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Ok admittedly this has probably been asked before but my google fu is weak today. i was wondering what kind of life span to expect from my surplus steel ak mags. I ask this because ive seen the prices on some available recently and its very tempting to grab 10 more or so, but i already have 8 steel mags (3 20 rnd and 5 30rnd... not counting a few tapcos for goofing off and lo cap mags for hunting). If these things will outlive me ill just buy more ammo (i have a comfy stash) but i have this nagging thought that id better get some more mags while i can. Of course that same train of thought applies to ammo as well...so what say you guys? More mags or more ammo?

 

Thanks in advance for your help in making up my frazzled mind! Lol.

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You can never have "enough" magazines or ammo my friend.

 

edit:  usually when I buy ammo for and extra ten - twenty bucks I pick up a mag or two to ship with.

Edited by DarkStar
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The only thing that will wear out is the spring, and the likelihood of you wearing one out is very low assuming it's not already excessively worn. Depending on how much ammo you already have, I would pick up a few more mags for the time being though. IMO ten 30s per rifle should be the minimum number of mags to shoot for.

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i was wondering what kind of life span to expect from my surplus steel ak mags.

 

 

have you asked Mr. Owl?

 

 

Mr. Owl also knows how many DUIs it takes to be a convicted felony without  parole as well

 

 

 

 

now if Mr. Owl know the answer to those, then he'll know how long a surplus mag will last 021.gif

Edited by Matthew Hopkins
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Surplus mags will last for many thousands of years, if they're adequately protected from corrosion. The springs will wear out with use.

A friend has a slabside magazine (that I want... I have none in the collection) that I assume is from the 50's, maybe even the late 40's. It works just fine.

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Aimsurplus has Steel mags at a good price and ammo as well. I agree with dark on buying ammo and grabbing a mag or two with it.

Thats exactly the same deal i was lookin at! I was thinkin if i got 10 then after shipping itd be like 12.75/mag. Im still a little on the fence though because thats basically 500 rounds lol. And with all thats happening between russia, ukraine, and us, oblahblah could easily cut our supplies off just using 'his pen and his phone'. Ah well. I think ill just get the mags. Then more 20 rounders when they show back up. theyre my favorites now.

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Ok admittedly this has probably been asked before but my google fu is weak today. i was wondering what kind of life span to expect from my surplus steel ak mags. I ask this because ive seen the prices on some available recently and its very tempting to grab 10 more or so, but i already have 8 steel mags (3 20 rnd and 5 30rnd... not counting a few tapcos for goofing off and lo cap mags for hunting). If these things will outlive me ill just buy more ammo (i have a comfy stash) but i have this nagging thought that id better get some more mags while i can. Of course that same train of thought applies to ammo as well...so what say you guys? More mags or more ammo?

 

Thanks in advance for your help in making up my frazzled mind! Lol.

I just sold my AK to a buddy. My favorite magazine for it was more rusty/waxy coated than finished. It had dents and dings and always worked. I had it since I was 18, 20 years later and lots of different guns and ammo it's still working just fine. In fact, it aged like wine.

 

Your grandkids will somedays say, "Your great grandfather had some really cool powder driven weapons. Here is his Saiga and all of the ammo and Magazines. Belive it or not, son, they still work. Not as good as your bolt gun or your wife's new light rail, but it is amazingly effective at killing pigcowchickenwolfs. " :)

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10 mags and 1k round per caliber minimum. Both will oulast you if properly stored.

 

 

10 mags and 1k  5k round per caliber minimum. Both will oulast you if properly stored.

 

 

Not one to disagree with either but lets face some facts in hard times. 

 

Ammo for training and such is excluded, that wont last long and the cost is almost incidental to the cost of real training.

 

Resources: Do what you can, sacrifice sure nothing worthwhile is easy. What you place a priority on will benefit in particular if it is a long term goal.

There is a lot of areas that need priority this is just one.

 

Storage: Lets not over look storage, where is that ammo and such going to be?

5K of 308 will require about ten 50cal cans if you pack it well. Thats just one cal, another five for x39, two for 22LR, four or five for each pistol cal, you get the idea.

Got a good place for all that? In this example thats about ohhhh... 25 cans. Yeah just gave myself wood there.... mmmm ammo...

Want all that in once place?

 

Not even addressing reloading supplies here but it is a problem also.

