As anyone who shoots knows, loading magazines by hand can be a slow and often painful process. It also impacts the life of the magazine. It can cause unnecessary wear to the magazine feed lips. Damage to these lips can lead to feeding problems. A magazine loader also helps preserve the magazine spring by minimizing the need for manual spring compression. This, in turn, diminishes the amount of force exerted during the loading process.
A magazine loading device provides a mechanical advantage that can save your thumbs and magazines from damage. It can prolong the life of your magazines. And loading by hand to capacity can especially be a pain with some of today’s subcompact pistol magazines and reduced-capacity state-compliant magazines. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of magazine loaders on the market for pistol and rifle magazines from which to choose. Some work well, Others not so well.
While at the range recently, I observed one of the shooters using an interesting loader that seemed to work exceptionally well. I asked what it was. I was told it was a Lever Loader™ from a local company called SPEED BEEZ® and that it was an awesome loader. Intrigued, I reached out to the company, and they offered to send me one for evaluation. Well, they actually sent me two. The Lever Loader is available for both pistol magazines and AR15 magazines. I opted for the Lever Loader for the SIG SAUER® P320®.
Although the Lever Loader might not be as well known among the general shooting public, it has become very popular with competition shooters. It is small enough to stuff in a pocket and takes up virtually no space in a range bag. No table or bench is needed to use it, nor do you need to brace it against your body. It is made of a rugged polymer and is very light in weight. And, judging from the experience of others, it has proven to be very durable.
The Lever Loader features a well-designed, intuitive design that makes it a breeze to use. It’s as straightforward as using scissors — if you can handle scissors, you can operate the Lever Loader.
You start by inserting the magazine into the loader’s base until its secured by the magazine catch/release mechanism. It is no different than inserting a magazine into a gun. The bottom of the loader’s magwell is flared to help guide the magazine. With some magazines. it is helpful to put the lever up when inserting the magazine. Next, you grasp the lever as if you were holding a pair of scissors. You then press down on the lever (akin to closing the scissors) and insert the cartridge, case-first, into the loading opening. After that, you simply open the lever to load the round and then repeat the process. Leverage does most of the work for you, so minimal hand strength is required, even with otherwise hard to load magazines. When the magazine is fully loaded you won’t be able to squeeze the lever.
When finished loading, you simply press the magazine release and pull out the magazine. Depressing the lever will help extract the shorter magazines of today’s sub-compact pistols, as they leave little of the magazine extending from the loader to grasp. SPEED BEEZ offers a concise, one-minute video that demonstrates the entire loading process.
The Lever Loader can significantly speed up the loading process. I found that I could loas magazines in roughly half the time. It streamlines the loading process and provides relief from the dreaded “shooter’s thumb”. And it saves the magazine from any unnecessary wear and tear. To date, I have not found any bullet type that it does not work with. The loader has performed flawlessly and made magazine loading a much easier and more enjoyable task.
The Lever Loader is not a universal loader, which may be a consideration if you shoot a lot of different pistols. It is magazine specific. While universal loaders do offer convenience, they may not always deliver flawless performance across all magazines despite being labeled “universal”, They may not be a perfect fit for every magazine. They might struggle with specific designs or calibers, leading to compatibility issues.
With the Lever Loader, you know upfront that it will work with your particular gun, as it is designed specifically for it. The Lever Loader is available for a wide range of firearms. Check out the SPEED BEEZ website for a complete listing.
Final Thoughts
The SPEED BEEZ Lever Loader is a winner in my book. It is a great tool that has been designed with the user’s convenience in mind. Its innovative design and functionality can enhance the reloading process. Your thumbs will thank you. The Lever Loader is also reasonably priced. MSRP is $24.95 to $34.95. And it is made in the USA.
SPEED BEEZ has a no-risk return policy. If you are not satisfied simply send the item(s) back and they will issue you a credit or refund your money.
Source
SPEED BEEZ
SpeedBeez.com
Material Disclosure
I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.
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