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In a perfect world, we’d be able to get Bakelite AK-47 magazines for less than an arm and a leg. And everybody would just use Bakelite AK mags all the time.
But this is not a perfect world. That’s why we have AK-47’s.
So we have to search out other options for AK-47 magazines. And there are a lot of options, some very good ones.
And we’re going to sort that out.
Our Best Choice
Magpul AK-47 30RD PMAG Gen M2 MOE Magazine
SPOILER—if you’re just here to get AK-47 magazines, get the Magpul AK-47 30RD PMAG Gen M2 MOE Magazines. They’re affordable, durable, and reliable. That’s about as good as it gets for any magazine.
If you’re here to peruse the best AK mags, keep reading. We’ll have a look at all the best magazines, so you can pick up the ones you like.
Top AK-47 Magazines on the Market Today
The Best AK-47 Magazines: Checking Your Ammo Sources
Our winning AK-47 magazines are first on the block. The other excellent magazines are organized in order of price.
Hang out near the top of this article to see the most affordable AK-47 magazines.
Scroll to the bottom to see the most expensive, blinged-out magazines.
Time to fill up some mags.
1. Magpul AK-47 30RD PMAG Gen M2 MOE Magazine - Overall Best AK-47 Magazines
The Magpul AK-47 30RD PMAG Gen M2 MOE Magazine has become a staple in the AK-47 magazine industry.
The nice thing about these magazines is that they’re really affordable. The Gen M2 magazines are the older generation of PMAG. So they sell for much less than the most recent generation.
However, they work just fine. Magpul didn’t update the PMAG design because it wasn’t working. They just made it better. These magazines are still some of the best AK-47 magazines you can get, even if they’ve been on the market for a few years.
The only thing you don’t get with these magazines is the round-count window. So you can’t see how many rounds you’ve got left without removing the magazine. But that’s not really even a problem. You can always pull your magazine and check the rounds, if you need.
Other than that, these magazines are reliable and easy to handle for fast weapon manipulations.
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Cons
2. Croatian AK-47 30RD Steel Magazine - Budget AK-47 Magazines
The Croatian AK-47 30RD Steel Magazines have two huge benefits: these magazines are steel. And these magazines are super inexpensive.
These magazines are for anyone who’s skeptical of anything made of plastic. These magazines are made with the traditional, two-piece stamped-steel body. It’s a durable design that’s been tested and proven.
These magazines also use the traditional AK-47 follower to ensure reliable function with all AK-47 designs.
All in all, these magazines work well and last a long time.
However, there are occasional quality control issues. Some shooters have had to file the magazine catch latch to get them to seat easily. And the feeder lips can be quite sharp from the factory. So you may want to take the edge off those.
Also, steel magazines can warp with prolonged use. After several years of abuse, you may need to bend things back into place. But, the benefit of steel is that it can be repaired. Polymer is unrepairable.
Even so, if you need a bunch of magazines for the fewest possible dollars, these are the magazines to get.
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3. Magpul AK-47 10RD PMAG Gen M2 MOE Magazine - 10 Round AK-47 Magazines
If you live in a state with magazine capacity restrictions, hopefully that gets fixed soon. Until then, the Magpul AK-47 10RD PMAG Gen M2 MOE Magazine will keep you in business.
This is just the 10-round version of the Magpul 30-round PMAG.
The polymer body is durable and reliable. And the feed lips won’t warp over time. So this magazine stays reliable for longer than some steel magazines.
And this magazine is fitted with a self-lubricating anti-tilt follower that ensures smooth feeding and prevents rounds from tilting and catching inside the magazine. And that means fewer magazine-related malfunctions.
Then there’s the angled floor plate that helps you keep a secure hold on your magazines as you load and reload. And the floor plate makes it easier to pull these magazines out of your magazine carrier.
So, for the money, you can’t go wrong with these magazines (unless you can legally get 30-round magazines).
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4. US Palm AK Magazines - Value AK-47 Magazines
The US Palm AK Magazines are a hybrid magazine that uses polymer to save weight, but keeps the steel where it matters.
This magazine uses one-piece polymer construction, which is remarkably durable, since there are no seams or weak points. And the one piece design makes the magazine more rigid. So it’s reliable, as well.
However, this magazine uses a stainless steel latch cage. So you get a really positive lockup when you insert your magazine. And the stainless steel holds up much longer than a polymer latch.
Lastly, the magazine body is covered in a waffle pattern, which makes these magazines very easy to grip and retain during weapon manipulations.
However, the magazine body is really streamlined. This makes it easy to get your magazines into your magazine carrier.
But it’s not quite as easy to get them out of your magazine carrier, because there’s no floor plate lip to get a hold of. It’s not much of a hassle, though. Just something to be aware of.
Even with a few nitpicks, these US Palm magazines are outstanding magazines that offer amazing durability and reliability for the money.
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5. Magpul AK/AKM 30RD PMAG Gen M3 Magazine - Tactical AK-47 Magazines
The Magpul AK/AKM 30RD PMAG Gen M3 Magazine is updated for enhanced durability and reliability.
The second generation PMAG was plenty reliable and durable. But it was almost entirely polymer.
This magazine has a steel reinforcement spine and steel lugs. So this magazine is more durable and more rigid than the previous PMAGs, especially for hard use.
And the steel lugs provide a remarkably secure lockup when you insert your magazine. The steel lugs also last longer than polymer lugs. So you get a longer service life from this magazine than the previous PMAG generations.
The floor plate is flared to help you get a grip on your magazines during loading and reloading manipulations.
And the floor plate helps you get these magazines out of your magazine carrier faster.
My only complaint about the third generation AK PMAGs is that there’s still no round count window.
The window isn’t vital. It’s more of a novelty. But the third generation AR magazines come with a round count window. Why don’t the AK-47 magazines get one? Seems like favoritism.
Even without the round count window, these magazines are still top-of-the-line magazines that are ideal for anyone who runs their AK-47 hard.
Yes, these magazines are a tad expensive. But they’re nowhere near as expensive as Bakelite magazines (why are Bakelite magazines so expensive? Probably because they have to be imported from Russia). And these magazines will last for a long time. You’ll absolutely get your money’s worth out of these AK-47 magazines.
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Load Up
AK-47 magazines are like AR-15 magazines in one way: your magazines should just work. You shouldn’t really even notice them. If you find yourself fiddling with your magazines a lot, it’s time to pick up some new ones.
If you need to pick up some good AK-47 magazines, get the Magpul AK-47 30RD PMAG Gen M2 MOE Magazines. It’s hard to beat the combination of affordability and reliability that you get with these magazines.
There you have it. If your magazines are giving you fits, get rid of them. Then get some magazines that help your AK live up to the legends of AK-47 reliability.