Bought a couple of these from Cheaper than Dirt, and dang if I can figure how to load it ! The follower/bottom plate is a dummy looking round built in, but on neither mag does is seem to want to push down like a 20-30-40 round bananna clip type. It has a lever on the front that is obviously connected to the spring inside, but on both, the lever will only rotate about 30-40 degrees in the counterclock direction before it seems to hit a solid obstruction. Releasing it, it jumps back to the original position, which is about 3 o'clock as you face it looking at the front of the drum. I'm tempted to just undo the clips that seem to hold the front on, but it's GOT to have one heck of a spring in there, and don't know if I'll ever get it coiled back in there. Anybody got one of these and know the secret ? Thanks
Yep. and don't over wind the spring trying to figure it out. I took one apart for a guy that had obviously sat up all night trying to make it work and the thing about took my hand off when I opened it. Must Load an AK Drum from the front, not the top. IIRC, You drop the rounds in as you move the lever/spring?
Nah....you guys are thinking the Chink model.....it DOES load from the front, then you wind the spring. Those clips are designed to let the front flip open or just come off. PIC: The Russian/Romanian variety only has two small braded clips....you'd actually have to take a screwdriver or punch and 'unbrad' them to remove the front ( actually, it's the BACK that would come off.....see PIC below....the back is shown down, you can see where it lips over the main part of the drum, and the clips I'm talking about are to the right at the bottom of the part that goes in the mag well on the rifle....just a small section of bent over, braded metal ), so it's GOT to be designed to load from the top like a regular clip.....but nothing in this deal seems to be moving. That thumb deal on the winder LOOKS like you'd wind it in a clockwise motion, the way the thing is dished for your thumb, but it won't move AT ALL in clockwise motion. It will move about 20-30 degrees back in the counterclock direction, and then seems to stop solid too. Maybe I just got a couple of duds....but lacking any futher info, the front is coming off one of them.....or I've got to find somebody that actually has these turkeys and knows the secet. PIC:
Before you bust it up, send magnus392 a PM, or wait for him to show up. He's our AK expert, might have a clue.