Tapco Products

[walter34payton2002]

Hey guys. I was just wondering....There isn't too much opinion info out there regarding Tapco stuff. I wanted to know what has been your experience with Tapco or what you know about their products. Specifically, I run a Tapco Intrafuse vertical foregrip that I love, but I hear Tapco may be lower quality crap and others say its good stuff. Which is it?

 

[mcdonl]

I used their products on a 10/22 project and they were of good quality. I am now using a Tapco conversion kit for a Saiga 223.

In my opinion, they are good stuff but I heve never purchased anything like this from other companies so I have nothing to compare to.

 

[kaferhaus]

Some of it is good stuff so long as they don't mfg it. The stuff they mfg is usually not of good quality unless things have made a dramatic change.

 

[nalioth]

One gets what one pays for.

 

[Z-Michigan]

It varies. Some of it is quite decent, other stuff I would avoid. I can't really make any blanket statement good/bad. They get a lot of flak and are often lumped in with real junk like Promag, but the following TAPCO parts have been pretty good in my experience:
-FAL grip and piston (most of their FAL stuff now discontinued)
-AK "G2" trigger groups
-AK fixed buttstock, gas piston, various small parts

Some stuff that's been mediocre in my experience:
-AK mags (plastic)
-AR15 mags, first generation (have not tried the recent 2nd generation, which claims to fix everything that they previously claimed wasn't broken)

 

[Sam1911]

Some stuff that's REALLY bad: AK folding stock. Hollow plastic hinge pin broke the first day.

TAPCO markets "gee whiz" stuff at a low price point. It is suitable for making a gun look a certain way. Probably not a good buy if you're going to make the gun work very hard for very long.

(In my most humble of opinions.)

 

[mljdeckard]

The kit I put on my SKS is fantastic. It is the only conversion magazine that works well for me. It's my ATV/drag through the sagebrush rifle.

 

[CraigC]

Decent stuff for the money. IMHO, their 10/22 stock is an excellent value.

 

[walter34payton2002]

Thanks guys. I am a little skeptical now if my vertical foregrip even though it has served me well. I am going to be running the crap out of my AR this year and I am not sure whether or not to keep the grip. My AR has no junk at all on it and it is also a defense weapon. I just had a hard time justifying the price of a Tango Down, but I guess cry once, huh? I mean I already cried once on every other part of this rifle that I could fill a bathtub!!! Any opinions on the intrafuse foregrip would be awesome, but I think I am hearing that it is not stuff for a serious gun. THANKS!

 

[Varob]

I have a Tapco VFG that seems to be of good quality, although I like Magpul for aftermarket parts.

 

[Sam1911]

but I think I am hearing that it is not stuff for a serious gun. THANKS!

If it's just a vertical handgrip, how bad could it be? I've not handled that particular part, but as long as the attachment point is strong enough, what could really go wrong?

And, if it fails, you aren't out anything. The rifle is still perfectly usable.

 

[CraigC]

I wouldn't worry about the vertical foregrip. Not much to go wrong and if it does, as stated, it's not really a big deal. I've been using one pretty regularly for two years without issue.

 

[walter34payton2002]

Awesome. Craigc when you say you have been using one you mean the Tapco VFG right and not just Tapco products in general? I guess I will stick with it until I got the scratch for a Tango Down. Thanks!

 

[CraigC]

Both. I really don't see a significant strength difference between my polymer Tapco VFG and my Magpul and Tango Down versions. The Magpul uses two screws to mount but the Tapco's single screw is larger. My Tango Down is all polymer. Not at all to say that Tapco is "just as good", because it is not, but that for my purposes on that particular rifle, "good enough".

 

[walter34payton2002]

You helped me a ton, Craig. What in your opinion do you think makes the Tango better? Is it better polymer, proven on the battlefield, better design??? Just wondering how parts like that can be so different from each other.

 

[hirundo82]

If I were looking to modify an AR-15 on a budget, I'd go with the Magpul MOE line rather than Tapco.

 

[Girodin]

Some of their products I think are fine, I would use their standard AK stocks without hesitation. Same for their AK grips, I have their SAW grip on a few of my guns and it serves me just as well as some of the more expensive grips I have on others. Their AK folders and T6 stocks I would pass on. I've never used any of their AR stuff, and I don't plan to.

 

[wally]

I find the Tapco stuff I've tried is very serviceable, although as mentioned the AK side folder is terrible and an obvious exception. If you actually look at one before buying, the Tapco AK side folder is obviously crap, I don't understand why anyone would ever buy them.

I never tried their AR or AK mags, but I've had 100% function with their Galil mags in my converted Saiga (I've a half dozen of them).

I'm very happy with the price/performance of their M4 style AR stock, although I think the DPMS one at about the same price is a bit better, but the Tapco is much easier to find. I don't think too much of their AK M4-style stock -- I much prefer the ~$15 UTG AK to AR stock adapter and the Tapco M4 style AR stock (I end up with a spare buffer and spring)

Their single & double hook AK triggers gives a better pull than any of the comblock triggers on imported guns, I'm slowly replacing them all in my old Maddi, Romanian, and Chinese AKs.

Their customer support is pretty good, I had the sling mount / clamp screw on my Galil style AK handguard break, sent them an Email asking how much a replacement was, and they just sent me one for free, no questions asked.

 

[Birdmang]

I bought some AK Tapco stuff and it sucked. My sks side folder is solid.

 

[Sam1911]

I don't understand why anyone would ever buy them.

In my defense, mine came with the flat and other parts as a kit, back in the good old days! I didn't get to see it until I unwrapped the box ... with dawning disappointment.

 

[brandon_mcg]

the tapco SKS stock that i bought has been great. the vertical foregrip has been good as well. the tapco magazines that i bought for it are so-so.

all in all, i wouldnt say that its crap and for the price i think that its hard to beat.

 

[Girodin]

Their single & double hook AK triggers gives a better pull than any of the comblock triggers on imported guns

Oh that is definitely another good product they offer. I have one in all of my AK platform guns.

 

[Birdmang]

Is it easy to install?

works with ak74?

 

[hexidismal]

I have some Tapco stuff around on different guns. No complaints here. Even the adjustable T6 stock on the SKS seems all around pretty solid and serviceable. Besides that I've got a couple of saw grips, vertical fore-grips, and the AK G2 trigger. Never had a problem.

 

[walter34payton2002]

Thanks guys. I looked into the Magpul, but it doesn't have the storage. I think I am going to go with the GG&G vertical foregrip. They make such great stuff and it has the storage, seems solid, and is priced well. Any opinions on GG&G??? I don't see too much about their VFG.