Spetnaz Soldier 47 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 hey guys another question from Spet. So i bought a bunch of tapco 30 rnd ak mags and some steel romanian ak mags. Well i already sanded the tab on the tapcos to fit the standard saiga mag catch. i have a bunch of saiga mags as well. I want to file the mag catch other the tab on the steels so that my ak will be strait ak-47 that will take military mags but i want the other mags to fit and work well since i have a bunch..when i file the mag catch to fit the steel ak mags will all my other ones still fit and feed properly? thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rnemhrd 165 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 (edited) File the mag catch on the rifle to fit the steel mags. Use a file and go slow. Once you get a mag catch close try other steel mags. A little at a time till your steel mags catch nice and solid with out the mag catch sticking but not rocking front to back. remember you can't put the metal back you take off. Mod the plastic mags to fit the rifle then. After that most all steel AK mags will fit and work with a bullit guide. From then on some steel mags may need a tiny bit of sanding to fit. Some mags will woble side to side a little and is OK. You want to avoud front to back. That can cause the bolt to ride over the rounds in the mag causing jams. Then you need a new mag catch. Edited December 18, 2012 by rnemhrd Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nailbomb 10,221 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Another vote for file the catch. Go slow, test multiple mags. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
canoecanoe 63 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Good advice given above. Milsurp mags vary on the locking tab. when you get af fit on the mags with the thickest loaking tabs, some of you other magsa with thinner tabs may have a tiny bit of front to back maovement, which while not good, shouldn't be a problem regarding feeding reliably. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spetnaz Soldier 47 Posted December 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 ok well i already sanded the tab on the tapco ak mags already so they fit the stock saiga. it has a couple thousand rounds through it so the mag catch has a little bit of wear. i filed the ak tapcos to fit..so what my question was when i get the steel ak mags (romanian) and i file the mag catch to fit those mags will my tapcos and my saiga mags fit still although having the smaller tab...and the tapcos are super tight.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rnemhrd 165 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 (edited) Only way to know is to try them after. My saiga mag still worked after I filed the bullit guide off it. You can try some good epoxy on the Tapco catches if they are to loose and then file to fit and use them as range mags and use the steel for your go to mags. If I had to build them back up I would'nt bet my life on them, but would'nt throw them out. Range mags. Edited December 18, 2012 by rnemhrd Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spetnaz Soldier 47 Posted December 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 im not talking about the bullet guide at all i know that works with my saiga mags after being filed. but thanks for the advice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rnemhrd 165 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 (edited) I ment the bullet guid on the factory Saiga mag that came with the gun. The hump in the front of the mag you grind off when the add a bullet guide to the rifle. After I did that my factory mag locked up fine after the mag catch was filed down. Your tapcos may be fine as well. Edited December 18, 2012 by rnemhrd Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shankspony 40 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 The tab on stock mags is thinner than milsurp. If you filed the Tapco tabs to fit stock you should be fine when filing the mag catch. Like others said, go slow. If you get to the point where your mag catch is really tight and won't release, you are almost there... if you have to unfreeze the catch, knock gently as it WILL BEND if you try to hit too hard when releasing your mags. When you start getting your milsurp to release clean, that's about where you should stop as your stock mags should still fit snug and work fine (and in this case your Tapcos too!). Your stock mags should also work fine without having the mag's bullet guide removed (I didn't have to.). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spetnaz Soldier 47 Posted December 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 thanks a lot man very helpful Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shankspony 40 Posted December 19, 2012 Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 Erk... and I forgot to mention (but I think someone else did)... file the bottom of the tabs on mags if you must. If you file the top then you're changing the angle of the feed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spetnaz Soldier 47 Posted December 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 k thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Forge 11 Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 You could also purchase a military surplus mag catch for a few bucks that will be the correct size. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skiluvr03 24 Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 That is what I did; I got a Mil-Surp Mag to file that Mag Catch to fit, and I have yet to find another Mil-Surp mag that doesn't fit great now. However, I always need to file a hair off of the Tapco Mags, which is fine and easy to do and they work great. To all the people that kept saying get a dremel too, my hats off to you! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RUSrus 0 Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 Russian method: - file a little bit rear pin on a mag - not needed a bullet guide, better to rewelded a front wall Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spetnaz Soldier 47 Posted January 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 umm i beleive a bullet guide is better. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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