Best Pistol Magazine Speed Loaders [Hands-On Tested]

Shooting is fun. Stuffing rounds into a magazine is not.

We burn through a ton of ammo here at Pew Pew Tactical, and we swear by magazine speed loaders.

Once you try one, I promise you won't want to wreck your thumbs by loading magazines the old-fashioned way ever again.

We tested some of the most popular loaders on the market and have the full rundown for you. Let's dig in!

How We Tested the Best Magazine Speed Loaders

We've used a bunch of speed loaders, including the ones that come with pistols from the manufacturers, aftermarket products, and all the speed loaders you see here.

We've collectively put thousands of rounds (or more) through our recommendations, so we know they work.

Whenever we evaluate a speed loader, we're interested in how easy it is to use, how well it accommodates different cartridges (lots of people shoot both 9mm and .45 ACP, for example), and how affordable it is.

It's important to provide options for serious shooters, casual shooters, high rollers, and tight budgets.

Best Pistol Magazine Speed Loaders

1. Maglula Uplula - Best Overall

Best Overall

MagLula UpLula

$26

at Gunmag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$26 at Gunmag Warehouse

Mag Shack (see price)

OpticsPlanet (see price)

Pros

• Affordable
• Works with a range of cartridges and magazines
• User-friendly

Cons

• You still have to load rounds individually

The Maglula Uplula is simple, easy to use, and fairly cheap.

While this speed loader isn't the fanciest or coolest-looking one we tried, it's our favorite.

You should know, though, that this is actually our second Uplula. The first one finally broke after loading more than 20,000 rounds with it. In our opinion, that is a respectable service life.

Operating this speed loader is simple; just place it over the magazine, squeeze the handle, and push the whole thing down over the magazine.

This depresses the follower or last round in the magazine and lets you drop the next round on top with no resistance. Release the lever and pull up to reset the loader for the next round.

It's intuitive and does the hard work for your, even on really stiff magazines. Best of all, it works on a huge range of magazine types and calibers with no adjustments.

We've used the same loader for .380 ACP up to .45 ACP and with Glock, Beretta, and Wilson Combat 1911 magazines. The same loader worked great for all of them.

I would also recommend this loader to anyone that has pain in the wrists or hands since it requires minimum force to use and is easy to gain leverage on.

What's your take on the Maglula? Rate it below!

2. Caldwell Universal Pistol Magazine Loader - Best for Competition

Best for Competition

Caldwell Universal Pistol Magazine Loader

$24

at Amazon

Prices accurate at time of writing

$24 at Amazon

Pros

• Easy to use without a bench
• Great ergonomics
• Well-built

Cons

• Slightly more time consuming

The amount of engineering that went into the Caldwell Magazine Loader is nothing short of impressive.

Caldwell is known for making great gear, and their magazine loader keeps that tradition alive. It isn't as intuitive as the Uplula but, once you see how it works, it is easy to use.

Set the spacer for your magazine (instructions are provided with the loader), insert the magazine, tighten the set screw, and simply load each round into the window before using the staple-gun-like handle to load the round into the magazine.

This is really handy if you have limited space, such as at a training class, a busy range, or a competition. It doesn't require the use of a table or bench to brace yourself on, so it's easy to use while standing.

The handle is large enough that it provides a ton of leverage, making the squeeze much easier than you might expect.

It's also surprisingly affordable. The main downside is the extra space it takes up in a range bag and the extra time it takes to set it up.

3. Elite Tactical Systems CAM Speed Loader - Fastest

Fastest

Elite Tactical Systems CAM Loader

$22

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$22 at GrabAGun

Amazon (see price)

Pros

• Super fast
• So satisfying
• Cost-effective

Cons

• Requires significant force

Loading one round at a time can be a fairly speedy process once you get used to it, but it is limited by the fact that it is still only one round at a time.

Enter the Elite Tactical Systems CAM Loader.

ETS combines the use of your ammo boxes with your loader to make the process a whole lot faster by filling the whole magazine in one motion.

Use the tray to slide over the cartridges while they are sitting in your ammo box to pre-load them and set them in place over your magazine.

Use the provided T-Handle to press the whole stack of rounds down into your magazine.

Keep in mind that this takes more force than other loaders, and it's a bit hard to get the right leverage when using a table.

We actually found that bracing the magazine against the sternum and pulling the T-Handle to the body actually worked better than trying to brace it all on the table.

While not the most comfortable technique, it is effective.

If you're cool enough to wear a plate carrier while loading your magazines, you wouldn't feel a thing!

If you really want speed or frequently load larger magazines, the ETS CAM really does save a lot of time.

How to Choose the Best Magazine Speed Loader

Your first priority when shopping for a magazine speed loader should be making sure it works with your firearm and ammunition.

There's a good chance your pistol came with a speed loader from the factory. Those work fine, but there are faster options out there and OEM speed loaders often don't work with other kinds of magazines.

If you own multiple pistols or PCCs, it's a good idea to invest in an aftermarket speed loader that works with all of them so you don't have to pack multiple speed loaders every time you go to the range.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of other magazine speed loaders on the market, but of the ones we've tested, the Maglula Uplula was the clear winner.

It's simple and easy to use, and fewer moving parts means fewer potential points of failure. It's an affordable option that works with a huge range of pistol cartridges.

To see all our picks and more in action, check a video we did a while back on them!

What magazine loader do you use? Let us know in the comments! And if you want more awesome pistol goodness, check out our guide to the best gun cleaning kits.

Latest Updates

October 3, 2024: Removed the MagPump.