Podavach u loader for SKS troubles.

[Matthew Clark]

I picked up a Norinco SKS for a good price just to play with. I saw Midway had this speedloader from Podavach called a U Loader for SKS magazines. The gun came with a 30 round removable magazine. I also ordered 2 more 30 round mags and 4 10 round magazines all metal John Masen brand. They appeared more durable due to the duckbill design not impressing me with plastic. Got all of it in the mail and tuned the mags to the gun so they fed perfectly. Went to use the speed loader and my magazines would not fit in it. I had to open it up quite a bit to get them to fit. See the pic.

One I got a good fit on the magazine I tried a 30 round magazine. Let's just say the videos I watched had a lot better outcome. My ne Podavach loader came apart on me. I was disgusted by now. I glued it back together and contacted Podavach via email and told them my story and sent these pics.


They offered to send me a new one but that wasn't going to solve my problem. They then offered to send me one after their techs tested my brand of magazines and made any needed alterations. I opted for that scenario. They still haven't gotten back to me yet. Been a month. They are a small business evidently so I guess I'll give them some time.
The jest of this rant is to inform you all that if you use metal magazines in your SKS and intend to use the Podavach speed loader, I would wait till they fix it.
I've got mine working now, but it took alot of time to get it going.
Either it's a poor design or I was just an unlucky fellow and got a Friday at 5 issue loader.
Anyone else had issues with this style loader?
Happy shooting!
Matthew

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I've been at the range when the extended SKS mags were still legal here and other shooters were using them. Lots of swearing.

At the risk of sounding like magazine limits are a good thing (they aren't), on the SKS my observation is that the extended detachable kludges convert this from a carbine with excellent reliability into something less and more awkward to handle.

 

[Speedo66]

I’ve noted that the 20 round plastic aftermarket detachable mags seem to work well.

A little Dremeling on the sides of the bottom of the bolt and they will accept the mags even with the bolt closed.

 

[Mars5l]

I want to get one of the 20rd Chinese star mags that are direct replacements for the factory 10rd. They aren't cheap but seem to be more reliable

 

[gobsauce]

I want to get one of the 20rd Chinese star mags that are direct replacements for the factory 10rd. They aren't cheap but seem to be more reliable

I have one, it does some really funky stuff. Fire round 18, round 19 ejects (without firing)and round 20 gets munched between the bolt carrier and the from trunion ( not sure if that the right wording).

 

[Lefty38-55]

SKS Stripper clips are your friend ... actually faster to reload than your typical mag change, once you get the hang of it!

 

[Speedo66]

I want to get one of the 20rd Chinese star mags that are direct replacements for the factory 10rd. They aren't cheap but seem to be more reliable

When the Chinese imports were first coming in, the 20 round “star” mags did not have a good reputation.

 

[rust collector]

I thought the Podavich was made to work with AK magazines. Some SKS imports were designed to work with AK mags. Adapter kits were offered, but I often heard of frustration from using any but the original feeding system. Stripper clips have worked well for me.

 

[Ranger99]

Just me- the factory installed 10
rounder has always functioned
flawlessly for me
Not sure how old the ones I've
used are. They were bought new
when they were 60 dollars or so
out the door
I wish I'd have bought a hundred

 

[greyling22]

For y'all suggesting the factory 10 rd mag, (and they do work the best) have you actually tried to find one lately? Original Parts are hard to come by. And no longer cheap. But if anybody can find a cheap dust cover without the scope rails I need one.

 

[wesmonster]

yea, finding a good factory 10 round magazine is hard these days.
Last SKS I bought was a yard sale get, in a Monte Carlo stock with a broken Tapco mag.
It was stupid cheap cause the last owner didn't realize his problem came from the mag feed lips bent out of shape from removing it on a closed bolt.
Got lucky and found a seller on ebay from Russia with new unserialized 10 round fixed mag at a good price. Swapped it and never looked back. With stripper clip it's faster to reload than swapping the duckbill mags.
I did run a few new Tapcos for a while, no issues and with a bit of filing they'd take strippers, but not as smooth as the fixed 10.
This one still has the Monte Carlo stock, so no concerns about looking 'original'.
I also bought a John Masen mag, it never ran right. Even tried swapping in the follower & spring from my busted Tapco, that was better but not 100% reliable.
This is also not the first complaint I've read about the OP's loader, I wanted to try one but never found one positive review.

 

[chicharrones]

When the Chinese imports were first coming in, the 20 round “star” mags did not have a good reputation.

Yep. I had one in the early '90s. It sucked big time. I sent it back and got a 30-rounder made by USA Magazines. I tuned it up and it works well if downloaded a couple of rounds.

If I remember correctly, the 20-round star mags had the same lever follower and small diameter spring for that lever like the 10-round original mags. That design in a 20 rounder was destined for failure, it would seem.

My 30 rounder is built like a traditional stick magazine with floating follower and standard type magazine spring.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

Any automatic is only as reliable as the magazine feeding it. It's the weak point of almost every one.

An SKS with a Combloc-stock fixed mag is pretty much invincible. An SKS with a $10 Tapco mag only runs as well as a $10 Tapco mag.

I'd just skip the aftermarket mags and speed loader and feed the rifle with stripper clips. Think of them as OEM speedloaders.

 

[Speedo66]

Any automatic is only as reliable as the magazine feeding it. It's the weak point of almost every one.

An SKS with a Combloc-stock fixed mag is pretty much invincible. An SKS with a $10 Tapco mag only runs as well as a $10 Tapco mag.

I'd just skip the aftermarket mags and speed loader and feed the rifle with stripper clips. Think of them as OEM speedloaders.

Having a scope on it, which many do, precludes the stripper clips.