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What are people's experiences with the different styles/brands of AK magazines?

I bought a US Palm clear polymer mag and it pops out every other round.

I don't think the extra weight of steel is worth the extra durability. Maybe I'd feel different if I was surviving off of them. Thankfully that's not the case.
 
I would avoid the Korean AK mags. Get military surplus from Europe or Russia. Whatever you get test them in your exact rifle. Polymer mags don't fit well in my Mini Draco. Koreans FTF. Other types run fine in it.
 
I have some new Bulgarian AK magazines with steel case but a plastic follower. These are good magazines and I did not have to do any fitment issues and they just work.

https://atlanticfirearms.com/ak47-magazine-steel-bulgarian

Also have few Romanian surplus magazines and have a bunch of Croatian AK magazines as well. but I had to do some filing with me Dremel tool to make them fit. I also have a few Magpul AK magazines as well.
 
Magpul has an inexpensive all polymer mag ($13) and a hybrid mag (M3 $26) that has steel embeds at the critical points.
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The coveted Bulgarian Circle 10 polymer is $50 ea.

For steel, as stated above it's the European surplus mags.
 
I've still got three genuine Soviet-era AK mags that I get out every now and then and look at admiringly.

Y'see, back in the day, I used to use them to beat the living bejasus out of a few Colt-made [and other] mags, just to show how a magazine NEEDED to be made to be soldier-proof, if such a thing could be achieved. Nary a one bears a single trace of being used as a hammer to utterly destroy most any Western-made magazines.
 
Are these any good? Does anybody use 40 round magazines in 3 gun competitions? https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/40-round-bulgarian-slab-side-ak-47-magazines.354739/
If all you are wanting to do is stand there with a big heavy donkey appendage hanging below the AK, give it a try. But in reality for shooting at the range 10-20 round mags are best if you can find them. AIM Surplus has some steel mags that I would buy rather than the plastic ones...and I do have a bunch of the original Bulgarian 30rnd & 5rnd waffle mags and Polish 30rnd Synthetic mags, but those are kind of unobtanium nowdays

Linky: https://aimsurplus.com/magazines/ak-magazines/
 
I'd be thinking....how the original Communist makers probably had something going for them.

So anyway, I bought steel mags from a Communist Satellite State (I think there were Romanian).

BUT, But, but......pickings were sparse back then. BUT, Yeah.....still cheap enough (for new in the wrap @ $10) and it matched with my Romanian AK (SAR). It was like someone made me an offer that I couldn't refuse.


Aloha, Mark

PS....What's a Romanian SAR?
My receiver is marked Ser suffix -99. IIRC it was from when SG News was still in paper form. And they were less than $300. We (with some friends) made a group buy so that our kitchen table FFL guy had an easier time. Only downside for me was : no bayonet lug.

Yeah.....you gotta have one of those.....to be truly EVIL.
 
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If anyone is looking for 40 rounders, give the AC Unity ones a look, 20 pack for $100. Steel reinforced.


Note: never used these, have some AC unity AR15 mags which run fine. Do have some of the above linked $5 AK mags on the way, however will be a while before we can take them out.

Have some Bulgarian slab sided 40 AK mags, so are familiar with 40's vs 30's vs 20's.

As towards which/what are best? We've been pretty lucky in not having issues running anything. Sofar.

30's: Steeles (various), Croatian BHO's, Korean cheapos, Magpuls, Tapco slab side.

20's: not many, around 20. Unknown origin.

40's: just the Bulgarian slab side, until the AC unity's arrive & we run them.
 
Since someone mentioned the Chinese mags. OK, Ok, ok.....since this just came out and since I was reminiscing about my Romanian SAR. I figured that some of you might just find this interesting.


So...."old school".

Yeah....maybe an update to an AK-74 (5.45x39mm) is in order?


Aloha, Mark
 
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I've still got three genuine Soviet-era AK mags that I get out every now and then and look at admiringly.

Y'see, back in the day, I used to use them to beat the living bejasus out of a few Colt-made [and other] mags, just to show how a magazine NEEDED to be made to be soldier-proof, if such a thing could be achieved. Nary a one bears a single trace of being used as a hammer to utterly destroy most any Western-made magazines.
In Australia they're used as deadly boomerangs….. with the proper vetting of "genuine need" and issued license, of course.


:D
 
I've had good luck with the Bulgy or even Romy mags. Normally not a huge fan of the polymer ones, although the Circle 10s I have haven't caused me any grief. I think all of my AKMs from RD came with US Palm mags, but I prefer the surplus metal ones.
 

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