User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 6/14/2018 3:46:08 AM EDT
My buddy just got an m76, and as you know the mags for these go for a $shit-million. I've decided to save him a bit of money and 3d print him some. I was wondering if there are any m76 shooters out there that would like to test some prototypes and provide feedback.
These aren't gonna be like those flimsy ghost gunner ar mags, these are designed to last and *should* eventually offer similar performance to magpul ak mags. First run of prototypes will begin printing this weekend. |
|
|
|
Posted: 6/16/2018 3:36:48 PM EDT
[#1]
I have a select fire M76...so I'm game for this!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/16/2018 8:38:47 PM EDT
[#2]
I am game to test one out if you still need additional testers?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/17/2018 8:10:28 PM EDT
[#3]
The first prototype is being printed right now. It is being made out of low grade plastic and will be used to test if it locks into the rifle and feeds properly. I'll post pics here. After any necessary changes to the model are made to ensure proper functioning, a batch will be made out of industrial plastic. I'd be willing to hand out up to 10 or or so of this batch for testing. At this point I'm looking at 20 hours printer time per mag.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/18/2018 5:02:47 PM EDT
[#4]
I have Valmet M76’s and would be happy to test and compare against factory mags, Tromix converted Weiger mags and Tromix converted Bulgarian Circle 10 mags.
Mick |
|
|
|
Posted: 6/20/2018 12:53:43 AM EDT
[#5]
I have the M76, would love to test the magazine !
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/25/2018 8:09:44 PM EDT
[#6]
My rifle is a 71, 1 have( 1) 76 mag I picked up at a Gunshow I have used for years .
The only thing I hate about my rifle is the ugly Snow White camo paint job .For the $900 I paid, I guess I can't complain. |
|
|
|
Posted: 6/28/2018 12:14:04 PM EDT
[#7]
My M76 is my sweetheart and any mag for her is like buying jewelry for my wife. So I would love to test a mag or two but I would be really happy with ability to get quality mags at a reasonable price.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 7/9/2018 3:44:45 PM EDT
[#8]
First prototype using pop-bottle plastic. Could not break it by hand |
|
|
|
Posted: 7/12/2018 11:27:31 PM EDT
[#9]
Very cool !!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 7/16/2018 8:39:03 AM EDT
[#10]
You many have to change it for select-fire guns, in order to allow room for the auto-sear to clear the side.
When I converted Weiger mags, I had to add an additional cut for the full auto guns. Tony Rumore Tromix |
|
|
|
Posted: 7/16/2018 8:35:15 PM EDT
[#11]
I posted these last year in a post about converting mags for Valmets, hopefully helpful.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 7/18/2018 8:33:42 AM EDT
[#12]
I would buy some if it ever got to that point...
|
|
|
|
Posted: 7/19/2018 10:41:28 PM EDT
[#13]
the printed mags are designed based on measurements I took of a genuine valmet mag. This should allow full auto use right?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 7/23/2018 8:00:34 PM EDT
[#14]
I have an M76F and would love to test some of these for you.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 7/23/2018 8:01:08 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
the printed mags are designed based on measurements I took of a genuine valmet mag. This should allow full auto use right? |
|
|
|
Posted: 7/30/2018 3:17:04 PM EDT
[#16]
I would like to test one of these if possible.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/20/2018 9:50:59 AM EDT
[#17]
This is the second prototype, material used is down 35% and print time is down to 13 hours. This print is using my intended production material "NylonX" carbon fiber reinforced nylon.
https://www.matterhackers.com/store/3d-printer-filament/nylonx-carbon-fiber-nylon-filament-1.75mm 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/20/2018 9:48:56 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This is the second prototype, material used is down 35% and print time is down to 13 hours. This print is using my intended production material "NylonX" carbon fiber reinforced nylon. |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/26/2018 12:40:20 PM EDT
[#19]
I’m in for testing some of these million dollar mags when they become available. My Valmet M-76 is ready to rock!
Desmo |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/26/2018 1:18:00 PM EDT
[#20]
I’d be willing to test ones let me know this is awesome hope your project goes well
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/27/2018 6:52:32 PM EDT
[#21]
Prototype 2 has been test fitted to the rifle. Fit is nice and snug with hardly any ak mag wobble. Sadly an issue with the base plate prevented test firing.
