunately, they do not make one for the 43c.

I've order 2 more, based on how the first two worked. If you wish, I can keep you apprised of how they work. I wished I could be of more help.

Thanks, good info.

[jetfire]

This. Very interesting. A quick eyeballing gives me the same concerns about dropped cartridges in EDC application that LSP972 notes. But history shows that none of this will stop me from trying one with my K-frames.

Yeah, my thought process is "just because I don't know about them doesn't mean they're not potentially rad." There are only a few ways to skin the speedloader cat, and if it's done right I think it'd be pretty awesome. I'm actually really interested in their 8-shot loader for the .22 LCR, because I have one of those that ends up getting used pretty regularly as a sort of improv kit gun. It'd be neat to be able to carry a reasonably quick and easy to access reload.

[SeriousStudent]

Well, you can confirm if the cartridge rims are "held" by a coil spring, and "pushed" past it by the loading plunger. Are these two new ones going to be for centerfire?

Dunno, at 36 bucks a pop I would expect some revolutionary new system… but I cannot see such in the photo.

.

Yes, the cartridge rims are held by the spring, and then pushed forward by eight small metal pins.

I was going to get one more speed loader for the rimfire, and one for a J-frame Smith just to play with.

Honestly, the only reason I got the ones for the .22 was because they are the only offering available. I'm going to grab one for the J frame for a range toy. I highly doubt it will ever be carried.

I'll be happy to bring them to Memphis next month, if you desire.

Hope that was useful.

[Totem Polar]

...for the .22 LCR, because I have one of those that ends up getting used pretty regularly as a sort of improv kit gun. It'd be neat to be able to carry a reasonably quick and easy to access reload.

Way OT, but, hows the POA/POI issue with the .22 version?

I guess I could just go search your blog and see for myself... :D

[Chuck Haggard]

My .22lr LCR shoots to the sights.

I have also been looking at these speedloaders for use with my LCR and/or 43c, might have to finally spring for one or two and try them out.

[jetfire]

My .22lr LCR shoots to the sights.

I have also been looking at these speedloaders for use with my LCR and/or 43c, might have to finally spring for one or two and try them out.

So does mine, and I put some Sweet Beamz on it to make it even more awesome.

[oldtexan]

I ordered one of the Speed Beez for a 7-shot L frame. It just came in.

A few observations:

I did some drop testing, from 1, 2, and 3 feet onto a berber carpet with about a half inch of padding, while the loader was loaded with A Zoom snap caps. Dropped from each height twice, and no rounds popped loose.

While using the loader to load the AZooms into the 686, it seemed that it required a strong push on the back of the knob to release the rds. I attempted to measure this with an RCBS trigger pull gauge that goes from 0 to 25 lbs. The loader still hadn't released when the gauge got to 25 lbs. I wonder how quickly the crane would get bent if one held the grip of the gun in the right hand and simply pushed on the back of the loader with the left hand, instead of holding the cylinder in the left hand and pushing on the back of the loader with the right hand.

Tried loading when the bore of the gun was parallel to the floor. When released, the rds would spring a fraction of an inch toward the rear of the cylinder and stop with the rims about a quarter of an inch shy of seating fully. They did seat fully if the gun was held so that the bore was at least a 15 or 20 degree angle to the floor.

Based on my limited knowledge of the Dade speedloader, this looks similar. There is a coil spring that runs around the body of the loader. To load the Speed Beez, one pushes each rd past this spring, and the spring then holds the rds in position.

[LSP972]

I'll be happy to bring them to Memphis next month, if you desire.



Thanks, but I won't be making the trip; too much family stuff has sprung up.

Appreciate the confirmation of the spring; I was pretty sure that was the retention method.

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[LSP972]

I ordered one of the Speed Beez for a 7-shot L frame. It just came in.

A few observations:

I did some drop testing, from 1, 2, and 3 feet onto a berber carpet with about a half inch of padding, while the loader was loaded with A Zoom snap caps. Dropped from each height twice, and no rounds popped loose.

Based on my limited knowledge of the Dade speedloader, this looks similar. There is a coil spring that runs around the body of the loader. To load the Speed Beez, one pushes each rd past this spring, and the spring then holds the rds in position.

Interesting. Sounds like they are using a much-sturdier spring. And yes, that is exactly how the Dade loader functioned.

Suggest you re-try your drop test with live cartridges; they are heavier than snap caps/proving rounds. And as the spring wears some, that retention level may lessen. That was certainly the case with the Dades.

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