[benEzra]

You guys with AK's/SAR's--do you load your mags full, or do you download by 2-5 rounds? How's reliability and spring life with them topped off?

[cslinger]

I have 10 magazines of various manufacturer and all function without a hitch when loaded to capacity.

Actually I don't know if I have ever had a malf. with the AK. I have VEPR II if it matters.

Chris

[MiniZ]

I have mags of various combloc manufacture(E. German, Bulgarian, Romanian) and have always loaded them to full capacity. I have never had feeding problems with this arrangement. If the shooting session ends before I have emptied them all, I leave them loaded until the next outing. I've had no issues with spring life, but I do empty them at least once a month.

YMMV.

[dfariswheel]

The Ak magazine is the "Tank" of firearms magazines, and is justly famous for having no weaknesses.

What isn't commonly known is that Kalashnikov deliberately designed in an extra amount of room, then designed the follower to act as a positive stop.
It's not possible to overload an AK magazine because of this feature, and because the magazine already has the extra space, the spring is subjected to much lower stress.

People regularly load AK mags up to full capacity and leave them loaded for decades with no feed problems.

Remember, Kalashnikov designed the entire rifle/magazine system to the Russian standard of a weapon that would be foolproof when used by an illiterate peasant. That's why the magazine is so strong. It's only "weakness" is the heavy weight.

Unless an AK magazine has obvious damage, they give zero feed problems.

[Gewehr98]

Until I'm ready to use them. :D

[Destructo6]

I'm another that has a variety of AK mags (rib-backed European, smooth-backed Chinese, mystery mags, etc). I've never had a problem with any of them, with the exception of a Chinese Bakelite, which aren't exactly common.

[Chipperman]

I keep a couple of mags loaded at all times, with nary a failure.
Like G98, I don't wind the drum until ready to use.

[OEF_VET]

I've loaded my drum as much as 2 weeks before using it, and I've never had a problem with it. I have had a few double feeds with my SAR-1, but they clear real easy.

Frank

[Dave R]

Never had a problem at full capacity.

You may have heard about a problem particular to the SAR-3, the .223 Romanian AK. Cenutury was shipping them for a while with mags for the Russian 5.45 X 39 round. They re-shaped the feed lips slightly, and despite the fact that the two rounds are shaped pretty differently, the .223 would feed out of the 5.45 magazine, as long as you didn't put more than 20 rounds in it. More than that and the different shape of the cartridge would cause the .223 to hang up in the magazine.

Then Robinson arms brought out a follower designed to solve the problem. Now a 5.45 mag with re-shaped feed lips and a Robinson follower will work to capacity in a SAR-3.

[Redlg155]

Nope..never heard of a problem with AK magazines loaded to full capacity.

I'm not so sure about the 40 rd Romanian mags.

Good Shooting
Red