If your SKS-D doesn't not feed properly read this

[Declan]

I bought two AK 47(30/5) mags from Lever Arms and today I went to the range to try my SKS-D for the first time.

I put the first mag in and it fed and reloaded like a charm. I was very happy about that as I heard all kinds of stories about SKS-D's having feeding problems.

I finished the five rounds and I threw in the second mag. I pulled back the bolt and let it slam. The round got jammed before the tip could enter the chamber. I tried it again a few more times with the same result.

I took the two mags and started comparing the characteristics to see what the difference was. I spotted it imediately. The one that fed without problem has a follower with the bump that stretches from the front edge to the back one.

It looks like this:

The bump on the follower from the mag that wouldn't feed, does not stretch from end to end. It only goes half way and then it flatens out.

It looks like this:

The followers in the pictures are not necessarely Ak47 mag followers but the characteristics are the same.

If your mag does not fed properly, have a look. It will most likely have a follower with the short bump. Change it to one that runs from end to end and you will most likely get rid of your feeding problem.

The follower with the long bump elevates the tip of the bullet to the proper hight as it loads and it will go into the chamber. The follower with the short bump will not lift the tip of the bullet enough to be lined up with the chamber when the bolt starts pushing it forward and it gets wedged between the bolt( at the back) and the vertical wall leading up to the chamber ( at the tip).

 

[BNR]

if i have that problem and need to change the follower where you buy that thing ??

 

[Declan]

Try Marstar, Lever Arms or any of the dealers that have banners here.

 

[MapleSugar]

As far as I can remember, all the Chinese mags have the follower ridge running from front to back. The European AK mags have the ridge that only extends halfway from the back of the follower.

Also, The body on a Chinese mag is 1mm thick and 1.5mm's thick on a ComBloc mag. The ComBloc mags have a 3mm thick reinforcing rib on the back of the spine running from the floorplate up. The Chinese mags just have a bump that has been pressed into the body.

The ComBloc mags are supposed to be more robust, but the Chinese followers are better (Polytech used to chrome some of them for smoother feeding.)

Back when I had an AK, I always liked the mag changes better with the ChiCom mags. They just felt better when I grasped them in my hand.

Cheers!

 

[Shrapnel]

My SKS-D works with any type of AK mags I tried... I have chinese mags as well as com-bloc mags...

 

[BNR]

ive just received my mags and the dont have the front to back follower i dont know if it makes it hard to feed because i didnt shoot with it but ill try to search for followers to buy, lever arms, marstars etc ill chek out if the have some

 

[Ljungman]

I have a Romainian, 3 Chinese, and a few East German mags. They all feed fine.

 

[V1]

This TAPCO follower has really good feedback, but it also makes my chinese steel 5rnd AK-style mags to take 10rnd. So I will have to block them, after I install new followers. Would it be OK if I buy them south of border and have them mailed to me? Customs? Other unforeseen troubles?

 

[BNR]

you are able to purchase from TAPCO ive received an email telling me they dont ship in canada

 

[V1]

Which store?

 

[BNR]

direct from TAPCO USA, ive never seen TAPCO stuff elsewhere...

 

[BNR]

hey maybe someone can help i have a question about my East-German mags, when i insert them into my SKS-D they are really loose into it like if the sides of the mags where they enter the mechanism are damn used

 

[leftent]

I believe that Canucks can buy Tapco products via Gunpartsguy in the US.

 

[V1]

Hi All
I have ordered some from sksman.com. Will see. Any recommendations on the best way to block mags to 5 rnds?

 

[pirate]

I've had to do some minor filing on the lips of some mags (30rd) to get them to lock up in a d-model. Is that common?
Does anyone have feedback on the a-model duckbill mags?

 

[V1]

"s that common?"
Yes, AFAIK. I had to do the same for out of box chinese 5rnds.

 

[Ljungman]

I've never had to mod any of my mags. All 6 of my 30/5 ak mags an 3 5/5 ak mags feed fine in my D from the start.

 

[BNR]

do you have some mags that are really loose from left to right ?? i got one that make me think ill have feeding problem, its so much loose that when i put the bolt back i see the sides of the mag moving a lot ...

 

[Ljungman]

all my 30 rounders are loose in the mag well a little. the wobble from side to side a bit if you move them. no feeding problems though.

 

[Declan]

I have to expand on my initial theory a bit. I bought a few more mags and I made sure that they shipped me the ones with the follower that runs through.

A couple of them still didn't feed right. The problem this time was that the side lips of the mag, the ones that curve around the back part of the cartridge to keep it from popping up straight, were too long.

They were catching on the very end of the shell and it was getting jammed. I filed them back a bit and now they feed without problems.

If you have feeding problems, then something doesn't fit properly. Pull back the bolt, with the loaded mag in, (at the range, of course) and slowly push the bolt forward. Observe what happens. If you have the right follower and the tip of the bullet is elevated enough to go into the chamber, but the last eighth of an inch of the case is still inside the mag lip when the bolt jams, you will have to file that off.