View Full Version : US Palm AK Mag Review
plouffedaddy
11-19-12, 17:09
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l178/tiffani33/DSC00083.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l178/tiffani33/IMG_0293.jpg
Before I get into the review let's just get it out of the way––-steel combloc mags are the standard for a reason: they're fantastic reliable/durable mags at a good price. Ok, moving on...
I always avoided US Palm mags for two big reasons; steel mags were dirt cheap and great and US Palm mags had some serious issues when they first came out (the so called Gen1 mags) and didn't seem to live up to the claims about their product.
I got a US Palm Gen2 mag in a trade and used it off and on at the range and noticed it ran great, took abuse well, and performed well in general. Then, I saw a site selling them for $18 shipped at the same time steel mags were going for $12-15 most places. I took a shot and ordered a bunch of them to add some more depth to my box o' mags. Here's what I've found with the batch:
Pros:
-They've been 100% reliable thus far through thousands of rounds in several guns.
-They're lightweight (7oz vs ~12oz for most steel mags).
-The price continues to drop. Several sites are selling them for under $25 shipped currently.
-Steel mag prices continue to go up; especially after the election.
-Several colors are available.
-I've left mine loaded for several months with no issues to date.
-Steel cage around the entire top of the mag to include lugs (not in the lips though) seems pretty strong (as demonstrated by the AK pushups in the video below).
-Can't be disassembled.
-They lock up tight in my AKs with little to no wobble.
-They're US parts for 922r compliance.
Cons:
-Cost. Although the costs are going down, they're still more expensive than the proven steel surplus mags.
-Customer service. I emailed and called them several times with questions about the design and they never responded to either form of communication.
-Reputation. As mentioned earlier, their Gen1 mags had issues and they didn't live up to the claims they made at the time as proven by people cutting their mags in half and not finding steel where it was supposed to be. It seems they've rectified this but that leaves a bad taste in a lot of peoples' mouths.
-No steel in the feed lips. It hasn't been a problem yet but given the choice I'd prefer it.
-They're wider than a lot of steel mags and may not fit in combloc mag pouches.
Here's a video showing the mags in several AKs, a drop test, a size comparison with a few other AK mags, and of course a bunch of shooting:
US PALM AK MAG HD VIDEO REVIEW LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q87aESIJD6M&feature=g-upl)
Comments supporting this product and company removed.
They don't fit in the Sig 556R, so Gabe can't pimp them as the best there is anymore. :no:
FWIW I have over 20 of the Palm mags, and I have yet to encounter a single issue with them; the only thing even resembling one would be that they can be difficult to load to full capacity when you first get them.
They don't fit in the Sig 556R, so Gabe can't pimp them as the best there is anymore. :no:
You couldn't have said it better
Why would not being able to disassemble the magazine be an advantage? Would personally see that as a disadvantage for servicing the magazine, though granted they are a disposable unit but if only the spring were to wear out then I would think being able to replace the spring and continue trudging on would be desirable.
Moose-Knuckle
11-21-12, 16:50
Good unbiased review. I've been skeptical of these mags since day one as noted in the various threads on them in this sub-forum however I have added a few to the pile.
plouffedaddy
11-22-12, 10:07
Why would not being able to disassemble the magazine be an advantage? Would personally see that as a disadvantage for servicing the magazine, though granted they are a disposable unit but if only the spring were to wear out then I would think being able to replace the spring and continue trudging on would be desirable.
I debated where to put it; some people like it because they're afraid their bottom plate could come off and spill the rounds out. But, a lot of people dislike it for the reasons you stated above as well.
Since you mentioned in your review that US Palm has not responded to emails or phone messages, I am wondering if something might be going on with the company.
Well they've gotten back with me since the review came out :D so I guess they're okay. One of the things I wanted to know for the review was why they don't use metal in the feed lips; below is their response:
"We looked at metal lined feed lips and declined that design. The feed lips are NOT metal lined, per our design. If you think about what would happen if a fully loaded magazine were dropped on the feed lips, and they bent, the metal inserts would preclude the lips from rebounding back into position. As a matter of fact, if you attempted to bend the feed lips back into position, you would most likely suffer a lamination issue between the polymer and the metal insert and end up with an even bigger mess. The polymer we use on the current AK30's is robust enough to handle an accidental fall, and rebound back to it's original position and remain functional."
