MArooned Product Review: 5-STAR Firearm Speedloaders

Awhile back I mentioned hearing from the good folks at 5-STAR Firearms about their billet aluminum speedloaders. Well, last week I got another big box 'o' happy fun stuff to investigate, and what to my wondering eyes should appear but some shiny new gear:

Shiny Gear!

Three billet aluminum speedloaders - one six-round loader for a K-frame, one six-round loader for an L-frame, and one five-round loader for a J-frame (all .357 Magnum/.38 Special) - along with a billet aluminum bullet tray, machined to L-frame cylinder tolerances. All three speedloaders came with their own unique inspirational message:

I Like Them Already

Heh. I like how they don't pull any punches. They also had "Gun control is not about guns, it's about control". The units are very slick, done in bright aluminum with either a plain knob or with inlays. They sent along a billet tray to go with the speedloaders:

Fun At the Range

This tray is really going to help me burn through more .357 Magnum and .38 Special ammo at the range - the tray itself is machined to a S&W L-frame or Ruger GP100, but will work for K-frames, Colt Official Police, and most other six-shot .357" revolver cylinders. You can load up nearly half a box of ammo and go to town, working on rapid reloading - with a revolver!

Here's what the speedloaders look like all ready for action:

Loaded Up

The speedloader on the left is the L-frame loader, the one of the right is the K-frame. Both worked flawlessly in my Model 13, but the K-frame unit, being smaller, was easier to maneuver rapidly. Interestingly, the block yielded an insight into how closely these items' tolerances are - it's machined for the L-frame loader, and the K-frame loader will NOT work on the block. The HKS and Safariland speedloaders are not as precisely calibrated. Speaking of other speedloaders, here's a picture of the 5-STAR models with the competition:

Six-Shot Models

That's my Smith & Wesson Model 13 .357 Magnum revolver with a Bianchi Speed Strip on the very bottom and, left to right, an HKS loader, the 5-STAR model, a Safariland loader, and a Maxfire rubber speedloader.

Five Shot Models

That's the Snubbie from Hell™ Smith & Wesson Model 360PD .357 Magnum with (L-R) Maxfire, 5-STAR, and HKS speedloaders. I saw no reason to re-post the Bianchi Speed Strip and I don't have a J-frame Safariland speedloader.

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There's a lot to like about the 5-STAR speedloaders when compared to other manufacturers. First and foremost, they're made in America, not China. To cover this in delicious irony, 5-STAR is located in IL, another anti-gun hotbed, so every purchase they get is like a finger in the eye to Mayor Daley and the left-wing, anti-gun Chicago political machine. Notice that the 5-STAR units are fluted like the cylinders themselves, making for solid positive alignment with the cylinder. The release has a lighter spring than the HKS unit, requiring less force to release the rounds into the revolver.

In function, the 5-STAR units are very similar to the HKS models. They pick up, hold, and release rounds in a fluid motion (video is forthcoming); I tried everything short of throwing the unit against the wall and couldn't dislodge a single round; in loading the gun I found the 5-STAR unit to have an edge in the lighter spring not requiring quite as much force to unload. Since the mechanish is different than the Maxfire, Bianchi, or Safariland speedloaders it's a full comparison, other than to say that out of all five competing models, the 5-STAR speedloaders are acres ahead on style points.

One last interesting point for those concerned about weight. Since I still have the scale handy from the Pinewood Derby, I threw all five speedloaders on to see if the all-metal 5-STAR unit was significantly heavier than its plastic brethren. The breakdown is as follows:

• Bianchi Speed Strips: 0.2 ounces
• Safariland loader: 0.4 ounces
• Maxfire loader: 0.5 ounces
• HKS model M3: 0.9 ounces
• 5-STAR K-frame: 0.9 ounces

So it weighs the same as the comparable HKS speedloader and only 0.4 ounces more than the Maxfire rubber speedloader and half an ounce more than the Safariland model. If you're currently using an HKS M3 for your revolver speedloaders, you won't notice a difference in weight - because there isn't one. Lastly, price: The standard 5-STAR units retail for $15 each, shipped. The HKS M3 sells for $10 at many outlets (Cheaper Than Dirt, MidwayUSA, etc.). Is the 5-STAR speedloader worth an extra $5? It has high quality manufacturing, great looks, and is made in America. That's worth $5 in my book any day of the week.

5-STAR billet aluminum speedloaders get an enthusiastic thumbs up!

That is all.

Note: Veeshir bought a couple .500 S&W Magnum speedloaders and reviews them on his blog. Thanks Veeshir!

Obligatory FTC disclaimer: 5-STAR Firearms provided three speedoaders and a billet aluminum bullet tray for review to the writer of this review.