Ben’s Easy Magazine Loader it's exactly as it sounds.
Loading magazines is a hassle. Loading high-capacity magazines, with few exceptions, is even more of a hassle. There are now machines, some even electrically powered, that load magazines. But they take up space, and they cost money.
How to save your thumbs and not bust the bank? BEML to the rescue.
So Easy
The BEML, or Ben’s Easy Magazine Loader, is one of those “Why didn’t I think of that!” devices that I find fascinating. It’s dead simple: a handle with two parallel rods.
To use it, you place the magazine on the bench, base down. Put a loaded round on the two rods. Use the rods to push the follower or top round down until there is clearance, and then slide the round on the BEML under the feed lips. Repeat as necessary.
Now, on something such as a 1911 magazine, this might not be the tool you need. Some magazines have sharp edges or corners, and it’s just easier to use the BEML. Some double-stack 9mm magazines are easier to stuff than others. Some are a real pain. (You know which ones they are; no need for me to call out the offenders … Mr. Polymer.)
Ben's Easy Magazine Reloader And Pistol-Caliber Carbines
Where it becomes a real aid is when you are loading up a pistol-caliber carbine. Getting the last rounds into a 17-round magazine is hard. But getting the last dozen rounds into a 33-round magazine or an extended-capacity 50-round magazine can bring tears to your eyes (yes, Virginia, there are 50-round magazines for PCC. Competition shooters use them every weekend across America. God, I love this country!).
The BEML is not caliber-specific, because the rod spacing allows use in 9mm to .45. The designer/company owner says the BEML can go all the way down to .25 ACP. However, I’ve got to say that if you find loading the last of six rounds into your .25 ACP pistol to be a chore, you really need to be eating your Wheaties.
Once I had a chance to test the BEML in a few magazines, I found myself wondering where Ben’s Outdoor Design was when I was shooting PCC in the early days and used a carbine that required Sten gun magazines. That was a real monster to load—a double-stack magazine that fed from a single central point. I had an array of loading-assist devices to get those things filled up, and back in the “medium-old” days, none of them was very satisfactory.
A Word to the Wise
Fair warning: The BEML is small enough so that if you lose track of it at the range, it might not come home with you. It could easily “disappear” into someone else’s range bag if you’re at a range where such things are not dealt with via summary hangings! But there’s a convenient hole in the handle, so you can chain the BEML to your range bag.
The BEML costs only $12.95. As simple as it is, if your son or daughter has any shop skills (and their school still offers shop classes), they could make one once they had one to copy.
But why do that? This is America, where cleverness is supposed to be rewarded; and I can’t see saving a few bucks by ripping off someone’s clever idea. I’m going to buy a bunch more and chain one to each range bag I commonly use.
For more information on the BEML, please visit bensoutdoordesign.com
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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