Polymer Bulgarian AK Mags: Durable & Cheap

You get what you pay for. At least, that’s what we’re told. In revisiting my early firearms ventures, it seemed even the cheapest AK platforms ran like tanks no matter what you put through them. Over the years, I’ve learned the AK platform is just as diverse as the AR in quality, fit, finish, and accessories. While Arsenal AK mags fetch a premium, polymer magazines — like steel Bulgarian AK mags — run as little as $10. Depending on who you ask, there’s a significant difference in quality between these magazines. Meanwhile, others tout the Bulgarian AK mags as an economical and reliable option at a fraction of the price of steel mags.

Admittedly, I’m not a diehard fan of the AK. Not because I have anything against the AK platform, but I’ve just been an AR guy who never delved deep into the AK realm. Nonetheless, a coworker’s query about the quality of polymer Bulgarian AK mags piqued my interest. Are polymer Bulgarian AK Mags reliable? Are they awful? Or is it a matter of the right tool for the right job? Well, in the interest of quasi-science, I tried to answer those questions for you.

The Polymer Bulgarian AK Mag

At a fraction of the $50-60 cost of a steel Arsenal AK magazine, the polymer Bulgarian AK magazine seems like too good of a deal at around $10. However, if we’ve learned anything from history, polymer magazines aren’t exactly bad. The days of paying $50 or more for high-end steel AR magazines ended with the Magpul PMAG and the ensuing flurry of reliable polymer options from other manufacturers like Lancer. While AK traditionalists may gravitate towards steel and Bakelite, some of us want budget-conscious reliability.

Initial Impressions

The polymer Bulgarian AK magazines for this review were 30-round 7.62x39mm variants. After receiving five in the mail, I inspected each magazine out of the packaging and observed nothing of concern. No bent feed lips, sticky followers, or cracked polymer.

The Bulgarian AK mags are disassembled easily with a surprisingly long and robust magazine spring. The anti-tilt follower was lightly oiled and provided reliable feeding throughout testing and shooting on the range. While nothing special, the follower is designed as it should be to minimize the potential for a follower-related malfunction.

Construction and Features

The magazines featured a small hole in the rear of the magazine to show when the magazine has reached its 30-round capacity. If you see a case rim, the mag is full. If you don’t, keep adding rounds. While insanely simple, the window provided a nice visual index when loading the magazines.

The Bulgarian AK mags are constructed from a lightweight polymer. While they appeared durable enough to withstand some abuse, subsequent testing would make the ultimate determination. Polymer-only magazines occasionally run into issues from the stress of loaded cartridges deforming the feed lips. Luckily, these magazines feature steel-reinforced feed lips to mitigate this issue. The magazines loaded easily and initially fit a little snug into the PSA AK-47 used for testing. After a few practice mag changes, they locked into place with little effort.

Abusing Bulgarian AK Mags

When it comes to testing magazine durability, it’s easy to venture into the realm of the absurd. Since these magazines don’t break the bank, I see no harm in going all out. Nonetheless, any testing with these magazines was geared towards addressing a curiosity or testing practical durability. If anything, it was entertaining.

Polymer Flexibility

“Polymer” is a catch-all term for a wide variety of plastics and resins. While some polymers handle heat and flexion easily, others become brittle or show stress fractures. In the interest of consistency, I placed one of the Bulgarian AK mags in a bench vise with a 1/4-inch thick piece of leather as a buffer. The vice was tightened until the metal jaws touched the magazine’s body, which was around 1/4-inch of compression to each side of the magazine. I left the magazine like that for about 30 minutes before backing it out and then compressing it again. This process was repeated 15 times over the next few minutes.

If the polymer didn’t withstand flexion very well, it should have shown stress fractures or weakening in the sidewalls. For comparison, I completed the same process with a Magpul AK mag with similar results. Both magazines held together fine and didn’t show any damage or failures. While a basic test, this was definitely a pass for the polymer Bulgarian AK mag.

Hammer Time

We all know the importance of using the right tool for the right job. Unfortunately, polymer Bulgarian AK mags don’t work well as hammers—especially while in the gun. For this test, I seated the Bulgarian AK mag into my Century pistol AK and hammered the back of the magazine against my workbench several times.

After three hard strikes, the rear locking tab sheared off, and the magazine dislodged. In the process, the tab embedded itself in the magazine release and bent the lever. For comparison, I grabbed a Magpul AK mag and performed the same process. Despite the Magpul’s apparently reinforced rear tab, it sheared off in three strikes as well with similar results.

Not to be outdone, the pick on a rock hammer got some work in against the magazine bodies of both the Bulgarian AK mag and the Magpul AK mag. After two hits, the hammer punched a nice hole in the Magpul magazine and cracked the body, while the Bulgarian AK mag just cracked.

Both magazine bodies fractured with similar damage. After a little prodding and bending from a screwdriver, the followers and springs moved freely again. The MagPul and Bulgarian AK mags still loaded to 30 rounds easily. While the locking tabs were MIA, the magazines still functioned. Of course, I took them out on the range and blasted through several mags of both with no issues. Granted, I held them in place, but they worked as they should. On my Century Arms AK pistol, the Bulgarian magazine still locked into place somewhat despite missing the locking tab.

Water, Mud, and Cold

I’ve embraced the habit of function testing any new magazines. While most companies are reliable and reputable, you get a weird one every now and again. Sometimes, the ammunition isn’t compatible. Suffice it to say, function test your gear where possible. With the Bulgarian polymer AK mags, I ran all of them through a mag or two, each with no issues. They did exactly what I’d expect from an AK magazine. However, that’s a little too vanilla for this review.

My range is conveniently located, but the drainage needs a little work. After some heavy Midwest rains, the abused AK mag deserved a solid bath. I tossed and turned the loaded mag several times in the mud and let it sit for a few minutes while the mud settled into as many crevices as possible. From there, it was straight to trigger time. After blasting through a couple of magazines with the same process repeated, this abused and mistreated mag showed zero willingness to quit.

Russia, or the late USSR, has some uniquely recognizable elements — vodka, the AK, and blistering cold. It wouldn’t be a true AK mag test or review without some cold thrown into the mix. Since it’s a humid 75° F where I reside, it’s a little hard to replicate the Winter Campaigns of the World War II Eastern Front. Nonetheless, soaking a magazine in water and sealing it in a plastic bag for three hours at 5°F temperatures seemed a good compromise.

I immediately removed the magazine from the freezer and gave it a couple of moderate whacks with a hammer. The plastic immediately cracked with each hit. Unfortunately, some plastics are brittle under colder temps, and these mags are not exempt. To err on the side of caution, I quickly loaded the magazine to capacity and tried to run a mag through it. After about five rounds, the magazine failed to feed due to the cracked body. After much abuse, it seems getting beat up in the cold was too much for the Bulgarian AK mags.

Cheap & Reliable

Inexpensive or cheap doesn’t always translate to reliable. However, mass manufacturing processes and lowered raw material costs sometimes produce viable, inexpensive options. With the AK platform’s popularity, cheap AK mags should come as no surprise. After running these polymer Bulgarian AK mags through a semi-reasonable gamut of abuse, I have no hesitation using these mags — as long as I’m not beating them around hard in frigid temps. Are there better, more expensive options available? Sure, but for around $10 a magazine, they’re cheap enough to use and abuse to your heart’s extent. So, if you need some extra AK mags (because who doesn’t?), I’d definitely advocate to grab a few of these. After all, you can never have enough.

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