Tapco AK mags

[TurtlePhish]

Not looking for any random Tapco hate here, I'm perfectly aware of the way some people feel about them...

Anyone have any experience with their 5.45 AK-74 magazines? I can't seem to find anything definitive anywhere- I hear glowing reviews and I hear glowering ones....

They're a third of the price of surplus mags and if they work then I'll definitely get some to supplement my three Bulgy circle 10s.

On a side note, if anyone has any surplus AK-74 mags they're willing to part with for a fair price, I'll see if I can't take 'em off your hands.

 

[briansmithwins]

Mags are critical to the functioning of a firearm. Critical and Tapco usually don't go together that well.

Is it really that hard to find surplus '74 mags?

BSW

 

[TurtlePhish]

It's not that it's hard to find surplus mags, but they go for around $30 apiece. And that's before shipping.

 

[briansmithwins]

These are $20 each: http://www.44mag.com/product/steel_5-45x39_ak_magazine/ak_magazines

Poles make good stuff. That's why VW moved all those factories there.

BSW

 

[Z-Michigan]

At times CDNN has good prices on AK-74 mags also. It's also worth watching AIM Surplus, and possibly Centerfire Systems and Atlantic Firearms.

I don't have a -74 but I have used TAPCO's AK-47 mags a moderate amount. They have been reliable for me. I have heard that they break fairly easily but I have not experienced any breakages. Again this represents only moderate use, not jumping behind cover and that sort of thing.

 

[zhyla]

I tend to view the commie steel AK magazine as the pinnacle of magazine design. Which would you rather depend on, some new plastic thing, or some cold war surplus mag that has been used as a hammer and still works fine?

 

[M1key]

I use the ten-rounders in the Saiga and they work as good as the factory tens. However, I would just as soon spend a little more for the Russian or Bulgarian polymer or Romanian or Tantal steel mags than bother with the Tapco 30s.

When JG Sales has them, the Bulgarian polymers go for about $17.95

M

 

[mljdeckard]

I'll tell you what I found with my SKS.

I had the position-lock pin on my adjustable stock break off, so I called Tapco. While I had them, I also told them that sometimes my 20 rd mags would fail to feed one of the first few rounds. They told me to take them apart, look at the followers, and see if there were any scraps of sprue on the followers. There was. I sanded them off a little bit, and put on some graphite dry lube, and ....magical, they have been perfect ever since.

I will also say, they stand by their products. If you have a problem, contact them, they will work with you.

 

[Rob G]

From what I've experienced the tapco mags feed relatively well. My complaint is I've never found one with a steel locking tab. I know that sounds like a minor point but I've seen enough of the plastic ones breaking, that I'm not interested in buying a mag without a steel one. Now if tapco changes that then I'll probably but a bunch.

 

[henschman]

I had some plastic US-made AK mags that worked great at first, but after the plastic feed lips got a little worn, I started having malfunctions. I sold the plastic mags and went back to GI steel, and it was back to being the flawlessly reliable machine it is supposed to be.

Look around... I saw some GI AK74 mags for $15/a piece at a gun show. Mags really are a critical part of the firearm. It makes little sense to compromise the performance of an extremely reliable firearm when it would be so easy to spend a little more and have quality.

 

[TurtlePhish]

Cool, thanks everyone. I didn't know there were places that had surplus that cheap... everywhere I looked was expensive.

 

[Dr. Sandman]

+1 on the "go to a gun show" idea. No shipping, usually a good variety, possible to haggle a bit...

 

[A_Matthew]

I've used both '47 and '74 Tapco mags, and they've all functioned perfectly for me. I do prefer the metal mags for my '47, but I've had no problems with Tapco yet.