Tapco - 30 round AK-47 Magazine

[Hasitnow]

Just received the new Tapco magazines I ordered from AIM. When test fitting an unloaded magazine in my SLR-95 the magazine catch would not engage the magazine tab. It appears the tab is oversize. Metal surplus mags have all fit and functioned perfectly in this rifle before. Anyone else aware of or have this problem. Thanks

[Willie D]

I just read a post over on the Saiga forum that touched on this.

A guy used a Tapco mag as a guide when he filed his mag catch and then when he tried using regular mags they had an unacceptable amount of wiggle so he needed to go out and buy a new mag catch.

Sounds like the rear tabs are way out of spec.


Unless there are severe availability problems (?) there is really no reason to not buy the commie mags for AKs. All the US brands are basically toys in comparison.

[TheLAW]

I've got the same gun. I just got a few of those and they don't seem to engage too positivaly. I havent tried fireing with them yet. If I need to I'd take a dremal to the mags.

Here is a good video on AK mags.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQals...eature=related

[Virtus985]

From what I've heard the tapco mags have purposely oversized tabs because of the wide tolerances between the magwells of AK's. They make them as big as possible so fitting is always a matter of filing down, since you can't add material as easily as file or dremel it off.

You're supposed to file the tapco mag to fit your mag catch, not the other way around.

[Hasitnow]

Thanks. Videos were good! Not sure which direction to go with these mags yet. May shave the tab slightly on one and see if that works. Sorry I bought them now!

[Suburban]

I was considering buying a few now that the communist mags are up to $20 a lot of places.

The newer Tapco mags have springs that are too weak, so there's that too.

[PPM209]

These mags are great in my WASR with the almost-too-big mag well (thanks Century!) - they fill it completely with no wiggle. In my M70AB2, it's all I can do to get them to fit and lock.

[Hasitnow]

Took a file and carefully removed a very small amount of the underside of the magazine tab. Mag inserted and locked tightly into the magzine well. Hand cycled a full magazine through the action with no malfuntions. I'll use these for range mags.

Best bet, stick with the surplus mags while still available!

[arhdc]

I have a number of these mags that I bought just because they are so inexpensive and plastic stores well (much harder to rust things together). Mine all fit very snugly in my early 90's sar-1 and I like the fit better than the eastern block steel or the Chines Steel mags.

I have not had trouble with mine functioning but only after I take 2 minutes to lightly go over the followers and feed lips with 600 grit sandpaper to just smooth them a bit. In a couple of cases I took a needle file to corners on the feed lips also just to reduce some of the feed friction.

Overall I am pleased with these mags, though I primarily use my steel mags I would not hesitate to have some of these also, especially if that is what is available.

[nfafan]

I have a number of these mags that I bought just because they are so inexpensive and plastic stores well (much harder to rust things together). Mine all fit very snugly in my early 90's sar-1 and I like the fit better than the eastern block steel or the Chines Steel mags.

I have not had trouble with mine functioning but only after I take 2 minutes to lightly go over the followers and feed lips with 600 grit sandpaper to just smooth them a bit. In a couple of cases I took a needle file to corners on the feed lips also just to reduce some of the feed friction.

Overall I am pleased with these mags, though I primarily use my steel mags I would not hesitate to have some of these also, especially if that is what is available.

+1. Plus I think with the bit of Dremeling, they can be made to work in a 7.62 Saiga, as they appear to have enough "meat" on the front to serve as the built-in feed ramp in a stock Saiga mag.