The Tapco turned out to be MUCH bulkier than it's elderly cousin.
Over the course of this whole “Building an AK-47” series I keep finding out more things I need to get to improve what I’m trying to do. Ironically, the thing that’s seem to work the best off the original design so far are the new-ish steel magazines I picked up for the AK to use AND do a review on. I’ve had my fair share of issues with the Tapco Polymer mag even though it fits tight and appear to be build solidly. For some reason the dang thing keeps wanting to jam when I put more than 10 rounds in the clip (HAHA, just kidding, need a chance to reference the Clips vs. Magazines article from a while back though!). I’ve received some tips on how to minimize malfunctions and make it fit better and be more reliable but that’s not the point. I don’t want an accessory that doesn’t work perfectly immediately out of the box. What I want is something to function the way its intended the first time, ever time. That’s the whole reason I chose an AK this time around anyway.
Well a few weeks back I found a great deal on some steel European magazines (not sure if Bulgarian, Romanian, Yugo etc) from a local place. The first day at the range they fulfilled my expectations and more. In the video you’ll see my first time using each with 20 rounds through with no issues. After we put the camera away, I managed several more full capacity magazines with zero issues whatsoever. There’s a little bit of wobble to them once they’re fully inserted, but beyond that and being a little tough to load (for wimpy office guy hands) they’re unbelievably perfect. Check the video for the live action shooting if you want… or just take my word for it!
The Steel Mag is in great shape for a steel mag, rough shape for a new one.
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5 Responses to AK-47 Steel Magazine Review
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What about the steel mag rusting? I’ve always viewed the AK as a weapon that one would want during the collapse of a great American society due to something like Hurricane Katrina, the Rodney King Riots of LA, or some crazy movement that tries to create a revolution. With that in mind, I would think steel would be a poor selection due to possible weather damage.
Thus the idea to finish it with something more resistant to the elements like Duracoat. And if that’s too fancy, there’s always Krylon.
She did a heck of a job man.
I had that same tapco mag for mine when I had it and i don’t remember any feeding problems. It was VERY tight though.
Funny I’ve heard others say they’ve had ZERO problems with Tapco. Others refer to it as Crapco. Mine was so tight in the beginning I had to whip out the Kershaw and trim down some corners.
And you’re right about the cameragirl. She did a heckuva job.
[...] now with the broken wrist (it’s stupid, been a pain in the rear. See our previous AK-47 Steel Magazines post and have pity on me in the video) it’s been a pain to do my own hands-on videos. [...]