2aHawaii
Tools and Uses => Firearms and Accessories => Topic started by: Kingkeoni on November 03, 2011, 05:59:21 PM
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The AK47 is one of the most popular semi automatic rifles in the world.
Because of its popularity its made by numerous manufacturers all over the world.
There are just as many makers of AK47 magazines. Some good, some bad, and some great ones.
The new AK buyer is left to guess and experiment as to which one is best for his particular AK.
To that end, I've decided to test some AK47 magazines in different AK47's.
For this test I've chosen a Russian made Saiga AK, a Romanian WASR-10 and a US made ITM receiver with Bulgarian parts kit AK.
I've gathered 6 different magazines from different countries.
A Bulgarian steel, East German steel, Pro Mag polymer, Chinese steel, Bulgarian circle 10 waffle mag and a Romanian steel.
1) Bulgarian steel: In Saiga. Minimum side to side wobble,minimum back and forth wobble, good fit
In ITM. Kind of a lot of side to side and back and forth wobble, not a good fit.
In Romanian. No wobble at all side to side or back and fort, great fit.
2) East German: In Saiga. No wobble back and forth andminimal wobble side to side, pretty good fit.
In ITM. Medium amount of wobble overall, ok but not great fit.
In Romanian. No wobble at all, perfect fit.
3) Promag: In Saiga. Minimal amount of wobble, ok fit overall.
In ITM. Lots of wobble, horrible fit.
In Romanian. Medium amount of wobble, ok fit.
4) Chinese: In Saiga. No wobble at all, perfect fit.
In ITM. Minimal wobble, great fit.
In Romanian. No wobble at all, perfect fit.
5) Circle 10: In Saiga. No wobble at all, perfect fit.
In ITM. Didnt fit.
In WASR. No wobble at all, perfect fit.
6) Romanian: In Saiga. Minimal wobble, good fit.
In ITM. Medium amount of wobble, So so fit.
In WASR. No wobble at all, perfect fit.
This test was a fit and function test.
I have used every one of these magazines to shoot with and they all (except for Promag) function flawlessly in the AK's Ive used them on.
Based on these tests, I feel like the Circle 10 waffle mags and Chinese mags work best in a wide variety of AK's.
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Isn't any fit fine as long as it fits the gun and doesn't fall out?
I heard everyone say stay away from Promag. It's amazing how consistantly bad they are. I have some Tapcos and some Euro Surplus mags I need to test out for reliability.
Thanks for the review.
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Interesting subject... My Yugo mags don't fit in my Romanian and vice versa... ???
I have Bakelites that don't fit in my Yugo but fit perfectly in my Romanian.... :crazy:
No mag wobble in either of my AK's.... My 223 AK fits 5.45x39 mags perfectly...
The follower just had to be changed out to the 223 follower to function correctly.... :thumbsup:
(http://i43.tinypic.com/rbgnlt.jpg)
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right on guys! since i just got a wasr, i was about to ask which mags u guys recommend. the ones that came with the rifle was filthy and loaded with old clumped up grease and sand. still fired cherry though! a lot of people on ak forums seem to like tapco mags. thanks for the info king :thumbsup:
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My hands down favorite for fit, function, looks, and feel are the chinese flat backs. No rib to dig into anything and they are as solid as euro's. A couple more bucks than east euro's but worth it IMO.
As a matter of fact, I just got an email from a distributor that just received excellent cond flat backs. I was thinking of getting some but told myself I had enough......I know...I know....
Dammit King! this thread is gonna make me order more!!!
:shaka:
Edit. Don't get me wrong, I still like the rare collector mags. Chinese for mags I actually use.
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My hands down favorite for fit, function, looks, and feel are the chinese flat backs. No rib to dig into anything and they are as solid as euro's. A couple more bucks than east euro's but worth it IMO.
As a matter of fact, I just got an email from a distributor that just received excellent cond flat backs. I was thinking of getting some but told myself I had enough......I know...I know....
Dammit King! this thread is gonna make me order more!!!
