Stop Loading Magazines by Hand: My Honest Mag Pump Pro Review
Welcome back to Jim's Armory! If you shoot as much as I do—sometimes going through 1,000 rounds in a single day—you know that loading magazines by hand gets old incredibly fast. I was sick of it, so I spent my own money to test out the Mag Pump Pro automatic magazine loader. Today, I'm giving you my honest, unbiased review, and we are going to run a timed race to see if it actually beats out a traditional speed loader.
Build Quality and Features For this review, I purchased the Mag Pump Pro version, which features upgraded steel internals for maximum durability. One of the best things about this loader is that it is made right here in America, and their customer service team is highly responsive if you need to reach out.
Out of the box, the loader supports about 18 different magazines from six different manufacturers. It uses a system of included adapters that easily slide in and lock securely into grooves on the machine. The top hopper holds about 50 rounds of ammunition at a time, though it often runs smoother when it isn't completely stuffed full.
Running 2011 Magazines Since I mostly shoot 2011s, I had to purchase a separate 2011 adapter directly from their website. This adapter is obviously 3D-printed and lacks the locking tabs found on the standard factory adapters. While it does have little teeth to grab onto the magazine, the latching mechanism isn't as solid. Because of this, I occasionally have to hold the adapter in place to ensure a smooth feed.
How It Works (and Minor Quirks) Operating the Mag Pump requires a little bit of technique and practice. You simply dump handfuls of ammo into the hopper, and amazingly, it does not matter if the rounds are facing forwards or backwards. Thanks to some internal mechanical trickery, the machine automatically sorts them so they feed perfectly into the magazine.
To get the best results, you just have to trust the machine and use very deliberate up-and-down strokes on the handle. It will occasionally jam or starve for ammo, but there is a lever mechanism on the outside that you can jiggle to keep things moving. In the absolute worst-case scenario, you can easily pull two pins to remove the hopper and clear a bad jam, though I found this is a very rare necessity.
The Speed Test: Hand vs. Speed Loader vs. Mag Pump To see if this loader is actually worth the investment, I ran a timed race to see how fast I could fully load a magazine using three different methods.
Loading By Hand: Despite having strong thumbs and plenty of practice, doing it the old-fashioned way took a sluggish 53 seconds.
Traditional Speed Loader: I assumed this would be much faster, but it surprisingly wasn't. It clocked in at 49 seconds. It is definitely easier on your fingers, but it doesn't save you much time.
The Mag Pump Pro: This loader absolutely crushed the competition, completely filling the magazine in just 19 seconds.
The Final Verdict Even with the minor learning curve and occasional need to clear a stuck round, the Mag Pump Pro is an absolute game-changer. Being able to load more than twice as fast as a standard speed loader—I can easily dump 160 rounds into magazines in under 10 minutes—makes high-volume range days significantly more fun. If you are tired of wearing out your thumbs, I highly recommend checking it out!
