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Posted: 11/9/2020 8:11:17 PM EDT
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I have more than a couple AKs and I count my mags by the dozen. I have a variety of Chinese, Hungarian, Romanian and Polish mags in 20 to 40rd sizes. I also have couple oddball mags including 55rd and I think 75rd stick mags. I only have 7.62x39 AKs as I consolidated to prevent mistakes and my other AKs just were not getting used. I never bought or tried an AK PMAG however. Am I missing anything by not trying a few in case those crazy lefties have their way with the law books? |
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Thanks! I have obviously never had i used with the various mags I have but challenges ahead have me rechecking to find anything I may wish I had put away while they are available. I like my AR PMAGS but I have never tried them for anything else and my Glock Mag collection doesn’t need any help so hadn’t considered those 
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My guns are not worth your life, but freedom and liberty are worth mine
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AK MOE PMags dont have the metal locking lug. No different than the Tapco mags, (better looking, but just as durable). The PMAG 30 AK/AKM GEN M3 has the metal locking lug and should be as durable as the AR15 PMags. But I dont have any long term experience with them. https://magpul.com/firearm-accessories/pmags/ak-akm/pmag30ak-akmgenm3-7-62x39.html?mp_global_color=118 |
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Did you just realize the closest you'll ever be to becoming a hero is wearing your underwear outside your pants?
Madcap72
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Originally Posted By HWI: My opinion, don't waste your time on plastic lug mags, so avoid the MOE. The Gen M3 will be better since it uses metal, but for the same price I would personally go with Xtech mags. I got an original Magpul MOE AK magazine in my WASR-10. It works but I like the steel magazines better. I did buy a few Magpul G3 AK magazines which are a lot nicer than the original MOE ones. |
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Originally Posted By MaxFenig: How many have you tried? I bought one as a sample and it does what it is supposed to. Pondering buying a few more at the good price. @TontoGoldstein I’ve used two each on my .223 AK74 and my 5.45 AK75. No hiccups. Nice lock up. BHO works. No feeding problems. |
"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result." - Winston Churchill
| Are steel locking lugs on magazines just as important as steel reinforced feed lips, about the same importance, or less relevant? All the complaints I read on the Magpul AK mags are about cracked feed lips. Would one be better off using all-steel mags (metal feed lips and locking lugs) or are reinforced feed lips all that is really necessary? |
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Originally Posted By the_professional: Are steel locking lugs on magazines just as important as steel reinforced feed lips, about the same importance, or less relevant? All the complaints I read on the Magpul AK mags are about cracked feed lips. Would one be better off using all-steel mags (metal feed lips and locking lugs) or are reinforced feed lips all that is really necessary? Steel reinforced feed lips are beneficial in one circumstance, if you drop the magazine while loaded on a hard surface, if it lands on the feed lips it will probably break unless it has steel reinforcement. |
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Originally Posted By HWI: Steel reinforced feed lips are beneficial in one circumstance, if you drop the magazine while loaded on a hard surface, if it lands on the feed lips it will probably break unless it has steel reinforcement. Originally Posted By HWI: Originally Posted By the_professional: Are steel locking lugs on magazines just as important as steel reinforced feed lips, about the same importance, or less relevant? All the complaints I read on the Magpul AK mags are about cracked feed lips. Would one be better off using all-steel mags (metal feed lips and locking lugs) or are reinforced feed lips all that is really necessary? Steel reinforced feed lips are beneficial in one circumstance, if you drop the magazine while loaded on a hard surface, if it lands on the feed lips it will probably break unless it has steel reinforcement. I once destroyed a loaded Norinco ‘Bakelite’ magazine by dropping it on a concrete floor, and rounds flew everywhere when the spring shot out. |
| I am currently trying to decide whether or not to roll the dice on a couple Magpul 10rd mags. As they would only be used for bench shooting/zeroing and hunting (deer, hogs, etc.) and not any serious defensive use, I'd like to think they'd be okay for the money... |
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Originally Posted By the_professional: I am currently trying to decide whether or not to roll the dice on a couple Magpul 10rd mags. As they would only be used for bench shooting/zeroing and hunting (deer, hogs, etc.) and not any serious defensive use, I'd like to think they'd be okay for the money... They would be fine for that, they don't have feeding issues, they just aren't as robust as some other options on the market. |
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Originally Posted By the_professional: Are steel locking lugs on magazines just as important as steel reinforced feed lips, about the same importance, or less relevant? All the complaints I read on the Magpul AK mags are about cracked feed lips. Would one be better off using all-steel mags (metal feed lips and locking lugs) or are reinforced feed lips all that is really necessary? This "torture test" is a little silly, but it demonstrates how the rear plastic locking lug can fail if the magazine strikes something while it's inserted in the rifle. I don't think many people are going to be banging their magazine on a table or other surface like this, but it could be similar to the force on the tab if you dropped the rifle on the magazine or hit the ground hard while going prone. Mrgunsngear does a similar test when he drops a loaded AK on a hard surface so the base of the magazine impacts the ground, but the angle of impact is different. The Magpul MOE, Bulgarian commercial non-reinforced, and Tapco lugs survived this test - they caused the mag release lever to pop forward with the lug stuck behind it. While the exact nature of this test may not be that realistic, it gives you an idea of the amount of force that could break the polymer locking tab. Personally, I only buy magazines with metal locking lugs just to have that extra bit of reinforcement. Obviously, if something like the 10-round PMAG isn't made with metal reinforcements, you have to go with what's available. I agree that those would be fine for range use. I have a 20-round Hungarian steel tanker mag that I use for the bench, and the shorter length make it a lot more convenient than a full size mag.  Failed To Load Title |
