Automated Loader?

[CactusUnicorn]

The automated loader armor upgrade says that it lets you reload as a move action. But by default you can reload as a move action. So, why in the world would you get it? Am I missing something?

[Hithesius]

It allows you to reload the weapons mounted on your power armor - and only those weapons - without using a swift action to adjust your grip if your hands are already occupied.

[Euan]

You also don't need to get the battery/clip out, which might be its own move action if you don't already have it in hand. Or at least that's my assumption.

[Darkling36]

To my knowledge none of those are actually action cost of reloading a weapon. They're part of the move reload. I feel like the point was that without that you couldn't reload weapons in power armor, because they're actually integrated into the suit. But they never state this so the loader just seems odd. If you look at the rendering(not that art is really rules bound) the weapons don't exactly seem like something you can reload. Power armor really is much more like a vehicle then an armor in so many ways.

[Outatime1985]

Does the ammunition (2 bulk) inside the loader count with the bulk of the loader or no?

[Pantshandshake]

Yes? I mean, you're still carrying the ammo, so you'd still want to track the bulk.

[C4M3R0N]

To answer the original question(s) since this has somewhat been reopened, more information is available, and for a more complete answer.

The armory mentions it, almost off handedly, that the advantage of an automated loader is you don't need a free hand, and that's basically it. (Although it is still a place to store spare ammo). It's in the powered armor clarifications about mounted weapons and hands.

Relevant text on free hands and the loader:

The weapons mounted in powered armor’s weapon slots require no hands to wield or carry as long as the armor has power, but reloading such weapons requires a free hand (unless you have an automated loader upgrade).

Also, the move action of reloading actually includes drawing any readily accessible ammunition, so I assume everyone that has a holstered gun also has clips and holsters of ammo, within reason, with or without the specific bandolier mentioned previously.
It's safe to say that there's no need for a swift action to adjust your grip either (assuming both hands, for 2 handed individuals, are wielding the weapon being reloaded) based on the text of the reload action.

Relevant text on reloading:

Unless stated otherwise, reloading is a move action that includes grabbing ammunition you have readily available. Some weapons require different actions to reload; see the weapon’s description.

As for Darkling36's question, the loader only lists a single entry for it's bulk, that being 1 bulk, rather than multiple listed for fully loaded vs unloaded. And the text doesn't include anything to indicate you would ignore the bulk of the ammunition loaded within, such as mentions of a null-space chamber. So in my opinion, it seems safe to say that you count the bulk separately still, the loader being 1 bulk and however much ammo you fill it with being its own, additional, bulk. Up to a maximum of 3 total bulk with a minimum of 1 bulk still.

[morev007]

Automated loader could work well with computer interface (not legal in SFS) in power armor.