XTech Tactical AK Mag: America’s Answer to the Circle 10?

I remember my first AK, right after the sunset of the assault weapons ban in 2004. Romanian WASR-10, canted sights, sloppy magwell, trigger slap and all. In all her glory, she was as roughshod as they came, but she was mine, and I was happy. Complete with a case of 7.62×39 and five surplus steel magazines for an extra $100 from an old Vietnam vet, I strolled through the door of that gunshow out a princely sum of $450. And boy, did I have some things to learn. Learn I did. But times changed a bit in the past 14 years, especially in the gun world, some for the better and some, not so much.

One of the issues that always plagued the AK was the magazine- not the design, but finding a good one. Sure, there was the surplus market and you could pick up a crate for pennies on the dollar. After a good scrubbing to kill off that cosmoline, some of them would be ok and some of them were trash. But that’s what you got with surplus, a roll of the dice. As the AK got popular primarily due to inexpensive ammo, so did the demand for good magazines. At today’s prices on them, I don’t think they represent any sort of value for a shooter looking to stash some away.

Left to Right: Romanian Steel Surplus, Arsenal Circle 10, XTech 47, Magpul Gen 3, Magpul Gen 1

Like the AR, polymer magazines really began to take off due to their lighter weight and nicer appearance. Plus they tend to not make as much noise in the woods. And for a long time there was a few options on the table; some good, some not so good, but in the end you got what you paid for. Although the AK market has slowed a bit in the US from what it was between 2008-2012, one company has developed a really good option and one that I think, for both the money and the durability, is the best on the market.  The XTech Tactical Mag-47 represents a real step forward in the AK magazine market and it should be on your list for the best option on the market when compared to its closest rivals, the Magpul Gen 3 and the Arsenal Circle 10.

Minimum Qualities That Make A Good Polymer AK Mag

Arsenal, Inc.’s diagram of the steel-lined AK magazine. Courtesy: K-Var Corp.

An AK mag is a different animal from the AR-15. Because of the way the magazine locks into the magazine well, a polymer magazine has to have steel reinforcements on both the rear locking lug at the magazine latch and the front lug where it locks into the magazine well. This is an absolute minimum for combat reliability. While other polymer magazines on the market my function just fine on the square range, I wouldn’t rely on them in a field environment.

The Russians learned long ago when making AK magazines from Bakelite that steel reinforcement was a must for combat reliability. Why? If the magazine gets jarred in any way, that polymer is the only thing keeping your magazine seated in the weapon. I don’t like that, and neither should you. So if it’s going in a weapon you might have to stake your life on, and that’s every weapon I own, So for me, aside from steel surplus, the only real options are Magpul’s Gen 3 Pmag, Arsenal’s Circle 10, and XTech’s Mag-47.

The Gen 3 Pmag

Several years ago when Magpul announced their AK Pmag many Kalash shooters got excited…only to be let down by the magazines being all-polymer. I can tell you from experience with both the AR-15 and SR-25 Pmag in combat that the polymer can be a bit brittle especially in cold weather. I’ve cracked feed lips and sheared the locking tab on the SR-25 magazine. That translates to a very bad thing for the AK mag. They knew it too, and launched the Gen 3 to correct the flaws.

Magpul Gen 1 (top) and Gen 3 (bottom). While the Gen 3 is a vast improvement, it still lacks steel lined feed lips, a necessary requirement for combat-ready AK polymer magazines.

Featuring a steel lined locking lug in the front and rear, the magazine is a step up from the earlier and cheaper incarnation. They fit and function fine, and I’ve never had an issue with them. The potential problem I see though, keeping in mind the brittleness of Magpul’s polymer, is the feedlips could shear. A lot of wear and tear is placed on the feedlips in the AK action. And again, while I haven’t had an issue with mine, not having that steel reinforcement doesn’t give me the highest level of confidence. So while I think Magpul makes some great products for the AR market, they’ve still got some improving to do on the AK.

