PSA: Magpul PMAG AK-74 magazines are probably best avoided

[Dench]

I recently purchased a lot of Magpul AK-74 PMAGs. In the past, all the PMAGs I've had or used have been great and fit well. I've used AR, AK-47 and Glock Magpul magazines with out any problems.

However, the AK-74 PMAGs appear to be known to have major fitting issues. They are incredibly tight and hard to rock in, as well as remove. Using the interwebz, I searched and found that this is actually a bizarrely common problem, and Magpul hasn't seemed to of done anything about it over the past year or so. If I had to guess, the reference rifle they used for the sizing was a little loose.

The rifle I was trying to use with these magazines was a converted Saiga in 5.45x39mm (note, zero was done to original magazine well). This rifle has never had any fitting issues in all the different magazines I've used (Bulgarian, German, Russian, Tapco, probably some others). The people online who also posted various places have mentioned other types of common AK-74 patterns in the US not fitting well.

These are the magazines PMAG® 30 AK74 MOE®

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Is anyone else (from whom we can actually buy) making modern, polymer 74 mags? Looks like the PSA-74 ships with PMAGs. Not that I'd recommend buying a PSA-74, obviously.

 

[Uzi2]

Thanks for the headsup. I don't own anything in 74 as I've tried to standardize my calibers to mostly to 5.56, .308 and x39.

Even the few Magpul polymer ak47 mags I have aren't that great fitting either. Glad I didn't buy a pile of them. 90% of my ak47 mags are new Bulgarian steel and other milsurp ones.

 

[Dench]

Is anyone else (from whom we can actually buy) making modern, polymer 74 mags? Looks like the PSA-74 ships with PMAGs. Not that I'd recommend buying a PSA-74, obviously.

Bulgaria is still making the classic Eastern Bloc style polymer magazines. I bought these to replace the Magpuls and they work great. All brand new.

 

[daekken]

I know Bosnian outfit AC Unity makes polymer 74 mags but I've heard mixed things.
I have two 74 PMAGs, I'm picking up my AKS-74 build this weekend so I can test them out. I've also got some German (@Dench ), Circle 10, and Soviet plums to compare.

I didn't go all-in on the Magpuls precisely due to some lukewarm reviews.

 

[240Geezer]

I have terrible issues getting mags to fit mine.Tapco came with it and fit and function fine.
Magpul fit and function fine.
Bulgarian to big to physically fit.
Those Croation mags fit but don't function.
It's a big guessing game.
If your a military or large organization I guess you could sort through thousands of mags to find ones that fit.
If your a gun an individual gun owner it's frustrating.

 

[daekken]

Is anyone else (from whom we can actually buy) making modern, polymer 74 mags? Looks like the PSA-74 ships with PMAGs. Not that I'd recommend buying a PSA-74, obviously.

Circle 10! Not as cheap as PMAGs, of course...

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Bulgaria is still making the classic Eastern Bloc style polymer magazines. I bought these to replace the Magpuls and they work great. All brand new.

Circle 10! Not as cheap as PMAGs, of course...

I'm curious for how long Arsenal is going to make 74 mags because they're not exactly pumping out guns in 5.45. Smoke 'em if you got 'em and buy them up now, I'd say.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

My Bulgarian '74 must be a real slut, I haven't come across a mag that doesn't fit.

 

[daekken]

I'm curious for how long Arsenal is going to make 74 mags because they're not exactly pumping out guns in 5.45. Smoke 'em if you got 'em and buy them up now, I'd say.

Somewhat ironically 5.56 AK mags may become more plentiful and cheaper than 5.45 over the coming years, although there's still the issue of a lack of a single standard. When I first got my SLR-106, (10)s were more or less the de facto standard despite being HK mag price levels ($50).

Now we thankfully have WBP and the Polish Archer mags at much lower prices. And with the new M90, Zastava's polymer mags are reasonably priced, although in a different spec.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Somewhat ironically 5.56 AK mags may become more plentiful and cheaper than 5.45 over the coming years, although there's still the issue of a lack of a single standard. When I first got my SLR-106, (10)s were more or less the de facto standard despite being HK mag price levels ($50).

Now we thankfully have WBP and the Polish Archer mags at much lower prices. And with the new M90, Zastava's polymer mags are reasonably priced, although in a different spec.

Right, the WBP 5.56 mags are $20 each and I believe the FB 5.56 mags are $35ish when available. When we lost access to Russian guns, it pretty much shifted the market away from Russian-style guns and thus cartridges like 5.45 and towards NATO allies and others, like Poland, Bulgaria, and Serbia, who all use 5.56.

 

[daekken]

Right, the WBP 5.56 mags are $20 each and I believe the FB 5.56 mags are $35ish when available. When we lost access to Russian guns, it pretty much shifted the market away from Russian-style guns and thus cartridges like 5.45 and towards NATO allies and others, like Poland, Bulgaria, and Serbia, who all use 5.56.

I paid $25 for my FB Archer mags, but that was like two years ago now, I think they've gone up. But, they are nice.

I don't think I've used the WBP mags yet, maybe this weekend. But the fitment was nice.

 

[Dench]

I'm curious for how long Arsenal is going to make 74 mags because they're not exactly pumping out guns in 5.45. Smoke 'em if you got 'em and buy them up now, I'd say.

They probably make them in some 45 year old factory with blown out windows and half the roof missing. I suspect the cost to make them is ultra low. Probably worth keeping the line running.

I've been to Bulgaria once. Drove in from the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia.... er.. I mean Macedonia.... oh wait they just changed it to North Macedonia....

Anyway, when I was along this route we drove through one Soviet style industry town and then the outskirts of Sofia that had more retro industry.

All I can say is holy shit.

 

[Picton]

They probably make them in some 45 year old factory with blown out windows and half the roof missing. I suspect the cost to make them is ultra low. Probably worth keeping the line running.

I've been to Bulgaria once. Drove in from the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia.... er.. I mean Macedonia.... oh wait they just changed it to North Macedonia....

Anyway, when I was along this route we drove through one Soviet style industry town and then the outskirts of Sofia that had more retro industry.

All I can say is holy shit.

Back in The Day, I used to think that Army MOUT sites were not believable. Because nobody actually builds blocky houses out of nothing but cinderblocks and concrete, with no glass in the windows, fronting dirt streets or simple blacktop.

Then I went to the Balkans, and damn near 70% of the villages looked just like a MOUT site. Brick instead of cinderblock, but other than that? Just like.

 

[Dench]

Back in The Day, I used to think that Army MOUT sites were not believable. Because nobody actually builds blocky houses out of nothing but cinderblocks and concrete, with no glass in the windows, fronting dirt streets or simple blacktop.

Then I went to the Balkans, and damn near 70% of the villages looked just like a MOUT site. Brick instead of cinderblock, but other than that? Just like.

 

[Picton]

Exactly.

 

[Dench]

Exactly.

The majority of new or newish buildings with 2+ floors would have no windows or doors installed also. Was weird

 

[Picton]

The majority of new or newish buildings with 2+ floors would have no windows or doors installed also. Was weird

It was the same in 1999. We always guessed the owners built from the ground up, but ran out of money after the first storey and then just made the upper floors habitable as they found the cash.

And never found the cash!

 

[cams]

I picked up 3 Magpul mags a year or two ago to try out with my AK x39 (B-West Double Folder). The mags don’t even come close to fitting. I thought about trying to dremel down the sides but then if it got too thin I wouldn’t trust the mags not to crack around the lips. Still have them if anyone’s interested in purchasing, they’re useless to me.