sickness 89 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 I've been thinking of building out a .223 Saiga, but have held off because of mag availability. I know a lot of guys run Tapco mags, but they aren't for me. I don't do plastic tabs. I've read that the steel Weiger mags work great in the Saiga, so those would be my mags of choice, and the occasional Circle 10 mags that I may dig up. Also read that steel 35rd steel Galil mags work, but are somewhat loose and need some fitting and such. What about 50rd Galil mags? Any difference there? My go-to AK rifle is my 5.45 and I run 45rd RPK mags exclusively. One of the things that has kept me holding off on the .223 is the step down to 30ish rd mags. I'll get a Saiga .223 eventually regardless, but if the 50rd Galil mags work.. I'm likely to step up my game there and get that going soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 For some reason the latest dimpled receiver .223s seem to work better with Galil mags than older models. Mine required no mods for the mags to snap in tight. I don't think I've seen photos of anyone using a 50rdr here, but can't think of any reason why it wouldn't work if the 35rdrs do. However IMO the 50rd .223 mag is ridiculously long - not enough curvature, even compared to 45rd 5.45 mags. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sickness 89 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 For some reason the latest dimpled receiver .223s seem to work better with Galil mags than older models. Mine required no mods for the mags to snap in tight. I don't think I've seen photos of anyone using a 50rdr here, but can't think of any reason why it wouldn't work if the 35rdrs do. However IMO the 50rd .223 mag is ridiculously long - not enough curvature, even compared to 45rd 5.45 mags. Hmm. I think the S223 over at my LGS is a dimpled receiver too. Interesting. I'm not too worried about the length.. I can make my own heavy duty mag pouches easy enough, and nearly any AK mag makes prone shooting a bitch anyhow. How do the galil mags feed for you? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shandlanos 1,470 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Galil mags work fine. Donkey-dick 40+ round magazines are loads of fun at the range, not so fun to haul around when carrying the rifle. I prefer 20-rounders in my AKMs, and bought a bunch of the Hungarian tanker mags when they were available for about $7 each. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Yeah my Galil 35s feed great, but a couple of them seem to have weak springs and occasional FTF the last 1-2 rounds. It doesn't happen often, but the fact it happens at all bugs me. The springs look almost identical to AR springs, so I'm thinking about buying some double-coiled replacement springs to see what happens. Stretching out the original Galil springs didn't help a whole lot. I doubt most people would care but I'm pretty picky about this stuff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chupa 34 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) I did exactly the same thing with my 2 50's. Put some weld under the front and rear tabs until they feed properly and little to no wobble. I used the tutorial in the 223 section from years ago and it worked great for me. Photobucket changed their site and I don't know to make the pic bigger. Edited January 9, 2012 by chupa Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 OK, just FYI, I read on another forum that a user replaced Galil mag springs with AR mag springs with no issues. This would solve any "worn out" issues with the mags if you have them. When I ordered mine from Numrich, all but one were used South African - very light finish wear. The other looked new and was marked '98 IMI. The problem I have with occasional last rounds FTF is because the last 1-2 rounds will sit slightly loose in the mag. The bolt will catch a round and knock it out of the mag, slamming it into the chamber face. Never had a failure anywhere else in the mag. I just wish Izhmash or Radom would export some real .223 mags to us. I like Circle 10s, Galils, Weigers, etc. but would like something closer to what is actually used with the AK-101 or Beryl. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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