I completely agree with their decision to not put metal in the feed lips...necessary with cheap soviet plastic, and not so much with modern materials. I was a big fan of these for a while, but after some issues with the durability of the sheet metal cage, I use them for range and training and waffle circle 10s and polish steels are back as my go to mags. The sheet metal is too thin and just wraps around the locking tab, so a drop or impact on the tab will still crush the tab or tear it free. They function well, though, and are a decent bit more durable than current unreinforced mags. I do wish they could be disassembled, though.
maddawg5777
11-26-12, 17:04
Glad to see they fixed some of the initial problems they were having. I just wish a US company would step up the AK mag game. They would sell like hot cakes if they kept the price around 15 bucks. I think Ill grab a couple to test since I'm stuck with American made mags till I can swap in a couple American made parts.
maddawg5777
11-26-12, 18:04
Didn't say they weren't. Just that at damn near 30 bucks a piece after shipping they are quite spendy. Just said I wish a US company could make ak mags with pmag reliability/durability and pricing.
Moose-Knuckle
11-27-12, 03:18
JFYI Primary Arms had these on sale for $19.99 during their Black Friday sale. Good deals on these come up from time to time.
Draufganger
11-27-12, 07:04
Any info on the compensator on the rifle pictured?
plouffedaddy
11-27-12, 13:04
Any info on the compensator on the rifle pictured?
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l178/tiffani33/Guns/SRVV4.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l178/tiffani33/Guns/SRVV3.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l178/tiffani33/Guns/IMAG1213.jpg
It's a SRVV brake. They're pretty popular in the motherland but here not so much. I have a couple of their brakes and they're good performers.
maddawg5777
11-27-12, 14:09
You do realize that is impossible, and why, right?
No, I just got back into aks, please explain, I could use the knowledge. As for primary arms, they seem to always have them cheaper than everywhere else. I think there normal price is 22.00. I think US Palm has the best offerings as far as US made mags go, I'm not trying to take that away from them. They are a lot better than the other option of crapco. I have a shopping cart full of stuff on PA's website and I will let the wife decide what she wants to order me so it will be a "suprise".:D
maddawg5777
11-27-12, 15:52
Very understandable. I see the price of around 20 bucks a mag as not terrible. I still would like to see more US companies producing higher quality mags for the ak platform. Let me ask this, do you believe in US Palms response as to why they didn't reinforce the feed lips with steel? I don't make anything with polymer so I have no idea. Are they just blowing smoke to save a few bucks?
plouffedaddy
11-27-12, 17:36
Very understandable. I see the price of around 20 bucks a mag as not terrible. I still would like to see more US companies producing higher quality mags for the ak platform. Let me ask this, do you believe in US Palms response as to why they didn't reinforce the feed lips with steel? I don't make anything with polymer so I have no idea. Are they just blowing smoke to save a few bucks?
It seems legit to me; especially with what Duane said above. He knows more than anyone else here so I'll default to his knowledge of modern polymers...
maddawg5777
11-27-12, 18:01
Fair enough, hopefully "Santa" brings me a couple so I can beat them up.
plouffedaddy, I saw you were not friendly to them at all in your video. Are you still using them and is there any sign of failure near the locking tabs? How about the "permanent" base pads, are they staying put?
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 09:53
I agree anything can break, its all about how the company handles the situation. I did a lot of searching on these a few weeks ago and came across all the reviews of the first gens crapping out. It seems your account of free goodies seems to be the norm with US Palm, which is a good thing. One set of videos I found on theakforum.net showed the second gen going tits up from dirt and sand. Guy was overseas and did a lot of tests with varying amount of dirt and sand applied to the magazine. He experienced where the rounds wouldn't even feed from the magazine and stated it was hard to load rounds 29 and 30. What he didn't seem to mention was whether or not he cleaned the mags according to US palms directions. He always stated he would shake them out but never implied if water was applied to the magazines. So take I took that for what it is worth.
