IUHoosier429
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So, these just popped up at Arms of America - https://armsofamerica.com/new-wbp-poly-ak-5-56-223-30rd/. Per AoA, "These newly designed WBP Polish synthetic 5.56/223 30rd magazines are a great option for a light weight reliable mag. Throw them from extreme heights or run them over repetitively with a 2 1/2 ton Deuce on concrete and they are still in the fight. Using an advanced polycarbonate blend along with a high strength heat treated steel spring these are a great bargain!"
Some mighty bold claims in that description. For you Arsenal SLR-106 owners and 5.56 AK fans, you know mags are ... *ahem* ... pricey. They're also not always in stock. When these new Polish plastic mags appeared for $20 a pop, I figured what the hell and ordered a couple. Arrived five days after I placed the order. They are reminiscent of the translucent green Beryl mags.
The ranges around here are all closed and I don't have access to land, so this is more a tabletop look and share. First impressions - that's a lot ofadvanced polycarbonate plastic. Plastic feed lips, plastic locking lug, plastic follower. The spring and floor plate are steel. The plastic ribs should help add some strength to the walls, but without any steel reinforcement in the parts that connect with a gun, I don't have high hopes for longevity and/or heavy use. And I don't own an M35, but I'm not sure these things would survive my Tacoma test. Not willing at this point to find out.
Here's a couple close-ups of the top and bottom:
And here's the caliber stamping to remind you you're reaching for a 5.56 mag, not a 5.45 mag (quite easy to do). Wytwórnia Broni Jacek Popińsk, or WPB Poland, is based in the village of Rogów and makes some of the finest commercial AK guns available in the USA today. Its mags don't inspire nearly as much confidence, but time and range use will tell.
Loaded with 30 rounds of Wolf Gold. I did not perform a drop test on my concrete basement floor, but I tossed and knocked the mag around on my workbench and didn't lose any rounds:
Two things worth noting in this next photo. With a fully loaded mag, you can see the follower pressing on the floor plate, causing it to slightly separate from the mag body. Probably not a big deal, but this could lead to snagging problems depending on how one carries and transports their mags. Again, we'll see when I can get out to the range and put some rounds through these things. Also, the double horizontal ribs remind me of Chinese, Yugoslavian, and Croatian mags, but are likely simply for aesthetics here:
The first time I inserted one of these mags into my SLR-106F, it did not "click." It seemingly locked in and I could not forcefully remove it, but I did not get that audible "click" one hears with a metal-lugged mag. Also, no side-to-side wobble but a slight front-to-back wobble was evident. Hand cycling the first ten rounds caused no problems with the ammo, although the bolt movement was a bit more gritty and heavy than with my ((10)) mags, and the first round showed just a bit of bolt wear and denting. The bolt movement softened with progressive rounds cycled. The mag did not drop free, but when I removed and reinserted it, I noticed that slight "click." With use, I'm confident these plastic mag parts will better form fit with the rifle.
Overall, I'm satisfied with these mags. I probably should have bought a few more, and as of this thread post they are in stock at AoA. With prices climbing on just about everything AK-related these days and with supplies ever-increasingly sold out, it's nice to see reputable companies like WBP still providing us with options. Not everyone can afford $60+ ((10)) mags, and while I have a nice pile of those, I'll likely table them in favor of these mags, just in case I accidentally drop them off a building or leave them in front of a deuce and a half. If you're looking for some decent 5.56 AK mags at a fair price, I'd say these seem good to go. Will report back whenever I'm able to shoot with them.
Poland gloriously sticking it to Bulgaria:
And even though I already posted this elsewhere on CFF, it fits this thread as well. Cheers!
Some mighty bold claims in that description. For you Arsenal SLR-106 owners and 5.56 AK fans, you know mags are ... *ahem* ... pricey. They're also not always in stock. When these new Polish plastic mags appeared for $20 a pop, I figured what the hell and ordered a couple. Arrived five days after I placed the order. They are reminiscent of the translucent green Beryl mags.
The ranges around here are all closed and I don't have access to land, so this is more a tabletop look and share. First impressions - that's a lot of
Here's a couple close-ups of the top and bottom:
And here's the caliber stamping to remind you you're reaching for a 5.56 mag, not a 5.45 mag (quite easy to do). Wytwórnia Broni Jacek Popińsk, or WPB Poland, is based in the village of Rogów and makes some of the finest commercial AK guns available in the USA today. Its mags don't inspire nearly as much confidence, but time and range use will tell.
Loaded with 30 rounds of Wolf Gold. I did not perform a drop test on my concrete basement floor, but I tossed and knocked the mag around on my workbench and didn't lose any rounds:
Two things worth noting in this next photo. With a fully loaded mag, you can see the follower pressing on the floor plate, causing it to slightly separate from the mag body. Probably not a big deal, but this could lead to snagging problems depending on how one carries and transports their mags. Again, we'll see when I can get out to the range and put some rounds through these things. Also, the double horizontal ribs remind me of Chinese, Yugoslavian, and Croatian mags, but are likely simply for aesthetics here:
The first time I inserted one of these mags into my SLR-106F, it did not "click." It seemingly locked in and I could not forcefully remove it, but I did not get that audible "click" one hears with a metal-lugged mag. Also, no side-to-side wobble but a slight front-to-back wobble was evident. Hand cycling the first ten rounds caused no problems with the ammo, although the bolt movement was a bit more gritty and heavy than with my ((10)) mags, and the first round showed just a bit of bolt wear and denting. The bolt movement softened with progressive rounds cycled. The mag did not drop free, but when I removed and reinserted it, I noticed that slight "click." With use, I'm confident these plastic mag parts will better form fit with the rifle.
Overall, I'm satisfied with these mags. I probably should have bought a few more, and as of this thread post they are in stock at AoA. With prices climbing on just about everything AK-related these days and with supplies ever-increasingly sold out, it's nice to see reputable companies like WBP still providing us with options. Not everyone can afford $60+ ((10)) mags, and while I have a nice pile of those, I'll likely table them in favor of these mags, just in case I accidentally drop them off a building or leave them in front of a deuce and a half. If you're looking for some decent 5.56 AK mags at a fair price, I'd say these seem good to go. Will report back whenever I'm able to shoot with them.
Poland gloriously sticking it to Bulgaria:
And even though I already posted this elsewhere on CFF, it fits this thread as well. Cheers!
