AK magazines come and go for me. I use and abuse them, then buy some more. That was a particular problem early on when I was a new AK enthusiast. But I eventually learned how to spot quality mags and pass over the garbage. I now have a couple of things I look for in an AK mag, and it so happens that XTech Tactical emphasizes those things in their MAG47 Gen 2 mags.
XTech Mag 47
William “Bucky” Lawson
I now run the XTechs and two other brands exclusively, though I’ve only purchased XTechs since running them for the first time over a year ago. That ought to tell you something. I have a drawer full of other crap that I haven’t thrown away, but it’s just kinda there. The XTechs are my varsity mags these days.
XTech Tactical MAG47 Gen 2 Specifications
Let’s look at a few basic of the MAG47 specs before continuing:
- Caliber: 7.62×39
- Capacity: 30 or 10
- Stainless steel reinforced locking lugs and feed lips
- Tough composite construction
- Spring anti-bind mechanism
- Stainless steel spring
- Quick-release base plate
- Fits most AK-47 and AKM variants
Magazine Features
Steel reinforced. The first thing I look for in an AK mag is steel-reinforced feed lips. No steel, no dice. AK mag changes beat the crap out of magazine feed lips. The straight polymer will get torn up quickly, eventually making the mag unusable. I don’t care how slick your mag changes are; that’s just the nature of the AK rifle. Only steel can hold up. I tried some all-steel mags, but reliability is iffy, and they’re heavy.
XTech reinforces the feed lips AND the locking lugs via a steel insert. After the feed lips, the locking lugs are the next thing for me. XTech covers both. The single-piece insert makes these mags rugged and resilient. They show a little wear with use, but that’s just how AKs roll. It’s mostly superficial. The polymer around the insert gets beat up, but the steel ensures the mag will hold up and keep running.
Positive grip. AK mags come in all styles, from smooth-sided bakelite and polymer to ribbed steel. I’ve used all those except the Bakelite because I refuse to pay that much for a magazine. My favorite style, by far, is the waffle pattern. It provides a good grip in any condition, with gloves or without.
AK mag changes require precise manipulation. I know, others do too, but AKs are notoriously unforgiving of a poor angle when inserting. It’s not hard but it must be precise. The waffle pattern gives me the grip positivity I want. The XTech mags are also textured front and back for an even better grip. I love that because I place my thumb on the back spine when pulling from my mag pouches. It’s a nice touch.
Easy maintenance. The XTech mags are probably the most user-friendly AK mags I’ve run. The floor plate is easily removed using the pushbutton. Just slide it off. Be careful not to launch the spring across the room. Happens to the best of us on occasion. The spring and follower come right out, as you’d expect, and the reassembly process is just as simple. So, there’s no excuse not to clean your mags from time to time.
Steel reinforced. The first thing I look for in an AK mag is steel-reinforced feed lips. No steel, no dice. AK mag changes beat the crap out of magazine feed lips. The straight polymer will get torn up quickly, eventually making the mag unusable. I don’t care how slick your mag changes are; that’s just the nature of the AK rifle. Only steel can hold up. I tried some all-steel mags, but reliability is iffy, and they’re heavy.
XTech reinforces the feed lips AND the locking lugs via a steel insert. After the feed lips, the locking lugs are the next thing for me. XTech covers both. The single-piece insert makes these mags rugged and resilient. They show a little wear with use, but that’s how AKs roll. It’s mostly superficial. The polymer around the insert gets beat up, but the steel ensures the mag will hold up and keep running.
Positive grip. AK mags come in all styles, from smooth-sided bakelite and polymer to ribbed steel. I’ve used all those except the bakelite because I refuse to pay that much for a magazine. My favorite style, by far, is the waffle pattern. It provides a good grip in any condition, with gloves or without.
AK mag changes require precise manipulation. Others do too, but AKs are notoriously unforgiving of a poor angle when inserting. It’s not hard, but it must be precise. The waffle pattern gives me the grip positivity I want. The XTech mags are also textured front and back for an even better grip. I love that because I place my thumb on the back spine when pulling from my mag pouches. It’s a nice touch.
Easy maintenance. The XTech mags are probably the most user-friendly AK mags I’ve run. The floor plate is easily removed using the pushbutton. Just slide it off. Be careful not to launch the spring across the room. Happens to the best of us on occasion. The spring and follower come right out, as you’d expect, and the reassembly process is just as simple. So, there’s no excuse to not clean your mags from time to time.
Reliability
All that stuff is great, but how do the XTech mags run? Well, the features I just described contribute to reliability. The steel reinforcement precludes feeding issues, as does the easy maintenance access.
