Let me say that I and a police officer here in New Mexico with a medium sized department of public safety. I am a firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, rifle instructor and trained sniper. I live outside the city in a rural community that has no significant crime history. However, due to property values being much cheaper in the past, than in the city, a certain element has moved into the area.
Well yesterday, 01-11-02, I woke up early to see my wife off to work – I made her breakfast and she went out to warm up the van and clean the snow off of it from the night before. She came back in and ate and we said goodbye. I sat down on the couch to watch the news. I heard what I thought was a yell. But dismissed it as one of our birds making their usual noises – then I heard it again and then a pounding on the window coming from the kids room. I thought my wife was trying to get my attention to let her back into the house. I looked out the window and did not see her, but looked up towards the van and at that moment I saw a male subject in the driver’s seat with the interior light on and heard my wife screaming.
I immediately ran to the back door of the house searching for my Glock 27 which I usually keep in a fanny pack on top of the refrigerator – it is equipped with a laser devises BA-1 laser aiming module – it wasn’t there. I have never really suggested the use of lasers on any type of firearm. However, I got this one really cheap on the internet and thought it may be a good thing for my wife to have around since she doesn’t shoot often. By the time I reached the door leading from the house to the garage, my wife was frantically beating on it and screaming. I got her inside and relocked the door. I gave her the phone and advised her to call 911 and took her into the master bedroom where I retrieved the Glock 27 off the shelf. Not wasting any more time to open my gun safe, I told my wife to do it while she was calling the police and get my Bushmaster M4 and hang onto it until I called her.
By this time the subject was in the garage and was beating very hard on the back door and yelling to let him in. I yelled at the guy through the door that I was a police officer, armed and to back away from the door. It didn’t seem to make any difference to him. I decided to sneak out the patio door and go around behind him and to see if there were any more people with him. I was in my socks and a sweat shirt in 5″ of snow. I made my way to the back of the garage and peeked through a window and saw the subject standing there facing the door with our snow shovel lying on the floor next to him. I also saw that he had a large wrench sticking out of his back pants pocket and he was still yelling at the door. I looked around and did not see any other people with him.
So I made verbal contact and yelled at him to get back away from the door and told him to put his hands up and get on the ground. He seemed intoxicated and laughed. I repeated my commands and told him I had a gun again. He told me to fuck off and that he had been shot at and wanted into the house. He didn’t know where I was and looked around. I repeated my command again but he still stood there not wanting to obey. At that point I flipped on the laser. I placed the red dot on his chest but he did not see it so I brought it up to his nose and danced it around his face and eyes. I gave my commands again and told him to look at his chest where I brought the dot down. His hands went immediately into the air and he dropped to his knees. I then gave him commands, proned him out spread eagle and reaffirmed my point of aim by dancing the dot on the floor in front of his eyes and then moving to the bridge of his nose. He did not move. I ran around and opened the garage door to the garage and contacted my wife who had the sheriff’s dept on the phone. I advised them I had the guy proned out in my garage at gun point and told them that I was a PO. My wife also had my bushy which I transitioned to for extra firepower in case he had any buddies that decided to come to help him.
A state trooper arrived in about 20 minutes and took him into custody. It turned out the guy had been having a party with some local dirt bags and had been using crank all night and had tried to rape his buddy and his buddy’s girl friend. They threw him out of their house and he broke into their vehicles and broke the windows out of their house before his buddy got out a pistol and fired 3 rounds at him through the wall. He got scared and high-tailed it to our place.
He was on probation for minor alcohol related offenses. However, he was driving a stolen van out of Arkansas and was also charged with aggravated assault and battery, criminal trespass and auto burglary – not to mention the case of hypothermia that he was getting laying on my cold concrete floor.
The point here is not that I got this dirt bag before he could do any more harm, but I was totally impressed with the intimidation factor the laser had on the belligerent wasted individual. He was about 6’ 3’’ and 200 lbs. The state trooper had a hard time cuffing this guy. The laser really made the point. I’m a firm believer in them for this purpose now. I still feel that the sights should be the primary instrument to aim a weapon. However, the laser will now have a place on duty with me. I’m going to buy one for my duty weapon as an alternative force option.
When I decided to buy a Dillon Square Deal B reloading press, I knew zip about reloading. I had never done it nor had I even watched someone else reload ammo. The whole idea of loading my own cartridges was scary to me. What if I made a mistake and injured myself or someone else with a reload? Quality control was foremost in my mind. The second issue was economy. With four active shooters in the family, the cost of store-bought ammo was simply prohibitive. With all of us shooting, we could easily burn up 500-1000 rounds in a single range session. So, I knew that I needed a press which was high quality and fast—a “progressive” reloader.
