Best Speed Loader for Glock Mags?

jski

jski

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Looking on Amazon for reviews from purchasers of magazine speedloaders I saw that MakerShot Magazine Speedloaders got the best reviews.

Does that match your experience? There’s the universal Maglula Uplula speedloader. Twice as expensive but is it twice as good?
 
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9mmepiphany said:
The best magazine speedloader is still the UpLULA from Maglula
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Agreed, although I find the first "U" in their name to be a bit ironic. AFAIK, it's supposed to mean "universal," which makes me ask why they make the different sizes and the single-stack adapter. Just nitpicking, though. They're sturdy, and they work.
 
So I have a range in the backyard and had about 12 people over shooting. Which means a lot of reloading mags. 1/2 probably had the uplula’s some were using factory loaders, some old school loading with there thumbs. I brought out my American Speedloader…thankfully I have a couple of them but I still had to wait for everyone to get done using them, so I could reload. Most of them bought there own now. They were originally marketed for the Glocks but they work for my M&P and my Sig.

American Speedloaders, LLC. – Speedloaders for firearms

americanspeedloaders.com americanspeedloaders.com
 
Uplula cause I only need one in my range bag. Zip tie the 1911 adapter to the loader and it swings into position. Pop it loose and it swings to backside for double stacks...
 
Yamifrk said:
So I have a range in the backyard and had about 12 people over shooting. Which means a lot of reloading mags. 1/2 probably had the uplula’s some were using factory loaders, some old school loading with there thumbs. I brought out my American Speedloader…thankfully I have a couple of them but I still had to wait for everyone to get done using them, so I could reload. Most of them bought there own now. They were originally marketed for the Glocks but they work for my M&P and my Sig.

American Speedloaders, LLC. – Speedloaders for firearms

americanspeedloaders.com americanspeedloaders.com
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Interesting but my uplula works for everything I have. This seems to infer it won’t work for XDm mags as they have something else…

But the video was pretty enticing.
 
Ive been using the UpLula's since they first came out and for all but my 22 mags. I just found out that they made an adapter for the single stacks. I load a lot of single stack mags with one as well and never found it a problem or even thought it needed an adapter.

I load up all of my mags at home before I go. I hate loading them at the range. Now, if someone would just come up with a magnet that picked up brass out of grass. :)
 
True, the MakerShot speedloader is magazine specific. That may be ok for some and not others.
 
I have had the AS one for quite a while. I can load 2 mags in the time it takes the others to load 1 mag. So if it’s speed you are looking for I feel it’s the way to go.
 
Their "Strip Lula" works great for the AR's. You can use it with or without the strippers too.
 
I have four UpLulas, one on the bench, one on the range bag, one gun specific for my Kadet, one gun specific for M41.

I tried one from Amazon. It did not work as well as UpLula and I said so, which drove the vendors nuts, they were making all sorts of offers to bribe me for a better rating.

A friend likes the Speedbeez. They are gun specific so I will probably end up with one for either my STI or M&P.
 
UpLulas for my Glocks and 1911. Don't use an adapter, it seems to work just fine. Bought a Speedbeez - it's ok but use the UpLulas more. The one Glock gives you - carry it as a backup.
 
I use a Makershot loader for my P365 magazines. It's easy to use, works well, and is 1/2 the cost of the Uplula. But my main reason for using the Makershot loader is that it is much smaller and it fits into my pistol and magazine lockboxes with minor modifications to the loader. The UpLula will simply not fit. I basically cut off the front and rear lips from the Makershot loader as I don't need them because I hold the loader by the side lips. As I carry one loader each pistol lockbox and one in my magazine lockbox, even if I lost one I'd have a spare with me. It's also strong enough to step on without breaking.

Left: Stock Right: Modified
Makershot Stock & Shaved w6.jpg

All of this said, I've never heard anyone complaining about the UpLula. If you have the extra cash and extra room inside your range bag why not buy the UpLula?
 
I got the MakerShot and wish I hadn’t.

The issue with simpler speed loaders is that they have a tab at the back pushes down the follower - but then the tab blocks the bullet going all of the way to the read of the magazIne. So you have to load the bullet, then push it back, then load another.

The key innovation of the UpLulas is that metal tongue (they call it a beak) on on the front of the loader depresses the follower, so when you insert the round, it seats all of the way back in the magazine.

Maybe I am being picayune, but I find that to make huge difference.
 
Mike P Wagner said:
I got the MakerShot and wish I hadn’t.

The issue with simpler speed loaders is that they have a tab at the back pushes down the follower - but then the tab blocks the bullet going all of the way to the read of the magazIne. So you have to load the bullet, then push it back, then load another.
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Sooooooooo what's your point? The Makershot loader still easy to use, it takes up less space than the UpLula, and it's 1/2 the cost of the UpLula so it's not a big deal if you lose it or it gets stolen, it's probably less likely to be stolen than the Makershot loader, it does not have any moving parts that can fail, and it's strong enough to stand on. Can you stand on an UpLula without it breaking?

