20-Round AK Mags?

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amprecon

amprecon

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Just wondering if any of you have gone to 20-round AK magazines, either exclusively or for certain circumstances.

I bought several Hungarian 20-round magazines and fully intend to use them exclusively with my AK and lose the 30-rounders.

They are shorter and lighter than the typical 30-rounders and make the overall size of the carbine less obtrusive and more "handy" IMO.

I can see the 30-rounders for use in combat by full-auto AK's, but as that is not my purpose, I just can't see sticking with those long and "in-the-way" magazines.

Also, as most boxes of ammo come in 20 per box, not 30, its just a bit more convenient, not that you couldn't just load 20 rounds into a 30 round mag, but then you have that "empty" space hanging out there.

Just my thoughts.
 
I totally agree.
20 rounders:
1. Shorter and more handy.
2. Fit in my pouches.
3. I like loading one box into one mag!
 
I use a mix of 20's and 30's, and when my SAR-1 was my go-to HD long gun (pre-AR) and I shot USPSA with it, I almost always loaded it with 20's, with a 30 as backup.

The biggest issue to me was weight, although handier mag length was certainly a plus. A loaded steel 30rd AK mag weighs almost two pounds. 20's weigh commensurately less and are about the same length as a 30rd AR magazine.
 
Just wondering if any of you have gone to 20-round AK magazines, either exclusively or for certain circumstances....
Click to expand...

Since I discovered the 20 rounders several years ago, I have stopped using my 30s.

When I take one of my AKs for a walk around the farm, it always sports a 20rd Hungarian magazine. When I take n00bs over to the hill for an introduction to firearms, I take along a sack of 30s for the AK.
 
2. Fit in my pouches.
3. I like loading one box into one mag!
Click to expand...

30 round AK mag pouches are cheap and plentiful.

I like carrying 50% fewer mags.

I've got the Norinco bullpup and it pretty much needs the 20 round mags as the pistol grip interferes with insertion/removal of the 30 round mags. The twenties just plain "look right" with my AMD-65. Other than that I rarely use them. The forty round mags really are too much of a good thing IMHO.


In the photo, looks like the Nimrod going prone has knocked the base plate off his mag and the spring has gone sproing! :)
 
Love my 20 rounders for all the reasons listed...

M
 
20 and 5 round mags go with me to the range.


If I'm out shooting in a field, I'll only take 30s.


If I'm taking the RPK, I'll grab 40s... :D
 
10rd mags for hunting and range work. 30rd mags are good for rapid-fire and wasting money. Of course 10rd mags cost about 2.5X the cost of basic 30rd mags. People behind the counter may look at you funny when you ask for low cap mags. Last time I bought a 10rd it took 3 sales reps to find it behind the counter.

I guess if SHTF I would grab some 30rd mags, but otherwise they are just good for S&G.
 
I bought 20 rounders for my 5.56 Mak 90 because I couldn't find 30's at the time. They are pretty handy but they 'hang up' in just about every magazine pouch I've tried. I ended up with about 10 of them.

Old USGI M-16 puches for 20 rd mags worked 'ok' but were too tight with 3 mags.
 
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20 round

The only thing I don't like about my VZ58, no twenty round mags. A few came in a while back but not many. they are availabe in Europe.
 
I prefer 30's. They seem to look better, in my opinion. But I use 10 rounders for bench rest.

Also, I know I'm not going into combat or even a small gunfight, or even having to shoot a dangerous animal, but I just like having as much ammo as possible.
 
I have a few of the Hungy 20s.

They get used for bench work or at matches when we have to load a specified number of rounds for a stage (I bring them empty).

I don't use the 20s for general purpose mags because:
1) I don't like giving up 10 rounds before being forced to do a reload.
2)My ammo (Yugo M67) comes in 15 round boxes so 2 boxes = 1 magazine.
3) Sometimes you need more dakka. Like this stage at the local rifle match. 20+ targets, kinda small, kinda for away, limited time to hit them all.

Some of the targets:
IMG_6835Medium.jpg

What I was using:
IMG_7334Medium.jpg

BSW
 
I have a ten, a twenty and four thirties (with issue pouch) and find the twenty and ten easier to use from the bench when checking zero of the sites, testing different ammo. For local club military matches, off-hand standing position ten shots per target, I use the 30s since the rules say "as issued". The whole point of having a military rifle as a collector's item is to have it as close to as-issued as possible. The 20 round magazine was an issue item for use in vehicles, so I added one to my collection.
 
I only use 30 rounders in my '74. They seem to work just fine and I've never found size to be an issue. I also have no idea if they've ever made 20 rounders for that particular caliber.

I do own one 10 round mag (came with the rifle) that I use for bench rest shooting.
 
While not an AK, I do a similar thing with my AR. I like the straight wall design and unobtrusiveness of the 20 round magazines. I imagine it's much the same with an AK, save for the straight wall mag design.
 
I really like the 20's in 7.62x39mm for the lighter weight, only because 30-round steel AK mags in 7.62x39mm weigh nearly two pounds each loaded (a pouch of four 30's weighs more than the rifle). In a crisis or where I was defending in place I would certainly prefer a 30, but for walking around with the rifle, moving through the house, or shooting most match stages, the 20's are lighter and handier. In 5.45x39mm I'd prefer 30's, though, since the ammunition is so much lighter.
 
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