I talked to friends, read magazines and surfed the web for information on reloading presses. I guess I was responsible for starting one of the endless “Lee vs. Dillon” debates on rec.guns. After all of the debate and discussion, I settled on a Dillon Square Deal B. In one of my queries on the net, I said that what I really wanted to do with reloading was to crank out goodly quantities of practice ammo for pistols in standard calibers, nothing exotic. One guy who responded to me said that if I just wanted to crank and run without a lot of hassle and fiddling with the machine, the SDB was the way to go, and he was right. I’m glad I didn’t go the single stage route because I think the speed would have killed my interest in reloading. When you can sit for an hour and turn out $60 worth of ammo, that’s enough incentive to keep your interest level up.
I talked to a lot of people about presses, particularly about the Lee Pro 1000, the Dillon 550, the SDB and the Rock Chucker. The sense I got was that the Lee was more versatile and a terrific value, but prone to initial difficulties and adjustment headaches. The 550 seemed to be the most popular progressive but expensive when fully dressed out with the cool add-ons you want. The 550 does not auto-index (shell plate turns with the pump of the handle) and I like that feature. The Chucker is a classic and still works very well, but is slow. The SDB imposes certain limitations: it only does a set of pistol calibers with proprietary dies which come only from Dillon, essentially, the standard pistol calibers from .32 S&W to .45 Colt. But the SDB is as close to a “plug and play” reloader as one can get. The SDB ran out of the box and the only thing I had to set was the charge. Once I felt confident enough to set the powder charge and load the press, I started cranking out cartridges, no hassles. Dillon said the press can do 400-500 rounds an hour, and that seems a bit optimistic to me, but 200-300 in an hour would not be hard if you were all set up and ready to run. In the three years I’ve had it, it has produced approximately 20,000 rounds of ammo which is reliable and accurate.
My worst gripe has to do with the priming system. From time to time, it starts to flip the primers and I have to fool around with the adjustment screws to get it to start feeding primers right again. This is especially true when changing calibers. On the gripe list, you could also include the proprietary dies and the fact that the SDB only loads pistol.
There was one real surprise: my hand-loaded ammo was more accurate than any store-bought I’ve used. With my very first batch of cartridges, I was suddenly shooting a ragged hole in the center of the target. I knew that the heavy duty precision shooters did their own loading, but I hadn’t counted on getting a significant improvement in my accuracy off of my first set of reloads. This, of course, has set off that quest for the perfectly tuned load for the forgiving and accurate S&W 9mm (M669).
The first session at the range with the Dillon-reloaded ammo was great. We burned up 250 rounds. In that 250 rounds, I didn’t have a single stoppage, misfire, or failure. I cranked them out last night in about 2 hours. Cost to me (bracketing out the cost of the reloading machinery) was 7¢ a shot, or about $17.50 as opposed to $50, had the same ammo been bought in the store—a 65% savings. It was fun to rapid fire magazine after magazine without worrying about the cost of the ammunition. I did quick double taps at a group of 4 boxes spaced at different depths. Don’t know how many time I hit, but I did some high speed soil cultivation and made some wonderful noise.
At that rate, the Dillon would pay for itself in about a week and a half. Of course, what they say is true: You don’t save money that much money; you shoot more. I really like to practice at least once a week. It’s my belief that your PD gun should be as familiar to your touch as an old glove, and to get that familiarity means lots of practice. The reloader lets me shoot the amount I want to shoot without feeling bad about it.
I bought the complete quick change for .38/.357 which includes not just the dies and shell plate, but also an extra powder measure and head plate. Once you get it set, all you have to do is switch the head assembly, powder measure and shell plate, which is about 5 minutes work. I thought about getting a second press so that I could just leave the two set up for .45 and 9mm, but that seemed to be a little too “into it” somehow. I have a nice little reloading bench set up in a quiet corner of the basement. It’s clean and uncluttered. I think a second press would tend to clutter and confuse things. It does take about ten minutes to change from one caliber to the other once all the adjustments are set.