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If you get Pmags for a low price, get some! A few years ago, I scored some 20 round AK Pmags for $6 each. It was a Black Friday deal. Haven't damaged any lugs yet. The polymer seems more durable than other manufacturers'. My order of preference: Chicom Surplus Eastern Europe Current production Eastern Europe metal Pmags metal lug Pmags polymer lug Tapco (softer plastic, not quite as durable as Pmags) Polymer European mags Korean/Thermold |
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Originally Posted By kenzo: This ^^ Everything is relative. I think that the best deal is and always has been mil surplus steel mags. However, once you get into composites, I think PMags are very good unless you just have to have foreign mil spec like Circle 10 waffles etc. Forget about russian bakes these days - the deals on those are long gone. YMMV. |
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I use mostly 20 round MOE PMAGs just cause options are limited for 20s and more Hungarian Tankers are just too pricey. I think I paid $13 for my MOEs, no issues, but the reinforced versions aren’t (or weren’t anyways) available. I will say that PMAG feed geometry is slightly higher than any of my surplus mags. Not an issue in any of my AKs but only PMAGs fed high enough to work in my PTR32. Most ‘non-AK’ platforms that run AK mags are designed around PMAGs. Last I looked the reinforced PMAGs were twice what an MOE costs. No thanks. I like cheap poly mags when I’d rather not lose a surplus steel mag in the weeds. Ran a lot of Tapcos without issue, now ACUnitys fill the role of a ‘disposeable’ mag... And MOEs seem to fit every AK I’ve tried without mods. But I’ve heard the reinforced PMAGs are just a hair bigger... |
| I bought a couple of the Magpul pmags for my Zavasta, just to try them. I literally was loading one just 10 minutes ago and halfway down the follower got all hung up. Wouldn't bulge it's still stuck in the magazine. The rounds all came out because they fell out of the top, but the follower is still stuck down in the magazine |
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Not that I’ve used a ton of ak mags, but of the ones I’ve used the only one that was a complete pos is the single Pmag that came with the weapon when purchased new. For AR, Pmags are my preferred mags; but for AK, anything metal. |
| I have one of the Pmag 20 rounders I use for hunting in my KS47 pistol. While I haven’t broken off the locking tab yet and it performs well, it doesn’t get beaten around either. For serious work, I’d stick with my Hungarian 20 round tanker mags or if I want polymer mags, my batch of Circle 10 mags. |
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I've used them in my Galil ACE and they were fine. I only did it because the magazine had to be used for 922r compliance. I'd get the Bulgarian magazines from GunMagWarehouse... those are pretty much all I use in my Arsenal SAM7. Both the full steel mags, and the steel reinforced polymer mags are great. They usually have them on sale too! I've gotten the Bulgy steel mags for like $14 a pop. |
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I decided to try the MOE AK PMAGS when I got one with my PSA Gen 4 AK about a year ago. Haven’t had any problems with them and agree they are good range mags. I just picked up to if the Gen3 AK mags and had to fit them to my PSA AK and my Romanian G build. The metal tabs are definitely on the large size. Haven’t shot them yet. I have Eastern European Mags from the days and cheap surplus mags and decided to try the AK PMAGs since I use them for my ARs and the Magpul mags are lighter. |
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Originally Posted By MaxxII: AK MOE PMags dont have the metal locking lug. No different than the Tapco mags, (better looking, but just as durable). The PMAG 30 AK/AKM GEN M3 has the metal locking lug and should be as durable as the AR15 PMags. But I dont have any long term experience with them. https://magpul.com/firearm-accessories/pmags/ak-akm/pmag30ak-akmgenm3-7-62x39.html?mp_global_color=118 Well he'll, I just bought a 10-pak for my PTR32 because they work great in it. I've tried various steel AK mags and they're all too tight. |
| Sometimes i use mine as hammers doing projects around the house or drive up on a stack of them with my truck to get a little heigth to crawl under and change oil before i go to the range. But mostly i just put ammo in mine, stick them in the gun and shoot. Mine have always ran 100%. Just saying.with or without steel lugs i like them. Never had one issue with ar or ak pmags. |
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Originally Posted By Zeebz: I'd get the Bulgarian magazines from GunMagWarehouse... those are pretty much all I use in my Arsenal SAM7. Both the full steel mags, and the steel reinforced polymer mags are great. They usually have them on sale too! I've gotten the Bulgy steel mags for like $14 a pop. |
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I have Circle 10 Bulgarians and they are all a tight fit in my original Molot VEPR. The Polish slabside that I have, forgot where I got it from and might have come from Robinson Arms for the VEPR, worked fine. The surplus steel 30rd mags and 20rd mags are just super thick and heavy. I tried the PMAG M2 / MOE 30rd and didn't have any issues. I forgot I had some fully loaded with 30rd left for years and the feedlips measured the same as an unloaded Circle 10 and new PMAG. I can see how if you dropped the fully loaded mag straight down on concrete it could crack it. But you could do the same with any polymer magazine (factory P90 mags). The steel reinforced polymer mags aren't much better as the tests show if you put enough force on the steel reinforced parts, they'll break out of the polymer body. The steel mags are just really heavy and having 7+ mags on you the weight adds up. |
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AK PMAGS have one good use in this world- being 3 US made parts, in case you ever have ATF inspect a rifle for some crazy reason. Having one or two US mags with it might keep it legit for parts count if someone had not changed out many parts. Other than that, I would stick to training use only for them. I have some, they work fine, I love AR pmags, dislike the glock pmags, and think the AK ones could use some improvement (more metal, not sure why they even make the plastic lugged ones at this point either. |
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