My range bag is stuffed to the gills as it is. The Makershot loader is easy enough to use that I have never felt the need to buy anything else, and especially not something that is going to take up more room in my range bag and not be as reliable. The Makershot loader fits into my pistol lockbox and into my magazine lockbox so they don't take up any extra room inside my range bag, so I always have at least two of them at the range.

But not all of the Makershot style loaders are built the same. I bought an RAE loader that was a complete POS and I returned it for a refund.

I'm still not suggesting to anyone to NOT buy the UpLula. It appears to work very well and I have never heard a complaint about one. But sometimes simpler is better. YMMV
 
For single stack mags like my 1911 I can hand load the rounds as quick as I can put maglula on and do it. Now for my double stack mags like my glock 17 mags the maglula works great. Specially if loading a few 33 round happy sticks
 
Alllen Bundy said:
Sooooooooo what's your point? The Makershot loader still easy to use, it takes up less space than the UpLula, and it's 1/2 the cost of the UpLula so it's not a big deal if you lose it or it gets stolen, it's probably less likely to be stolen than the Makershot loader, it does not have any moving parts that can fail, and it's strong enough to stand on. Can you stand on an UpLula without it breaking?

My range bag is stuffed to the gills as it is. The Makershot loader is easy enough to use that I have never felt the need to buy anything else, and especially not something that is going to take up more room in my range bag and not be as reliable. The Makershot loader fits into my pistol lockbox and into my magazine lockbox so they don't take up any extra room inside my range bag, so I always have at least two of them at the range.

But not all of the Makershot style loaders are built the same. I bought an RAE loader that was a complete POS and I returned it for a refund.

I'm still not suggesting to anyone to NOT buy the UpLula. It appears to work very well and I have never heard a complaint about one. But sometimes simpler is better. YMMV
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I found the Makershot so annoying that I’d rather just load with my thumb.

I have also never stood on either one, and don’t plan to in the near future.

My new PX4 came with a Makershot style mag loader - that’s why I went out and bought the UpLula.

I forget what the UpLula cost - I think it was $30 to $40, so if it doesn’t break for 4-5 years, I will have gotten my money’s worth. No one I know has broken one - though I am sure that has happened.
 
When I started shooting double stack 9s I quickly realized I wanted, maybe even needed, a loader. I went with maglula. I have no regrets. When I decided I wanted a tool to strip ar mags, maglula again. It just works.
 
Alllen Bundy said:
Sooooooooo what's your point? The Makershot loader still easy to use, it takes up less space than the UpLula, and it's 1/2 the cost of the UpLula so it's not a big deal if you lose it or it gets stolen, it's probably less likely to be stolen than the Makershot loader, it does not have any moving parts that can fail, and it's strong enough to stand on. Can you stand on an UpLula without it breaking?
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I can understand that the Makershot meets your needs, but your rant seems a bit over the top. For what it's worth I have stood on my UpLula and it's been run over by a car without affecting continued function.

One of the largest advantages of the UpLula is that it depresses the follower from the front and allows full insertion of the cartridge as the follower is still depressed.

I asked the OP and he hasn't responded, but since you seem taken with this loader, I'll ask you the same question, What advantage do you see that it has over the OEM loader that comes with Glock pistols?
 
9mmepiphany said:
I can understand that the Makershot meets your needs, but your rant seems a bit over the top. For what it's worth I have stood on my UpLula and it's been run over by a car without affecting continued function.
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That honestly surprises me as it doesn't look that strong. I'm not suggesting that the Uplula looks weak per se, but I wouldn't have thought that it would stand up to an auto running over it.

9mmepiphany said:
I asked the OP and he hasn't responded, but since you seem taken with this loader, I'll ask you the same question, What advantage do you see that it has over the OEM loader that comes with Glock pistols?
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I haven't used a Glock loader, but I believe that the lip around the periphery of the Makershot loader would make it easier to use than the Glock loader. But otherwise it's a similar design. As long as they got the pusher located properly it should work fine.

An example of a badly designed loader of that style is the RAE loader which I bought because it had a smaller profile than the Makershot loader. But they screwed up the location of the pusher and I literally had cartridges flying out while I was trying to load the magazine. So it is possible to screw up a very simple design.

I'm not opposed to anyone using an Uplula. I just never had an issue using the Makershot loader and it allows me to insert the last round into the magazine with ease, whereas it's difficult to load the last round by hand.

I'm also not trying to load more than one brand and caliber magazine, so I don't need a universal loader like the Uplula. For my application a magazine specific loader like the Makershot works just fine.
 
I prefer the Uplula as well for reasons already mentioned - the “tongue” depresses the follower or top round all the way and allows rounds to slide all the way back into the mag without having to be pushed. I find its action very positive and natural. I also like the little “horseshoe” for loading single stack mags (I know - lame - but I have bad arthritis). I forget how much it cost but I don’t think I paid more than 30 bucks for it on sale somewhere. Off topic but they also make an excellent loader for 9mm AR magazines.
 
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