I have acquired dies for .380, .38/.357, 9mm, and .45, and I reload them all. During that same time, I joined IDPA and shoot matches once or twice a month in addition to my normal practice schedule. It is safe to say that the SDB has saved me thousands of dollars in ammunition expense and allows me to shoot a load which is more dependable than anything you can buy off the shelf. In the three years and thousands of rounds we have loaded, we have experienced two bad cartridges. One was a double charge on a .38 Special and one was a squib load (no powder) on a 9mm. Both of these mistakes can be attributed to the operator taking the cases off of the shell plate and putting them back on the press in the wrong position. Neither mistake was fatal: the Airweight .38 Special held up to the double charge fine, leaving me only with a stinging hand. The squib was fired in the Beretta 9mm, which finished its day at the range, but the bullet was easy to remove from the barrel with an oak dowel and a mallet. The only other problem with the loads that emerged was that the dies will work out a bit after many thousands of rounds. I loaded a batch of .45 ACP that was too long, and this contributed to some feed failures in the 1911s. I would suggest that you check the OAL of your cartridges every 500 rounds or so.
I have spent a lot of time with the SDB and it has proven itself to be a worthy tool. Dillon’s technical support is the best in the business. The press itself is very solid and doesn’t give the operator trouble. I would highly recommend the SDB to anyone who shoots a lot of pistol. It will make you a better shooter in two ways: first, you will understand your pistol and ammunition much better by building your own ammunition, and second, you will get more practice because you will have all of that inexpensive but high quality ammunition on hand. You will also get a lot more popular with your pistol shooting friends because they will want to shoot that good ammo too.
I got to use my new Dillon HP-1 hearing protectors for the first time today. The event was the monthly KPDL match at Knob Creek, and it was the first match I have been able to attend since the family gave me the HP-1’s for my Christmas present. It was a cool and clear March day and an excellent opportunity to address my acute case of gun smoke deprivation brought on by the cold nasty winter just passed.
I was really impressed. I have begun to develop a bit of tinnitus and I also like to talk and visit when I am at a shooting match. Usually I would lift up one of the ear cups when I was trying to hear what someone was saying and invariably someone would set off a round when I had my hearing protection removed. This would cause my ears to ring for the rest of the week.
I have to admit that I approached the HP-1’s with a bit of skepticism just because it was hard for me to believe that an electronic gadget could do what they promised to do: to let normal sounds through, and even amplify them, while suppressing the loud and damaging impulse of the gun report. I had heard complaints on the first generation of electronic hearing protectors, particularly that the gun report caused them to shut down completely and that they tended to quit working or not work in the first place. I have observed a lot of folks who used the first generation sets adjusting their microphone levels when the wanted to talk but then having to adjust them down again when the shooting started. Nevertheless, I have developed a certain confidence in the folks at Dillon Precision over the years. I have bought quite a few Dillon-branded products and I have yet to be disappointed. The HP-1’s are no exception.
Arriving at the match, I set the microphones on the HP-1’s so that speech sounded normal. I could hear everyone plainly as if I didn’t have a headset on (or maybe slightly better). I stood about 30’ from the firing line and listened as other shooters ran the course. I could hear their guns go off with a respectable report, but the painful volume impulse was absent. I moved closer in 5’ increments, each time thinking I would have to adjust the microphones down, but I didn’t. Finally I was just behind the RO’s listening to the guns go off and there was still no damaging noise impulse but I could hear plainly every word that was being said as well as squirrels running in the leaves up on the hill. It came time for me to shoot. I didn’t adjust the mics down, but just stepped up to the line and commenced my course of fire. Again, I did not need to adjust the mics. I could hear my gun firing, but it was not loud or painful. I also noticed that I was paying more attention to my gun and my rounds going downrange.
My rating on the HP-1’s: five stars. They are $130 but worth every penny for 51-year-old ears that really don’t need any more abuse.
Technical Jazz:
Attenuation Data for the HP1 tested in strict accordance with American Standard Institute (ANSI) Specification S3. 19-1974. Although hearing protectors can be recommended for protection against the harmful effects of impulse noise, the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is based on the attenuation of continuous noise and may not be an accurate indicator of the protection attainable against impulse noise such as gunfire.
Improper fit of this device will reduce its effectiveness in attenuation noise. Consult instructions for proper fit.
The level of noise entering a person’s ear when hearing protector is worn as directed is closely approximated by the difference between the A-weighted environmental noise level and the NRR. Example:
The environmental noise level as measured at the ear is 92 dBA. The NRR is 20 decibels (dB). The level of noise entering the ear is approximately equal to 72 Db(A).
