Sa. vz.58 Ultimag -- polymer magazine from Fab Defense - Initial thoughts.
I finally received 2 of the Ultimags for destructive testing, however it looks like rain/snow/rain for the next 2 weeks and I'm not that dedicated! I may get to do some drop testing on concrete under cover if the Police range doesn't get flooded and is open on Saturday.
On initial inspection, I will agree with @DDNC posted comments. They look and feel a lot more durable than I had expected. As we know the locking lugs are not steel and "
They are by no means circle 10's".
The mag appears to be very well designed and thought out as would be expected from FAB Defense. They have always done an excellent job with their polymer stocks and accessories, from my experience.
The lighter poly weight is approx 5.9oz empty as compared to an empty factory surplus aluminum mag weight of 6.6oz.
They fit snug in the mag well with a very tiny amount of play (side-ti-side wobble). Obviously the aggressive design appears a bit bulkier, however they securely go in and out of a kydex speed holster easily (smoother than the OS aluminum mags).
The body has very minor flex from side to side. Could be helpful when I run over it with the wagon. I put the heel of one foot and all of my 210lbs of weight on the middle side of one and it flexed a bit when I went up and down on it, with no adverse result.
BHO works perfect - no issues. Also releases with TBR with empty mag.
The bottom plate design looks pretty innovative and can be removed with bare hand by pushing in the sprint tab with a finger and sliding off the plate. There are tabs on either side of the plate that fit into the molded plastic - very modern looking.
Spring looks decent -- it is different material and shorter length. I have fully loaded a mag yet and not cycled rounds through one either.
The clear plastic windows in the two sides appear to be integrated directly into the mag body mold, not just popped in or secured with adhesive. The round count is molded into the mag body at 10, 20, and 30 rounds with hash marks at 15 and 25 rounds. You can see a slightly raised area around the clear plastic as if it is molded inside of the wall of mag body -- I could be wrong on this.
The inside surface is very smooth/slick plastic. Spring and follower have zero binding or resistance.
Made in Israel -- So a mag counts against three (3) imported 922R compliance parts, just like the original surplus magazines, however I believe a US poly follower from CPUSA may work in these reducing one part (I did not try it). So perhaps 922R +2 with a US follower. The base plate obviously can not be swapped out for a US part due to the unique design of the plate and the mag body itself, which is flat at the bottom where the BHO slot meet the base (unlike the original surplus).
It's good to see companies making modern accessories and parts for this great firearm, and a hat tip to FAB Defense for the first "upgraded" polymer mag offering. And if Zahal drops the 75rnd drum price down to under $80 I'll take my hat off.
