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Any issued mags-be Soviet, Polish, Bulgarian, East German- will serve you well.
I prefer Bakelite. I've ordered from the link below many times and they are always on time and as described.
http://whatacountry.com/ak-74magazineandpouchset.aspx
The only other types I have are four polymer 45 rounders I bought from KVAR... but they're a bit spendy.
For the most part any mil spec mags are gtg.
+1 to what has been said multiple times. Any military magazine works. I have 8 Russian plums, by way of Bulgaria. Polish magazines use a different plastic and aren't quite as tough and can crack if subjected to mistreatment. Other than that, I think they're all equal. Don't use any US magazines, or mags from any other country that never fielded the AK (e.g., South Korea).
The same goes for 7.62 magazines.
Will the Bulgarian 5.45x39 Circle 10's work in the Norinco 84S 5.56x45?
Yes they will! I have a Norinco 84S converted to 5.45x39 and the 74 mags function just fine without any mods. However, some might have to be sanded slightly on one of the outsides. My have to be sanded just a hair on the left rear corner of the mag. Some of them catch on that area upon removal and some don't.
The one in the pic is an E. German mag and fits fine. The Bulgy and some Russian mags I slightly sand the one corner. When I say slightly I mean slightly, like just a few passes with some rough sand paper
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...-26-42_202.jpg
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...-27-27_664.jpg
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...-27-43_318.jpg
Steyr,
You just made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. I've been buying 74 bakelites for about three years and the price has done nothing but increase. I can't imagine how many I'd have at the $19.99 price point.
Even still, I have a fair collection now, just bought a 4 pack every other month or so for a few years. I have more than I'll need for the two 74's I have though.
Ohhh the hay days, how they are missed.
Yep, about 10 years ago they were $4.99 each in if you bought FOUR you got the free magazine pouch. If you paid $29.99 everything was new in the plastic. Of course you could buy anything from E. Germany for a nickel back then.
How I wish I bought a few dozen parts kits.
I still have an unopend box of fire brick and brown Bulgarain '74 mags from back when Ohio Rapid Fire had them under $5 per brand new never issued mags. :D
OP, if I was just starting out with a '74 then I'd opt for the Polish Tantal mags.
I remember when NIW EG mags and like new russian plum mags were $3 a pop. Oh the days of $100 AKS74 and $200 AKS74U kits, how I miss you.
I just got online to buy some 545 mags and couldn't believe my eyes. So much for the cheap 545 ammo if mags this pricey.
If you want to feed 223 out of a 74 mag you'll have to change the follower
I bought it tha way. Its Russian/Chinese/Bulgarian. The original owner had a few of these converted back in the late 80s. Parts are as follows. I bought this from him last year and he had one left that he was keeping for himself.
CHINESE: receiver, front trunion, trigger guard.
BULGARIAN: Front end
RUSSIAN: Muzzle brake, trigger, hammer, sear, 100 series folding stock
True, but you dont have to keep restocking mags. You can still shoot 1000 rounds even with one mag. Also some of this is due to people panic buying now. I pick up mags at gun shows for $10-$15ea. You can find plenty of good deals as long as youre not looking for RARE or NEW mags.
I bought an SGL31 over the weekend. Thanks for the WAC link, I bought a mag package from them. Needed some high quality mags to feed this awesome rifle with.
Yes, I did
http://whatacountry.com/ak-74-Russia...zine-plum.aspx
Example of "goods":
http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/...collection.jpg
Three grades of Russian plums starting at $17.95, no SGL owner should be without a few.
I'm sure I spent too much on the Bakelite mags, but I wanted them for that "look".
I'll probably pick up another 5-6 more of the Plum mags, as well. Still won't be enough, but it will be a good start.
Thats a great price for Russian 74's
Indeed it is, I just bought four more.
Unless you live far away from any major metropolitan area I find that I get about the same deals if I look around locally, if you factor in shipping and handling charges. Very rarely do I find that ordering online actually saves me money.