Caution: For noise environments dominated by frequencies below 500 Hz the C-weighted environmental noise level should be used.
WARNING: Attenuation will be obtained only if the device is in good condition and worn as directed. See instructions for use.
I have an abiding mistrust of battery-operated gee-gaws that are supposed to make my guns work better. My basement is a veritable graveyard of electronic gadgets that suddenly and mysteriously quit working, never to come to life again. Being a dedicated adherent to Murphy’s Law, I have observed that the tool with the fewest parts tends to be the one still functional at the end of the day. I have sent any number of mowers to lawnmower heaven, but Granny’s garden hoe still works. So, is there any room in my Luddite self-defense universe for a 21st Century laser aiming device?
Maybe so, and besides, they’re really cool.
The Crimson Trace Lasergrip is a creative concept which integrates a laser aiming device into the right grip panel of the gun. The grips are sculpted to nearly the same shape as the original grips so that all of your holsters still work. There is only a small hump at the top of the right panel under which the laser is mounted and the activation switch midway down the grip panel. The grips are made of a sturdy black polymer plastic material (or “combat rubber” depending on which model you buy) that is tough and feels good in your hand. Lasergrips are installed by simply replacing the factory grips. In the case of the 1911, this mean four screws and you’re done. No other modifications need to be done to the gun. It is adjusted for windage and elevation with two of the tiniest Allen wrenches I have ever seen. It is powered by two wafer-style 2032 lithium batteries.
So, what can Lasergrips do for you?
Aid in training.
Enable target acquisition in low light situations
Provide rapid and positive sight indexing on the target
Make possible easier target acquisition from weird positions and from behind cover
Facilitate visual communication and muzzle awareness
“Threat de-escalation”
Training Aid
The first thing that got my attention with the Lasergrips was their capacity to give instant visual feedback for what I was doing with the gun. The little red dot will quickly show you if you are milking the trigger, flinching, or pulling your shots to one side or the other. People with “mixed dominance” vision (right-handers with left-dominant eyes and vice-versa) can get a clear sense of the tricks their eyes may be playing with their sight picture. While it’s a controversial technique, point shooting can be dramatically improved by watching the dot when you draw. At twenty five yards, I found it easy to keep all the shot in the A-zone while holding the gun at approximately chest level and putting the red dot on the target without ever looking through the sights. I have pretty good eyes, so I’m speculating, but I have a hunch that people with impaired vision would be helped in getting onto the target by the laser, and I think they would find it much easer to get good hits with the laser than by trying to use iron sights. Instructors could be assisted in diagnosing problems by watching the student and observing the behavior of the laser on the target.
Crimson Trace LaserGrips LG-201
Target Acquisition in Low Light Situations
I never have been overwhelmed with Tritium night sights. They’re better than no illumination at all, but not by a whole lot. The laser sight is much quicker and more positive in low light conditions. It’s not a flashlight, although it does splash a little bit of light around. If you’re going into a pitch-black darkness, you still need a flashlight, but if there is any ambient light at all, the laser will get you on target quickly and in a very positive way without having to force your vision through those dim Tritium notches and posts. The advantage that the Tritium does have over the laser is that they don’t give away your position like a laser beam can.
Rapid and Positive Target Acquisition:
Crimson Trace Lasergrips are no replacement for iron sights, and if I had to make a very precise shot, I would still rely on the iron sights as long as I could see them. At the same time, getting the red dot on the target is very quick and bypasses the need to align the rear notch, the front post and the target. It is a medical fact that as we age, the eyeballs become less flexible. The eyes adjust their focal point by flexing, becoming slightly longer or shorter to focus at different points in the distance. Older eyes, being less flexible, do not adjust as quickly or at all to different focal points. Some people have difficulty getting a sight picture even under optimum conditions. For those with less than perfect vision, getting a sight picture can be slow, and they may not even be able to get just the front sight in focus well enough to make the shot. In these situations, Lasergrips can be a real help in getting on the target quickly. With relatively good vision, corrected with glasses, I found that getting the dot on target quickly in a match setting was easy. I have always had a tendency to drop my shots just a bit, and when you’re shooting Pepper poppers at a distance, dropping the shot can cause the popper not to drop by hitting it too low. Using the laser sight, my percentage of quality hits definitely improved on the poppers at longer distance. At closer distance, I think the laser may have actually slowed me down just a bit because I was looking for the red dot rather than just shooting the target with “front sight… press.” One situation did completely defeat the Lasergrips. A popper had been painted fluorescent orange and the red dot simply disappeared in the orange paint. I had to revert to iron sights on that one.