Locally only one gun shop carries them and they want 30 bucks plus tax each. They only carry circle 10's and us palms. I think they want 40 for the circle 10's. So I am stuck finding them online to save every dollar I can. The only reason I care so much is that I have to use US mags for 3 of my compliance parts. All the other US mags seem to be shitty in comparison, hence my wish for more companies to step up and match or beat US Palm in the polymer mag game.
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 10:49
Haha funny how small the internet is. I came across the one from the beach picture as well. If I remember correctly the salt water rusted up the mag spring like it would to any other. I hope I can get some in the near future to play with. I have a few crapcos that came with my AMD and I picked a couple more up for 5 bucks each for cheap range mags. I would love to have something I can really depend on. I wont lie, the crapcos have been loaded for a few weeks and I let my son throw them around the house and outside (he's 14 months) and they haven't broke. Im not saying they are combat ready but not as weak as I had initially thought.
plouffedaddy
11-28-12, 12:21
Fair enough, hopefully "Santa" brings me a couple so I can beat them up.
plouffedaddy, I saw you were not friendly to them at all in your video. Are you still using them and is there any sign of failure near the locking tabs? How about the "permanent" base pads, are they staying put?
I try to be fair in my videos based on my experience with the product/gun/ect... Their CS was lacking; no doubt about it in my mind so I stated it. Several emails and voicemails telling them I was reviewing their product and that I would like some information went unanswered for over a month. I understand they can be busy and probably get a lot of calls/emails. They also had some problems with the 'Gen1' versions that I personally witnessed, so I said it.
To me that doesn't mean they make bad mags or other accessories and in the spirit of fairess they have since gotten back to me with the answers.
The mags continue performing well and they're already loaded up along some steel mags for the next range trip.
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 14:11
I try to be fair in my videos based on my experience with the product/gun/ect... Their CS was lacking; no doubt about it in my mind so I stated it. Several emails and voicemails telling them I was reviewing their product and that I would like some information went unanswered for over a month. I understand they can be busy and probably get a lot of calls/emails. They also had some problems with the 'Gen1' versions that I personally witnessed, so I said it.
To me that doesn't mean they make bad mags or other accessories and in the spirit of fairess they have since gotten back to me with the answers.
The mags continue performing well and they're already loaded up along some steel mags for the next range trip.
I think you misunderstood who the "them" was in my sentence. I meant the mags not US Palm, I should have stated that differently. As far as you calling them out, you had every right and I think every manufacturer needs constructive criticism not just fanboi love.
Moose-Knuckle
11-28-12, 15:33
I came across the one from the beach picture as well. If I remember correctly the salt water rusted up the mag spring like it would to any other.
This is the other issue with these mags, since they cannot be disassembled you cannot perform routine maintenance on them. If there is a future magazine ban you will need to have things like replacement springs, followers, and floor plates on hand to keep your mags up and running.
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 15:42
I think that is the number one issue with these mags. While US Palm is trying to be different they took away one key aspect of any magazine.
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 17:38
Ha ha, that picture always brought a smile to my face. While I do agree that floor plates can be a bitch (I've had my fair share of picking up loose rds on the floor) it is nice to be able to remove them and service the magazine. Ill have to float through all those threads I read and see where it was where the guy posted about the spring rusting after his trip to the beach.
I haven't found too many complaints of the gen 2 palm mags floating about. Its good to seem them advance the product over time and I hope they continue to do so. I know pmags had some issues out of the gate but every generation seems to perform better.
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 17:48
Here it was, http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/topic/58082-us-palm-ak30-magazine/page__st__150
"Not during the first day of running it, which was about 200 rounds. The second day, after the first 3 rounds, the follower got stuck, It would appear that the salt water had done a number on the spring, but with some WD-40 and constant washing out, I fixed it up good as new."
Now i guess he didn't say rusted, but what else would salt water do to a spring. Says he got them to work so no big deal. Also I think these are gen 1 mags but I don't see anywhere that US Palm changed the spring for the gen 2. Its still a non issue as I said before seeing as salt water will always **** up metal.
Also has anyone tried to test the 100,000 compressions they claim?
ETA, I now see your the main reviewer there, I don't pay much attention to screen names on other sites.