The Arsenal Circle 10

Long considered the gold standard of AK magazines, the Arsenal Circle 10 has been the magazine of choice for serious shooters. It’s the actual military issue magazine for the AK-103 platform, meaning it’s been through the rigors of military certification testing. In addition to having steel lined locking lugs, they also feature steel lined feed lips, which makes them as robust as the surplus steel mags while reducing weight. The ones I’ve had over the years have been excellent.

The Arsenal Circle 10. Steel reinforced where it counts, in the feed lips and locking tabs. It’s long been the gold standard for mil-spec AK magazines. The downside? Price.

Compare to XTech’s Mag. Same steel lined locking tabs and feed lips but with a follower that doesn’t trap debris.

There’s a couple of downsides though. The first one is that as all AK shooters know, and I learned over the years of owning at least a dozen variants, is that tolerances can be a bit different for each rifle- especially if they’re from different countries of origin. They don’t fit in every AK I own right out of the box- I’ve had to shave a bit of material off the lugs and lips to make them work across each carbine. That doesn’t bother me as I’ve got 14 years and thousands of rounds out of it…I can diagnose small issues. But it might matter to you.

The second issue is cost. As the AK has become more popular, everything has went up. Surplus steel magazines that used to be pennies on the dollar are drying up and on any given day will cost at least $10, with no guarantee they’re serviceable. The Arsenal mags today are nearly insane in cost, being right around $45 as of this writing. Magazines should be considered somewhat expendable, and at that cost, it’s pretty outrageous. So while they might be the gold standard, they’ll set you back a few pieces of that gold to get a combat load of them. But if you wanted combat reliability, cost came with the territory. That is, until now.

Enter the Xtech

Jeremy Deadman and his crew out in Arizona saw an opportunity in the market and designed the XTech Mag-47, implementing all of the same features which make the Circle 10 so reliable and even improving on it. Coming in two follower designs, one with a bolt hold open, one without. How do they function?

The magazine, fully loaded, dropped on my shop floor from a height of six feet. Does not lose any rounds. Note the mark on the floor.

Minor damage to the rear locking tab and back of feed lip. No loss of function, no fracturing, no issues when firing.

Right out of the box the polymer feels sturdy- much less brittle than the Magpul. The lockup is tight, but not overly so. There’s no need to shave any material off anywhere across the three AKs used in the testing- two Romanian, one Hungarian. The mags load easily with no felt binding or feeding issues all the way to the 30 round mark. That’s important as a lot of AK magazines, even surplus ones, can get tough around the 25rd mark. Since they were provided for review, I felt like tossing them around on concrete for a bit. Fully loaded mag, dropped feedlips-first on the floor from six feet. The magazine didn’t lose any rounds and didn’t look like it took any damage. So let’s do it again. Since it still hasn’t lost any rounds, lets go out and put a few through it.

Dumped fully loaded in a mudhole. Let’s see how they do.

But before we do, let’s dump them, fully loaded, in a mudhole. Submerged in nearly-frozen mud, icy water and leaf debris. Pulling them out, they’re covered in mud and water. Do they function?

The AK may be filthy on the inside, but the magazines did their job.

Locking the first one in, I fire all thirty rounds to the end. No stoppages. I rock the second mag in place, fire all thirty rounds. No stoppages, with the bolt-hold-open follower holding the bolt securely.

Final Thoughts

Overall I’m impressed with these mags. They are every bit on par with the Arsenal Circle 10 and exceed the Magpul Gen 3. With their over built design and capability to stand up to serious field conditions, I have no reservations running these exclusively with my weapons and I plan on stashing a case or two in the near future. But the best part about the Mag-47: it’s made in the USA, by Americans. Going for $27 on XTech’s site, they’re a bargain compared to their closest competitor and outclass everyone else. If you own an AK, you need a few of these mags. It’s that simple.

