I just received an order of the new Magpul PMag 30 AK/AKM Gen M3 mags. I took one out and inspected it and checked it out with my WASR-10.  This is just a inspection & fitment report.

The M3s look just like the MOE version except that the steel-reinforcement is evident in the front & rear lugs, and in two witness holes in the first two molded rib blocks along the "belly" of the magazine. You can see metal but the holes are only in the polymer and not through the metal liner.

Upon insertion I noticed this one mag was tight and then noticed that the tightness was at the first part of the shoulder just behind the bottle-neck of the front of the mag. This is minor and with repeated insertions the mag became easier to insert since the mag well shaved very thin and slight shavings from the polymer. The area of scruffing, as I call it, is a length of 20mm on both sides and about 3-4mm wide. On my WASR the right side of the M3 appears to scruff more than the opposite. I feel all this is mag well related vs. the mag itself. Note: I have not had any of these scruffs with a Magpul MOE AK mag.

The feed lips are not reinforced but are real solid. I expect them to be as durable in use as has been my experience with Magpul AR mags.

Otherwise lock-up is solid. Both mags look identical except for the obvious reinforcement areas. I have had not problems with function with the MOE mag.

The quality of the polymer and overall construction is first-rate and IMO nicer than my Circle 10 mags. On those I've had to fit them to the mag well in the rear lug area, while I've had none of those issues with these two types of Magpuls, or Tapco and Hungarian steel.

IMO the Magpul mags are a more "modern" AK mag than the others. But again that's Magpul.

Will do some range tests when range access permits depending on weather here.

My .02

In trying some more new M3s it appears that the tightness at the first part of the shoulder just behind the bottle-neck of the front of the mag is going to be common with my WASR magwell. I'll just go through each of them and insert/reinsert them enough times until they're all a custom fit. The scruffing/shavings are very small.

I need to dig out my Sig 556Xi Russian to check the fit on it.

Following up to my last post. I got my Sig 556Xi Russian out to test the fit of the Magpul M3 AK magazine in it.

With both a mag used to fit into my WASR and a new one out of package they both fit fine. They are tight in the magwell of the Xi R when inserted with no fore-aft & side-to-side movement. There was no scruffing/shaving of the shoulder area of the M3 mag as I experienced with my WASR.  There are no problems to racking the bolt on the Xi as well as on the WASR.

I also tested the MOE mag on the Xi R and they inserted alittle easier than the M3.

A bonus point:  

I also picked up a couple Magpul AK mag couplers. I found that they can only hold the two mags one-way, side-by-side since the front and rear connectors are specific to the front and back ends of the mags. You can't flip the mags around for a "banana-clip" arrangement. I discovered this when I found out the side-by-side arrangement wouldn't work on my WASR with a Belarus side optic rail that I'm using on it. Staggering the mags further didn't help since one would interfere with the ejection side. But it works without the side-mount, or perhaps a different side-mount would provide clearance. I tested them on the Sig Xi R and have no issues there since it doesn't use a side-mount for optics.

My .02

I got one in the other day as well from brownells.  
Looks fine I haven't messed with it too much.
I have a few of the non reinforced versions as well.
I hope they do a 5.45 74 style mag.  
Thinking about mag pulling a bulgy 74 with that neeto furnature they make.  
The 47s I have look better with the wood in my opinion.  

yea, so they didnt fit the MAIN problem of the MP AK mags...this is the most common problem i've seen w/ dozens of MP AK mags...i dont think i've seen any broken lugs yet
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so when they reinforce the feedlips, i may show interest in them again

no US AK mag company has gotten it right so far, funny how they havent learned from the russians who've already done all the work for the past 5 decades...COMBLOCK bakes are still the way to go

Please post links to an example(s) of where dozens of Magpul AK mag lips have failed. When you claim that this is a common and the main problem then that implies there is definitive proof out there vs. hyperbole. If there is a main and common problem with these magazines I and others would like to see those documented examples of failure in use, outside of outright & purposeful abuse.

