Loading mags is a necessary evil and is rarely a fun task. If you are a high volume shooter you know you spend a lot of time loading something you are going to unload in very short order. The ETS CAM Rifle magazine loader is here to help you load rifle magazines quick, fast, and in a hurry. ETS produces magazines, as well as magazine loaders for pistols as well as this rifle magazine loader. The CAM loaders are designed to cut down on the effort and time necessary to load magazines.
Magazine Compatibility
What sold me on the ETS CAM rifle magazine loader is the fact it is compatible with a wide variety of different guns. The mag loader’s packaging proclaims that it works with ARs, AKs, Scorpions, MP5s, the Uzi, and the SCAR. This is not a definite list of magazine sit is capable of, and I’ve found it to be compatible with Colt SMG magazines. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work with FN FAL, G3, or an MPX,.
The Design
The CAM loader is a two-piece design. It’s super simple, and it doesn’t require much in the way of thinking power.
The idea is simple, the ETS CAM rifle loader picks the rounds directly out of the boxes and then aligns itself on the loader. The main portion of the loader features a long stick like portion that sports two channels. The bottom, smaller channel is designed for smaller rounds like 5.56 and 9mm. The larger channel is for 308, 7.63 x 39, etc.
Most companies package their ammo with the primer and rim facing upwards and the projectile downwards. With this loader, you align the proper channel with the rim of the round and slide it down the row of rounds and lift upwards. It grabs the rounds and you can then move on to the next row of ammunition.
Then position the loader over the magazine and place the handle over the top of the loader and push downwards. Bam, your magazine is 10 rounds fuller.
It honestly tickled me when I first loaded a CZ Scorpion mag. The design is so simple. It allowed me to load a half-dozen magazines in just a few minutes. It took longer to open the boxes of ammo than it did to load the magazines. You can of course just drop loose ammo in the channels and load that way.
With brass ammo, it loads smooth and easy. With steel ammo, I ran into some issues with the rounds moving smoothly. I quickly learned you are actually supposed to lubricate the channel the rounds are in. Just a little gun oil and the ammo slid smoothly after that.
Testing the ETS CAM Rifle Magazine Loader.
Let’s see just how much faster it is to use the ETS CAM rifle magazine loader versus just loading magazines by hand. I grabbed two CZ magazines, 60 rounds of ammo, and timed loading one mag by hand and one with the loader.
Handloading Time – 1 Minute 29 seconds
ETS CAM Loader Time – 39 seconds.
Using the loaded is almost a minute faster than handloading a magazine. It’s quite the stark difference. Using the loader is easy, but you need to ensure you don’t tip it forward before the plunger is installed. This will cause rounds to slide off the loader and create some chaos.
Additionally, hold the magazine tight when loading because it does not lock into the loader in any way. You can load more than ten on the loader, but I don’t advise it. It’s harder to push the round downwards and it tends to bind.
Durability wise, the CAM loader seems to be an item that is placed under very little stress and I doubt it will break anytime soon. It’s very simple with no moving parts, springs, or latches. Simplicity and durability often go hand in hand.
My AR, AK, and Scorpion magazines are easy to load to capacity, Colt SMG mags are a pain in the ass. The metal feed lips and ultra strong springs make them hard to load to full capacity. The ETS CAM loader made loading these mags much easier. They offered slightly more resistance but were still much easier to load with the ETS loader.
Load Up
Overall I love this thing. It’s easy to use, works for all of my rifles outside of those that take Glock mags, and it’s cheap. I wish ETS included some kind of lanyard to attach the plunger to the base of the loader. I have a bad feeling I’m bound to lose the plunger in a rang bag one day. I’m likely going to find a way to connect the two with Paracord to avoid this. It’s a great tool, and for the price, it’s a game changer.
