Polymer AK47 magazine review

[audiophil2]

A buddy wanted to make a magazine review to test out the new XTECH MAG47 30 round mag. Xtech is a local company that sort of took over from where the defunct US Palm ended. Xtech had big boasts about thier mag being the best polymer magazine.

tested
Magpul M3 with steel reinforced feed lips
Xtech MAG47 with steel reinforced lips and lugs
Bulgaian commercial steel reinforced lips and lugs
Circle 10 reinforced lips and lugs

Most AK guys know the Circle 10 is one of the best mags but it is $45. Xtech claims their $26 mag is just as good or better.

If you do not want to watch the entire test:

Magpul is a failure except as a range/practice mag
Xtech requires abnormal abuse to fail.
Bulgarian to me is the clear winner at a sale price of $15. It survived everything.
Circle 10 lives up to its reputation but at $45 I would rather buy 3 Bulgarians.

I do not abuse my mags and am cheap. I brought out 1 each of my Magpul MOE and Korean steel mags. These are sub $12 mags all day long. Both worked fine and survived the typical use tests like dropping 4 feet onto dirt and a cinder block (simulated to be city sidewalk). If I wanted a cheap AK mag for range use I would stick with the MOE and if I want cheap steel I would stick with the Korean mag. My personal end of the world mags are Molot 40 round steel mags but those are worth over $100 now so I just store them and use cheaper 40 round bulgarian plastic mags.

I will be buying a few of the steel lined 30 round bulgy mags now while they are so cheap.

NSFW due to a few curse words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE2MjHZU0HM&feature=youtu.be

[deckhandmike]

Nice review. I wonder how the tapcos would stack up. Once I do the initial fitting they run great for me.

[Ford8N]

[FeuerFrei]

No substitutes for real steel Com block or Chinese AK mags.
The Chinese AK mags were/are fantastic. You have to look inside the unicorn for those tho. [emoji33]


Sent using a long string and 2 used soup cans

[audiophil2]

Nice review. I wonder how the tapcos would stack up. Once I do the initial fitting they run great for me.

non reinforced mags are fine for range use. i would spend a few dollars more for a pmag than a tapco but i can take a tapco i have in inventory and do the same tests next time im out shooting.

i agree

No substitutes for real steel Com block or Chinese AK mags.
The Chinese AK mags were/are fantastic. You have to look inside the unicorn for those tho. [emoji33]



Sent using a long string and 2 used soup cans

i would not consider them unicorns. just expensive. and the review only covered plastic mags. steel is a different comparison and i would have no problem putti g the reinforced bulgy against any steel mag to see how far it can go.

[BigPimping]

This is why I hoard the Real Steel magazines

[audiophil2]

This is why I hoard the Real Steel magazines

Pros and cons.
Steel is heavy and you are stuffing heavy ammo into them.
Steel is less forgiving.
I prefer steel over plastic but those $15 Bulgys are a steal of a deal.


My buddy just got in a reinforced Promag so we will be doing a followup video with a few other mags including the Tapco.

[guhuna]

+1
Wish they would as well..

[stormvet]

Nice job, I’ll watch the complete vid later looks like fun.

[audiophil2]

Looks like the owner liked the video and is planning some improvements like bolt hold open followers.
He invited my son to ride on his friends M1 Abrams this Friday as part of another torture test so stay tuned for more video.

[beanz2]

Hope he'd consider making them for 5.45x39...


Naww, won't happen.

[audiophil2]

Hope he'd consider making them for 5.45x39...


Naww, won't happen.

I will ask. My son has been begging me to get him an ak74 for months.

[beanz2]

I will ask. My son has been begging me to get him an ak74 for months.

If he only bought tooling from US Palm, I wonder how capable he is in making a whole new magazine from the ground up. We can only hope.

Might as well as pray for bolt hold open 5.45 mags! lol

[Ford8N]

If he only bought tooling from US Palm, I wonder how capable he is in making a whole new magazine from the ground up. We can only hope.

Might as well as pray for bolt hold open 5.45 mags! lol

Exact copy of current Bulgarian circle 10/21 or original Russian with bolt hold open in 5.45 will be money in the bank.

Absolutely no reason to “improve” on original military design of shape.

[audiophil2]

If he only bought tooling from US Palm, I wonder how capable he is in making a whole new magazine from the ground up. We can only hope.

Might as well as pray for bolt hold open 5.45 mags! lol

In some arms length way Xtech owned the tooling from what I understand and US Palm failed to pay the original company. Xtech blew up 8000 US Palm mags due to legal issues.