AK MAGS what not to buy!

Favorite Vice Gas Rifles
1

New to the AK world. Just picked up my Arsenal SLR 107-11. I’ve already begun the build to my liking. That said here’s the QUESTION: name to 5 AK magazine to buy based on reliability. Oh and I would like to stay polymer

2

https://www.k-var.com/shop/M-47W_AK-47-Magazine-7.62x39mm-Waffle-Pattern_30-CAPACITY_Original-Bulgarian_CIRCLE-10.html

Don’t bother with anything else.

3

Any good quality milsurp metal and poly mags and the higher quality commercial poly mags will do just fine. Stay clear of the Promag and Tapco ones, very problematic.

4

He doesn’t want steel mags though. And what commercial polymer mags are you referring to? Pmags don’t hold up in AKs as the feed lips will break eventually. In fact I don’t like Pmags at all and use Lancer mags. Circle 10 Waffle mags are the gold standard, I wouldn’t use any other AK mags. Yes they come at a premium price at 45 bucks a pop. But as with all good things in lie: they don’t come cheap. You don’t get to drive Audi at a Honda price point. Quality costs money.

5

Pmags are fine for normal range use. Unless this guy is going to do contractor duties in Iraq, Magpul pmags are just fine. If someone is looking for serious duty use on a AK mag then metal mags should be their first pick followed by actual com bloc poly mags (such as the Russian bakelites which IMO are the best out there). Great thing about American shooters is the vast majority never truly run their guns that hard and a weekend range trip of a hundred rounds or so is considered “operator status”, LMAO.

6

I second that.

As for metal vs polymer AK mags: Circle 10s and Russian bakelites are GTW magazines. I wouldn’t hesitate to bring them along. The metal mags are nice but there are better and lighter options out there. Every ounce in weight reduction is a bonus.

7

Thanks I will keep that circle 10 in mind. K-Var is actually where I purchased my Arsenal 107 from. However i do like Magoul mags. Been running those in my Glocks and my AR9. And they’ve been fine!

8

You’re welcome. The thing with AK mags is that you want those feed lips to be reenforced because of the locking. Pmags simply don’t cut it. Circle 10s and/or Russian Bakelites are what you’re looking for.

9

Let’s see… polymer, reliable. Your choices are

  1. Circle 10
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    …and that’s about it until Magpul reinforces their PMag Gen M3’s some more.
1 Like
10

Hear hear. Circle 10s are the only viable option. Russian Bakelites are becoming increasingly rare, with prices steadily rising (supply vs demand). Sure, Circle 10 mags are pricey but price and supply are steady and you’ll get factory fresh mags. As the Waffle pattern AK mag is the gold standard I’d see no reason whatsoever to even consider other options.

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11

I still say that you can’t go wrong with com-block steel mags.You can get a 10-pack of good mags for less than $100 at SGAMMO.COM (http://www.sgammo.com/product/surplus/10-pack-30-round-ak-47-mag-used-condition-varies-good-very-good-eastern-european-mil)

Here’s an excellent compilation of info on AK mags: https://savannaharsenal.com/2017/05/06/ak-47-magazine-buyers-guide/

12

Agreed on the com bloc steel mags. Those things are damn near indestructible and bombproof. The com bloc poly’s are lighter but also quite a bit more expensive.

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13

@Sopater @RetPara

OP already made clear he prefers to stick with polymer mags. Although I agree with you guys com bloc mags are ok. Circle 10/Bakelite is the route I’d go go (and recommend). They don’t come cheap. C’est la vie.

14

Agreed, Bulgarian, Circle-10 waffle mags are the way to go if you are willing to pay 5x more for polymer.

1 Like
15

You know what just occured to me? Quality mags or not, I still think they’re grossly overpriced for a lousy round that won’t hit the far side of a barn past 300m. One can do so much more with an AR-15. It is the best, most reliable and most accurate rifle ever conceived in the history of fire arms. And with >62 grains you’ll hit anything out to 550m. I never bother with 55gr, it’s a crap load. Anyway, 45 bucks is a lot for a mag that houses arguably the worst round on the market. Makes me wonder if an AK or any other 7.62x39 platform is actually worth it at all. I guess it’s just adding pearls to a pig, you won’t gain any more accuracy or effective range. For me, the AR-15 wins hands down. It’s the best rifle out there and always will be, period.

16

Well aware of the cost, which is something I factor in. Especially when the only “advantage” to poly mags are their lightweight. Reliability is either the same or favors the steel mags. Cost definitely favors steel. Personally, and this is just MHO, is too many folks gets wrapped around the axle over weight.

17

I beg to disagree. Less is more…

18

To each their own, especially when it comes to AK mags. I had the opportunity to carry a AK in Afghanistan my first tour with one of the 7thSFG ODA’s while working with a CA/PSYOPS group. The weight of fully load metal mags really isn’t noticeable IMO. Are they lighter than poly’s, sure. Is the weight so much that poly’s are the only way to go, not really IMO. Of course, I was also one of those guys who opted to carry a M203 with my issue M4 because I liked the firepower, weight be damned LOL. If a skinny Afghan insurgent can run mountains all day with AK metal mags then I’m sure most corn fed Americans will do just fine Peace out.

19

Thank you for your service. The Afghan insurgents weren’t as heavily loaded as our troops. And therefore could run around more freely with small arms that generally tend to be heavier in weight than ours. I suggest you read Donkeys led by Lions in the British ArmyReview.

20

I have both! A AR and a AK.