When it comes to the Glock, there is no shortage of aftermarket components to assist with enhancing performance or lessening life’s aggravations. Speed loaders, as the name suggests, help load your Glock more quickly and there are great choices on the market today. Let’s take a look at how the speed loader works and which are the best for your money.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Glock Speed Loaders
Comparison of the Best Glock Speed Loaders
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What is a Speed Loader?
First, it’s important to understand what a speed loader is and how it works. Let’s start with the fact that you should have more than one magazine. But once you’ve got a bundle of magazines, loading them starts to become a pain. Before long, your fingers get tired and the faster you try to make the process the worse it gets.
MakerShot Custom Magazine Speedloader
Enter the speed loader. There are many types for many guns, but the premise is basically the same: it goes over the magazine’s opening and pushes down the loaded cartridges and makes it easier to put the next round in. Not only does it save a few seconds for each magazine, but it removes the pressure from your fingers.
How to Choose a Top-of-the-Line Speed Loader
If you know the pain of loading mags, you’re probably ready to jump right into the products. Before you do, consider the following aspects of speed loaders to be sure you get the one you really want:
Speed
If it isn’t faster, it’s not doing its job. Simple as that. Whether it’s a design flaw or something else that introduces a lack of efficiency, you want to stay clear of speed loaders that don’t actually maximize your time. Just because it operates like a speed loader doesn’t mean it speedily loads.
Construction
You want a mag loader that can handle doing its job over and over again without wearing or breaking. This is a simple device, but cheap parts can leave you in the cold.
Ergonomics
We’re trying to save your fingers. If a design is clunky and just poorly thought-out, you might not be saving yourself much effort.
As always, we’ll be eyeing these features in our reviews, but be sure you pay attention to what you’re getting!
Review of the Best Glock Speed Loaders
Now that you know speed loaders can save your hands some much-unwanted strain, let’s take a look at the top choices on the market today. Each works differently and is compatible with different calibers and magazines, so pay close attention to get what you need!
1. MakerShot Custom Magazine Speedloader
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Pros
Cons
We love the MakerShot Custom Magazine Speedloader. It’s small, simple, and fits right in the hand. With a secure but minimal push, you’ll load your next round. The process is about as effortless as it can get.
That said, this is not a cheap toy. It is made from high-quality polymer and hand-made in the United States. You can easily feel the secure grip it has on your magazine. Part of this is great design and attention to detail, but it’s also due to the fact that you customize your magazine type and caliber when ordering. Each MakerShot Custom Magazine Speedloader is designed to securely fit according to your model-specific request.
MakerShot supports the Glock 22, 23, 27, and 35 in .40 cal and the Glock 42 in .380 ACP, as well as the Glock 21, 30 or 30SF, and 36 in .45 ACP. Additionally, there are a ton of other models and calibers available, which we always love to see. Once you’re content with this device’s operation for loading your Glock magazines, it’s no problem selecting another model to load other magazines, even if you’re looking at loading 5.7 x 28mm FN Herstal Five-Seven, for example.
Additionally, we appreciate the great price. It is a simple design made from great materials and offered at a very reasonable price point, so if you’re on the fence about getting a speedloader, it makes for an excellent opportunity.
Bottom Line
This simple speedloader does exactly what you want it to: help load your magazines quickly, with minimal strain, and at a great value.
2. Maglula UpLULA Magazine Speed Loader 9mm, 0.45 ACP
[amazon fields="B001HBHNHE" image="1" value="thumb" image_size="large" image_align="center" image_link="none"]
Pros
Cons
The Maglula UpLULA Magazine Speed Loader is designed to be a universal magazine loader and unloader. It is compatible with 9mm, 10mm, 357, 40, and 45 caliber magazines. Additionally, it works with either single or double stack pistols. Regardless of the manufacturer, this one single speed loader is ready to accomplish the task.
Not only is it universal, but it’s super-easy. You start out by inserting your magazine and pushing down on the magazine spring with the device’s metal lever. Next, you drop your ammunition in and release your grip. Put the device’s lever over the ammunition, close your grip, and push the lever. Simple as that!
This ultra-fast design should save you about six seconds per magazine, but more importantly, a lot of strain. It even works in reverse, as it has a built-in bullet extractor. Unpack your tight mags with a simple tab that removes the rounds.
There are also some other nice features. The grip is made out of a thick polymer plastic, so it’s durable while being lightweight in the hand. A split ring at the unit’s base is great for a 1911 single stack adapter, but it’s also possible to use the ring to tie it to your equipment bag. With a range of colors, it’s easy to choose a bright color so you can quickly locate your device when on the field.