I think the test of time will determine the durability of the Magpul MOE and M3 feedlips. Considering there are millions of Magpul mags out there and they have been issued for military use I think there's a high degree of confidence that Magpul knows what they're doing.

You're entitled to your opinion & preferences for AK mags, but until you pony up some proof that Magpul magazine feed lip failures are a regular and reoccurring problem/issue then you all you have is your opinion.

I also hope they make a 5.56 version. I have plenty of 74 mags so that's not an need for me.  But I would like to have a US option to 5.56 Circel 10 mags with which are way too expensive imo, and I've had fitment issues in my Arsenal. But then again that could be Arsenal QC issues.

I believe it was Rob Ski who confirmed that the 5.45 mags WILL be at shot show 2016. So that's exciting!  Also, since the 5.45 mags are similar in geometry to 5.56, those should follow not to far behind IMO.

@ Alphaghost.    Toth tool mags are reinforced at the feedlips as well as locking lugs, and U.S. built.  I dig em for sure.

I got an M3 mag at the gun show last weekend.  I had to file the rear lug a lot to make it fit in the gun.  I got it to fit in my WASR. Is that much filing normal?

I haven't had to file any lugs on my WASR with any of the M3s I have. Is your WASR a new or old one?

But I've had to do what you did with Circle 10s to fit my Arsenal.

Have some of those! Great mags! Toth is working on 5.45 mags also. More the merrier. I did get some of the new AK mapul mags. All fit and function in my AK's. Chinese,Yugo,Egyptian. Just need to go to the range for a work out.

Where are you guys getting Toth Tool mags?

There out of stock right now. Put your name on the list and you will get a email when the next batch comes out.

http://www.tothtool.com/762x39-30rd-AK-Magazine--Steel-Reinforced-Polymer-_p_58.html

If I remember right, a lot of those wasrs were imported with single stack mags then converted over.  So they may be picky about fitment due to the conversion to regular cap magazines.

Still waiting for some proof of dozens  of cracked feedlips  

 

https://www.facebook.com/AkOperatorsUnion/photos/a.660264900672459.1073741828.656164651082484/1121266437905634/?type=3&theater



The only one I've seen is one of the new magazines, just now.  This is from the AK operators union.

Ruh-roh raggy.

Looks like an issue with the firearm to me

Magpul will replace the mag.

Not surprised, and the reason they need metal reinforced feed lips.

they should have just included steel feed lips

disappointing from magpul

It looks almost like someone ground or filed material off the mag. I have one of the moe mags and it doesn't look like that.

I've got a couple of the Magpul MOE AK mags, they haven't seen a lot of use but fit n function fine in my WASR, Draco & PTR-32.

Some say the M3s are wider than the MOEs, others say no. I'm curious if the current MOEs are the same size/spec as the MOEs I have now, which are only a year or so old.

Just to clarify, it's been mentioned in other threads that the rifle this mag was being used in was shaving off material from the magazine.
Also, I think there was mention of the bolt striking or wearing the mag near this fail point.
I inspected my MOEs after seeing this pic but I'm not getting any abnormal wear.

Read my first 4 posts on page 1.  The specs are almost identical.

Did anyone determine why this was an issue? Was something in the rifle out of spec? Or was the mag out of spec? I would think that if the rifle was out of spec the wear would have occurred on any polymer mags. I would think it would also be noticeable on metal magazines.

The problem is that "in spec" when it comes to AK mags is always a ballpark figure. Tolerances are generous, so mag fitment issues may crop up even when both the rifle and magazine are in spec. Polymer magazines are also thicker walled so they tend to be fatter than steel. One of my rifles always chokes on poly mags, regardless of manufacturer.

The only "shaving" I'm seeing on Magpul AK mags is insertion into my WASR mag well. It's slight scuffing at the shoulder of the magwell/magazine shoulder where it necks down at the bottleneck. It's fitment issue since there's really no standard specs for magwell dimensions.

But no shaving/wear at the feed lips.

did that cracked mag still feed after it was damaged?