I’ve run these mags for over a year now. I’ve beaten them around, dropped them on every imaginable surface, including concrete, run purposely dirty ammo through them, and they have been nearly 100 percent. I say nearly because I have one mag that gave me an issue recently. It would feed a few rounds and then stop. It turned out there was a pebble in there mucking up the follower. I removed it, cleaned the mag, and it’s running fine again.
That’s literally the only issue I’ve had with the XTech mags. I dumped my steel-cased Wolf and Tula rounds into the dirt during my testing regimen and covered them up. I then plucked them out and fed them directly into the mags. I did that over and over. The mags ran great. I cleaned all that crap out once the testing was done. I have no idea where the pebble came from. It wasn’t from that. But as I said, I knock these things around, dropping them in the dirt, mud, grass, gravel… you name it. Stuff happens.
Lock Up and Fit
We’ve established that not all AK mags are the same. That includes how they fit. Of course, that’s true of many AK parts. Try installing an aftermarket gas tube straight out of the box. Chances are you’ll say some words children shouldn’t hear from a parent.
Mags are no different. Some lock up tight, and some don’t. Some rattle around, and some don’t fit at all. Different brands fit at slightly different angles. My Saiga AK-103 conversion was purposely set up only to take proprietary Saiga mags. Other mags would not lock in at all. I was soon tired of paying almost 40 bucks for a stupid AK mag.
So, my gunsmith worked on the catch, and now it takes everything, including those pricey Saiga mags that I don’t buy anymore. But the inconsistency is still there, even though the gun runs them all. It is an AK. But the XTech mags lock up solidly with no rattle. They do that better than any other brand I’ve used. I wonder if it’s the steel locking lugs, but that’s speculation. I don’t really know. I just know it’s a thing, and I like it.
The polymer around the feed lips gets beat up, but that’s just AKs. The polymer also shows wear at the fulcrum point on the magazine’s front.
Again, that’s how AKs work. But if there’s a weak spot on these mags, that’s probably it. But it will take a long time before that incapacitates these mags if it ever does.
The “Commufornia Special”
I first ran these XTech mags when the company sent a batch for testing and review. I should have noted that already, but now you know. I ran them hard, and my high opinion stems from their construction and performance, not because XTech sent me a box of free mags.
To be precise, XTech sent me five mags. Four 30-rounders and one 10-round “Commufornia Special,” complete with a Soviet-style Hammer and Sickle superimposed on an outline of the Golden State. I laughed then, and I’m laughing now.
The “Commufornia Special,” as you probably surmised, is designed for the unfortunate who live behind the Blue Curtain, whether it’s the entire West Coast, Illinois, or the Northeast. Anywhere you’re limited to 10 rounds, assuming you can own an AK at all, XTech’s got your back. The Commie-compliant mag features the same solid construction and waffle texturing. It is the same size as Free America’s mags, but the baseplate extends into the mag’s body, thus restricting the capacity. The magazine spring is shorter as well.
I dutifully ran the “Commufornia Special” right along with the others, and it performed just as well. Living where I do, I have no real use for a 10-round AK mag in a 30-round package. But XTech has me covered. They offer a “Free State Adapter Kit…for use when you move to or live in a state that allows 30-round magazines.” It’s just a standard baseplate and spring. So, I can upgrade my 10-round mag to 30 rounds for the low, low price of $5.95. Have to love it. I’ve meant to do that but just haven’t gotten around to it. Writing this article reminded me, so that’s done now. But I’ll keep the “Commufornia Special” tag on my mag because it’s hilarious.
XTech mags are probably the most user-friendly AK mags I’ve run. The floor plate is easily removed using the pushbutton. Just slide it off. Be careful not to launch the spring across the room. Happens to the best of us on occasion. The spring and follower come right out, as you’d expect, and the reassembly process is just as simple. So, there’s no excuse not to clean your mags from time to time.
Final Thoughts
These XTech mags just run. They’re solid, they’re durable, they fit, and they work. That’s what I require from a magazine. They are priced with their peer competitors. And I love the sense of humor. It doesn’t make the mags run better, but I love it anyway.
As I said before, I run several brands of mags, including the XTechs. But I have purchased these XTech MAG47 Gen 2 mags exclusively for the last year. I now own many more than the original five mags. That’s perhaps the best endorsement I can give. After testing these magazines, I now buy them with my own money. I’ll never be an ‘expert,” but I know what works when I see it. I’ve seen it for over a year now. I have no plans to change.
Bucky
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