The Best & Most Reliable Magazines For Your AK

It’s one thing to have an AR-15. Every able-bodied citizen in the United States should own at least one version of Eugene Stoner’s most well-known creation. Easy to learn, and easy to get competent with, the AR is truly an “everyman” weapon. With an entire universe of accessories (including the impressive inventory of AR magazines at The Mag Shack!) and configurations, the AR should be the “default” firearm for an American. Well to be fair the default rifle for an American should be an M4A1, but that’s for another discussion.

That being said, there’s a certain appeal to that most famous creation of Mikhail Kalashnikov, the AK-47. Where the AR has a utilitarian and “professional” vibe to it, the AK, in American hands at least, comes across with a more punk rock ethos. You lube up your AR with a $30 bottle of some high-tech chemical compounds. An AK? Toss some motor oil in there and you’ll be fine. Why waltz when you can rock and roll?

Much like an AR, you certainly need a stash of magazines for your AK-pattern rifle. With the larger-caliber 7.62x39mm round, figuring out the best and most reliable magazines for your AK can be a challenge…

With the tapered nature of the 7.62x39mm round, assembling a reliable magazine is a little more difficult. Fortunately, with the increase in popularity of the AK platform here in the US, there are many worthwhile options to choose from as plenty of domestic and foreign manufacturers have stepped up to feed the market.

With that being said, we’ve done the work for you and have narrowed it down to x standout AK-47 magazines to simplify your search.

Magpul PMAG GEN M3 AK/AKM 7.62x39mm 30 Round Magazine

With the increased interest and popularity of the AK-47 platform here in the US, it’s no surprise Magpul dipped their hands into the market and offered up an AK-compatible version of its industry-defining PMAG. With their AR PMAGs being the default for that platform, Magpul is on the quest to make PMAGs the default for the AK. And with their Gen M3 AK/AKM 7.62x39mm PMAG, they have a worthy contender on their hands, with plenty of domestic manufacturers and importers of AKs offering this magazine, or its older Gen M2 sibling, as the included magazine.

And it’s not surprising why. The Gen M3 AK/AKM PMAG brings all the renowned features of the original AR PMAG to the AK platform. Sporting the distinctive Magpul polymer body, a new anti-tilt self-lubricating (meaning the surface is slick) follower, as well as an interesting addition of stainless steel locking lugs and spine. For those that have an eye towards history, AK magazines are “required” to have steel locking lugs, as far as requirements in the AK universe go.

This AK/AKM PMAG is built for rough handling and durability. Change it out rapidly, toss the empty one aside with gusto, and leave it sitting in the dirt. It’ll still run flawlessly when you retrieve it.

The anti-tilt self-lubricating follower ensures smooth and reliable feeding. If you’re a lucky owner (or manufacturer) of full-auto AKs, this is the go-to magazine for when you’re running that rifle hard. Even if you’re only doing semi-auto, this should be your default. Affordable, and made in the USA, stack the Magpul PMAG GEN M3 Magazine deep. As a bonus, if you’re building an AK from a foreign parts kit, the PMAG counts as 3 US parts for your 922(r) compliance score.

 

US Palm AK-47 7.62x39mm 30 Round Magazine

To the dedicated AK fanatic and maven, the name US Palm is held in high reverence. Founded in 2009 by Robert Anderson, US Primary Armament Logistical Manufacturing (US PALM), advanced the state-of-the-art for American-made AK accessories. They were actually the first US company to produce a polymer-and-metal hybrid AK magazine. Prized by the AK scene, US Palm’s magazines, grips, and other accessories became the “go-to” for just about anyone serious about the platform.

After a few shuffling of the deck chairs ownership changes, US Palm succumbed to the “Trump Slump” and shuttered it’s doors in 2017. However, that hiatus proved to be short-lived as Century Arms acquired the brand and all it’s assets in late 2018, reviving these prized magazines and making legions of AK owners very happy.

So, what makes the US Palm AK Magazine so special? Thankfully Century didn’t mess with perfection and the US Palm AK Magazine is largely the same nowadays as it was when US Palm was an independent entity. Anyways, the outside of the magazine has a waffled texture, giving it an unbeatable grip and rigidity. In addition, the magazine sports metal locking tabs, mounted to a metal “cage” for that “required” metal-on-metal contact.

Another unique feature is that the magazine is intended on being a sealed one-piece affair, and is actually difficult to disassemble. If you need to clean it, you literally can run water and soap into it (the follower has holes for draining), rinse, and hang it up to dry.

This design overall makes for a truly remarkable performer for the AK platform. Often, the magazine is the weak spot in a rifle system. With US Palm, you simply don’t have to worry. Run them hard, drop them, try to crush them, throw them against a wall, and they’ll keep going. Who says us Americans can’t do AK stuff well?

 

Arsenal Circle 10 AK-47 7.62x39mm 30 Round Magazine

At the end of the day, the AK-47 is an Eastern Bloc design. Developed by the legendary Mikhail Kalashnikov (RIP), and copied across the commie-sphere in nations like East Germany, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Bulgaria, it only makes sense that some interesting magazines for the AK originate from that region. Amongst those is the highly sought-after Circle 10 AK-47 30 Round magazine. Made by Arsenal in Bulgaria and imported by (you guessed it) Arsenal Inc here in the US, the Circle 10 magazines set the benchmark for the modern AK-47 magazine.