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 18:12
I think salt water+beach sand would do a number to any magazine. But yes he got it running so no big deal.
Haha funny how small the internet is. I came across the one from the beach picture as well. If I remember correctly the salt water rusted up the mag spring like it would to any other. I hope I can get some in the near future to play with. I have a few crapcos that came with my AMD and I picked a couple more up for 5 bucks each for cheap range mags. I would love to have something I can really depend on. I wont lie, the crapcos have been loaded for a few weeks and I let my son throw them around the house and outside (he's 14 months) and they haven't broke. Im not saying they are combat ready but not as weak as I had initially thought.
I've been pretty tough on my Tapco mags. No breakages or failures.
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 19:47
I manned up today and tried the ak push up. I braced my fingers for disappointment but to no avail, the mags didn't break or crack. Are the intafuse(spelling?) models better than the older ones?
I manned up today and tried the ak push up. I braced my fingers for disappointment but to no avail, the mags didn't break or crack. Are the intafuse(spelling?) models better than the older ones?
I think the first Tapco magazines were actually ProMags with the Tapco name on them (I've never owned one but this is what I conclude from looking at pictures) The Tapco Intrafuse magazines began when they must have procured their own molds and polymer formula. These mags are really a lot tougher and more reliable than people give them credit for. I own eleven 30 rounders, two 20 rounders and a 5 rounder from Tapco. Every one of them has been perfectly reliable and durable. Sorry to OP for going off topic. Maybe it's time for a Tapco mag test thread :)
maddawg5777
11-28-12, 20:03
Yes sorry for the derail there. If someone wants to give me a few tapcos to test, Ill do my best to break it.
plouffedaddy
11-29-12, 09:33
I think the first Tapco magazines were actually ProMags with the Tapco name on them (I've never owned one but this is what I conclude from looking at pictures) The Tapco Intrafuse magazines began when they must have procured their own molds and polymer formula. These mags are really a lot tougher and more reliable than people give them credit for. I own eleven 30 rounders, two 20 rounders and a 5 rounder from Tapco. Every one of them has been perfectly reliable and durable. Sorry to OP for going off topic. Maybe it's time for a Tapco mag test thread :)
Oh that mag test has already been done. One split at the feed lips and another busted open when I transitioned to the prone. But, TAPCO replaced both of them free of charge...
After being a supporter and user of US Palm products for a couple of years now, I have been rather stunned recently by the incredible unprofessionalism and immaturity exhibited by them on their Facebook page. And is seems that I am not the only one left scratching his head thinking: "What the Hell?"
For reasons unknown they actually decided to begin this Christmas season by posting a Christmas themed disgusting graphic photo depicting homosexual sado-masochism, and another pic promoting atheism as the belief system apparently followed by reasonable people while also slamming Christians.
Now this from their Jan. 27 update on their Facebook page:
"Dating advise by Uncle Leo:
I met a nice-looking girl in the park the other evening.
There was an instant spark between us.
She did this cute little dance, then immediately dropped to her knees and lay on the grass at my feet.
As we lay making love, I thought....... “Damn, these Taser guns are really worth the money!”
Apparently even joking about felonious assault and aggravated rape on their company Facebook page is a level to which US Palm willingly sinks.
Silly 922 question - do these count as 2 or 3 US parts since the floorplate is integral to the mag body?
Spooky
Heavy Metal
11-29-12, 22:38
Silly 922 question - do these count as 2 or 3 US parts since the floorplate is integral to the mag body?
Spooky
As long as you are not adding a foreign part, you are ok, even it the mag does not use that part.
An AK with a US FCG but foreign muzzle device and piston would be complaint untill you added a foreign magazine. A US Mag or even no Mag at all is legal.
I completely agree with their decision to not put metal in the feed lips...necessary with cheap soviet plastic, and not so much with modern materials. I was a big fan of these for a while, but after some issues with the durability of the sheet metal cage, I use them for range and training and waffle circle 10s and polish steels are back as my go to mags. The sheet metal is too thin and just wraps around the locking tab, so a drop or impact on the tab will still crush the tab or tear it free. They function well, though, and are a decent bit more durable than current unreinforced mags. I do wish they could be disassembled, though.
