Korean AK 47 magazine ID
These magazines are of the first European pattern, meaning no turnout at top, straight up.
I have seen three different colors: gloss black paint that may be a powder coat, light gray park with a “Made in Korea” stamped takedown plate, and a dark park with a “KOREA” sticker on the takedown plate. All of these mags that I have seen for some reason or another have rust starting or growing pretty good on the rear locking lug. The gloss black ones have it too if even under the paint to some degree. The weight of these mags is 306-310 grams which is approximately the same weight as the Chinese all stamped. A “regular” steel European surplus magazine weighs in at approximately 330 grams.
Ways to spot Korean: All dots prominent on right side. Only two dots, large, prominent on left side. There are 13 small circle welds on the spine with 2 larger alignment circle welds at each end of the spine for a total of 15 dot welds. The top large dot weld, near the rear locking, lug has only 1 small dot weld above it where as the lower large dot weld has 3 small dot welds below it. There are 6 of these small dot welds attaching the rear locking lug having three on each side. The front locking lug can show two fairly large dots or not. The reinforcement’s plates are generally smooth.
Now here is what is really different. Where the reinforcement plates and the front locking lug come together with the body of the magazine there is clearly no attempt at fusing or bonding the two together. Once you notice this it looks very odd as other AK mags have these pieces “blended” together.