Crimson Trace LaserGrips LG-201
Easier Target Acquisition from Weird Positions and From Behind Cover:
When using iron sights, you must place at least part of your head behind the gun, and expose the gun and some of your face and head to hostile fire. With the Lasergrips, if you can see the target you can aim the pistol without exposing as much of your head. Under certain circumstances, this could be a distinct tactical advantage. Additionally, an officer who was down and wounded could still aim his pistol even if his wounds prevented him from aiming the pistol in the normal way.
Visual Communication and Muzzle Awareness
In a team context, the laser sight could be used as a pointer to indicate the position of a hostile or to signal potential paths of movement without making any sound. In a team training setting, the laser can be used to increase muzzle awareness and allow instructors to see clearly who is covering who.
“Threat De-escalation”
I love euphemism like this. “Threat de-escalation” simply means making the little red dot dance on the chest of a potential evil-doer and producing a rapid change of heart in said evil doer by giving him a clear visualization of where the hole is going to go if he decides to pursue his current course of action. Of all the benefits of the Lasergrips, this one is the most problematic for me. Why? Well, there’s no assurance that the aggressor is going to see the dot and make the right decision about it in the desired time frame. Second, this capability could tempt a person to draw and point their gun at a person in order to control them, but this could leave the user open to a charge of brandishing or even assault with a deadly weapon. Put another way, pointing a gun at another person has serious legal ramifications, and should only be done in circumstances that justify the use of deadly force. Nevertheless, a goodly number of police officers and soldiers have reported successful “de-escalations” in violent aggressive subjects with the use of the laser, and if the laser – legally applied – prevents a shooting, that’s a plus.
A Few Things That Lasergrips Aren’t:
They aren’t a replacement for your iron sights. They aren’t a shortcut to practice and good marksmanship. They aren’t a flash light, and most of all, they aren’t a cool toy with which to intimidate and mess with people’s heads. A couple of years ago a cadet in our local police department got into a verbal confrontation with a patron at a bar. The cadet was in uniform and, while tempers apparently got heated, the mouthy bar patron finally backed down and left. But as he walked away, the cadet drew her service pistol which was equipped with a laser sight and put the dot between the patron’s shoulder blades. This moment of indiscretion resulted in the cadet losing her job and the possibility of ever working as a police officer. Had she been a civilian, she probably would have been charged with a felony. The moral of that story is, don’t put the little red dot anywhere that it wouldn’t be appropriate to put a bullet.
Testimonial on Toughness and Water Resistance:
A SWAT Team Captain and Instructor writes:
“I teach basic to advanced building search classes and SWAT tactics. I have been using the Crimson Trace laser on my Glock 17 for almost five years now. [We will forgive the captain for his poor taste in guns for now…] I use my weapon each time I instruct to demonstrate the use of white light as well as the tactical advantage a laser sight has in a CQB/building search environment.
I carry my weapon on a daily basis while on and off duty, subjecting it to the daily ‘wear and tear’ of being jostled about and bumped around while getting in and out of a unit, etc. It has never failed to function properly when I needed it.
More importantly, I also work the major holidays on the Colorado River for our Department’s “Boating under the Influence” (BUI) Program. This duty requires being on the water in a patrol boat 10 to 12 hours a day. It is not uncommon to respond to emergencies that require entering the water to assist someone.
When this occurs there is no time to remove your weapon or other gear. The first time I went in the water with my weapon on I didn’t give a thought to the fact that I subjected the laser system and its electrical components to complete emersion in water.
Later, after I got off duty, I was in the process of getting ready to clean my weapon when it dawned on me that I had probably destroyed the laser system by going in the water with it. I hit the pressure switch, and quite honestly, to my amazement… IT WORKED!
I can’t tell you the amount of times I have been in and out of the water with my weapon on, but each time I go in so does Crimson Trace’s Laser System. It has never failed to work when I need it, even after being completely immersed in water on numerous occasions. This is quite a testament to the reliability and durability of your product.
I thought it important for you to know this and be able to tell other users of the reliability of your system and the type of abuse it can be subject to and still operate.
Although I can’t state the agency I am employed by, you may use my personal experiences, confidence and endorsement of Crimson Trace and your Laser System.”
— Captain James D. Stalnaker
Testimonial on Toughness and “Threat De-escalation”
My name is SSG Sieler. I am currently deployed in Tikrit Northern Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with B Company 2-4 Aviation Regiment 4th Infantry Division.