:shaka:
Who's the distributor?
How much they charging for chinese mags?
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http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=4068 (http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=4068)
I order from these guys alot, good folks.
Best of all. The flat 9.95 shipping is good for us too!!
I'm planning to order some next week, if they are sold out because King bought them all you gotta resell me at least 10 !! ;) lol!
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http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=4068 (http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=4068)
I order from these guys alot, good folks.
Best of all. The flat 9.95 shipping is good for us too!!
thanks i just put an order in :thumbsup:
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http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=4068 (http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=4068)
I order from these guys alot, good folks.
Best of all. The flat 9.95 shipping is good for us too!!
thanks i just put an order in :thumbsup:
fo sho. last time they had them in stock was earlier this year and they didn't last very long. Take a look at the polish ak bayonets....nice. They have yugo bayos too.
:shaka:
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http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=4068 (http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=4068)
I order from these guys alot, good folks.
Best of all. The flat 9.95 shipping is good for us too!!
I'm planning to order some next week, if they are sold out because King bought them all you gotta resell me at least 10 !! ;) lol!
I'd love to buy some but I've got way too many AK magazines already.
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I just tried out the tapco ak74 redish brown mag in my polish tantal. As expected it worked flawlessly. The tapco mag and red grip are the perfect US made parts for guns with red furniture. As most of you ak afficiandos know, the tapco mags do not have the steel inserts but they do have a life time warranty.
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Yeah, the Chinese mags are killers and cheap for good quality :thumbsup:
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I just tried out the tapco ak74 redish brown mag in my polish tantal. As expected it worked flawlessly. The tapco mag and red grip are the perfect US made parts for guns with red furniture. As most of you ak afficiandos know, the tapco mags do not have the steel inserts but they do have a life time warranty.
I'm not a big fan of Tapco magazines.
I've seen the little tab on the back break on more than one mag.
If you're using the AK to defend your life, a lifetime means nothing when your magazine won't load in your gun.
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I just tried out the tapco ak74 redish brown mag in my polish tantal. As expected it worked flawlessly. The tapco mag and red grip are the perfect US made parts for guns with red furniture. As most of you ak afficiandos know, the tapco mags do not have the steel inserts but they do have a life time warranty.
I'm not a big fan of Tapco magazines.
I've seen the little tab on the back break on more than one mag.
If you're using the AK to defend your life, a lifetime means nothing when your magazine won't load in your gun.
I see your point king. A broken mag would be bad news if you are defending your self. On the other hand I have not yet broken a tapco mag. I have been using them for quite some time. I bought several tapco mags years ago. The earliest version of the tapco mag had some breakage problems but so far I have not had any. I have been using the tapco mags regularly with out any problems. If you need a US made mag to make your gun legal, IMO the tapco mag would be hard to beat.
Having said all this, my personal favorite mag for the ak47 is the Bulgarian waffle mag. The Chinese mags are great. I still have a stash sitting on the side in cosmoline and they are not for sale. I have noticed that the Chinese mags tend to fit more loosely in the Euro pattern ak's.
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I just tried out the tapco ak74 redish brown mag in my polish tantal. As expected it worked flawlessly. The tapco mag and red grip are the perfect US made parts for guns with red furniture. As most of you ak afficiandos know, the tapco mags do not have the steel inserts but they do have a life time warranty.
I'm not a big fan of Tapco magazines.
I've seen the little tab on the back break on more than one mag.
If you're using the AK to defend your life, a lifetime means nothing when your magazine won't load in your gun.
I see your point king. A broken mag would be bad news if you are defending your self. On the other hand I have not yet broken a tapco mag. I have been using them for quite some time. I bought several tapco mags years ago. The earliest version of the tapco mag had some breakage problems but so far I have not had any. I have been using the tapco mags regularly with out any problems. If you need a US made mag to make your gun legal, IMO the tapco mag would be hard to beat.
