Flashbang 34 Posted September 29, 2009 Report Share Posted September 29, 2009 Boredom and lack of any sources for 30 round mags, I started looking around the house for parts for my franken-mag-adapter. I am attempting this with whatever scraps I have around the house... ...gotta figure out how i'm going to do a mag release... ...I have a feeling this is an effort in futility, no good can come from this, but I have to try. Now if i can only figure a way to get my ex-wife to test fire it for me Quote Link to post Share on other sites
admbleg 35 Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 Awesome... Here is a link of someone who posted on another forum. http://www.gunco.net/forums/f279/new-machined-adapter-223-a-47461/ I am waiting on mine from MSA... if you go to youtube you can get a good look how theirs (MSA) is made and it might give you some more ideas.. Good luck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nalioth 405 Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 (edited) Awesome... Here is a link of someone who posted on another forum. http://www.gunco.net/forums/f279/new-machined-adapter-223-a-47461/ I am waiting on mine from MSA... if you go to youtube you can get a good look how theirs (MSA) is made and it might give you some more ideas.. Good luck. I'm not sure why you're linking to other forums, as renegadebuck is a member here and has a nice thread all about those adapters. Flashbang, here are all the links here on the Saiga forum that renegadebuck has spoken up in concerning his fabrication of adapters. Reading them might give you some ideas. Edited September 30, 2009 by nalioth Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flashbang 34 Posted September 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 Awesome... Here is a link of someone who posted on another forum. http://www.gunco.net/forums/f279/new-machined-adapter-223-a-47461/ I am waiting on mine from MSA... if you go to youtube you can get a good look how theirs (MSA) is made and it might give you some more ideas.. Good luck. I'm not sure why you're linking to other forums, as renegadebuck is a member here and has a nice thread all about those adapters. Flashbang, here are all the links here on the Saiga forum that renegadebuck has spoken up in concerning his fabrication of adapters. Reading them might give you some ideas. Thanks Nalioth...I have actually read them, thats where I got the idea. His design seems less complex than the MSA adapter. I just want to change the look of the mag release Renegadebuck is using. I hope mine will be a cross between his and the MSA adapter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saigafreake 27 Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 i rigged one up just for fun but couldnt come up with the mag release on mine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flashbang 34 Posted September 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 i rigged one up just for fun but couldnt come up with the mag release on mine. If you dont mind my asking, did you make your adapter so that it extended into the magwall or did it sit on the receiver. I am making mine sit on the receiver, but not extend into the mag well. So far the mag seats pretty solid. The mag release on the left side shouldnt be too much of a problem (think a spring loaded pivoting arm)....its coming up with a push button on the right side thats giving me the headache. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flashbang 34 Posted September 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 (edited) Oh yeah, forgot to mention this is just for fun as well considering the scraps Im using. The metal is Simpson Stong-Tie "L" brackets (1/8" thick galvanized steel) brazed together to form the mag well. This is more of just something I want to try. However, if it proves successful (function and form wise), I might make another out of sheet steel and grind down the trunion for the mags. Right now I just modified the magazine to fit (thanks Renegadebuck!)so I wouldnt have to grind anything in the gun. If anyone is curious, I got the AR mag well dimensions off the web. I dont have access to a lot of tools or even a vise...kitchen table and C-clamps...here is what I am using: - Dremmel - Angle grinder - Bernzomatic torch (oxygen + propylene)<--used in the back yard, not on the kitchen table - calipers I have a lot of respect for Nathan (MSA) for what he developed. His adapter just looks so damn good! I just don't want mine to look like it was assembled by blind monkeys wearing oven mitts. Edited September 30, 2009 by Flashbang Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fxhart 14 Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 I just don't want mine to look like it was assembled by blind monkeys wearing oven mitts. You just described half of Century Arms' gun assembly guys. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flashbang 34 Posted September 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 Minor setback. When the AR mags I have are seated level with the Saiga mag rails the bolt contacts the follower of the mag. I have to re-tool to have the mags seat at a slight angle....or sit slightly lower than the rails...not sure yet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saigafreake 27 Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 mine rocked and locked like a normal ak mag. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flashbang 34 Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 mine rocked and locked like a normal ak mag. The adapter you mean? That is how mine is set up as well. If it works, I'm going to draw up the specs and get one machined. It will cost me more than an MSA adapter, but I can at least bragg about the fact that I made it. I also stated before that the bolt contacts the follower on my AR mags from England...barely...but it still feeds rounds without a problem. If I hand cycle and ease the bolt forward it hangs up. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flashbang 34 Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Okay, here is an update. Not counting the mag release (yet to be designed) it's gonna be 2 parts that will be welded together. The pics in the first post were the outer shell which slides over the inner sleeve in the pics below. If I read my micrometer corectly, the steel scraps I am using for the inner sleeve are .036" thick. The outer shell steel is about .104" thick. (for reference, 16 guage steel is .0598" thick) It rocks and locks into the magwell and is pretty solid. As you can see the mag is not dropping free...my bends were slightly off and it is a little tight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fxhart 14 Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Minor setback. When the AR mags I have are seated level with the Saiga mag rails the bolt contacts the follower of the mag. I have to re-tool to have the mags seat at a slight angle....or sit slightly lower than the rails...not sure yet. My MSA does that too. It doesn't in any way hinder the action of the gun. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flashbang 34 Posted October 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Minor setback. When the AR mags I have are seated level with the Saiga mag rails the bolt contacts the follower of the mag. I have to re-tool to have the mags seat at a slight angle....or sit slightly lower than the rails...not sure yet. My MSA does that too. It doesn't in any way hinder the action of the gun. Good to know...at least I wont have to re-think my design. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flashbang 34 Posted October 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 It seems the rock and lock mag adapter works. To complete it though I will need to get it welded together...but now this popped into my head. I can not get AK mags where I live, and I have tons of pre-ban AR mags. With that in mind, I have decided to make a semi-permanent design. On another forum...not to be mentioned...I found a link to a guy who built an entire AR from scratch....no lower receiver blanks. All parts were made like a modular house ( mag well, receiver, buffer tube etc.) He also provided detailed blueprints with all of the measurements in a PDF file. So here is the idea... Using his measurements I can make a bolt together aluminum mag well with an actual AR push button mag release. I want to use a 5" long .125" thick aluminum plate as a base. This plate will attach at the front of the receiver where the forend screw is and towards the rear where the AK mag release is (AK mag release removed, and holes left from rivets used to mount the plate.) Then an AR magwell will be constructed from suare aluminum bar (front and rear) and aluminum plate (sides). The assembly will be drilled and tapped to bolt the magwell together. This entire assembly will then be mounted to the base plate (also by drilling and tapping). The entire unit then gets bolted/screwed to the receiver. Any input would be appreciated...structural integrity etc.... I figure the total cost would be around $50.00 for the 6061 aluminum stock. This is what he created to give you an example.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jbourne66 0 Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 Dude the bolt on lower AR magwell is exactly what I have been drawing up in my head. Actually thought about an 80% lower hacked up and bolted on. Please move foward on your project! Can't wait to see how far you get. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.