75 rd ak drums

[jojo200517]

Ok so ever since I bought my AK I have been searching for a drum either 75 or 100 rd at a decent price. I was pretty excited a few weeks back when I seen the new bulgarian 75 rd drums for around 160 bucks. Upon looking at reviews and comparing pictures to original Romanian or Chinese drums the lips on the top part appeared to be thin and cheaply made.

I just now seen new Romanian drums that are made like the Chinese ones (the back opens ya load it and wind as opposed to one at a time thru the top loading) on dph arms website for 99 bucks. Are these any better than the Bulgarian models? They look about the same. Are the Bulgarian and or these really even a problem because its thinner looking than the original deal. AK people know almost everything about the rifle including the normal 30 rd mags is overbuilt.

Anyone got any of these new drums that they have tried out? Was your impression of them that they are a good deal or should I really save my pennies and give 250 or more for an original one?

Going to put in a link to the Romanian wind up model I found http://dpharms.com/romanian-ak47-75-round-wind-up-drum-magazine-p-1108.html?osCsid=f51ca2588c78240eec7218d5a22371c3

 

[buck00]

I just now seen new Romanian drums that are made like the Chinese ones (the back opens ya load it and wind as opposed to one at a time thru the top loading) on dph arms website for 99 bucks. Are these any better than the Bulgarian models? They look about the same. Are the Bulgarian and or these really even a problem because its thinner looking than the original deal. AK people know almost everything about the rifle including the normal 30 rd mags is overbuilt.

The drums are a novelty. I wanted one for a long time and got a Bulgarian one when Cope's first got them in just before the 2008 election. I paid $159 gladly as I expected Obama to re-enact Clinton's ban.

I am assuming the Romy ones for $99 are very similar.

Pros:

- from a serious AK collector's point of view its a "must have"

- very menacing looking for photo ops

- in theory its a lot of ammo at once if you need it


Cons:

- obviously the price equates to 9 or 10 thirty round mags

- it makes a noise like a piggy bank shaking if you run with your AK (tactical disadvantage)


At the end of the day, for $99 I'd say get it if you are gung-ho about AKs. Maybe wait a few months to see if the wholesalers drop the price more. Its either a thing that you want or you realize you don't need, there isn't really a middle ground.

.
.

 

[jojo200517]

Yeah I realize its kind of a novelty and will be heavy as crap when loaded. I did fire a friends with a drum on it and it was quiet a lot of fun. He made me reload his old Romanian drum tho and both thumbs were sore by the time I had pushed all 75 rounds in it thru the top. I am kinda wanting to get 1 or 2 before any kind of ban is reenacted. Where are you getting 30 rd mags that cheap tho? I been paying about 20 -25 bucks a pop for 30 rd mil surplus mags in like new condition. I have seen a few cheaper online but by the time you include 10 bucks or more shipping cost its back up to the same thing.

I probably don't need a lot of my things that go bang but they sure are fun.

 

[Quiet]

I've had time with the Chinese 75 round drums. They are pretty good and were a good buy for $80 back in the early-90s.

If the new Romanian drums are a copy of the Chinese ones, then I'll give them a shot based on the reliability of the Chinese drums.

Buck00 is right about them being noisy when running around with them. They're also heavy and bulky, try carrying 5 of them around.

Local shops in Vegas, sell surplus "like-new" 30 round AK mags for around $14 a piece.

 

[AZAviator]

The ones AIM sells are the Romanian rear loaders for $99. I really wanted to get one at first but then I thought about it and realized its alot of weight I probably dont want, plus for another $100 I could buy another 1k rounds of 7.62 - after all what good are mags without ammo. BTW the like new surplus 30 rd mags I buy are $9 ea online + shipping. Real good deal.

 

[nalioth]

- it makes a noise like a piggy bank shaking if you run with your AK (tactical disadvantage)

Buck00 is right about them being noisy when running around with them. They're also heavy and bulky, try carrying 5 of them around.

Yeah, if you use bunker fuel in your diesel-engined car, it doesn't run real well, either.

The "AK drums" aren't.

They're actually designed and issued with the RPK (the squad automatic weapon), and not intended to be used when "snooping and pooping" (or in your AK).

 

[briansmithwins]

I'd rather have 80 rounds in 2X40 round RPK mags than 1 drum. Easier to carry and better long term reliability as they can be completely torn down if filled with sand or mud.

If the drums were $40 each I might get one just for fun, but at $140+ I'll by more box mags. BSW

 

[amd6547]

The biggest "Con" of the 75rd drum is that here in Ohio, I am allowed to own them, but not to use them.

 

[Quiet]

I'd rather have 80 rounds in 2X40 round RPK mags than 1 drum. Easier to carry and better long term reliability as they can be completely torn down if filled with sand or mud.

Same line of reasoning that caused the Soviets to issue 45 round box magazines for the RPK-74, instead of making drums for it.

 

[H2O MAN]

I have a few of the Chinese 75 and 100 round 7.62 drums... they are excellent.
I don't shoot them often, but they may come in handy someday... especially the 100 round drums.

The Bulgarian copies are new production built on equipment purchased from the Chinese.
They are identical to the Chinese 75 drums.

 

[jojo200517]

I never can find the 40 rd box mags around here and the 30 rd already sticks down far enough to make it hard to shoot from a table at the range.