Having said all this, my personal favorite mag for the ak47 is the Bulgarian waffle mag. The Chinese mags are great. I still have a stash sitting on the side in cosmoline and they are not for sale. I have noticed that the Chinese mags tend to fit more loosely in the Euro pattern ak's.
I really love the Bulgarian circle 10 waffle mags.
I just traded someone for 6 more. :geekdanc:
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Do they make bulgarian waffle mags that are not circle 10?
http://www.sksman.com/acces/AK47%20magazines.php (http://www.sksman.com/acces/AK47%20magazines.php)
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ttt
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Do they make bulgarian waffle mags that are not circle 10?
http://www.sksman.com/acces/AK47%20magazines.php (http://www.sksman.com/acces/AK47%20magazines.php)
Yes they do.
There's dozens of different manufacturers of AK magazines.
It is after all, one of the most popular firearms in the world.
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Yes they do.
There's dozens of different manufacturers of AK magazines.
It is after all, one of the most popular firearms in the world.
ok thanks... i was wondering why those mags were cheaper... :shaka:
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They have black Friday sales at Copes :thumbsup:
http://www.copesdistributing.net/black-friday-30rd-combo-deal-p-4087.html (http://www.copesdistributing.net/black-friday-30rd-combo-deal-p-4087.html)
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That's a really good deal. I wish I had waited for that before ordering from AIM Surplus @ 9.99 a mag.
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They have black Friday sales at Copes :thumbsup:
http://www.copesdistributing.net/black-friday-30rd-combo-deal-p-4087.html (http://www.copesdistributing.net/black-friday-30rd-combo-deal-p-4087.html)
yeah i saw this yesterday and ordered a few... do you guys know approx how long they usually take to ship here? i'm still waiting for my first order, or maybe i have no patience :shake:
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They have black Friday sales at Copes :thumbsup:
http://www.copesdistributing.net/black-friday-30rd-combo-deal-p-4087.html (http://www.copesdistributing.net/black-friday-30rd-combo-deal-p-4087.html)
yeah i saw this yesterday and ordered a few... do you guys know approx how long they usually take to ship here? i'm still waiting for my first order, or maybe i have no patience :shake:
The last time I ordered from Copes, it took about a week to get here.
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I would say about 10 days or so. That aren't really slow, but they aren't midway either.
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thanks guys :shaka:
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I just got my order today and I'm pretty sure I put mine in after you did....?? One thing, copes likes to use styrofoam peanuts for packing and tosses the mags right in. Not the best packing (styrofoam may get in the mag), but none were damaged and looked new.
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how did they ship it? usps? damn i put the order in on the 5th. guess i gott call them on monday.
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My order was shipped USPS priority.
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kaiks, they knew you were anxiously waiting, so they decided to send it parcel post for you, Haha :geekdanc:
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kaiks, they knew you were anxiously waiting, so they decided to send it parcel post for you, Haha :geekdanc:
yup :wacko:
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my stuff finally came in yesterday... damn parcel post!!
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Glad to hear u got ur order. Btw. If anyone is looking for a AK bayonet. I ordered one of the Polish ones, and it was like new with matching numbered sheath. Very nice ;D
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Glad to hear u got ur order. Btw. If anyone is looking for a AK bayonet. I ordered one of the Polish ones, and it was like new with matching numbered sheath. Very nice ;D
How much pit?
I might be down for it if you give me a black Friday deal. :thumbsup:
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My fault. That post sounded like I wanted to sell one. It was actually meant as info for anyone that was thinking of ordering one from copes.
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Revisiting this thread at the request of a couple forum members.
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Great topic. I have a bunch of Tapcos and they've been great so far. Only have a few of the Bulgarian Circle 10s - the price for each is pretty high, but they're the best mags I've used for my AK.
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Found some Bulgarians. Probably going to pick up some of the thermolds as well, as I have heard nothing but praises on the review.
Of course, it would make sense to actually try and shoot my stock mags first to see how they run.
