There is quite a selection of AR-15 speed loaders on the market these days. They range from a $27 Maglula that primarily serves to save your thumbs over maximizing speed, to a $400 bench top loader that is designed for those that have the time and money to regularly shoot through a dozen or more fully loaded magazines in a single range session. I was looking for something in between. Something that both saved my thumbs and maximized speed. And even more importantly, something economical, because I don’t have the time and the money to need to reload magazines by the dozens. Enter the RRS Speed Loader. The cheapest of which cost as little as $36. There’s nothing unique or ingenious about the design. It’s a simple design used by several manufacturers. What makes the RRS Speed Loader special is it’s cost. Similar devices, if you can call a hallowed-out board a device, can cost anywhere from 2-3 times as much. High density composite plastics cost more of course, and are more challenging to manufacture, and possibly will wear better in the long run. For my purpose though, the construction of the RRS Speed Loader seems plenty durable and frankly appeals to my more rustic sensibilities. The manufacturer says the board is made from closed cell PVC for strength and durability but it certainly looks and feel like wood to me. A laminated wood, but wood nonetheless. But what the hell do I know. PVC or wood,  the RRS is light, portable, and easily stored on my wall hanging from a couple of nails by its handle. Measuring 28″ long and only 8″ wide, it can be purchased with a variety of different skins.  I got the rustic American skin on mine for a total of $50. Still a bargain in my opinion. So how does it work? See the video below. It speaks for itself.

The board has a nice “staging area” that provides just enough room to comfortably hold thirty rounds and the channel for the rounds provides enough space to make the rounds slide in easily yet securely. While securing the board with your left hand and using the push block with the right, the rounds are loaded in the magazine with much less effort than one might expect. If I had any single criticism it would be the push block. Not from a functional standpoint, it works perfectly fine, but only in that it’s a separate piece that could be misplaced if one was transporting the board to and from the range. Fortunately the manufacturer sells replacements for $5 if needed.  And in case you are wondering, I have tried it on a variety of magazines including 40-round pmags, though the manufacturer does state that magazines from Daniels Defense, Amend2 or TAPCO may be problematic. None of which I own. For me it has worked perfectly and made filling up an ammo box full of magazines a most enjoyable and satisfying experience. My thumbs never felt better!