TAPCO Ak-47 Mag Dissection

[Toten Kopf]

Just received a TAPCO AK-47 (Pro-Mag U.S.A. Made) Magazine and decided to do some comparisons to a Bulgarian made magazine. In addition I also compared the TAPCO floorplate with a AK-74 floorplate hoping I could use them.

The TAPCO magazine spring is much shorter than the Bulgarian which could lead to feed problems especially when feeding the last remaining rounds in the magazine. Also the TAPCO magazine doesn't have steel inserts molded into the magazine for rigidity and locking the forward part of the magazine into the front trunnion. Only time will tell if this will cause problems.



As far as the fitting of the TAPCO floorplate to the AK-74 magazine, well, in my opinion it won't work, I mean you could get it to fit but maybe the spring tension would pop it off the AK-74 magazine. Please review the pictures below to see what I mean.









I guess we'll still have to wait till someone makes a good AK-74 floorplate so that we may add it to our U.S. made components.

[Winn R]

T K--Thanks for the great write up.

[Trotsky]

OK - I have to ask....

Will someone explain to me why American MFGs are so brain dead that they can not simply copy a product, accurately, from a so called third world country? I can't believe, for example, that 2" of spring would have shot their profit. Instead, we're left with yet another looser product.

[Toten Kopf]

OK - I have to ask....

Will someone explain to me why American MFGs are so brain dead that they can not simply copy a product, accurately, from a so called third world country? I can't believe, for example, that 2" of spring would have shot their profit. Instead, we're left with yet another looser product.

I just don't know...it's not like they don't have something to copy from.

I have decided to return the magazine as I feel that the quality is not worth the price. Additionally, after loading a few rounds, it was noticed that the follower didn't keep the rounds tight against the feed lips (weak feed spring?), which caused rattling from the loose round/s. Also the first round loaded could be pushed against the RH side of the magazine and the bolt had very little to cartridge head to push against.



All rounds did feed correctly but again the tolerences are just a little to sloppy for the price.

[hcpookie]

I guess we'll still have to wait till someone makes a good AK-74 floorplate so that we may add it to our U.S. made components.

Working on it!

Nice review.

[Fargo]

Thanks for the review.

Could you clarify for me, your talking about a AK74 floorplate on a AK47 mag?


Why would you want to attempt to do this?

[Toten Kopf]

Thanks for the review.

Could you clarify for me, your talking about a AK74 floorplate on a AK47 mag?

Why would you want to attempt to do this?

I was talking about the possibility of using the TAPCO AK-47 magazine (U.S. made) floorplate on a AK-74 magazine. The Bulgarian AK-47 Waffle magazine floorplate can be used on AK-74 magazines. I was hoping that since the TAPCO magazine is a copy (very poor copy) of the Bulgarian waffle magazine, that the floorplate might be used as a U.S. made compliant part for the AK-74 rifle.

But unfortunately the people who made the TAPCO magazine (Pro Mag, I think) made a very poor copy. Why??????? Maybe to make it cheaper and sell it for more. But to me the TAPCO (Pro-Mag?) AK-47 magazine is just not worth the price ($17.50 - $19.95).

[hcpookie]

But unfortunately the people who made the TAPCO magazine (Pro Mag, I think) made a very poor copy. Why??????? Maybe to make it cheaper and sell it for more.

Cheaper is probably the reason - they were making injection-molded parts anyway, so do it all at once for cheaper instead of do the entire die/press deal for another part.

When I put on my tinfoil hat, I think maybe they did that because they wanted it to be proprietary and didn't want their parts pimped out on other mags. Those are the only two reasons I can think of and cheap is probably the word here. Especially considering the spring selection... less metal to spend per part = resources go farther = cheaper.

[Winn R]

Especially considering the spring selection...

Jerry-- the real shame of this issue concerning the spring is that the imported spring could be used without violating the US-made magazine body.

The full-sized imported springs can be purchased for $.25 each

[Buddie@www.tapco.com]

Yes they are made by "PRO-Mag" in the USA. I do wish that they are perfect, but perfect was not available...yet.

We give a 90 day guarantee on everything that we sell and we appreciate your feedback so we can fine tune products that we are distributing or manufacturing.

Sorry to make this so short, but I gotta go.

Y'all have fun,

Bud