This is my first real post here, but I felt compelled to share my recent experiences with a couple of different mag loaders.
I'll get the bad out of the way first and discuss the MagPump 9mm magazine loader. In a word- don't. You'll probably want details as to why, so here goes.
First of all this review is on the basic model. I first saw these advertised several months ago at around 110.00- 125.00. Though the concept looked great, it was bit too expensive for me. However, about 3 months ago I received an email that they were on sale for 89.98 and decided to bite. Take a minute and go look at the ad.
https://botach.com/magpump-9mm-magazine-loaders/It looked like it had everything I needed, except a magazine adapter for my Browning Hi-Power. That I ordered that directly from MagPump. The mag adapter came in within a couple of days, followed a few weeks later by the loader (Botach is rather slow on shipping).
Set up was easy, as it mounted quickly to one of my work benches. That was the only thing that was easy.
I theory, this is an extremely simple loader- hopper fed, self sorting so all the rounds load correctly, and per the ad, quickly- IN THEORY. The reality is it just plain fails in application. I had 48 magazines to load- 20 Hi-Powers and 28 Ruger American Pros. The ad states that the loader would load Ruger magazines- well NOT Ruger American Pro mags. They don't fit the included adapter. The mag adapters have tabs to match the slots in the back of your mags- and the American Pros don't line up properly. GRRRR. Ok, can't do the Rugers, let's try the Hi-Powers- I know the adapter fits those.
Remember I said I had 20 HP mags to load? I got through 4- In all cases the loader failed to load the last 2 rounds. In those 4 magazines I had 67 (yes sixty-seven) loader stoppages for failure to feed the rounds properly. On failure 67, the magzine adapter tab sheared off. I even had 4 rounds load backwards into the magazines. Needless to say I unloaded those 4 mags and handloaded them and all the rest.
I bypassed Botach and called MagPump to talk to tech support. Couldn't get them on the phone, with many repeated attempts. Decided to call their sales line and got through immediately (hmm, imagine that). I talked to a very nice and helpful lady there who said they'd make it right.
And she was quite forthcoming in answered my questions/complaints/rants/tirades. Turns out, there are a few things the company ad doesn't quite say. Like, oh, you need a special adapter for the Ruger American Pro... Uh, the loader doesn't work with anything other than ball ammo- unless you have a Glock- it sometimes works with other types of ammo in those.
To the very helpful lady's, and the company's, credit; they did make it right. They replaced the MagPump with the MagPump Pro model- which supposedly will fix all the issues I was having (except the not feeding anything other than ball ammo issue- turns out thats a feature not a bug). Though I have to question if this is the fix, why are they still selling the base model? They also sent the adapter for the American Pro at no charge, and replaced the broken one for the Hi-Power. They even pre-tested the loader to make sure all the parts work. They did really good communication and the replacement arrived far quicker than the original.
Ans, well, it sits on a shelf. I may try it one day, but not anytime soon. Maybe when my fingers get too arthritic to load.
Now on to the good. The Podavach U loader. This is without a doubt the best loader I've ever used. Podavach is a Ukranian company and you used to have to get heir products directly from them. However, there are at least two other sources for them now. Kalishnikov USA and Optics Planet.
https://www.opticsplanet.com/opmod-u-loader-ar15-ak-speed-loader.htmlThe best prices I've found are on Optics Planet and ocassionally they list them on their Dvor outlet site for much less.
This loader is simplicity itself- insert mag into slot- dump rounds into tray, slide rounds into slot in the correct orientation (much, much easier than you think), shove the pusher against the rounds while stabilizing the mag and viola!. I loaded a metric butt load of 30 and 20 round AR mags, averaging right about 30 mags an hour. There is literally one moving part, other than you. While not completely idiot-proof, it's damn close.
This thing works on AK's (what it was designed for), AR's, Ruger Mini-14's and AK-74's.
Drawbacks? Well, it is mechanically powered by you- so you will eventually get tired. Wah, nothing's free. Otherwise, for ARs it prefers PMAGS, Lancers and Troys over MFT, Amend and Hexmags. Nothing major, there's just a little hesistation pushing the second and third rounds in the magazine- probably something to do with the feed lips. I've not noticed any damage or wear, just that little bit of hesitation. I can't comment on metal mags, as I don't use them in my ARs.
What can I say- I'm a fan. I have one paired with each of my ARs.
My only real complaint is why the heck did it take 45 years for something this damn simple to be developed? And why in the Ukraine? American ingenuity failed here...
Anyway, sorry for the length of the post but I felt the need to share these experiences. Possibly it'll help someone out there.
