I just picked up a couple of red coloured AK mags, I was told they came from South Africa anouther guy said no there from Afganistan yous during the time when the Russian occuption.
Any thoughts on there orgins?

Octave, is this some sort of 'plastic-like' (bakelite or phenolic) type magazine?

Are there any 'symbols' or markings on it?

A photo or a better (more accurate) description is needed to identify it because the redish/orangish/brown mags were made in several different styles by several different countries for both the AK-47 and AK-74.

Some are rather rare and worth some money for collectors ...... others aren't.

Hi DaMan,
On the AK 47 MAGS bottom right side on has 113
the other has 37A.
On the AK74 bottom right side 23, on the left side it has a star.
The AK 47 MAGS look like they have the bakealite covering.
AK 74 looks more plastic like.

I was also wondering if AK47 Mags with 15 round capcity are common?

Octave, the AK-74 magazine sounds like a Tula 30rd.

I'm stumped on the '15 round AK-47' magazine!

octave I have 2 AK magazines that originaly came as 5 rounders to make it legal to hunt with an AK in states that require no more than 5 rounds in the mag of a semi-auto.
They are much shorter than a regular 30 rounder. I modified the followers to the same specs as the 30 rounders. Now one holds 11 rounds, the other 15.
They are much handier when using the AK as a "sporting" rifle.
Texas does not have the 5 round rule.

I talk to a guy who told me that the 15 round mag was used on the aks inside the 8 wheeler troop carriers that the russians yous in Afganistan.
I can tell you this mag has not been modived it looks like any other AK mags except its have the length.

octave, it could be that these were for troops to use in BTRs.

I've heard of other countries (like Hungary) that issued lower capacity (20 round) 'tanker magazines'.

I even have a 5 round steel mag.

It's very possible that they came out of South Africa. When I was in Rhodesia in the late 70's we were recovering AK-47's from dead terrorists with 30 rd. red bakelite type mags in them.

Hi Don,
You were not with the famous Selous Scouts were you?

No...I wasn't with the Selous Scouts. Closest I got to those guys was knowing a few of them.