The drum doesn't appear to stick out so far. Just an observation I made. If I had to lay on the ground and fire at something that was shooting back i'd want to get as close to the dirt as my shirt buttons would allow.

The Bulgarian copies are new production built on equipment purchased from the Chinese.
They are identical to the Chinese 75 drums.

This is they kind of answer I was looking for, to see if the copies are really copies.

I guess i'll be ordering a couple of the 99 buck Romanian copies of Bulgarian copies of Chinese drums really intended for an RPK and stick them in a Romanian AK and see what happens. I predict dwindling ammo stock piles and frightened people at the local range sighting in there deer rifles when I walk up.

 

[nalioth]

This is they kind of answer I was looking for, to see if the copies are really copies.

I guess i'll be ordering a couple of the 99 buck Romanian copies of Bulgarian copies of Chinese drums

The Bulgarian drums aren't "copies" any more than a Ford 302 V8 engine would be a "copy" if you purchased the FoMoCo engine plant and renamed it "jojo200517's Engine Plant".

I'm in the dark as to where the Romanian drums came from . .

 

[Wise Lite Arms]

The Romanian AK drums are a direct copy of a Chinese produced AK drum and ARE manufactured in Romania (under contract to a US importer). They are $95 to order from::
APEX Gun Parts

As you probably already know the drums marked with the Bulgarian "Circle 10" were actually made in China. That bit of international smuggling is under investigation.

The (South) Korean drums appear to be their own "thing". Designed for the commercial market and are definitely different in construction from the Chinese and Romanian magazines.

Regards,
Richard C. Hamer

 

[H2O MAN]

I may have mixed my Romanians and Bulgarians, but the new 75 round drums that look and load just
like the old Chinese 75 round drums are... just like the Chinese 75 round drums. They are excellent.

 

[RX-178]

I've found a practical application for the 75 round drum. Although it's a very rare circumstance.

You see, one of my shooting buddies has a very odd schedule with his days off. It is not entirely uncommon for him to call me up on my cell phone, with the following conversation taking place:

'Hey, turns out I've got some free time today, wanna go shooting?'

'Okay, what time?'

'Now!'




Yeah, I generally keep a loaded betamag, and a loaded 75 round AK mag just in case of impromptu range time where there isn't much time to load 30 rounders. Like I said, a very uncommon circumstance, but... hell, it's happened to me, it could happen to anybody!

 

[jojo200517]

The Bulgarian drums aren't "copies" any more than a Ford 302 V8 engine would be a "copy" if you purchased the FoMoCo engine plant and renamed it "jojo200517's Engine Plant".

I'm sure you made a point there but I missed it. If I did just that and cranked out the same product with the same parts put together the same way held to the same standards wouldn't it indeed be a copy of the original engine and cause ford to sue me for something?

(has heart attack that you would suggest i'd touch a ford let alone try to copy one)

Now for RX-178 I like that reasoning, but what if ya wanna put more than 75 down range? Also did you mean there is a betamag for the AK? I never seen one for it just curious.

 

[MachIVshooter]

The drums are kind of a novelty. I have a 75 rounder for the AK and a 100 round Beta for the AR/PLR-16. Use them on occasion, but generally stick to 30 rounders.

Perhaps buy one for fun, but seriously, spend the rest of your money on box mags and ammo

 

[nalioth]

The Bulgarian drums aren't "copies" any more than a Ford 302 V8 engine would be a "copy" if you purchased the FoMoCo engine plant and renamed it "jojo200517's Engine Plant".

I'm sure you made a point there but I missed it.

Let me do it a little different.

You wake up and find your ancestors own most of Ford Motor Company. You change the name to Jojo200517 Motor Company.

The Ford Focus/LTD/Taurus/whatever that comes off the line as a Jojo200517 Focus/whatever today is the same car as the Ford Focus/whatever that came off the line yesterday when it was the Ford plant.

it's not a copy.

Now if you go to Monte Carlo and break the bank, come home and open your own car factory making reverse-engineered Mercedes-Benz automobiles, they'd be copies.


The Bulgarian drums are being made on the Chinese tooling. They're not copies of the Chinese drum, they're the same drum - just not made in China.

 

[tju1973]

The biggest "Con" of the 75rd drum is that here in Ohio, I am allowed to own them, but not to use them.

I remember a friend telling me the same-- many gun laws are just not well thought out...

 

[DeepSouth]

jojo200517

Did you ever get one of these mags. I have been thinking about geting one ever since I saw this thread, but I figured I'd let you buy some and give us a feild report before I ordered.

 

[444]

And explain this Ohio magazine thing for me.
I have asked this in the past but don't remember what was said.

 

[akolleth]

And explain this Ohio magazine thing for me.
I have asked this in the past but don't remember what was said.

Because the 32nd round magically turns it into a machine gun, DUH!

Ohio Revised Code

ORC 2921.11

E) "Automatic firearm" means any firearm designed or specially adapted to fire a succession of cartridges with a single function of the trigger. "Automatic firearm" also means any semi-automatic firearm designed or specially adapted to fire more than thirty-one cartridges without reloading, other than a firearm chambering only .22 caliber short, long, or long-rifle cartridges.


We are legally allowed to own magazines that can potentially hold a capacity greater than 31 rounds, but if we laod that magical 32nd round we have an illegial, unlicensed machine gun in our possession, even in a semi automatic only firearm.

Now don't you feel silly for asking such an obvious question?

 

[444]

But what if it is a legally owned machinegun ?