VEPR 7.62x54R **5rd vs 10rd Magazine** Please Help

[JM280z]

Hi,

I just bought a VEPR 7.62x54R and it is a wonderful rifle.
Unfortunately I am having serious serious problems with the 10 round aftermarket mags. I have found no reviews online with any issues at all with them, but as I will show you the problem is pretty detrimental to the functioning of the weapon.

First off the mags are designed different. The lips on the 2 different mags have a different cut/design on them. Also the rear of the 10rd mag only reveals 1/3 of the bullets rim and the 5rd mag has a about 2/3 of the rim showing. The tip of the bullet angles out of the 5rd mag greater than that of the 10rd mag, so the bolt pushes the bullet under the chamber lip on the 10rd mag versus with the 5rd mag the bullet is angled enough to be pushed into the chamber.

The 5rd mags cycle perfectly though the firearm. The 10rd mags rarely ever even get 1 bullet to enter the chamber. If I only put a few rounds in the 10rd mag then it will cycle properly but the last bullet in the mag jams the bolt and is pushed under the chamber (as shown in one of the pictures).

I paid about $45 per mag from Centerfire Systems in Kentucky. I was told they would work and they dont. I also bought a $35 scope mount for it and put my Nikon Monarch 4-16x50mm scope on it and it didnt hold zero (I am assuming it was the mounts issues).

These 10rd mags are made by SGM Tactical in the US and the 5rd mags are factory Molot mags. I am using surplus "spam can" ammo. I tested all 4 20rd mags and they all are the same. Non of them work..... I have also noticed that in the 10rd mags the follower is much lower in the rear than in the 5rd mags.


Link to the images: http://s1294.beta.photobucket.com/user/JM280z/library/?

[Schuetzenman]

So get a dremel tool, some Bisonite steel filled epoxy and fix the things so they work. Reshape the feed lips, open up the back of the mag if you think 2/3rds works better. I might not buy anymore of the crappy mags but I would figure out a way to make the suckers work.

On the scope mount I'm assuming it is one of the single throw lever side mounts. They have to be terribly tight to hold, or they shake / scoot loose with each shot, even on a .223 AK. Been there Done That. I made the one I have so tight I thought the lever might shear off to get it locked down. But it didn't and the sucker has held zero ever since. Such mounts scoot forward as the weapon recoils. If there's room you might also put drill and tap a bolt hole then put a short bolt in to act as a forward travel stop for the base so even if it works a little loose it can't keep scooting forward.

I see how the rounds don't come up as high. It looks like the feed lips are thicker at the back and this keeps the rims too low to be picked up by the bolt. I would get a Dremel with a round burr cutter and go at it, remove material slowly and get it to where the rim comes up higher like your factory 5 rounder. Go slow, try rounds in the mag frequently to make sure you don't take out too much material. The higher the rear of the round comes up, the flatter the round is going to lay. You will have to evaluate what corrections can be done to lift the front of the round as well to get the bullet to go up into the chamber. Building up the front of the follower with the steel filled epoxy might do it, you might also have to grind away some of the forward portion of the feed lips or thin them out a little to get that round to angle up better.

[mack8384]

I am wondering if the 10 rounders arn't actually for .308 Vepr (7.62 X 51)

[El Laton Caliente]

I am wondering if the 10 rounders arn't actually for .308 Vepr (7.62 X 51)

As low as the case base is in the last picture I think you may be correct...

[mack8384]

Ok looking closer at the mags it looks like you do have 7.62X54R mags, However it appears you might have SGM aftermarket 10 Rnd mags. They may be not quite in specs with the factory mags. Before you try modifying the mags you might want to try swapping out the followers with the 5 rnd mags to see if it makes a differance.