Post by Enkidu on May 30, 2006 16:08:51 GMT -5
Review: Tokyo Marui's New XL Capacity BB Loader
By now, almost every airsofter is familiar with the BB pump loader. Shaped like a pistol mag, it holds a few magazines worth of BBs and can load four of five BBs with a push of the spring-loaded plunger. The main drawback is the limited BB capacity - requiring multiple loaders to fill an entire combat load-out of mags. One of Tokyo Marui's latest releases is the extra-large capacity pump BB loader shaped like an M4/M16 magazine.
I got mine from WMI Airsoft in Lowell, $20. I had heard TM was coming out with one soon from a dude over at the ClassicAirsoft.net forums, and got the chance to try one out at WMI. I was immediately won over and decided to make the purchase.
The XL loader is made of a semi-transparent smoky black plastic with post-and-screw construction, similar to the old style pistol mag loader. It comes with an attachment for some kind of pistol magazine, but the box information is in Japanese and the line drawings aren't specific enough for me to follow. I will probably lose that small piece within a week.
On the business end, you have the loading nozzle (at top) and another pistol magazine adapter. Unlike the old loader, the adapter on the new loader is integral, and latches into place on a swing arm. If you're like me, you lost the adapter for your old-style loader almost immediately, so the built-in one is a great improvement. Kudos, Tokyo Marui.
Here you can see the adapter swung into place. It friction-locks in securely. This kind of adapter works well with single- and double-stack pistol mags with hidden springs. Those pistol mags with external latches or grasps for their springs are better filled without the adapter.
On the other side you have the filling port and the pump plunger. The plunger is locked in with a a small slide latch - a system I find much more mechanically robust than the sliding pin on the old-style loader. The filling port is a bit of a disappointment. It slides out on some grooves, but does not lock open. That makes is harder to fill. Also, it doesn't give a very positive seal. I think this piece is very likely to be broken off and lost.
BBs can be poured in the filling port straight from the bag, much like a hi-cap. This here's a pic of the filled mag-loader, highlighting the slight transparency of the plastic. It's taken with a flash; in natural light, it's somewhat less see-through.
Tokyo Marui says the capacity of the loader is 470 BBs. So after I filled it up as best I could, I emptied it and started counting. My total was 455 BBs. I doubt I could actually fit 15 more in there unless I had perfect sphere-packing abilities. Still, it's far better than the old-style loader.
But how much better? Here's a pictorial comparison:
It's a huge difference. 455 BBs will fill over 15 STAR mags, more than 6 M16 standards, two-and-a-half midcaps, and countless pistol mags.
The construction quality is quite superior to the old-style loader. The pump mechanism feels more robust, and it doesn't have a jamming problem like my old loader did. The loader fits perfectly in any M4/M16-sized pouch, and when filled, doesn't make much of a rattle.
There was a problem with mine, though. The O-ring, that small piece of rubber that sits in a groove near the tip of the feed nozzle, popped right out! I managed to find the O-ring and put it back in, but it came out again. The loader functions fairly well without it, the only disadvantage is that a single BB will fall out when you take the loader nozzle away from a mag when the plunger is half-pushed. That's not a big deal, really. I don't plan to put the O-ring back, but a purchaser of this BB loader should be aware of this possible problem.
In conclusion, I would have to put this accessory into the "Must Buy" category, alongside the AI propane adapter and C-Clear anti-fog gel. Like the pistol loader before it, it's an invaluable skirmish accessory, but this one has many real improvements, not the least of which is the huge capacity. Highly recommended.