The only potential downside would be the price. We think that it’s an exceptionally reasonable value, but it is more than the first entrant on our list. That said, it works almost like magic, so you get what you pay for.
Bottom Line
When it comes to simple loading and unloading, it’s hard to beat this excellent device which greatly reduces strain.
3. Glock Magazine Speed Loader for 9mm/.40/.357/.380 Auto/.45 GAP Mags
[amazon fields="B004Y27DVY" image="1" value="thumb" image_size="large" image_align="center" image_link="none"]
Pros
Cons
We get it: you really like the idea of a magazine loader to take the stress off of your thumb and fingers and save yourself some time during those long loading sessions, but they’re just not a necessity. Before you punish your hands in the interest of saving a few bucks, though, let us present to you the Glock Magazine Speed Loader made by Glock themselves.
This speed loader is an absolute bargain and is quite possibly the most affordable accessory that we’ve ever presented to you. If you’re uncertain of whether a speed loader is really worth it, you have absolutely nothing to lose with this shockingly low-priced option.
Of course, it’s made by Glock, so it’s not a hunk of junk, either. It won’t load your magazines like pure magic, but it does make the process easier. Made from Glock’s durable polymer (even featuring a design that reminds us a lot of the Glock’s grip), it is lightweight in the hand and will last a very long time.
It’s a standard design, meaning you’ll push each round in while the already-loaded rounds are held down for you, reducing strain. As it’s made by Glock, it obviously is perfectly compatible with most models. This includes the G17, G19, G22, G23, G25, G26, G27, G28, G31, G32, G33, G34, G35, G37, G38, and G39. That said, you should not use it for the Glock .45 Auto, G42 Single Stack .380 Auto, or 10mm Magazine, as it is not designed for those.
Overall, this is your classic speed loader, and you can get it for less than the price of a sandwich. What is there to lose?
Bottom Line
If you want to try out the basic, classic speed loader, Glock’s got your back with the lowest-price option that will actually work.
4. Elite Tactical Systems ETS CAM Universal Speed Loader Magazine Loader
Pros
Cons
Is it possible to create a more instant speed loader for your Glock? Elite Tactical Systems set out to do so.
The operation is simple and promises that you won’t even have to touch the ammo. In fact, it simply picks rounds up from the ammo tray. You start out by seating all the magazines into the loader and using the rail to lift the rounds directly from the tray. Compress the plunger to load the magazine.
In theory, this is an excellent design, but does it work in practice? It’s worth noting, first of all, that Elite Tactical bills this loader as a universal loader for 9MM, .40, .380, and .45 Calibers and encourages users to apply it to countless manufacturers. In practice, we find it to work like absolute magic for the Glock, although it requires a bit of a hard press. Results with other magazines are a bit mixed, as it sometimes will not load the last few rounds.
That said, we’re focusing on the Glock here and it works just fine with that. The only exception would be if rounds are not lined up well in the tray, but that really is not the device’s fault. This loader dares to go a lot farther than the competition, and for the most part, it succeeds. Not only does this mean loading of a single magazine can take mere seconds, but it also means you don’t have to touch the ammo and will end up with less lead on your hands in the end.
It's not perfect, but then again, no device really is. If you compare how it functions in practice compared to other devices, it is truly a wonder. Having to line up rounds in a tray? We’d rather do that any day then load each by hand.
Bottom Line
It doesn’t get any easier than this. Load your ammo in one go without touching a single round. There are some catches to this promise, but it works darn well and is priced very reasonably to boot.
How to Use a Glock Speed Loader?
As you can see from our reviews, Glock speed loaders work in a variety of ways. How you operate yours will depend on the manufacturer. If you have a classic speed loader design, as many consumers do, the operation is still easy. Follow the steps below to load your mags the easy way.
- Set your magazine on a flat surface like a table.
- Secure the speed loader on top of your magazine.
- Press the speed loader down, depressing the spring and making way for the cartridge.
- Insert the cartridge’s rear into the loader until you feel contact with the inside post.
- Hold the bullet in place with one hand and pull the loader up with your other hand.
- The tab from the speed loader will move out of the way, so slide the bullet to the magazine’s rear while it does this.
- Repeat until you have a full magazine.
Is this process still to arduous? Comb through our reviews to find the process that’s simple and easy enough for you. We’ve reviewed products that reduce strain on your hands but work in basically the same fashion, all the way down to loaders that promise that you’ll never need to touch another round when loading a magazine.
Conclusion
Glock speed loaders are one of those instruments that seem unnecessary, but once you have one, you’d buy it again in a heartbeat. Save your hands the strain and save yourself lots of wasted time by investing in a speed loader. From classic styles to models that keep you from touching the ammo at all, there’s one just for you in our guide!
