If you’ve ever shot a .22LR pistol like a Ruger Mark IV or a Browning Buck Mark, you probably noticed how easy it is to load the magazines. Like a lot of semi-auto .22s these magazines have a tab on the side that allows you to pull follower down as you load. That makes it a snap to fully load the magazine.
Maybe you’ve wondered why magazines for some of your favorite guns that are chambered in larger calibers don’t have the same kind of handy follower tab. Well now a couple of them do.
A company called PulTac is making magazines for .45 ACP 1911 pistols that are designed to go easy on your thumbs and let you reload your magazines quickly for more time shooting without the use of a loader. They feature a built-in, removable tab or lever that slides into a slot on the follower and lets you quickly top off your magazine and get back to shooting.
The nylon base of each PulTac magazine houses the red lever when it’s not in use.
When your magazine is empty, simply pop it out of the base and insert it into the slot in the follower.
The lever lets you use one hand to lower the follower while easily dropping in fresh rounds.
Here’s PulTac’s video demo:
PulTac describes their stainless steel magazines as engineered for practice and range use.
And you can see why.
The PulTac base extends almost an inch below a 1911’s grip. Maybe you’d be OK carrying a pistol away from the range with a magazine extension that long, but most people won’t be.
I’ve shot the PulTac mag repeatedly in both commander and full-size 1911s and it’s been perfectly reliable. Reloads are easy and fast. And when you drop a PulTac magazine to reload another, the follower lever usually stays put. Usually. I’ve seen it pop out of the base when hitting the ground sometimes, but its bright red color makes it easy to locate. And you can buy replacement levers for $2.99 if you lose all of yours.
Is making magazine reloads easier really that important? That’s up to you. If you have a long range session planned and want to take it easy on your thumbs, PulTac mags would come in handy. Especially if you don’t own or want to use something like an UpLULA magazine loader.
Similarly, if you have reduced or impaired hand strength and struggle when loading magazines, the ProTac follower lever is a big plus and makes getting those last couple of rounds in much easier.
The ProTac .45 caliber 1911 magazines have an MSRP of $35.95. That’s not inexpensive, but it’s right in the ballpark with good Chip McCormick or Wilson Combat magazines.
PulTac also has a 17-round magazine for GLOCK 17/19/26 pistols in the works which they say will be available soon.