 

I was in the process of consolidating until this latest phase of patriot games began and realized I would not have the money or even if it was wise.So the plan was modified as all are eventually.

 

This is why folks stress ammo, mags, and parts. It is something that requires some thought and long term effort.

 

The minimum my friends is what you can carry on your person.

Like it or not that is grim truth, should one be required to go mobile the rest gets left. Not a pleasant thought but reality seldom is in times like those.

But you damn well better be able to do at least that at a minimum.

 

So seven good mags loaded for sidearm and long gun per person, thats the minimum that I see.

 

The rest is open to debate. 

 

Dont store more than able to properly store unless you plan on shooting it up.

Be aware that home owner policies typically limit the amount of ammo one has in the home, yeah I know but be aware at least.

 

Acknowledge that the resources might be better expended elsewhere, not tacti-cool crap, more like food and all that stuff required to stay above room temperature or bribe your way past a difficulty (cough... shinny metals.. cough). 

There is more to this than the firearms, ammo, and mags. Insuring the functionality of the weapons system, you and those you are tied to, is the top priority.

Each has to decide what to do with limited resources.

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Everything you store: food, water, weapons, ammo, medicine... above and beyond what you can carry, MIGHT be wasted.  Does that mean you should fill your bob and call it good?

 

One thing's for damn sure.  It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

When the bad happens electronic money will be gone.  Whatever you have in your checking, savings, retirement, etc.  Just gone.  Paper money not much better unless you need something to wipe your ass.

 

I choose to convert my money now into things that have value AFTER the S hits the F.  I store more than I can carry of everything.  If that narrow situation happens where I have to leave it behind, then so be it.  That's sure as hell no worse than having a million dollars in an electronic account that doesn't exist any more.

Edited by Darth Saigus
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Everything you store: food, water, weapons, ammo, medicine... above and beyond what you can carry, MIGHT be wasted.  Does that mean you should fill your bob and call it good?

 

One thing's for damn sure.  It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

When the bad happens electronic money will be gone.  Whatever you have in your checking, savings, retirement, etc.  Just gone.  Paper money not much better unless you need something to wipe your ass.

 

I choose to convert my money now into things that have value AFTER the S hits the F.  I store more than I can carry of everything.  If that narrow situation happens where I have to leave it behind, then so be it.  That's sure as hell no worse than having a million dollars in an electronic account that doesn't exist any more.

 

I was just discussing minimums on a very specific idea, not desired levels of preps.

 

A minimum is just that, the least one can do and still do something worthwhile.

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Ok admittedly this has probably been asked before but my google fu is weak today. i was wondering what kind of life span to expect from my surplus steel ak mags. I ask this because ive seen the prices on some available recently and its very tempting to grab 10 more or so, but i already have 8 steel mags (3 20 rnd and 5 30rnd... not counting a few tapcos for goofing off and lo cap mags for hunting). If these things will outlive me ill just buy more ammo (i have a comfy stash) but i have this nagging thought that id better get some more mags while i can. Of course that same train of thought applies to ammo as well...so what say you guys? More mags or more ammo?

 

Thanks in advance for your help in making up my frazzled mind! Lol.

For the $10 price, stock up. little rubbing with oil or emory cloth cleans'em up nicely. Most won't even need this. Minimum of 20 mags for each long gun, 10 for pistol. Like the military surplus. Stayed away from the Korean, also when available like the Romy or Yugo synthetic with metal inserts. Get on e-mail notice of major suppliers. Often their are deals. 20rders as you got are great for keeping in the weapon. As others have said, best to have and not need, then need and not have. Depending on your budget, get all ammo and mags you can afford. Had a couple guys begging at last scare and let go a few surplus of my surplus. New shooters, realized now it's best to get'm cheap, then try to obtain in a scare. Have a niece and 2 nephews graduating in a month. All avid shooters. Will be passing on a weapon, mags and ammo to each.
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I wish I could afford more mags. I still have at least five or six 30-rounders for each AK pattern rifle, but I only have 15 or so 20-rounders. Never letting those go. I was lucky enough to get them when Centerfire was doing 3 mags and a pouch for $21, if I remember correctly. Bought as many as I could afford at the time. I also have about a dozen Chinese 5- and 10-round magazines (which are in the same mag body - the only difference is the follower), and a handful of drum mags.

Now I just need more AKs, and a few dozen more 30-round mags!

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