I remembered a previous post mentioning this and found it.
Are the new ones going to have locking lugs made out actual metal instead of being metal lined?`
Here's one of the problems I had:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/US-palm.jpg
Functional (at the time--not anymore) magazine on top and dicked up one below.
The lining bent from simply dropping into prone actively. It popped out when it hit the deck. When re-inserted, you could knock it out by slapping it or simply firing.
I have not had this problem with Circle-10's, ever (likely because of the fully-metal rear as opposed to metal-lined).
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4508930606_5a05335d15.jpghttp://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy51/TnHawk45/DSC01500.jpghttp://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy51/TnHawk45/DSC01508.jpghttp://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy51/TnHawk45/DSC01507.jpg
These cut away photos show the difference between the metal reinforcing between these and the Bulgarian mags in the pics below. Please also notice the difference in the reinforcing between the two Bulgarian mags.
http://www.k-var.com/shop/images/D/bulgarian-mag-01.jpghttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a144/AKS-74/AKMAGview.jpg
And if these are important considerations for anyone, US Palm Mags:
-do not have a full magazine witness hole.
-do not work with Lula mag loaders
-will not fit in the new SIG 556R 7.62x39 rifle.
-will not work with Solar Tactical's MFER mag funnel (unless you dremel it or the mags)
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o242/drakinclaw/AK107_Claw1_1280.jpg
Moose-Knuckle
12-07-12, 21:45
For the time being, the steel reinforced Bulgarians are still the best game in town if considering polymer mags.
http://www.k-var.com/shop/images/D/bulgarian-mag-01.jpg
These particular mags DO NOT have steel spine reinforcements. Those pics are correct but the initial email promoting them from K-VAR had misleading wording.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=110073&page=2
plouffedaddy,
Thank you for your review. I appreciated the mixed media review as well as the AK-47 push ups. You see something new every day. :)
Belloc,
I've been following this thread for the last couple of days and finally had to chime in. Its been amazing watching your transformation from being supportive of US Palm product in your initial posts to trying to slam US Palm in later updates/revisions/etc. -- all over a dumb graphic posted on facebook.
If you don't agree with US Palm's facebook post (which, for records sake, dealt with religious extremism and could be interpreted to favor atheism), thats fine. Please though, for everyones sake, try and stay objective and keep your emotions out of the thread. Your just cluttering up plouffedaddy's excellent review with your constant updating, re-visioning, and other nonsense. You want to blog? Check out wordpress or start your own thread.
Again, this is a forum where we as believers or non stay objective and focused on the hardware, rather than the software.
In fact that was the purpose of the edit of the post. But let's practice what we preach and use PM if you wish to continue.
These particular mags DO NOT have steel spine reinforcements. Those pics are correct but the initial email promoting them from K-VAR had misleading wording.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=110073&page=2
Yes, you are correct. Sorry if in the photos of the two Bulgarian mags side by side did not make that clear. Thanks.
I just got some PALM mags from DSG. They are extremely robust. They fit perfectly in my SA 85M, but a bit snug in my SARs. I WISH I had them to run at the range yesterday - but they look to be extremely high quality and sit up high in the magwell for good purchase of the top round from the bolt. Its like they were made expressly for my Hungarian. They also fit nicely in my el cheapo AK/AR chest rig. BTW - for those who may have had too much play in their long AMD magwell - this may be the ticket.
I have about 20 of these mags with only 5 of them being the G1 variety. All in all, I like the mags, use them almost exclusively, and haven't had a problem with them in over 1,000 rds. I'm impressed with them.
And the spring is VERY strong. The follower is smooth and tight.
plouffedaddy
01-04-14, 09:50
Word on the inter webs rumor mill is they'll have a new version out at SHOT with more metal. We shall see….
Heavy Metal
01-04-14, 17:59
If they are going to put a non-removable spring in it, it should be a high-grade stainless spring.
Beaver2334
07-13-14, 22:46
Anybody know where to get these at less than $30 bucks a pop?
Bought some to try from DSG when they had a sale - they were $20. I would not pay $30/mag.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.