Mag Conversion: 5.56<---> 5.45

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Mag Conversion: 5.56<---> 5.45

Posted: 9/18/2005 8:18:33 PM EDT

--What is possible, and how do you do it??? I have rifles in both calibers; I'm mainly interested in going from 5.45 to .223-- what do I need and how do I go about it?

Posted: 9/20/2005 10:48:57 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
--What is possible, and how do you do it??? I have rifles in both calibers; I'm mainly interested in going from 5.45 to .223-- what do I need and how do I go about it?

You need to buy some magazine followers from Robinson Armament www.ak47.com/products.asp?cat=11. Cost is about $6 each.

Swap out the 5.45 mag follower, insert the 5.56 follower, and BINGO you have a 5.56 magazine.

I've done it with 5 of my magazines. I was lucky enough to find someone on the EE who was selling six followers for $24.

Posted: 9/22/2005 3:10:51 PM EDT

[#2]

now can you do 5.56 to 5.45?

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:44:44 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
now can you do 5.56 to 5.45?

I imagine the reverse might work. Take a .223 mag and swap in some 5.45 followers. Never tried it myself. Of course, 5.45 mags are cheaper than .223 mags, so I don't know why anyone would do it this way.

Posted: 9/23/2005 11:27:11 AM EDT

[#4]

I have had no luck reversing it, I tried with the plum waffles and couldnt get more than the first 2 to feed,

Posted: 9/23/2005 1:54:38 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I have had no luck reversing it, I tried with the plum waffles and couldnt get more than the first 2 to feed,

I remember reading long ago that the waffles don't work for the conversion.

Posted: 9/23/2005 2:01:05 PM EDT

[#6]

Well thats the only reason you'd do it because 5.45 waffles dont exist.

Posted: 9/29/2005 2:27:01 AM EDT

[#7]

Read somewhere that 5.45 mags need to have BOTH the follower changed and need some relieving of material on the underside of the feed lips to accomodate the shoulder on the 5.56 round which is farther forward than on the 5.45. Without such relief the rounds won't sit straight in the mag when it's time to feed.

Probably the reason that 5.56 mags don't work reliably as 5.45s, since the material is gone which supports the shape of the 5.45 case.

Posted: 9/29/2005 7:31:47 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Read somewhere that 5.45 mags need to have BOTH the follower changed and need some relieving of material on the underside of the feed lips to accomodate the shoulder on the 5.56 round which is farther forward than on the 5.45. Without such relief the rounds won't sit straight in the mag when it's time to feed.

Probably the reason that 5.56 mags don't work reliably as 5.45s, since the material is gone which supports the shape of the 5.45 case.

I don't know about other 5.56 AK variants, but I do know that the trunions on my Saiga .223 are longer than the 5.45 trunions. As a result I have had to remove a little material from the feed lips to get it to fit right. However, I doubt it would keep the magazine from working in a 5.45 AK. The mag would have a little more wiggle to it, but I don't see why it wouldn't feed.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Mag Conversion: 5.56<---> 5.45

AK-47 » Magazines

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