I purchased one of your outstanding sighting systems to go with my Aviation Life Support Equipment. I use it everyday and must say that it is one of the best combat multipliers I have in this combat theater. I must honestly say it has saved lives over here. Not only those of U.S. services members but also the lives of Iraqis.
Often we are faced with tense situations where the “little red dot” makes the difference between the use of deadly force or the power of intimidation. Even with the language barrier the little red dot speaks volumes for us.
I’m sure you have had soldiers here try to contact you to purchase ones for themselves, as everyone I run into loves mine. The environment here is extremely inhospitable and my M-9 takes a beating on a daily basis. The OPTEMPO in Army Aviation here is staggering and all the aircrews carry the Berretta 9mm. Many soldiers here have bolt-on personal sighting devices but none are as transparent in use, (your grips fit just like the original equipment and never hinder operations as others do) or nearly as durable. Mine has outlasted all the others.
Once again I would like to thank you for an outstanding product. It has made my job that much easier. I have no idea how I ever got along without it.
— SSG SIELER
Nits to pick:
The grips appear to be built fairly solidly. They can withstand complete submersion in water and rough duty. There is a design feature on this particular model of the grips (LG-201) that I don’t like too much. The batteries are held in place by a metal plate which is positioned on the grip panel by four little feet that fit in shallow notches in the back of the panel. The positioning is not very positive and it can be kind of fumbly getting the grips back onto the gun after they have been removed. I usually remove my grips when I clean a 1911 so I don’t get pools of oil or cleaner sitting under the grips. This is even more important with the Lasergrips because I can’t imagine that oil or solvents soaking into the mechanism and batteries could do them any good. Hence, a cleaning results in several attempts to get the grips back on the gun before everything lines up and goes back on right. I think the plate could have been designed to position itself on the grip panel more positively.
Summary:
Crimson Trace Lasergrips are an innovative concept that can provide a number of training and tactical advantages. I wouldn’t consider them something I couldn’t live without, but many tactical situations and circumstances come to mind in which the Lasegrips could be a significant asset.
Specs:
Dot Size: Approximately 0.5″ diameter at 50 feet.
Beam Intensity: 5mw peak, 633nm, class IIIa laser. Maximum output that federal law and technology allow. Also available in infrared for law enforcement and military only.
Power Source: Two #2032 lithium batteries (included). Provide over four hours on on-time use and have a five-year shelf life.
Activation: Integrated momentary pressure switch(s) (all models) and a master on/off switch (most models).
Adjustment: Fully adjustable for windage and elevation with Crimson Trace’s precise sight-lock calibration screws.
Warranty: Full three-year no hassle warranty on all parts and labor.
There is no doubt that the 7.62 mm M43 caliber Kalashnikov assault rifle is the most popular small arm in the world. Since its introduction in 1949, the Kalashnikov assault rifles have performed well in virtually every battlefield around the world, and have gained a reputation for both poor accuracy and exceptional reliability in adverse conditions.
The Kalashnikov assault rifle’s reliability is usually credited to it’s loose tolerances and operational principle with a long-stroke gas action. That is certainly true, but the magazine should not be ignored as a critical component of a small arm. A majority of malfunctions with self-loading (semi-automatic and full-automatic) firearms are caused by magazines. If you don’t have a magazine which operates flawlessly, you don’t have a reliable firearm.
The 7.62 mm M43 caliber AK magazine is reliable, but like the others, it is naturally subject to cause malfunctions if very dirty, damaged or well-worn. I have observed numerous malfunctions with the Kalashnikov-type rifles and most of them, if not all, are caused by extremely dirty, damaged, worn-out or low-quality magazines.
To keep your magazines running there are few rules of thumb to remember. Never store a loaded magazine for long periods as magazine spring can weaken under tension. Strip and clean magazines frequently but never lube magazines, as lubricant will help accumulate debris. If you have a damaged or well worn magazine it is better to replace it with a new one than repair it. It may break down during an important situation.
Development of standard 30-rd box magazine
A 30-round double column curved box magazine stamped from sheet steel is a stereotype of all feeding devices issued for the AK-47/AKM type rifles.
As the first Avtomat Kalashnikov assault rifles were issued for the Red Army in 1949, they came out with a curved, double column box magazine holding 30 rounds. The general configuration bears resemblance to the 7.92 mm Kurz caliber MP43/MP44/StG44 assault rifle magazine, but the first production variations had flat sided bodies without reinforcement ribs. Stamped from 0.04″ (1 mm) sheet steel, the flat-sided AK magazine is both heavy and robust.