Prototype 3 addresses all known issues and all going well I will have test firing results by this weekend. 
I'll be contacting people to receive test mags via PM or email in the order in which they asked for them on this thread. After field testing I will be making the mags available for sale. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/7/2018 1:00:47 PM EDT
[#22]
Cool Project.
I've been buying Valmet mags for eons. good there. Still, very cool! |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/6/2018 4:45:47 AM EDT
[#23]
Great project OP!
You're doing the Valmet collectors world a real service. Getting the feed angle correct would seem to be key since the Valmet has a different feed angle than many other AK designs. I have a couple M76's including a full auto and would be interested in testing one of your mags as well if you need another volunteer. 
If this project turns out to be financially viable for you, you may also consider printing Valmet .308 magazines. Original .308 20 rounders are even rarer and more expensive than the .223 mags. Good work! |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/6/2018 6:08:29 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Great project OP! You're doing the Valmet collectors world a real service. Getting the feed angle correct would seem to be key since the Valmet has a different feed angle than many other AK designs. I have a couple M76's including a full auto and would be interested in testing one of your mags as well if you need another volunteer.
If this project turns out to be financially viable for you, you may also consider printing Valmet .308 magazines. Original .308 20 rounders are even rarer and more expensive than the .223 mags. Good work! How much would a set of injection molds cost to machine? I'm sure it's expensive, but if the comparison is $250-400 per mag, doesn't that drop the minimum economic quantity a lot? |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/6/2018 6:48:33 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
OP, clearly you know what you are doing with CAD and 3D printing, but could you break down the economics of this in rough terms? I just have a hard time seeing how 13 hours at print, plus materials and losses to waste or defects is cost effective either, aside from the 6-12 you could spit out over a few days for a friend (unless that was the only goal). Obviously it's far cheaper than original steel mags, but isn't it painfully slow? How much would a set of injection molds cost to machine? I'm sure it's expensive, but if the comparison is $250-400 per mag, doesn't that drop the minimum economic quantity a lot? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Great project OP! You're doing the Valmet collectors world a real service. Getting the feed angle correct would seem to be key since the Valmet has a different feed angle than many other AK designs. I have a couple M76's including a full auto and would be interested in testing one of your mags as well if you need another volunteer.
If this project turns out to be financially viable for you, you may also consider printing Valmet .308 magazines. Original .308 20 rounders are even rarer and more expensive than the .223 mags. Good work! How much would a set of injection molds cost to machine? I'm sure it's expensive, but if the comparison is $250-400 per mag, doesn't that drop the minimum economic quantity a lot? csspecs is now building 25 round Galil magazines and has stated that they plan on building Valmet magazines in the future. Others have stated this intention in the past but csspecs appears to have the tooling to get it done. Here's a link to his website and the new Galil mags they just came out with... https://stores.csspecs.com/galil-308/ |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/7/2018 2:38:58 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not exactly sure why you quoted me and then addressed your comments to the OP...but I'll throw up an @Regal_T-type and we can get his response to your questions. csspecs is now building 25 round Galil magazines and has stated that they plan on building Valmet magazines in the future. Others have stated this intention in the past but csspecs appears to have the tooling to get it done. Here's a link to his website and the new Galil mags they just came out with... https://stores.csspecs.com/galil-308/ 
What about 5.56 Galil mags? You had my interest, but now you have my attention. 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 10/7/2018 5:49:28 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Oh. Because I'm a goofball. I'm not sure why you were quoted either, unless I just have fat fingers. My bad.
