Since 2009, US Palm has been producing magazines and pistol grips for the AK-47 platform. One might think that because they only make a couple of products, this niche company might not do a lot of business, but that would be a wrong assumption. Their business seems to be booming, and their reputation seems to reflect that.
US Palm’s reputation for producing great AK magazines is widespread, but are they really that good? We’ve checked them out and will give you the nitty gritty right here, so read on!
The Advent of the AK-47
First, we’ll briefly review the AK-47 for those who might not be intimately familiar with the platform.
The AK design was influenced by the German StG44, the “Sturmgewehr,” or Assault Rifle, from World War II. The StG fired an intermediate round, the 7.92x33mm, which was intended for engagements within 300 meters. It seems the Germans’ research indicated that the majority of firefights took place within 300 meters.
The Russians, seeing the effectiveness of the StG44, wanted in on the deal. Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47, which went into massive production almost immediately. The Russians even practically copied the German round, creating the 7.62x39mm, which fires a 123-grain projectile at approximately 2,350 feet per second.
The AK-63D Underfolder
For this article, I used an AK-63D, a Hungarian version of the AK-47 with an underfolding stock. These rifles are parts kits that were imported and assembled with an assortment of US-made parts, including the milled steel receiver. Overall, they are really put together beautifully, with no visible machining marks. The parkerized finish is also superbly done and very even in appearance.
Along with the cleaning rod under the 16.3-inch barrel, there is also a bayonet lug, which is a neat touch. You don’t see those on my rifles these days. The end of the barrel sports a slant-cut muzzle brake/compensator in standard AKM parlance. The furniture on these rifles is extremely nice and blonde in color.
With the stock extended, the rifle’s overall length is 35.75 inches, and it weighs 7.9 pounds when empty. Although the underfolder stock is not the most comfortable when shooting the rifle (the cheek weld is rather abrasive), it functions well enough and really makes the rifle compact when it’s folded. The stock can also be folded when there is a magazine in place in the rifle, and it will also fire from the folded position if the user desires, although it’s far from accurate in the folded configuration. However, as far as the cool factor goes, the underfolder stock is off the charts!
The AK-47 has been used for decades by not only Soviet forces but every terrorist group known to mankind. US forces have been facing it on the battlefield since the 1960s in Vietnam. Even though the Russians phased it out in favor of the AK-74 with its 5.45x39mm round, the AK-47 is still quite active on the battlefield. They last just about forever, and they’re incredibly reliable.
AK30R Magazines
There are magazines from probably hundreds of makers worldwide. Tolerances seem to vary among many of those manufacturers, too, which is not a good thing. Among the metal magazines that I’ve used for my AK-63D, some fit very tightly in my rifle’s magazine well, and some won’t fit at all.
However, the polymer magazines that I’ve tried have all displayed an excellent fit, and the US Palm magazines are no exception.
US Palm’s AK30R magazine bodies and components are all made from polymer, including the magazine’s follower. They also claim that the magazine’s polymer follower is “self-cleaning,” and from what we’ve seen so far, that’s probably accurate. We didn’t have a chance to do a 1,000-round torture test or anything that extreme, but so far, the magazines are holding up perfectly.
Because both the follower and magazine body are polymer, they need no lubrication, as there is very little friction when they slide against each other. The magazine’s spring is, of course, steel and works like a charm.
Features of the AK30R Mags
The sides of the magazine have deep indentations in a waffle-type pattern that give excellent traction to the hands when handling the magazines (even when wearing gloves). The pattern also gives the magazine body strength. And take it from us—these are some strong, robust magazines. The front and back sides of the magazines exhibit ridges, which also go a long way in providing traction so the mags don’t slip during handling.
A few color options are available, including black, Coyote Brown (the color we received for testing), and clear. The clear magazines look very interesting, and you can see each and every round inside the magazine, along with the spring and follower.
All in all, these magazines are designed to be low-cost, high-reliability options for AK owners, and to that end, they succeed wildly.
Other Gear
Mag Pouches
For testing, there were two other pieces of kit that we worked with, which made our session with the AK-63D a lot more fun and efficient. The first is High Speed Gear’s Taco rifle magazine pouches. However, they don’t just hold magazines for the AK-47; they will accommodate just about any type of rifle magazine that exists. Everything from .308 rifles such as the FAL or M1A/M14, every AK magazine known to man, and, of course, AR-15 magazines. Their adjustable nature allows them to be easily and quickly configured to meet any magazine needs you could imagine.
They also make pistol mag pouches and pouches to hold other gear. The Tacos make hauling magazines and making mag changes easy and convenient, and we highly recommend them. They’re also available in a variety of colors.
Mag loader
When you’re loading dozens and dozens (hundreds, even) of rounds into magazines, you need a Maglula magazine loader. Trust us, you’ll thank us later for it. They make a loader specifically for the AK-47 series, and it saves so much wear and tear on the fingers for loading and also unloading magazines. Their AK/Galil loader will load 7.62x39mm and also 5.56 NATO rounds into both the AK and the Galil platforms. As this is written, this loader retails for $22.99, which is an absolute steal! Move the lever on top back and forth and just feed the rounds into the magazine; it’s that simple. Once you’re finished, it pops off the top of the magazine, and you’re ready to start shooting.
They’re made from high-strength polymer and some metal, so they’re very lightweight and easy to drop into your range bag.
Ammo
To have a range session, we need some ammo, and 7.62x39mm ammo is among the cheapest of any rifle ammo these days. Tulammo works great and is steel-cased, just like the AK was intended to fire. While some people shy away from steel-cased ammunition for their high-end rifles, the AK chews through the steel-cased fodder and asks for more since that’s what it was originally designed to fire.
At The Range
As expected, the AK magazines from US Palm are good to go! They fit well in the rifle and eject reliably. And naturally, they feed very well, too. Their price, as this article is written, of $9.99 is a spectacular bargain, especially considering their construction. If you own an AK, we highly recommend picking up several of these mags, as they represent a solid bargain.
While we’re at it, we’ll also throw in a good word for the Maglula AK loader (and really, all of their other loaders are excellent, too) and the High Speed Gear Tacos. Both of those accessories made our range day a lot more convenient and cushy than it otherwise would have been.
US Palm’s AK30R magazines are built to take abuse, and we’re confident that they will weather most storms just fine. Your AK will thank you for picking up several.