The 30-rd steel magazines appears in many forms, from left to right: Soviet flat-sided magazine. Standard-issue 30-rd “ridgeback” magazine as manufactured in Soviet Union and most Warsaw Pact countries, Chinese-made magazine which doesn’t include such edge on the rear side, Finnish 30-rd steel magazine which has a rectangular wire loop mounted on the base plate, and 40-rd RPK magazine. Yugoslavian 30-rd magazine – not included in this row – is similar to standard Warsaw Pact pattern, but includes a follower, which acts as a hold open device. Finish of the AK magazines will vary. Soviet/Russian and Warsaw Pact magazines are usually either blued or painted black like many AKM rifles of the same origin. Finnish magazines are usually bright blued, while many FDF mags carry dull parkerized finish. Chinese-made magazines are also usually blued. Steel magazines have usually no markings, which would reveal their origin.
The flat-sided AK magazines are currently hard to find in the West, and therefore prized collector’s items, but in Russia they are still in active service.Since the days of the Afghan War, troopers prefer to carry heavy flat sided magazines in their chest webbing as they will provide extra ballistic protection. To many soldiers, the plastic magazines are basically shunned as plastic fragments generated by bullet strike are not traceable with X-rays.
In the mid-1950’s an improved pattern stamped steel magazine design with a rib stamping reinforced body was introduced. It has similar size and shape to its predecessor, but it was made from thinner 0.03″ (0.75 mm) sheet steel. This particular type was later manufactured in huge quantities, and was widely issued for both AK-47 and AKM rifles. It became a stereotype of all Kalashnikov magazines. Virtually all AK magazines manufactured outside the former Soviet Union/Russia will follow this pattern.
For a while the Soviets examined an aluminium magazine for the AKM, but found it undesirable and quickly switched to plastics. The first AK plastic magazine has a body made from fibre reinforced phenol plastic. The reddish-brown colored material was likely chosen for its good fire-resistant characters and well known production procedures. Though not as common as ribbed steel magazines, these first generation Soviet plastic magazines are not rare. A similar but scaled-down magazine was also introduced for the 5.45 mm caliber AK-74.
The Russian 7.62 mm M43 caliber black polyamide (nylon) magazine was introduced with the AK-100 series. As there exist huge quantities of AK-47/AKM steel magazines, this type has been manufactured in limited quantities only, and few have surfaced outside Russia. Very similar plastic magazines have been made also in Poland, and were issued with the latest AKM rifles and their semi-auto counterparts manufactured in Poland.
The Finnish created a plastic magazine of their own design. In 1980’s a private contractor developed a 30-rd plastic magazine at the request of Finnish Defence Forces for the m/62 assault rifle (the AK-47 derivative). Differing from earlier Soviet plastic magazine designs, Finnish magazines are all plastic construction (except the spring and mounting hardware), and has a waffle-patterned single piece body similar to the Steyr AUG magazine injection-molded from polyamide plastic. The first Finnish plastic magazines issued were green colored, but colour was later switched to dark gray.
There is a long road – forty years in time – from the first flat sided steel magazines to the latest Russian and Finnish plastic magazines. However, the basic concept of a curved 30-rd double column type is still the same.
Non-standards and experimentals
While it is the 30-rd curved box magazine that is the common pattern available, there exist a number of variations and other magazines which won’t fit in this stereotype.
A variety of AK magazines with non-standard capacity have been fabricated primarily for sporting purposes. Shorter, low capacity magazines are frequently required by hunting regulations, but short magazines are also good choices while fired from a bench rest or if a low profile is required in the field.
The most common type in this category is the Chinese 5 round magazine. A five round magazine is a highly recommended accessory to all AK owners for sighting-in their rifles. Russian 5 and 10 round plastics magazines for the Saiga hunting rifles, spin-offs of Russian 30-rd black plastic magazine, are issued for the Saiga hunting rifle. While they are not readily interchangeable with AK mags, the Saiga magazines can be easily modified to fit in the AK rifles.
Other non-standard size AK magazines have been produced by the Chinese and Finnish Valmet (commercial type) at least with 20-rd and 15-rd capacities, respectively. Chinese 20-rd AK magazines are similar to the Type 68 rifle magazines (except that the Type 68 mags have a capacity of 15 rounds), but lack a bolt hold-open device activator.
