Q: AK Magazines

[HunterFN]

Hello,

I have a question regarding the 5.45 and 7.62 AK magazines...

Since both the 5.45x39 and 7.62x39 calibers share the same casing (?) and the difference is only in the diameter of the bullet, are the magazines interchangeable?

Can you load up a 7.62 mag with 5.45 and still have it feed properly?

Any solid info on this would be much appreciated :)

Thanks.

[Ali Baba]

I Would Guess Not.

Edit : http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=92374 This should have that somewhere.

[LaoSexMachine]

A 47 mag has more of a curve than a 74 mag.

[Rynnäkkökivääri]

They share the same casing length only IIRC, 39 mm, the diameters are different, so no, you couldn't interchange mags. Also, I think the 74 mags are thinner than the 47 mags, so you couldn't fit 7.62 in there in a normal fashion, and you could end up with a jam.

I have heard you can use the 5.45 mags in a 5.56 AK, but I don't have either to tell you a firsthand experience.

[cmhm20]

They share the same casing length only IIRC, 39 mm, the diameters are different, so no, you couldn't interchange mags. Also, I think the 74 mags are thinner than the 47 mags, so you couldn't fit 7.62 in there in a normal fashion, and you could end up with a jam.

I have heard you can use the 5.45 mags in a 5.56 AK, but I don't have either to tell you a firsthand experience.


7,62 AK mags are not interchangeable with 5,45 ones. Some 5,45 mags work in 5,56 if downloaded but don't expect 100% reliability.

[ed316]

No. They will not work.

[Rynnäkkökivääri]

7,62 AK mags are not interchangeable with 5,45 ones. Some 5,45 mags work in 5,56 if downloaded but don't expect 100% reliability.
Well yeah if you're not using the right mags you should expect that, plus there's also a higher chance of malfunctions that could cause a catastrophic failure (read:blowing up in face, injury to face, hands, and other parts of body, destroyed gun) too I believe, that's why you don't use Galil mags in an 5.56 Valmet. Has anybody out there come up with a 5.56 mag that work in all 5.56 AKs yet?

[Catch22]

Well yeah if you're not using the right mags you should expect that, plus there's also a higher chance of malfunctions that could cause a catastrophic failure (read:blowing up in face, injury to face, hands, and other parts of body, destroyed gun) too I believe, that's why you don't use Galil mags in an 5.56 Valmet. Has anybody out there come up with a 5.56 mag that work in all 5.56 AKs yet?

I'm not sure if it works both ways but the Polish Beryl (5.56) magazine fitted in the Tantal (5.45) and AK74 magazine well. At least the pieces I tried. Buy I haven't loaded them with 5.45 so I can't tell will they feed properly.

[Rynnäkkökivääri]

Well the Valmet/Galil thing has to do with feed ramps, the Galil was too low or too high, I can't remember exactly.

EDIT: Here we go: http://www.valmet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132

Probably isn't an isolated problem.

[gafkiwi]

AK-74 5.45 mags will fit 5.56 nato, and function in some 5.56 ak varients. I got one and chopped it down to take 7rds to use on my Vepr (to keep it legal for the type of licence I have)

[cbreedon]

AK-74 5.45 mags will fit 5.56 nato, and function in some 5.56 ak varients. I got one and chopped it down to take 7rds to use on my Vepr (to keep it legal for the type of licence I have)

You are correct. You can buy specific 5.56 followers also to improve the reliability. I have done that with all mine and can't remember the last time I had a misfeed.

[GazB]

I have a question regarding the 5.45 and 7.62 AK magazines...

Since both the 5.45x39 and 7.62x39 calibers share the same casing (?) and the difference is only in the diameter of the bullet, are the magazines interchangeable?

The cartridge case of the 7.62 x 39mm round is wider at the base than the 5.45 x 39mm round. Also the shape of the case is different, the 7.62mm case starts with a wide base and gets narrower till it gets to the neck so the sides of the case are not parallel. This means as the round is fed into the chamber the size of the hole it is going into is much larger that its diameter at the neck. It also means that it is only the last few mms of putting it in the chamber that the sides of the shell are touching the chamber. The more cylindrical 5.45mm case is slightly more parallel and there is less difference between the size of the chamber and what is going into it.
The difference in case shapes is clearly shown by the different curves of the magazines used. The more cone shape of the 7.62 round means that if you stack 30 together in two rows they form a natural curve. With straight sided cases like the 7.62 x 51mm of the FN FAL or M14 and the sides are parallel.
The main reason the Soviets and Russians went for non parallel sides is because they make their cases out of mild steel that has less elasticity than Brass, but it is cheaper. By making them slightly conical it means they are much less likely to stick in the chamber than if they had parallel sides and the case remains expanded.

[Schnibbs]

You are correct. You can buy specific 5.56 followers also to improve the reliability. I have done that with all mine and can't remember the last time I had a misfeed.

Where did you buy the followers?

[cbreedon]

Where did you buy the followers?
robarms
http://www.robarm.com/ (http://www.robarm.com/mainpage.htm)

[big_les]

One of the recent pics of the day threads had a milled receiver AK sporting a plastic 5.45mm magazine (AFAICT anyway). As it was the usual street party/firing in the air shenanigans, I figured that guy had just put the wrong magazine on the weapon and probably had no ammunition to actually fire through the thing.

So the magazines are interchangeable as far as attaching them to the weapon (I think), but as everyone else has said, you can't actually use them.