compshootfl 40 Posted September 13, 2013 Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 I was roaming the internet the other night and found this site. They make an Akdal to Saiga mag coupler and even better, a Saiga to Saiga coupler. What this will allow is putting together a 20 + round mag...theoretically. There are already 20 round Saiga mags coupled using SGM mags, so there is a spring that is available. This may be a better option for fixing some of the mag related problems, because the transition area seems to be where all the hangups are...I have ordered some and will see. If 18 is good..20+ would be better and lighter weight also (no aluminum body). Here is the website: Higher Capacity Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rebel Katt 6 Posted September 13, 2013 Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 Transition Point? Do you mean from adapter to mag? My Firebird couplers have always run flawlessly...all 23 of them. RK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted September 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 So what is your point ? I was not calling out ANY particular product and I guess with 23 mags with Firebird couplers, with no flaws, you are lucky. I am happy you are happy...but unfortunately my journey has been different. Just putting out another option for people. I have every coupler/extended mag made. I will say, some work...some don't. I guess I will see if these work better or worse. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rebel Katt 6 Posted September 13, 2013 Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 No...I was just wondering about hangups in the transition areas. Because i havent experienced that. love, RK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flatland Shooter 22 Posted September 13, 2013 Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 (edited) I was roaming the internet the other night and found this site. They make an Akdal to Saiga mag coupler and even better, a Saiga to Saiga coupler. What this will allow is putting together a 20 + round mag...theoretically. There are already 20 round Saiga mags coupled using SGM mags, so there is a spring that is available. This may be a better option for fixing some of the mag related problems, because the transition area seems to be where all the hangups are...I have ordered some and will see. If 18 is good..20+ would be better and lighter weight also (no aluminum body). Here is the website: Higher Capacity Other than price for the coupler, not a lot of information on the website. Just looking at it, you need 1 - Akdal 5 rd mag + 2 SGM Saiga 12 rd magazines + the Akdal to Saiga coupler and a Saiga to Saiga coupler? Or roughly $220 for a 20 or 22 rd Akdal magazine? I'd heard Bill was working on a project of this nature for a while now. Based on his reputation, they work or he would not be offering them. Definitely not knocking it. Just asking questions for my personal enlightenment. Bill Edited September 13, 2013 by Flatland Shooter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted September 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 I think it would be at the least (1) 2 round Mka mag + (2) 10 round SGM mags or (1) MKA 2 round (1) 12 round SGM & (1) 10 round SGM or the max I would think (1) 5 round MKA + (2) SGM 12 rounders. I personally like the flexibility this gives for different combos. We shall see. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flatland Shooter 22 Posted September 13, 2013 Report Share Posted September 13, 2013 It will be interesting what modifications are needed to the follower to make it work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter308 6 Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 It's good to see another magazine option for the MKA 1919. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gose 17 Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 (edited) Isnt this _very_ similar to the FB 15 round kits? Cut the top off a Saiga mag and attach it to an Akdal mag with a coupler kit. I assume the Adal follower has to be modified for this to work with this kit as well, since the Akdal follower wont work in the SGM mag? Does anyone make springs that will work in a 20 rounder? Edited September 16, 2013 by gose Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted September 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 All couplers will be similiar, the advantage here is that you can join another SGM Saiga mag to the one joined to the MKA mag ( more rounds). I would assume that the follower needs to be modified as well. I believe R&R targets makes a 20 round Saiga competiton mag...so their spring should work. (here is a link, it is down the page a bit) R&R Link Isnt this _very_ similar to the FB 15 round kits? Cut the top off a Saiga mag and attach it to an Akdal mag with a coupler kit. I assume the Adal follower has to be modified for this to work with this kit as well, since the Akdal follower wont work in the SGM mag? Does anyone make springs that will work in a 20 rounder? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toothandnail 275 Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 We started making a similar coupler over a year ago, but never offered it for sale because the Akdal mags were so inconsistent at the base. Also the over all length ,we thought, was too long , at least it is for the competitions/staging/dump around here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SHOTGUN MESIAH 855 Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 20 round mags look silly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flatland Shooter 22 Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 20 round mags look silly. And heavy. The competition shooters may be looking for something to compete against the X-Rail (26 rds). If they make the springs, they will buy. My highest capacity "big stick" for the MKA 1919 is a Roulette magazine extension (currently 17rds, soon to be 18rds) and loaded with 1 oz loads it weighs almost 5-1/4#. With the gun, that is over 13#. Before I can consider anything larger, I'll need to get out the old kettle bells and get a workout routine going. Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted September 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 I don't feel the weight is an issue, if the mag is loaded as the first one. I for one am shooting very quickly and the weight goes down quickly as well. I can hold my shotgun for 18-30 seconds without a problem. Beside that...under this configuration, the initial weight of the mag is way less than the Roulette mag (which I own also). 2 extra rounds may not seem worth it..until you need them. I was shooting a stage last week and was shooting 1 second splits from the shooting box, had 18 targets, had 18 rounds...missed the last 2...Oh crap! I dropped the mag, loaded my spare...added 3+ seconds to my time, that sucked. Should have shot it around 18-20 seconds...ended up shooting it 23.34 seconds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flatland Shooter 22 Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 (edited) We had a shotgun stage this past weekend that was flat out perfect for box fed shotguns. Per the stage briefing, at the start signal the shotgun could only be loaded with slugs. If you were accurate, you could get by with just two, but you could load as many as you wanted. Before advancing, you were required to empty the gun (no more slugs in the gun after the box) and reload with shotshells for 7 small plates and an obstinate double plate spinner. After the slugs, I reloaded to the Roulette Tactical magazine on the move and took down the remaining steel. The gun is heavy but in the heat of competition, it don't seem bad at all. And due to the spinner, those extra two rounds were needed. Bill Edited September 16, 2013 by Flatland Shooter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted September 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 Like I said...options are good to have. I was just trying to distinguish, that these high capacity setups are more for competition shooting than home/self defense, I don't need 20 rounds for that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted September 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2013 I spoke with Bill today and am pretty confident of the setup. He explained the mods to the MKA mag and it sounds really simple and logical. He did say that the 2 round is the one to use, because the 5 round mags are not curved properly from the get go, which makes sense. He stated the curve on the Saiga SGM mags is correct and work well when mated to the 2 rounders. The mag on the bottom is a 24 rounder...and he has shot 3 gun for alot of years and says the ones he has, run 100%. He also stated that the SGM follower is the one to use...interesting. Like I said before, we shall see, I sent my MO today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gose 17 Posted September 17, 2013 Report Share Posted September 17, 2013 I spoke with Bill today and am pretty confident of the setup. He explained the mods to the MKA mag and it sounds really simple and logical. He did say that the 2 round is the one to use, because the 5 round mags are not curved properly from the get go, which makes sense. He stated the curve on the Saiga SGM mags is correct and work well when mated to the 2 rounders. The mag on the bottom is a 24 rounder...and he has shot 3 gun for alot of years and says the ones he has, run 100%. He also stated that the SGM follower is the one to use...interesting. Like I said before, we shall see, I sent my MO today. Interesting, since FB says NOT to use the SGM follower Also, where do you get a spring for a 24 round mag? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flatland Shooter 22 Posted September 18, 2013 Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 (edited) I spoke with Bill today and am pretty confident of the setup. He explained the mods to the MKA mag and it sounds really simple and logical. He did say that the 2 round is the one to use, because the 5 round mags are not curved properly from the get go, which makes sense. He stated the curve on the Saiga SGM mags is correct and work well when mated to the 2 rounders. The mag on the bottom is a 24 rounder...and he has shot 3 gun for alot of years and says the ones he has, run 100%. He also stated that the SGM follower is the one to use...interesting. Like I said before, we shall see, I sent my MO today. Interesting, since FB says NOT to use the SGM follower Also, where do you get a spring for a 24 round mag? If we find a source for a good 24 rd magazine spring, we will soon see folks with the FB-15 mags attaching a second Saiga mag to the bottom with one of these connectors. At least I would give it a try. Edited September 18, 2013 by Flatland Shooter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted September 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 When I spoke to Bill (owner of the company) he indicated that the spring in the SGM mags work fine...at least that is what I remember. He stated that the springs that are in the MKA mags are way more than is really needed and that the reason they use such a beefy spring in the factory 5 rounders was the flaws in the mag required it. Don't shoot the messenger, I am only repeating what I remember him saying. Either way, R&R makes a spring for a 20 rounder that would surely work fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flatland Shooter 22 Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Is the spring Bill recommends from the SGM Saiga 12 rd mag? If so, I'm in luck. I have several left over from FP-15 conversions plus I stocked up on a couple extra SGM 12 rounders in case something happened where they were no longer available. