Which 75 rnd. Drum to buy?

[sportsnut]

I would like to buy a couple of 75 round drums. Theses would be going on my SAR 1, and a soon to be built AMD 65. I have heard that there are a couple of different types. I see Interordanance has the Romanian type for $75.00. My friend mentioned the Chinese drum, and said they were very good. As you can tell i don't know the difference between the two types. Any help on steering me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.


Edit: I see i posted in the general fourms instead of the firearms fourm. Mods. please place in the correct fourm if you feel necessary. Damn FNG anyway!

[sportsnut]

I just got off the phone with Tara B. @ Centerfire. They are running a special on the 75 round Romanian drum for $69.99 with FREE SHIPPING. :D While on the phone i also had to order 3 more AMD 65 kits. :D :D :D

[mbakercad]

See the thread below
http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1984

[16r40]

I would go with the romaninan drum.......not only are they cheap, in comparison to the chinese ones, but their quality and construction are far superior then the chinese ones. the only thing that the chinese drum have on the european ones, it is easier to load......other then that I don't see the justification of paying 100+ bucks for it. I had a chinese drum, and it constantly was jamming.....and yes i wound it up to the correct number of turns, but it didn't make one difference....I have a friend that laughed at me for buying a european drum, because it took a bit longer to loader..... well he didn't laugh at me any more when one day he accidently dropped his loaded chinese drum on the concrete and that cheap little 10 cent hinge broke off.......I dropped my loaded drum at a higher height then he did, and it didn't even dent it, then I put it in my weapon and fired it......then I laughed at him.......... needless to say he went and bought a european drum.

[bill3542]

chinese for ease of loading or east bloc for strength,myself i prefer the chinese but then i got them 11 years ago for 29 bucks each,never had a problem with them just load them up then when your ready to use wind them up.

[Packrat]

I have 2 Chinese drums. They're so cheaply made they don't know how to fail. They work like Norinco rifles--all the time, every time. They are much faster to load, and they can be stored loaded but not wound, so the spring is not stressed. The only problem I see with the Chinese drums is the same as the other Chinese weapons and accessories--the blued finish rusts if you don't keep it oiled.

And if you plan to use these where you really need the firepower, you'll need at least 5 Romanian drums to keep up with 3 Chinese, and the prople loading the Romanians better have skin like leather. Loading them multiple times is hard on the hands.

[cyberdyne systems]

I like the Chinese drums, much easier to:

*load & un-load
*very reliable
*can release spring tension by pressing on spring release button and leave the drum loaded indefinitely without weakening the spring.

[sportsnut]

OK, i have a Romanian on the way, now i need a Chinese. Where is the best deal on the Chinese?

[JA]

Check the "how to load drums" and "drum/mag id" pages of my webpages
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jfreeman246/index.htm
Quote of the day,
"Chinese drums are for shooting and Romanian drums are for collecting"

[sportsnut]

JA, nice little page. So where can i find the best deal on a Chinese drum?

[Rick]

Ron, i too remember when the chineese drums were going for less than $30 each. Picked up a few then plus a few of the Soviet Block for around $60 each. I like the Soviet drums, more robust.

As we get closer to AWB sunset, the price of hicap mags will come down -people looking to unload, etc. Of course the price will really come down after the sunset, assuming the ban does in fact sunset.

In the mean time the price of Chineese drums is high, over $100. Just keep an out in the coming months. Deals have to start to pop up as the sunset gets closer.

[mbakercad]

Ron, i too remember when the chineese drums were going for less than $30 each. Picked up a few then plus a few of the Soviet Block for around $60 each. I like the Soviet drums, more robust.

As we get closer to AWB sunset, the price of hicap mags will come down -people looking to unload, etc. Of course the price will really come down after the sunset, assuming the ban does in fact sunset.

In the mean time the price of Chineese drums is high, over $100. Just keep an out in the coming months. Deals have to start to pop up as the sunset gets closer.

Do you think that AK mag prices will drop much when the AWB sunsets? I don't see it happening. Even if it does sunset, I do not think that they can import Chinese guns or magazines anymore. As for the Romanian drums, they still seem to be coming in in quantity. I guess a lot were produced and stockpiled pre-94.

Domestic produced mags should drop significantly. Glock mags for instance.

[m03]

I do not think that they can import Chinese guns or magazines anymore.


Doesn't matter. Prices on Romanian drums will likely nose-dive to under $55 after September, and they'll bring all AK drum prices down.

Reminds me of the people who think pre-ban Chinese AK prices will stay where they're at just because the rifles are Chinese....doesn't really matter, since that's not what drives the market. You can already find evidence of the prices dropping substantially now.

I think a realistic high for Chinese drums after September will be about $75.

I just sold my Arsenal 36 drum for $85, and I don't regret it. Drums just aren't fun on a standard AK. I'd rather have two 40 rd mags than a drum.

[Packrat]

Somehow Norinco firearms are coming into the US again, at least shotguns are. If someone finds a way, we may see the Chinese drums again if the ban sunsets, and is not replaced with another, stronger one next year.

I agree about the fun of drums, and I suspect that Romanian drums are even less fun, because of the time required to load them. I don't see 40-rnd mags as worth the price difference over 30s. In FA or bump-firing a hi-cap device is more fun, but I seldom shoot anything close to 30 rnds at a time. I tried once, firing 30 rnds in 30 seconds to see the effect of sustained firing. I was trying to keep the rounds in a milk jug at 100+ yds, and it was difficult. Any of you who shoot the Postal Match will see, 10 rounds in 5 minutes for carefully aimed fire is demanding. (The Postal Match requires 10 rnds in 5 minuted, a 5 minute cooling period, then another 10 rnds in 5 minutes.) When you could buy the 5-rnd Norinco steel mags (for hunting) for $3, and trim the skirt of the follower to let it take 10 rnds, they were pretty good, but a 30-rnd for $8 (or $6) was better. But the $200 AKs were even better. Now AKs are getting too expensive; $300 is a lot to pay, and $600 to $800 is way too much for me. But then I'm not buying any more guns, either. :(

[Rick]

Mbakercad, you are right. I guess i forgot about the chineese ban - which would not be afftected if the AWB sunsets. I do think that there would be some downward pressure on the price of chineese drums closer to and after the sunset. But we won't see $50 and lower prices again.

I do think the drums aren't that practcal, more of a novelty. One could buy quite a few soviet 30rnd stick mags for the price of a chineese drum.

I'll tell you what i'm looking to pickup after the sunset - beta C mag (100rnd) for my AR. Their present price of around $600 is rich for me.

[mbakercad]

I currently have one Romy 75rd drum, recently sold a NIW 75rd Chi-com drum. If the Romy drums drop below $50 I will probably pick up a couple more.

They look good on the RPK (http://img35.photobucket.com/albums/v107/mbakercad/Firearms/RPK-47_Drum.jpg)

[sportsnut]

I currently have one Romy 75rd drum, recently sold a NIW 75rd Chi-com drum. If the Romy drums drop below $50 I will probably pick up a couple more.

They look good on the RPK (http://img35.photobucket.com/albums/v107/mbakercad/Firearms/RPK-47_Drum.jpg)




You are right, that drum looks bad ass on your RPK.

[mbakercad]

You are right, that drum looks bad ass on your RPK.

Thanks!