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AR15.COM
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8/21/2008 4:48:49 PM EDT
I did a search, and it came back with nothing but info on the new Bulgarian drums.

I'm curious about a couple things. How does the Chinese drum compare to the banana magazines, or the Romanian drum?

Can you leave the drum wound? Is the winding mechanism the same as a spring, in the sense you can leave it wound without causing damage?

How many times do you wind your drums for max reliability?

I'm concerned simply because it's such a different concept than the Romanian drums in the since you have to "charge it."
8/21/2008 7:47:18 PM EDT
[#1]
dont drop a loaded one, you'll see what happens...  and i also dont like the locking /folding tabs on the drum..they seem flimsy and bend easy and had 2 actually break on me....they are nice and easy to load and not have tension on them but i still prefer the Romanian in both look and function even if they are harder to load.
8/22/2008 5:23:44 AM EDT
[#2]
Rattles like a sack of marbles, I think '6' is the sharpie note by the key to fully wind, or it stops feeding while still heavy/rattling. The better range toy imho, and very easy to clean out.
8/22/2008 7:33:06 AM EDT
[#3]
I had great success winding it 4 1/2 turns.
8/22/2008 11:37:10 AM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
I had great success winding it 4 1/2 turns.


3 3/4 to 4 turns has proven 100% reliable feeding for me.  Never tried 4 1/2 turns...
8/24/2008 9:20:52 PM EDT
[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I had great success winding it 4 1/2 turns.


3 3/4 to 4 turns has proven 100% reliable feeding for me.  Never tried 4 1/2 turns...


I'm wondering if they're like regular mags you can keep loaded, or if I can't keep it wound in storage.
8/24/2008 9:36:02 PM EDT
[#6]
You can keep ammunition inside the Chinese drums - just be sure to let the tension off the wound spring.  Or you can keep it wound and store it but unless you're in a static position or a firing position where you could need to use it in one minute, one day, or one week, you probably don't want to keep all that tension on the spring.

I had 72 rounds loaded in a Romanian magazine since 1998 and last year when I used it, the drum worked fine.  So did five various steel AK 30rd magazines that were also kept loaded since 1998.  But drum/magazine condition and storage conditions will heavily influence the feasibility of keeping the loaded like that.
8/24/2008 9:44:37 PM EDT
[#7]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I had great success winding it 4 1/2 turns.


3 3/4 to 4 turns has proven 100% reliable feeding for me.  Never tried 4 1/2 turns...


I tried 3 1/2 turns and could not get it to cycle every time, so I went up a full turn to 4 1/2 and it worked flawlessly.
8/27/2008 2:31:32 PM EDT
[#8]
I bought a rusty 100 rd that would not feed reliably even after I cleaned it and removed the rust with a dremel. I was ready to sell it and get my $25 back.  Then I liberally dusted it with graphite  and shook off the excess. The first time I tried it I bumped the whole drum non stop. I love it now.
8/27/2008 5:28:05 PM EDT
[#9]
ALl my chinese AK and AR drums feed 100%. Just don't overtighten it
8/28/2008 1:59:32 PM EDT
[#10]
I went up a full turn to 4 1/2 and it worked fine.
8/28/2008 2:21:23 PM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:
I went up a full turn to 4 1/2 and it worked fine.


This is usually the case.
8/28/2008 2:25:21 PM EDT
[#12]

Quoted:
ALl my chinese AK and AR drums feed 100%. Just don't overtighten it


Same here -- no feed problems but I agree with the skeptism noted above about how "robust" they are in terms of hard use, droppage, etc.  No first-hand problems, mind you -- just a long-held suspicion on my part.

I only have one of the 120-rd AR drums, but several each of both the 75- and 100-rd AK models.
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