You know the rule is if you buy ((10)) mags, you must have a Bulgarian Milled AK-47 (Bulgarian made receiver, not US) and/or a Bulgarian parts kit. lol
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Damn, ya'll know a lot about AKs. Sometimes I wish I liked them...so popular and ammo is much cheaper!
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For the polymer mags?
And I decided not to go with the thermold; found quite a few negative reviews.
Anyone interested in some Bulgarian polymers, copes has a blowout sale going on; $14.99 per mag, $10 shipping.
i do but spent my money on the rifle..no more extra $$
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I see you finally picked up your AK! :thumbsup:
Hopefully copes has this blowout sale for a little while longer. If the mags work well, I'm gonna order a few more.
just picked it up today looked @ the one like you got but walked out with the sam7r & one circle ten 30rnd,now I'm broke
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just picked it up today looked @ the one like you got but walked out with the sam7r & one circle ten 30rnd,now I'm broke
Money well spent. :thumbsup:
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That's a good deal for the polymer mags, I think there is a difference between the smooth side and waffle mag though......I believe the waffle has more reinforcements.
I'm wondering about the 5.45! I don't have one but I've never seen those Bulgarian 5.45 for less than $45!!!! :shake:
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just want to add to the OP
milled arsenal with tapco 30 rnd polymer mags
no problems and fits tight
although I only load 5 at a time, each mag goes through about 10-20 cycles each range trip
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Yup, they got them on blowout sale; think they overstocked during the scare.
get em while you can!
After hunting around, I don't think these re the same as the $44 ones on kvar. Steel reinforced feed lips, but not locking tab or metal spine.
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Yup, they got them on blowout sale; think they overstocked during the scare.
get em while you can!
After hunting around, I don't think these re the same as the $44 ones on kvar. Steel reinforced feed lips, but not locking tab or metal spine.
I don't think so either. Kinda resembles the Polish RADOM ((11)) mag…the only metal on them is the floorplate and spring, and it’s not an aftermarket Bulgarian bullet mag either, which is weak in comparison to the MIL SPEC ((10)) waffles and crack fairly easy.
IMO the Bulgarian MIL SPEC waffles produced at the ((10)) factory in Bulgaria are the best synthetic mag there is without a doubt and arguably the best overall AK mag…excellent quality and durable as hell, but they aren’t cheap. The body is steel reinforced, has steel-lined locking lugs, and steel reinforced feedlips.
The aftermarket clear and smoked ones don’t have all these features and I’ve also heard the steel reinforced opaque colored ones are not as strong…something to do with the colors in the polymer process. Most people probably couldn’t tell the difference anyway, so take it for what it’s worth but many AK people swear this to be a fact and only use them for cosmetic or collecting purposes.
One concern some have with the waffle mag (not me) is that they may not fit easily into some mag wells because they are slightly larger than steel surplus mags. Some of the imported AKs arrived with single stack mag wells and then were modified but the workmanship was not always that good, hence the problem but that's correctable.
Here is an Arsenal MIL SPEC ((10)) mag drop test that includes other polymer mag results. The video also depicts the metal components of the MIL SPEC mag. Pretty much sums it up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQalsPMe3tY# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQalsPMe3tY#)
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Pass/Fail chart
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Good thing I only bought 3!
Got em for training anyway; gonna pick up the steel bulgarians once the funds come in.
Steel Bulgarians, Circle 10's, steel Chinese are all excellent choices.
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Any experience with the Korean steel mags?
I assume you're referring to commercial South Korean mags and not South Korean military surplus or North Korean arsenal mags (star in circle).
I’m the wrong person to ask about South Korean commercial mags and their drums for that matter. I don’t own any, nor would I care to, but I do own a lot of old combloc military mags. Things I’ve heard off the top of my head or seen in comparison to the combloc military mags are poor quality, both fit and finish, and questionable reliability. They’re not made of solid steel but thin-layered sheet metal, poor spot welds, weak feeding lips and the finish lacks luster. The backloader drums demonstrate the same kind of poor quality and the internals are poor to boot…gears that strip and tend to break and poor springs that cause feeding problems.
