China isn't allowed to import magazines into the US anymore after the ATF sting in 1996. Also the Thermold is marked "made in the USA."Originally Posted by Zeph
Besides, every single Chinese magazine I've ever used has been really high quality. The Chinese don't fuck around with guns. All of the shitty magazines I've dealt with have been exclusively American-made.
A well-built plastic magazine can last a very long time. See: Bulgarian Circle 10 magazines.
Last edited by Emmzee; August 2nd, 2012 at 11:17 AM.
Yeah, Zeph, most of the rubbish parts I have ever seen or heard of originated in the Good Old USA
I ordered a East German AK stock set, one of the only ones northridge had and I got it in today and I am impressed. The buttstock is a virgin thou so. And speaking of Chinese mags how much would they go for? $15 for a 30 rounder
$15 for a 30-round Chinese magazine is a good price these days, provided the magazine is in good shape. They'll last forever and I prefer them over European steel magazines because they don't have a rib on the back.
Edit: AK-47 MAGAZINE GUIDE!!!!!!!
BUY:
Chinese steel magazines. These mags are great and in my opinion the best AK mags out there. Only problem is they're usually $20-$30 nowadays when 20 years ago they were $3, and you have competition from AK owners in New York who need preban high-cap magazines.
European surplus steel magazines (Polish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Yugoslavian). Regardless of outside condition, if you buy these from a reputable retailer, they will all work great. You can find these anywhere from $10-$30, depending on condition and country of manufacture. Yugo magazines have a last round bolt hold open feature that none of the other European magazines have, but they've really gone up in price lately.
Surplus polymer magazines. Usually made of bakelite, these magazines have steel reinforcements on the high-wear areas and have just as much durability as steel magazines. They do cost more, with the most common, Circle 10 mags, going for around $30. Surplus polymer magazines can cost as much as $100, and at that point it's more about aesthetics and collectability than shootability.
US PALM AK30 polymer magazines. This is the ONLY US-made AK magazine that I can recommend. These are made of thick, lightweight polymer with steel reinforcements on the high-stress areas. They provide 3 922(r) compliance parts and cost about $30 each.
Chinese and Romanian drums. There are 2 main types of AK drums, top-loaders and rear-loaders. The Chinese and new-production Romanian drums are rear-loaders, and surplus Romanian (and Russian, but those are really expensive) drums are top-loading. A surplus top-loading Romanian drum will cost about $90, and a new rear-loading Romanian drum will cost about $100. Rear-loading drums are ridiculously easy to load, and you can leave them loaded but unwound so you don't cause a loss of spring tension. Chinese drums nowadays are $150-$200. You shouldn't pay any more for a Chinese AK drum, but the VERY small numbers of Chinese AR-15 drums go for around $400. Top-loading Romanian drums are SLIGHTLY cheaper than their rear-loading counterparts, but it's a pain in the ass to load those 75 rounds one by one.
DO NOT BUY:
Tapco magazines. All plastic, sometimes too thick for AKs with tight magwells, break easily. Stay away.
Korean magazines. Weak springs cause feeding issues. Stay away from the $75ish Korean drums as well for the same reason. The only good Korean magazines out there are for the MP5 and M1 carbine. Everything else is junk.
USA Mag magazines. Same issues as the Korean magazines.
Master Molder magazines. All plastic, will not fit all AKs without fitting, magazine just feels like it would break easily. A properly-made polymer magazine should not bend when you squeeze on it while it's empty.
As far as buying mags goes, JG Sales has a wide selection of AK magazines at pretty good prices. APEX Gun Parts has surplus Romanian drums in stock if you like the look of a top-loading magazine. AIM Surplus also has some of the best deals on AK magazines but they usually sell out really quickly on the less expensive ones.
Last edited by Emmzee; August 2nd, 2012 at 02:07 PM.
IDK man, I have seen some dogs of Chink SKS' in my day, even brand new.
As far as American parts, yeah, aftermarket USA made sucks fucking giant dick.
There is no way any Chinese SKS that hasn't been fucked with post-production is anything but a fantastic rifle.
It must have gotten fucked on the ship, but it had canted sights and sever cracks all along the stock. My uncle bought it brand new in 1991, and everytime I have seen it I have somewhat thrown up in my mouth.
While we're at this, what's your opinion on the converted Saigas?
It almost certainly got fucked.
As for canted sights... depends which it was. Front sights? No problem, just knock the post over some. My 91/30's entire barrel is canted about 2-3 degrees right - just enough to notice if you really look at it from the muzzle end - and the scope I have is about the same amount left, while the witness mark is still lined up on the mount, meaning the rifle it came from had a left-canted barrel.
In the case of 91/30 snipers, a canted barrel doesn't affect accuracy much at all. As long as the scope is canted to the same angle, causing the shooter to automatically want to hold the rifle so the barrel is 'vertical', it will shoot just as straight.
e/ In fact, any rifle where both sets of sights are on the barrel will not have canting issues. Obviously, though, this falls down with things like AKs where that is not the case.
Last edited by rossmum; August 3rd, 2012 at 02:56 AM.
Depends on who does the conversion. Arsenals are some of the best AKs out there today, and even the Century conversions are fine (even if they're only half-converted and still have the factory sporter handguards on them). If a competent gunsmith does the conversion, and installs a bullet guide for 7.62x39 rifles so they can accept AK mags, a converted Saiga is a great gun.
Hell, you can even convert them yourself, with a dremel tool and a bit of mechanical ability. It's only about 2 hours of your life.
I know a guy who bought a WASR 10/63, and the front sight was canted to the left, and the rear sight was also canted, but to the right. He was more accurate pointing and shooting than actually aiming down the sights.
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