Hey there, channel fans and family, and welcome back to Slav Guns. Today we’re looking at XTech Tactical AK-47 magazines: the original MAG47 and the newer OEM47, in both 10-round and 30-round capacities. If you live in a state with a magazine limit and you own an AK, this one is for you.
Even though most of you watching live in the United States, quite a few of you probably feel like you’re living behind enemy lines. When I made this video, nine states plus the swamp called the District of Columbia had decided that law-abiding gun owners can’t be trusted with standard capacity magazines and must be limited to ten rounds or less. Colorado went with a 15-round limit back in 2013, and some Illinois municipalities like Cook County, Aurora, and Deerfield passed 10-round limits. By my count at the time, that’s roughly a third of the country living with some sort of limit. Laws change, so check your current state and local rules before you buy anything.
Having lived in one of those socialist republics for much of my life before finally “immigrating to America,” I know the pain: a lot of rifle owners want the function and the look of a standard capacity magazine, not some neutered stubby 10-rounder.
TL;DR
- What they are: US-made composite (polymer) AK-47 magazines from XTech Tactical, in 10-round and 30-round capacities.
- Two models: the original MAG47 (with an internal stainless steel reinforcement plate) and the newer OEM47 (all polymer, a bit cheaper).
- Ban-state trick: the 10-round versions use the same body with a shorter spring and a limiter, so you can still take them apart and clean them.
- Moving to a free state? A Free State Adapter Kit converts them back to standard capacity.
- Shared features: steel springs with anti-bind design, quick-release base plates for tool-less cleaning, and they count as US-made 922(r) compliance parts.
The problem with AK mags in ban states
With AK magazines, staying compliant is a much harder challenge than it should be. Usually you can get a standard capacity magazine and have it pinned or blocked to 10 or 15 rounds, but states like New Jersey require that modification to be permanent. That means you can no longer pull the base plate off to clean the thing. Drop it in the mud and you’ve got a problem.
That’s why the XTech Tactical mags are so attractive. The body is the same between the 10-round and 30-round versions. The ban-state variety just uses a shorter spring and a magazine limiter, so it only functions as a 10-rounder. Here’s the clever part: if you pull the limiter out, the spring is too short and the magazine won’t function. So it’s not blocked or chopped by anybody, and you can still take it apart and clean it like a normal magazine.
The Free State Adapter Kit
The great news is that your limited magazines aren’t money down the drain when you eventually move to America. With the Free State Adapter Kit:
- Open up the base plate.
- Remove the short spring and the limiter.
- Put the follower onto the new full-length spring and adapter.
- Put it back in, close the base plate, and you’ve got a standard capacity magazine.
Do note that XTech Tactical will not ship the Free State Adapter Kits to a ban state. In the video I also show that the springs and parts interchange completely, so the same bodies can run as 10- or 30-rounders.
MAG47 vs OEM47: what’s the difference?
Size-wise, they are exactly the same. Both are US-made, tough composite construction, both have steel anti-bind springs, and both have the quick-release base plates. The follower is the same in both.
The difference: the OEM47 is all polymer, while the original MAG47 has an integrated stainless steel plate inside the mag body. You can actually see it right underneath the feed lips. That plate goes all the way around and reinforces the feed lips and the locking lugs, so the MAG47 should be the sturdier of the two. That’s what you saw when I was doing AK push-ups on the mags at the start of the video.
- Planning on beating on your gun? Go with the MAG47.
- Normal range use? Save a bit of money with the OEM47.
And if you really want to stand out and get your banana on, XTech also offers a “Commie-fornia” style lineup in a banana finish and a “rotting banana” finish. Because why not.
Who it’s for
If you’re stuck behind enemy lines with a 10-round limit, these are about the best way I’ve found to run an AK magazine that still looks and works like a real one, can be field stripped and cleaned, and can be converted when you finally escape. If you’re already in a free state, the MAG47 30-rounder with its steel reinforcement is the one I’d grab for a rifle that’s going to get abused.
If you’re in a ban state with a “featureless” or “Other Firearm” style build, you might also like my Troy A4 “Other Firearm” review and why it’s legal in NJ.
Bottom line
Consider this today’s broadcast of Radio Free America for those behind enemy lines. XTech Tactical makes a US-made AK magazine that lets ban-state shooters stay compliant without permanently butchering the mag, and the Free State Adapter Kit means you’re not throwing money away when you move. You can find them on XTech Tactical’s website, and you can find more of the gear I use in my Amazon picks.
Want more AK and ban-state gear content? Join the channel.
Keep squatting.
Are you running limited mags behind enemy lines, or are you already a free state AK owner? Tell me in the comments.
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