 

If you’re interested in an AK-specific class, I’ve got one on the schedule in February. Even if the Kalash is not your first choice for a weapon, the Russians building a lot of them in Venezuela; you might want to get familiar with them, just in case.

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9 Comments

  1. Mas Casa December 28, 2018 at 07:14

    I just purchased a few Magpul Gen 3s before Christmas. I planned on getting a few XTechs as well. Not to be a chicken little, but it may be useful to pick some up at the current prices just in case the new Congress begins shenanigans.

    • NC Scout December 28, 2018 at 07:50

      Couldn’t agree more.

  2. anonymous December 28, 2018 at 07:14

    Thank you for your review. I had not heard of this magazine before.

  3. Anonymous December 28, 2018 at 08:40

    5

  4. Reasonable Rascal December 28, 2018 at 08:45

    I believe that my motley assortment of magazines might develop an inferiority complex should I bring some of those in the house. Not that I am in the least concerned with their mental health (I’m not), merely their physical stamina.

    I thank you for that review. The brand is entirely new to me.

    • Mas Casa December 31, 2018 at 21:22

      Out of curiosity, I weighed a 30 round Magpul MOE AK mag and a steel 30 round Polish mag today. I used my wife’s digital food scale. Both mags were empty. The Magpul was 6.5 ounces and the Polish was 12.6. Those ounces can really add up.

  5. Devin S December 28, 2018 at 15:29

    Good article, firearms is something I’ve set aside for the last few years as we lived in WA and the county closed the hundred year old gun club and money was tight. I have a cheap Atlantic Firearms AK, which was my first “assault rifle” and I’ve been in love ever since. I’ve yet to shoot a high end AK so I don’t know the difference, but I have a feeling I lucked out with mine because it runs smoothly. I have ARs, but still like my AK. But I would like to upgrade my AK and ARs to something higher end, I’ve thought about Arsenal or more likely a Rifle Dynamics, and on the AR side Daniel Defense. Not sure if it’s needed, but I want something reliable. I’m going to at least buy some of these mags, I’ve had Magpuls chip on the feed lips. I’d love to take your course, but as usual, can’t afford to fly across the country for it. Maybe something could be worked out with our friends in MT? I wanted to take Mosby’s courses here in ID, but he has become locals only now and too busy.

    • NC Scout December 28, 2018 at 16:53

      The big difference between a high-end AK and a lower end one is kinda a complicated answer…actually a very complicated answer. Most of the imported Romanian (WASR and M10) guns since about 2013 or so are excellent, not being a kit build from surplus parts by the lowest bidder but actually newly built on milspec machines in Cugir, Romania. Atlantic’s in-house AKs they’ve done have been very well built over the years. Century Arms, not so much. Stay far away from anything made by IO Inc and Century’s American made builds. The jury is still out on Reilly Defense and Palmetto State’s AK with forged trunnions seems good to go. Jim Fuller of Rifle Dynamics is a great guy.

      One of the things you can do now is polish the trigger group and get a better muzzle device than the slant brake. You’ve probably already done the latter, but polishing the trigger makes for a much better feel. A better muzzle device makes for a different handling weapon. The Type 81 is great on the cheap, and there’s a few other options I’ll be writing about soon.

      I’m up for an AK class in the Redoubt, if the numbers support it we can make it happen.

      • Badger December 30, 2018 at 07:42

        Thanks; interesting that someone finally got around to doing this for an AK mag. Also, it seems actually Circle 10’s really haven’t gone up that much compared to price 10 years ago. Good batch of Bulgarians I bought way back were still approaching $40/per. But this is good to see.

        I’d second your assessment of what to look at or stay away from in general as far as buying goes. Mine was actually an old Romanian that was culled from 6 as I sat on the basement floor of my wonderful local dealer, looking for straight blocks/sights, etc. In general, I wouldn’t recommend the practice in general, lol. But AK’s are great and, even if one has an AR or 2, they make a great thing for if you need to simply arm a compatriot on short notice (other than schooling them on mag manipulation).

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