So, other than the Commie Cachet, what makes an Arsenal Circle 10 AK-47 magazine special? The devil is in the details, of course. Manufactured from reinforced black polymer, these magazines offer some interesting features. A hybrid design, the magazine sports steel reinforced feed lips (the feed lips are a common failure point), as well as the requisite steel locking lugs. A front “spine” protects the magazine body from the repeated wear of bullet tips, as well as being a reinforcing component. The bottom rails and baseplate are steel as well. These wear points being metallic add to the lifespan of the magazine.

Overall built to Eastern Bloc military specs, the Circle 10 magazines are built for hard use and even the neglect that tends to crop up in Third World militaries. Of course, we recommend inspecting your magazines at regular intervals, but if conditions don’t permit that, your Circle 10 AK-47 magazines will run reliably well and fast. If it’s good enough to run even after being neglected by a conscript in yet another regional flare-up, it’s good enough for our use Stateside. Truth be told, your collection of magazines isn’t complete unless you have a Circle 10 AK-47 magazine.

 

KCI USA AK-47 7.62x39mm 40 Round Magazine

Sometimes, well, all the time, more ammo on tap is better. As we covered during our (link https://themagshack.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-a-drum-magazine/) drum magazine analysis (/link), having that extra edge in firepower can always help.

Unfortunately, a drum magazine for an AK-pattern rifle is kind of an investment, and may not pass the budget committee at the homestead. So, what’s a wily AK owner to do? Fortunately, the crew at KCI out of Best Korea aka South Korea is on hand to support. At an extremely budget-friendly price, the KCI 40 round AK-47 magazine can be stacked deep.

Imported from Paju-si in South Korea by KCI’s US affiliate, these 40 rounders are composed of steel with a electrodeposition coating finish. Based on the RPK (light machine gun variant of the AK-47) magazines from the USSR, the KCI magazines are surprisingly durable and functional, considering their extremely low price. This isn’t surprising since South Korea tends to take their domestic munitions production seriously, considering the threat of Little Rocket Man to the north.

While the KCI 40 round AK-47 magazine is a little heavier when loaded, it’s a great option for those looking to have more 7.62x39mm rounds on tap at a given moment. Or for those times when you just have to let out your inner AK Goon and do some mag dumps into trash piles out back. Plus, you’re giving some support to relations of the famous Roof Koreans.

 

Kalashnikov USA AK-47/AKM 7.62x39mm 30 Round Magazine

If you’re going to have a rifle based on the Kalashnikov, you should probably have a Kalashnikov magazine. However, that’s way easier said than done nowadays. With Russia being fully on the “naughty list” these days, it’s getting harder and harder to find AK accessories from any Russian firm. Basically, whatever’s in the US is all that’s left for the time being. However, Kalashnikov USA has found a simple workaround – produce the Russian designs here in the United States, specifically in the Great State of Florida. We’re the Gunshine State after all. Anyways, KUSA, as they are known, took the embargoed Russian designs and made domestic copies of them, including the modern 100-series AK magazine design made for the AK-103, a modern variant of the AK-47.

Built with an eye towards authenticity and durability, the KUSA AK magazine is perfect for someone looking to have that Russian look without having to jump through massive hoops to acquire what amounts to a piece of polymer and steel that happened to originate in Russia.

Aside from having that distinctive 100-series AK magazine appearance the KUSA magazine is even more durable than the Russian original, owing to KUSA’s advances in design and the quality inherent in domestic firearms component manufacturing. With a solid polymer body and a steel baseplate for the times you’ll inevitably drop it during a mag change, this is a worthwhile acquisition for the serious AK user.

Beat it up, drop it, keep it in the glovebox for a decade, this magazine is good to go.

 

A Word On Military Surplus AK Magazines

The AK scene is big on aesthetics. The grimier the better. A battered AK that just goes gets you more points at the range than a safe queen. Throw some skateboard tape on the grip or the magazine for extra clout. For even more “status”, bastardize your AK and cram AR parts onto it. A popular modification is to attach an AR-15 buffer tube and Magpul stock, actually.

But for that finishing touch, you’ll need some true military-surplus AK magazines. While we don’t specifically sell them here at The Mag Shack, we can say it’s a worthwhile addition to your bag.

However, it’s debatable whether a military surplus AK magazine should be your “go-to” magazine. Some work great, some don’t. Even magazines from a quality factory such as ROMARM in Romania can have issues between batches and generations. In general, your “milsurp” AK magazine purchase should be done for aesthetics, range fun, and collectibile reasons, and not as part of a comprehensive defense setup where an AK is a primary firearm. In that case, always purchase a new AK magazine, such as the ones we covered above.

Rock and roll is cool and all, but not at the expense of your life.

 

You’ve Got An AK, You Need To Feed It

Whether it’s a range rifle or part of a defensive strategy, your AK should be treated no differently than an AR-15. Much like an AR, the magazine of an AK forms one of the core components of a functional and effective rifle platform. With that in mind, stock up on those quality AK-47 magazines, we’ve got you covered at The Mag Shack!