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 I spoke with Bill today and am pretty confident of the setup. He explained the mods to the MKA mag and it sounds really simple and logical. He did say that the 2 round is the one to use, because the 5 round mags are not curved properly from the get go, which makes sense. He stated the curve on the Saiga SGM mags is correct and work well when mated to the 2 rounders. The mag on the bottom is a 24 rounder...and he has shot 3 gun for alot of years and says the ones he has, run 100%. He also stated that the SGM follower is the one to use...interesting. Like I said before, we shall see, I sent my MO today. Interesting, since FB says NOT to use the SGM follower Also, where do you get a spring for a 24 round mag? If we find a source for a good 24 rd magazine spring, we will soon see folks with the FB-15 mags attaching a second Saiga mag to the bottom with one of these connectors. At least I would give it a try. Why not use the one R&R sells for their SGM S12 frankenmags? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted September 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 That's what I said in post #20........ 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter308 6 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Would this work for mating a Saiga drum to a two-round AKDAL? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KIRCH76 12 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Would this work for mating a Saiga drum to a two-round AKDAL? I like your thinking but I would say no because there is not enough mag sticking out of the top of the drum to use a coupler. But that's just my opinion. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted October 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 (edited) Just a follow up on these couplers. 1st impressions; These are very well made, they couple to the mags the way are designed to very well and have a nice finish. How do they work: I decided to go for broke and assemble a 24 rounder with the 2 couplers I bought. I cut (2) Saiga 12 rounders at the first rib and decided to use an Akdal 5 rounder on top. I used a spring from the 18 round Roulette tactical mag, (I also used a spring from the 15 round Firebird couplers that I had with a factory 5 round under it, capacity was only 23 here). Both spring setups worked. I had to do some minor work on the upper Saiga mag, I ramped the front side of the mag where the transition was at the Akdal mag coupler (the follower was hanging there) after that all was well, I also am using the newer style Akdal follower, which was shaved down to easily glide from bottom to top. Results: I only had 1 FTF in 10-12 loadings of the mag (200+ rounds). I am very happy with the performance so far, it has been very consistant for me. I will probably get a 20 round spring from R&R to try as well. I look forward to setting these up in different configurations. I would recomend these for the shooter looking for higher capacity for use in competition shooting or just plinking too. The weight of this setup is much less than any other I have encountered with this many shells or less ( although this is the only setup I know of that has this capacity). The weight for me is not an issue, as I find in competition shooting, you are emptying the mag so quickly the weight is not there for more than 1 minute or less in most cases anyway. These are just my observations based on my experiences with these couplers, if you don't like to tune and tinker with your mags...then maybe these are not for you. Although I spent way less time using this system to get it running relaible than I have on my other setups. Edited October 4, 2013 by compshootfl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toothandnail 275 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Good to know. So far, most of the matches we shoot anything over 10-12rnds is too long for staging/dumping. The coupled 10's 12's with our +1 base plate, have worked very well, keeping a compact overall setup. We could have used a 15+ on the last match, where we started with SG and had 13-15 targets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 I made my own mag coupler within days of purchasing my Akdal a couple yrs ago (or whenever that was they first imported them with the cute plastic jewels...lol) Joined the two mags it came with at the base and had a mag that would feed 2.75" or 3" depending on what end I wanted to use. Capped off the bottom end with a floor plate and rolled with it. It did ok but really just too long for my taste so I went back to original. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
compshootfl 40 Posted October 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Maybe I forgot to mention...this is not really designed for 3 gun in a 24 round configuration, I agree that coupled mags are problaby a better choice in those type of stages. I shoot alot of shotgun only matches, it really shines in this format with 24 rounds. Anyway, the point is, that you have many ways you can configure these couplers, using (in my opinion) the more reliable Saiga mags. This was just a solution I followed to fit my needs and I thought I would share. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AR-12 Shotgun 16 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Nice. I still wish it would work with a drum. I know it's been discussed already, but the MKA really needs a drum. Or maybe I have my "wants" and "needs" confused again Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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