What about 5.56 Galil mags? You had my interest, but now you have my attention. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted: Not exactly sure why you quoted me and then addressed your comments to the OP...but I'll throw up an @Regal_T-type and we can get his response to your questions. csspecs is now building 25 round Galil magazines and has stated that they plan on building Valmet magazines in the future. Others have stated this intention in the past but csspecs appears to have the tooling to get it done. Here's a link to his website and the new Galil mags they just came out with... https://stores.csspecs.com/galil-308/
What about 5.56 Galil mags? You had my interest, but now you have my attention. .308 Galil magazines have become harder to find and prices have risen to the $100+ region making them economically feasible to manufacture. Some other magazines that are notoriously expensive to purchase and might be something for Regal_T-type to print include: H&K P7M13 pistol mags are going for $150+, Japanese Type 96 machine gun magazines currently $1200 plus, Beretta AR-70 30 round 5.56mm magazines are $65+ for used and $100+ for new |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/21/2018 12:40:18 AM EDT
[#28]
This is correct, my cost to make one of these mags is roughly the same as the retail price of a Pmag. Not to mention the nearly 18 hour print time on my brother's crappy printer. Prints are done in Michigan and shipped down to me for hand finishing and assembly. I will have to ask relatively scary money for these at least until I can afford a faster machine. Hell if demand is high enough I might have to take out a loan and buy multiple printers.
I chose the valmet because I had ready access to a real mag and can easily undercut the cost of a real mag. For any other mag I would need a brave or kind soul to loan me a real one to take measurements and the willingness to test prototypes in their precious collectable. These are developed incrementally by trial and error. I'm an artist not an engineer. I have looked into home injection molding and the example of ones I can afford are not large enough. Making the molds is also a problem, while I can CAD design them I would have to go to my local machine shop to have them made. This is very costly and low on their priority list, I took almost 3 months of waiting to get a muzzle device I designed made, and the first one exploded.An update on the project: Mag now fits perfectly with no hand alteration required. Feed angle is now correct and it feeds without damaging ammo. The last issue i'm dealing with is, it seems the rounds sit to high up in the mag well causing the rounds to tip up occasionally when the bolt comes back. The next prototype should fix this. Once that's done I'll be printing off a batch for my testers so keep an eye on your PMs. |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/21/2018 4:13:19 PM EDT
[#29]
Thanks for the update.
I’m guessing you’re making an anti tilt follower. The factory Valmet mags had a large lip at the front of the follower that prevented tilt as the bolt came back. In terms of keeping costs down, would it be possible to adapt Magpul AR followers and regular AR springs in your mag bodies? Mick |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/21/2018 5:11:35 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I’m guessing you’re making an anti tilt follower. The factory Valmet mags had a large lip at the front of the follower that prevented tilt as the bolt came back. Quote HistoryQuoted:
I’m guessing you’re making an anti tilt follower. The factory Valmet mags had a large lip at the front of the follower that prevented tilt as the bolt came back. Quoted:
In terms of keeping costs down, would it be possible to adapt Magpul AR followers and regular AR springs in your mag bodies? 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/1/2018 12:57:04 AM EDT
[#31]
So having an M76 in semi and and a full auto on the way (some year), I have been experimenting with the galil magazines
Standard steel/aluminum mags work just fine, but have way too much play, they enter the well fine, but they have way too much play in them side to side. In a pinch if you did not want to modify magazines you could use them, and they seem to function well. Having said that, I would not rely on them. 
Next I experimented with Orlite magazines. They fit in snug as a bug, and have no side wobble. But you have to insert them just right and that doesn't always happen. There is no way you would be doing fast magazine changes, because it has the opposite problem as the steel magazines. Trying to get them in sometimes is just a pain in the butt. They worked every time but were just a pain in the butt to insert. The angle of both the orlite and steel magazines feed is not exactly right, but they feed reliably every time. Next is the TAPCO intrafuse magazine part number 16660. Like the other two magazines, there was a feed direction issue, but playing with the dust cover off on all (3) types of magazines, the issue only appeared on the last round of the tapco magzines. The Tapco magazines had a little side to side wobble, but they inserted fast. You could do 'tactical' reloads with these magazines. i was quite impressed. I didn't like the side to side play, but it wasn't as bad as it was with the steel magazines, and you can insert and remove better than the factory magazines. Out of the three, i was really impressed with the Tapco, IMO they do not be modified and will function flawlessly out of the bag. They look similar to what the OP is trying to accomplish. If you have an M76 I would say you can use these without issue 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/1/2018 1:38:23 PM EDT
[#32]
Tapco gets a lot of shit and some of their stuff is crude and wonky but the bottom line is it does tend to work. I have heard a lot of good about their AK and Mini-14 mags.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/3/2018 12:05:45 PM EDT
[#33]
Looks like you are getting close to the final design, my Valmet is getting impatient , LOL
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/3/2018 8:45:44 PM EDT
[#34]
What a great project, my hats off to the OP and entrepreneur extraordinaire.lol.
