How tough are Russian orange bakelite mags really?

[imarangemaster 315]

I have a stack of the later Tula (flat and late ridge back) bakelites (with the steel reenforcement in the lips). I've had them for years, from back when I had a Roberti-Roos California RAW (registered assault weapon) Type 56 Poly Tech that I finally sold. I actually had a lot more of the Russian bakelites. Besides buying wholesale lots of magazines and selling them on Shotgun News and as an FFL gun shows in the 80s and 90s, I had a collection of one of each type and /maker, including some ridgebacks and long necks. I sold off the last of the collection (except for this set of Tulas) a year or so ago.

For my Saigas, I have been using my Com-bloc steel mags (I kept about two dozen of them, along with the Tula Bakies), and some Tapco orange slab-side for range mags. I recently got the box with the Tulas out. I REALLY like the look and feel in the Saiga, and I think I may switch to them from the steels for my "Ready Mags."

My question is this? How tough are they really? I know with the steel reenforced lips and lugs, they are tougher than Pmags, Promags, and Tapcos. I'd think they are as tough as Bulgarian Circle 10s. Looking for feedback.

[BigChongus 765]

Bakelite gets brittle with age. However, regardless of age, I doubt they're tougher than circle 10s or the equivalent. I do love the look of it though, which is why I keep a few around. 

[james lambert 3,059]

I dont know or really care how tough they are.

 

They are just really cool 

[imarangemaster 315]

Cool was when I had my Poly-Tech Type 56 AK with the folding spike bayonet and a chest rig full of CHINESE bakelites! It shot 2 MOA with lacquer coated, steel core Chicom ammo I had to sell it on 2000 after I was forced out on disability from the Sheriff's Dept.

[blessthefall 27]

Best magazines I have used are the Bulgarian AK mags, slightly modified to fit into a Saiga. They are poly, with steel reinforcements inside. Tough and light, I like them a lot. 

[imarangemaster 315]

Best magazines I have used are the Bulgarian AK mags, slightly modified to fit into a Saiga. They are poly, with steel reinforcements inside. Tough and light, I like them a lot. 

I like the Circle 10s, also.  I had some in free America.  Unfortunately, I am limited to magazines I had before 1-1-2000.  Until 1-1-14, I could get "rebuild kits" (complete magazines, disassembled).  Once I heard they were closing the door on those, I grabbed the Tapcos because they were cheap.  I could not do $40 a pop for the Bulgie "kits" if you could find them at all.

Hmmm...  Maybe I'll just stick the "Bakies" back in the safe.  Living in Kalifornication is hazardous to high capacity magazines.  I can possess my "High capacity magazine feeding devices (more than 10 round mags), since I had them for my California registered Chinese Type 56 AK I had since 1985.   I sold the AK the 1-1-2000, magazine ban cut off date, but kept the two dozen or so assorted mags...you never get rid of mags!)  Occasionally, though, an LEO that is ignorant of the law will confiscate high caps.

 

I have four Tapco plum slab sides and 3 Tapco orange slab side "rebuild kits" I got before the 1-1-14 ban on magazine rebuild kits.  I used the springs, followers, and base plate locking plate from 7 beat (rusted and dented) up Com-Block steel mags I had in my cull parts box, and just used the body and base plate of the Tapcos to repair them.  The guts of the Tapcos (spring, follower, and lock plate) I tossed into a box with the base plates from the banged up Com-Blocks.  I pitched the dented and rusted bodies (to keep my mag count to pre-2000 numbers), but kept the base plates to prove I had the mags I repaired.

 

Anyway, I think with that in mind (and the value of the Bakies), I'll use the Tapcos.  The Tapcos are very though, and I have even seen the push up test done with them, as well as the K-Var style "butt, muzzle, and mag" drop test, all of which the new Tapco slab side passed.  Pretty good for a $10-$12 magazine.

 

[video=youtube;IpPdow4J_fo]

Edited January 8, 2016 by imarangemaster

[blessthefall 27]

I'm sorry but with no serial number or time/date stamped anywhere on the magazine, I always felt that bans like NY/CA are essentially un-enforceable. The burden of proof is on them and I don't get how they would go about proving you purchased a magazine on or after a certain date.

 

But yeah, the TAPCO's aren't bad. But personally I just like the military grade ones better as far as quality goes. Even if they are decades old. 

[bored stiff 1]

I have been researching these magazines for about two months now. I have yet to hear any thing bad about them except some think they are ugly. I  never heard any one complain about fit in mil-spec receivers, or any problems with loading or feeding problems. Haven't seen or heard of a damaged or inoperable magazines. So I bought about 250  47/74 tulas and izhmash russian mags, yea two hundred and fifty. Most comments I find are from people that have never used one, but know something about them. As for appearance most like the looks. I have ordered some paints that are suppose to stick to AG-4S molding compound like magic. They are not really bakelight (a phenolic resin), but were fabricated from two-parts of AG-4S molding compound (a glass reinforced phenol-formaldehyde binder impregnated composite), assembled using an epoxy resin adhesive. It just looks like bakelite. It's at this point in the manufacturing process,(before the internals are installed) that the area on the sides of the magazines that are inserted into the magazine well are surface ground as part of a quality assurance step to insure they fit in mil-spec receivers. Some mistake these grind marks as an attempt to install the magazine in a gun to trial check for fit, which is unnecessary. You see it all the time, they claim they appear unused but it looks like someone has inserted it into a rifle. Back to the paint, I'm going to refinish a few in matte black super paint to see how it holds up. I am also going to shoot a fully loaded mag smack dab in the middle to asses battle damage. Haven't got around to that yet but I will. 

Edited January 9, 2016 by bored stiff

[imarangemaster 315]

TAPCOS have a date wheel with the last two digits of the year, with an arrow in the middle that points at the month.  In California, the cut off  for rebuild kits was 1-2014.  My latest rebuild kit is dated "5-13".  In reality, however, we can still buy individual parts: follower, spring base, mag body, just not all at once, even if disassembled.

 

I only used new bodies and base plates from the Tapco "kits," with the original spring, follower, and base plate locking plate from the rusted/dented Com-Block steels.  I kept the base plates of the rusted/dented to prove I had them, but tossed the mag bodies that I replaced, so they can't say I have more than I had.  

 

It would be impossible for them to prove how many I had prior to the 1-1-2000 ban, but I was an FFL, sold mags wholesale on sShotgun News in the 90s, and had a California RAW Chinese AK I registered in 1990, and sold after the 1-1-2000 ban.  I really did n=have this many mags (at one time, I literally had hundreds of AK mags before the ban, as I bought them in case lots back in the good old days.