I personally would avoid the cheap Korean commercial stuff. JMHO…some may actually like the stuff. See, wrong guy to ask.
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Steel Bulgarians, Circle 10's, steel Chinese are all excellent choices.
The old russian Type 1-3 mags aren't to shabby either.
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Steel Bulgarians, Circle 10's, steel Chinese are all excellent choices.
So what's up with the Bulgarians.............just thicker steel or type of steel?
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So what's up with the Bulgarians.............just thicker steel or type of steel?
I have Bulgarians and compared them to other surplus steel. They just feel beefy. The metal feels more substantial and hefty compared to other surplus steel. I know that's not scientific or hard data, but that's what I can tell from handling them.
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So what's up with the Bulgarians.............just thicker steel or type of steel?
Never measured them but they seem stronger than a lot of other mags.
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Never measured them but they seem stronger than a lot of other mags.
I C
I have some maritime mags from HK for my AR. Hardest frikken metal to saw, but it's still easy to bend feed lips. Was just wondering why the Bulgarian stuff was better than the other magazines.
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I C
I have some maritime mags from HK for my AR. Hardest frikken metal to saw, but it's still easy to bend feed lips. Was just wondering why the Bulgarian stuff was better than the other magazines.
Assuming the question is referring to Type 1-3 Bulgarian European steel mags, the answer will vary slightly on specific type but just to keep it simple and generalize. The Bulgarians began producing the AK-47 at their Factory 10 under Russian license in 1958, so these mags very closely resemble the early Russian mags and are of similar quality. The early European “ribbed” magazines are known to have a stronger design…thicker spring, better reinforcing, stronger floorplate and better made follower than other countries. The quality of the parts and machine work is top notch and the markings are nice and crisp. Others countries, China for example produced very good quality mags at Factory 626 (/66\) beginning in the late 1950s with notable differences in features compared to the European’s, such as a blued stepped-follower. But if we’re splitting hairs, IMO the “early” European mags are slightly better overall compared to other countries that produced good mags…China being one of them. Just my opinion, others may disagree. The specific differences are detailed in many good AK books...I just generalized. Here is the quick way to ID the three early types of Bulgarian steel "ribbed" mags in case anyone is interested:
European Type I - were the earliest Bulgarian steel magazines produced (late 1950s). They are stamped with either a ((10)) or an ((E)) on the spine indicating the factory code. The ((E)) mags weren’t produced until approximately 1964. These mags are top quality...very nice blued finish and the follower has a unique large pill shaped bulge with a hole in the lower corner.
Bulgarian European Type II - has three raised vertical reinforcing ribs on each side and seven horizontal reinforcing ridges on the bottom. The sides were folded to overlap and then welded; this technique eliminated the reinforcing ridge down the spine. These mags have either the earlier Type I follower or a new follower that has an elongated bulge without a hole in it. All the marked ones have the ((E)) stamp on the spine and have a phosphate finish vice blued.
Bulgarian Type III - has a 45 degree angled back rib. The early mags have a phosphate finish while the majority of the later mags have a black enamel finish. Most of the late Bulgarian steel mags are unmarked, but a few stamped ((E)) or ((25)) on the rear spine have been observed.
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:thumbsup:
^^^Saw that crazy shit on FB... :wtf:
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They're serviceable mags.
The sad thing is that as far as plastic mags go, they're not bad.
Definitely not steel or circle 10 quality but as long as you're not throwing your gun down with the mag installed, they should last for quite a while.
Don't worry about the wobble. If the mag locks up tight front to back, you'll be ok.
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Another pretty good mag is the Russian Izhmash AK-103/104 mag. These are 30-rd ribbed mags constructed of phenolic resin but kinda hard to get and expensive. These mags are currently being used by the Russian Special Forces.
(http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a632/Bunker9939/5556e309-406e-46ad-b9f8-61206e965e6c_zps3300fb5e.jpg) (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/Bunker9939/media/5556e309-406e-46ad-b9f8-61206e965e6c_zps3300fb5e.jpg.html)