I am up for testing a mag. I will gladly pay for the shipping back and forth to help the cause. Please use the arfcom EMAIL system to reach me as the system does not notify me of new IMs for some reason. Thanks much, Tall |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/3/2018 11:03:33 PM EDT
[#35]
Looking good man! I'm very interested in these as there is a M76 in the family. And because you are printing the. Looks like an Ender in the photo. Those little enders work pretty good for the money. What material are you using?
Looking forward to see how it appears works out! |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/8/2018 1:34:16 AM EDT
[#36]
What kind of printer are you using?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/30/2018 7:55:34 PM EDT
[#37]
Hey guys Ive been gone for a bit but I am happy to announce that this weekend i had the first successful test of this design. 10 test mags are being printed now, i'll be ordering springs on payday. Keep an eye on email or PMs if you were one of the first 10 people to ask for them.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/30/2018 7:59:47 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Hey guys Ive been gone for a bit but I am happy to announce that this weekend i had the first successful test of this design. 10 test mags are being printed now, i'll be ordering springs on payday. Keep an eye on email or PMs if you were one of the first 10 people to ask for them. I sure hope I see one of these , very exciting. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/1/2019 5:48:11 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Hey guys Ive been gone for a bit but I am happy to announce that this weekend i had the first successful test of this design. 10 test mags are being printed now, i'll be ordering springs on payday. Keep an eye on email or PMs if you were one of the first 10 people to ask for them. Thanks for providing Valmet owners with an alternative to obscenely priced factory mags. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/6/2019 10:19:05 PM EDT
[#40]
I cant wait.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 2/4/2019 7:03:02 PM EDT
[#41]
Any news on these? Very interesting project...
-B |
|
|
|
Posted: 2/10/2019 3:42:02 PM EDT
[#42]
if you were one of the early repliers to this thread, check your PMs. Prototypes are ready to send out.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 2/10/2019 5:07:23 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
if you were one of the early repliers to this thread, check your PMs. Prototypes are ready to send out. |
|
|
|
Posted: 2/12/2019 6:23:00 PM EDT
[#44]
need 3 more testers
|
|
|
|
Posted: 2/12/2019 6:23:49 PM EDT
[#45]
Im in
|
|
|
|
Posted: 2/12/2019 7:32:41 PM EDT
[#46]
ok prototype testing is closed
|
|
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2019 5:55:14 PM EDT
[#47]
Am I first?
  Attached File Attached FileFirst impressions: Seems sturdy locks in tight to the magwell bolt retracts and rides over follower smoothly Follower seems to move in the mag body well without binding I haven't loaded it up and cycled rounds yet, but will probably get to that this weekend, and time and weather permitting, will run a full function test. Will let you all know how it works out. thanks for including me...this has all kinds of potential |
|
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2019 8:22:28 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryFirst impressions: Seems sturdy Quote HistoryFirst impressions: Seems sturdy locks in tight to the magwell bolt retracts and rides over follower smoothly
Follower seems to move in the mag body well without binding I haven't loaded it up and cycled rounds yet, but will probably get to that this weekend, and time and weather permitting, will run a full function test. Will let you all know how it works out. thanks for including me...this has all kinds of potential 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 2/16/2019 9:55:27 PM EDT
[#49]
The mag fits tight without any of the slop I'm used to seeing in most AK variant mags including my Valmet mags. I loaded the mag with 10 dummy rounds and cycled them repeatedly through my rifle with no problems. Feed angle from either side of the follower looked perfect. I loaded the mag to capacity and emptied it with no problems. I'm looking forward to getting some live rounds through it but with 6' snow drifts out at the range it might be a week or so before I can live fire the mag. Looks really good so far.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 2/17/2019 12:35:55 AM EDT
[#50]
its just a bit of snow
cant wait to see action pics
|
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
.jpg)