Or if you live somewhere like me, where AR's are just getting popular and AK's are still looked down on as "damn commie guns" by the Fudd's at the ranges.
I have to find all my mag and ammo deals (at least for 5.45) online. Doesn't help that I live in BFE, but I like it out here. Nice and quiet!
I've found good deals over the years, but I don't mind spending ~$40 for brand spanking new bakelites. They'll pretty much last forever... and they're prettier. :D
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I just buy them locally. There is always a shop or two that carries some type of surplus 5.45 mags. Sometimes Russian plum other times circle 10 or 21
FYI, received the K-VAR flyer today and they have Bulgarian Circle 10 mags back in stock. $35 for black, $37 for plum. . .not cheap by any means but at least they have brand new mil-spec polymer '74 mags.
I decided to wait on picking up some of those plum mags from whatacountry until I got back from vacation this week. Mistake. They were out before I got back (probably due in part to this thread. ;))
Fortunately, K-var got those new Circle 10s in before I ordered some of the East German bakelites for ~ $40 a pop, so I ordered a few. They're expensive, but I can't find any for sale locally, and my WTB posting on the EE has only yielded bupkus (and then someone posted some for sale, and didn't hit me up despite the WTB posting being about 3 down from the top...it's a free market, do what you want, but seriously? /rant off).
I can't win with the local supply either...I only saw 74 mags for sale when I was looking for 5.56 AK mags and nobody had them. Now the local supply has plenty of 5.56 mags, which I also have plenty of now, and not 5.45 mags. Thus the acceptance of K-Var's retardedly high shipping rates. Now off to delete my WTB post...
My favorite is the Russian plum magazines. They were made by both Izhmash and Tula, but you're only likely to find Izzy ones for reasonable prices. I can't really say why I like them more than the Bulgarian mags, it's purely subjective.
After that I'd definitely go with Bulgarian. Circle 10/21/25 magazines are all made to the same specification. Generally speaking, surplus Circle 10 magazines are only seen in black. Apparently there was a plum model as well, it's exceedingly rare. K-Var also has new production 10s in OD Green and their plum color (which is quite different from the surplus plum color). 21s are seen most commonly in black, but also in shades of dark red and dark brown. K-Var (Arsenal) also imports 45-round Code 10 magazines in black.
I've also used Bakelite magazines of East German origin and they work well. While they definitely look great, particularly on a rifle with wooden furniture, I'd go with Russian or Bulgarian polymer magazines first. The polymer magazines are more durable, but that isn't to say the Bakelite magazines are weak.
I don't have any experience with Russian Bakelite (at least not in 5.45) and I don't have any experience with Polish polymer magazines or the steel magazines that are available.
More information can be found here. It's not a completely exhaustive list of every 5.45x39.5mm AK magazine ever made, but it's a pretty through breakdown of any that you're likely to see in the United States.
I bought these when Cope's had them for $20 a pop last year. New in-the-wrap Polish Tantal AK-74 mags. Also bought a few of the steel ones in the same condition:
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/s...tos/001-18.jpg
Ha ha I got you guys beat on part of the great cheap mag hunt.
Back in 1998 when I got my first 5.45 Century Arms was selling NEW East German Bakelites (4) in the teardrop pouch WITH stripper clips, and a cleaning kit on the side for $19.95.
The second one I got had the stripper clips hidden inside the pouch but no cleaning kit for $19.95
Then I got 3 black Bulgarian Circle 10 mags for $9.99 each.
I have the 11 mags for the SLR105R and the SGL31 and the 5 rounder Romanian steel and 10 rounder Bulgarian black plastic I found along the way for bench shooting-these mags will outlast me. Communists know how to make mags-I give them that.
Fortier did a test on all AK mags in Shotgun News and the East German Bakelites came out on top in all his testing.
I have 17 magazines for my SGL31 not counting the 10-round magazine it came with. I'll probably end up with around 30 for it. I enjoy collecting magazines, I just wish AK mags were so expensive. That said, they are built to last.