Although some other commercial AK magazines have been introduced, availability sources of inexpensive surplus magazines have virtually guaranteed that there is not much room for commercial magazines.
The Polish and Hungarian armies, which employed blank propelled rifle grenades with their Kalashnikov-type rifles, were also issued with shorter 10-rd magazines for feeding grenade blanks. This type of magazine won’t accept ball ammunition.
Mainly in Soviet Union, a number of experimental feeding devices for the 7.62 mm M43 caliber AK assault rifles and RPK LMGs were developed.
Some examples of the 7.62 mm M43 caliber AK magazines have been converted to accept a stripper clip guide, similar to the one used with the AK-74 magazines.
The most impressive Kalashnikov magazine ever built was a curved staggered row box magazine with full 100-rd capacity. The bottom of the semicircular-shaped box magazine was fastened on the barrel. There was also a 60-rd four-column AK box magazine, similar to the Linde/Tikkakoski 50-rd box magazine for Finnish and Swedish variants of the 9mm Suomi SMG.
The AK plastic magazines from left to right: the eldest and most common Soviet 30-rd magazine made from reddish glass-fiber reinforced phenol plastic, Russian (this particular specimen is made in Poland) black plastic magazine, older Finnish green plastic magazine and current-issue Finnish dark grey plastic magazine
Magazines for the RPK and Chinese LMGs
Magazines for AK/AKM/RPK family are fully interchangeable as long as the caliber stays the same- 7.62 mm M43. The high capacity magazines originally issued for the RPK LMG can be used with AK/AKM rifles and AK 30-rd mags with the RPK. Interchangeability is also valid among the AK-74 family.
As the RPK squad automatic weapon was introduced in 1961, it came with a 40-rd curved box magazine otherwise similar to the AK-47/AKM standard-issue magazine. The 40-rd magazine was, however, found unsuitable for rough terrain, as it can interfere with firing from a bipod. A 40-rd magazine would perform better if used with an assault rifle. The 40-rd RPK magazines have been seen fitted in AK-47’s and AKM’s on various battlefields, and one should not forget that the Israelis and South Africans employ 50-rd magazines with their 5.56 mm caliber Galil and R4/R5 assault rifles in certain applications.
Another RPK magazine is a 75-rd drum. The Soviet drum is completely different from the more frequently distributed Chinese design. The Soviet drum has no openable back cover, it is loaded with loose rounds from the top. The Soviet-made 75-rd drum magazine is reliable and it provides a lower profile than a standard 30-rd magazine, let alone a 40-rd magazine.
Drum magazines were not originally designed for AK/AKM rifles, but the RPK and other magazine-fed LMGs including Chinese Type 74 and Type 81 are naturally adaptable for the 7.62 mm M43 caliber AK-type rifles.
Drum magazines most frequently available in the civilian marketplace are of mainland Chinese origin. Chinese 75-rd and 100-rd drums were originally designed for Type 81 and Type 74 light machine guns, respectively. These Chinese LMGs have virtually no relationship to a Soviet RPK, but magazines bear somewhat of a resemblance to the Thompson SMG drum magazines.
Both Chinese AK drum magazines have hinged back covers, which are opened while cartridges are inserted. Filling the Chinese drum magazines is fast and easy. Both types can be long-term stored with cartridges, as the magazine spring is not wound up while filling, but later when preparing to use it.
In my opinion drum magazines are heavy and bulky; they won’t provide great advantages for a rifleman. However, they are indeed collector’s items, and great conversation pieces, too.
The most popular feeding device on the globe?
As long as the caliber stays the 7.62 mm M43, box magazines are interchangeable with all following small arms:
The AK-47 and AKM assault rifles, their modified variants and semi-auto only counterparts.
The RPK LMGs and variants, inclunding RPK-styled semi-auto only rifles.
Chinese Type 68 and Type 81 rifles.
Chinese Type 74 and Type 81 LMGs.
Chinese SKS carbines with detachable magazines.
Chinese or Russian drum magazines will not fit on Chinese SKS carbines with detachable magazines.
The most important question from a consumer’s viewpoint is: Which magazine is the best, most rugged and most reliable; which one I should choose? In my opinion the best and most economical choice is a standard Warsaw Pact origin 30-rd steel magazine, which is widely available with reasonable prices. The Soviet/Russian and other Eastern European magazines provide superior materials and workmanship with a budget price. Avoid commercial after-market products and stay with military issue hardware.
