Searched and found nothing. Does anyone have any experience with these?
I ordered a couple for range mags. Just commercial mags similar to the smooth Bulgarian from what I found on google. Wish I would’ve bought more nip steel Bulgarians when they were $10:o
I have some slab sided polish 7.62 mags that look like those, buy the markings on mine are a little different. The ‘circle 11’ is the former commie arsenal number for Poland, so any marked polish kit from the soviet era might have the ‘(11)’ mark (I just mean to say that it’s not unique to these mags).
…but the Radom marking, and the text suggesting that there is no metal in the mag body makes me think these are post soviet commercial manufacture. Without metal in the mag catch, feed lips, and front ‘hook’, I would rate these as probably being better than Tapco, but not as good as the soviet era production with the metal inserts.
I have some of the older ones that are the closest thing to the new Russian 100 series mags you can get without getting Russian mags. I thought these were the same so I ordered a bunch and then I read the part about being all polymer in the description. I emailed AIM and they said that there was no metal in the lugs or anywhere else in these mags so I canceled my order. I know the Polish don’t use metal in the Beryl mags but I can’t abide an AK mag with no metal reinforcement in it.
I had a few and sold them off with my PMKMS. The last importation didn’t have the writing on the mag.
Lots of flex in the body, no steel, OK for a range mag or to keep it all Polish, but I prefer the cheap, plentiful, Euro pattern steel AK mags to all others.
Those mags were made for military, but also sold with Łucznik civilian “Hunter” rifle. After bankrupcy of Wifama factory (sole manufacturer of Polish metal magazines) around 1994, Łucznik (“11”) was left without source of mags. They started to make own, polymer mags for 7.62x39 and later for 5.56x45. Polish Army still uses old AKM, AKMS and wz.60 and those magazines are issue, together with old, metal ones. However they do not make them for long time. Circle 11 on mag bodies means that those are most probably pre-2000 production (FB Radom do not use this logo, it was bought by Works 11 company).
Bulgarian AK 7.62x39 Magazine 30RD, Black
https://frontlinearsenal.com/ak-47-tactical-accessories/ak-47-magazines-couplers%20?product_id=324
Is it just me or do those seem like commercial (non military spec) magazine masquerading as mil spec? Doesn’t sound like they have the metal inserts, reinforced feed lips or locking tab.
from what I’ve read on the ak forum the locking lugs are not metal but feed lips are reinforced, I ordered a couple and will report my findings when I have them in hand.
They look exactly like the real 5.56 polish mags.
Polish mil-spec 5.56 mags, old one on the left, current one on the right.
New ones do not have steel inserts. White ones had them due to weaker polymer, but those were prone to develop cracks around steel inserts. Black ones were also mil-spec, before army wanted translucent mags. I can recommend either black polymer ones or newest green translucent. White translucent are OK, but with time will develop cracks. I use my white ones for training only.
Do the 5.56 mags have the circle 11 on them?
Just got 10 of them today from Aim and they do lock up tight in my SGL-21. Definitely no quick magazine changes with these. Aim does issue a warning that they will fit tight in AK’s that have had their mag wells opened up to accept hi-cap magazines. They do not appear to have reinforced mag lips or locking plate. Range report will follow as soon as I can get out there.
we met with the Radom Rep at SHOT, they say that all Polish AK mags will no longer have metal reinforcements. They claim they have had zero problems with the all plastic Beryl mags and so they are no longer using any metal in the bodies.
This makes sense. Plastics have come along way since the first bakelite mags. A quality plastic AK mags should work like a quality plastic AR mag. The Beyrl mags I’ve seen seem pretty sturdy. Think magpil not Tapco.
I just ordered 7.
Only old ones, made somewhere between 1996 and 2000. When ‘Zakłady Mechaniczne “Łucznik”’ bankrupted, rights for “circle 11” logo was bought by Works 11 Ltd (http://www.works11.com/ - they still assemble AKM and AKMS from parts they bought from bankrupted ZM Łucznik). "‘Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” Radom’ (aka FB Radom), who took over all production of old ZM Łucznik do not use this logo. Most of 5.56 magazines in circulation are made by FB Radom.
(“Łucznik” means Archer)
Good to know, thanks.
Well I tried these mags in my sgl and while they aren’t hard to get into the mag well, the actual locking in of the back locking tab is whats hard, they have to be pushed with much more force than regular mags.
Still haven’t had a chance to shoot them yet.