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I am in the market for an AK. I know there are models that will ONLY accept 10 round mags. What do I need to look for to stay away from these? (Sorry for the ignorance - I am more of a pistol guy)

Thanks in advance!

Selling an AK in Texas that only takes 10 round mags is like selling a one-legged horse.

If you're shopping online, they'll usually be clearly marked as "LOW CAPACITY" or something like that. They're pretty rare regardless, though all the AK's I've seen at Cabelas are 10rd too.

Definitely something to stay away from though, I had one back when I was dumb and didn't realize it was legal to modify them to accept standard mags. Most unreliable gun I'd owned to that point.

There are some AKs produced abroad for import to the US accept only single-stack mags (I guess those are 10 rounders) so that they can be imported under our bizarre gun-importation rules. I think there are other jurisdictions where these are the only legal versions, but don't quote me. In any case, US importers will take a single stack version, router out the well opening to accept a normal double stack, and swap in a few US-made parts, like trigger set, pistol grip, maybe the op-rod/piston (also due to our bizarre import rules).


A lot (maybe all) of the Romanian AKs in the US went this path. The Romanian ones are generally cheaper, but sometimes have some QC problems. Things to watch out for: canted sights, canted gas block, and too much play from front-to-back when the magazine is inserted. (Note: a little side-to-side play is OK, if annoying, but if it wiggles front-to-back, that can be a problem). otherwise the Romanian AKs shoot just fine. Even with a slightly canted front site, as long as it can be zeroed, it doesn't really matter as far as shooting effectiveness goes.

Here's a place to get started:
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/storecategory90.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Probably verything worth knowing about AKs here: http://www.warriortalk.com/forumdisplay ... Aficionado" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;