Someone left a comment about my casual use of a stamped Chinese AK magazine in my little Krink build, and it prompted me to consider where that magazine came from. I got that magazine as part of what really was a magnificent treasure trove of AK magazines that were imported by Sportsman's Guide back in 2006/2007. They apparently found a warehouse full of AK magazines in Sarajevo, stuff that had found its way into the former Yugoslavia during the wars in the 90s. Sportsman's Guide bought them all up and imported them into the US, where they proceeded to dump them on the market without any sorting or organization.

The magazines were packed 6 per bag, and you could get either 6 or 12 at a time, for something like 6 bucks per mag (less if you were a member of their loyalty program). Opening those bags was like buying collectible playing cards; you never knew what you would get, but you were always hoping for something rare and exotic. The cache was largely generic European mags, but also included Russian steel, Russian bakelite,, slab sides, aluminum waffles, Egyptian, Yugoslav bolt hold-opens, Chinese roll-backs, Chinese stamped, Croatian 2-ribs, Bosnian single ribs, and (the one I really wanted but never did get) Bosnian Fleur-de-Lis mags.

Ah, good times...