From the J.A.Freeman AK47 / AK74 Website
How to load a 75rd and 100rd AK47drum

Chinese drums

The 7.62x39mm drums for AK type rifles were made in 75rd and 100rd versions. The only difference between them besides capacity is the 100rd drum is larger in diameter. Both have the same controls,are loaded and function the same way. A 75rd drum is used in all pics but the 100rd drum is loaded exactly the same way. The first thing is to open the latches on either side of the feed tower and open the cover on the back of the drum. The whole "trick" to get them to function 100% is to have the follower in the correct position before loading any cartridges into the drum. In the pic below the point of the knife is pointing to the follower.

At this point press the button in the center of the drum. This releases the spring pressure so make sure all your fingers are clear of the cartridge (this is the part that surrounds the spring release button that has all the cutouts in it for the ammo).

WARNING

The cartridge will spin around very fast and cut the crap out of any part of your fingers it hits. Been there done this and the cartridge of the first drum I bought has some slight stains/pitting in a couple of spots from my bloody index finger.

Once the spring pressure has been released hold the spring release button down and spin the cartridge clockwise till it stops. It should be in this position just like in the pic below.

The drum is now ready for loading. Insert the ammo nose down into all the slots and holes in the cartridge. Below is a pic of a partly loaded drum note that the top slots will not hold 6 rds like all the others. Single rds are put into the holes on the outer edge of the cartridge. Once all the slots and holes have been filled with ammo the drum is ready to go just close the lid,lock the latches. The loaded drum can be stored loaded with no pressure on the spring. To use the drum just wind the key on the back of the drum 4 or 5 turns,and the drum is ready to be inserted into your rifle and fired.

At this point you are saying to yourself Hey,Whoa bogus instructions man! I counted the number of rds in the drum and it is not 75. Well you are right it is not,but to get 75 rds into the drum you need to insert them into the feed tower one at a time or wind the drum up. Then release the spring pressure and carefully rotate the cartridge clockwise and fill up the empty holes with ammo. Watch the ammo in the feed tower as it will fall back into the drum hanging up the cartridge if you are not careful. But.... the feed tower has a spring on the inside of it that when the drum is loaded with 75rds is compressed. The whole idea of the Chinese drum being better for long term storage than the Russian ones is that it can be stored loaded without any spring being compressed i.e. no stress on the parts. So I fill up my drums with only as much ammo as the cartridge will hold and not 75rds so as not to stress the spring in the feed tower.

As far as maintenance and cleaning goes I have fired my 9-75rd and 3-100rd drums at least 5 times each and some 10+ times without cleaning except one. I dropped it in the dirt with it open. So I used a can of brake parts cleaner to hose it out and a pump spray bottle of CLP to re lube the inside. All my drums have been 100% reliable.

RUSSIAN DRUMS

They are loaded by pressing the loading lever on the back of the drum and inserting one cartridge. Then repeating this 74 more times till it is fully loaded and man is it a bitch. They work 100% but give you a sore red thumb. They are great collector items but get a Chinese drum for shooting. Besides loading them the really downside is that the spring is under constant pressure when loaded unlike the Chinese drums.

For more information use the links below

• Pre & Post Ban Chinese AK47 Rifle Overview

  AK type rifles were imported from the People Republic of China (PRC) till imports were cut off in May of 1994. They were... Click Here for more

• Romanian AK47 Rifle Overview

  It was not untill 1997 that the arms embargo was completly lifted that rifles were allowed to be imported from Romania. So there is no such thing as a .... Click Here for more

• Egyptian AK47 Rifle Overview

  Semi automatic AKM rifles were / are imported from Egypt. The factory was shipped to Egypt lock, stock, and barrel from Russia. The Russian's set up.... Click Here for more

• Russian AK47 Rifle Overview

  The first semiautomatic AK-47 type rifles imported from Russia were the Saiga 7.62x39mm imported by B-West Tucson, AZ USA in 1994..... Click Here for more

• How to change handguards on AK rifles
  

  TOOLS NEEDED:  Vise or Quick Clamp, hammer, rubber / wood / rawhide mallet, screwdriver, punch, adjustable wrench, padding for vise jaws (old leather belt, rubber, rags, etc..). After removing the bolt carrier from the rifle... Click Here for more

• How to load a 75rd and 100rd AK47drum

  The 7.62x39mm drums for AK type rifles were made in 75rd and 100rd versions. The only difference between them besides capacity is ... Click Here for more

• AK47 drum and magazine overview

  The 2 types of drums imported for use in AK-47 rifles that are chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge are the Chinese type and the Russian type. The Chinese type drums are easy to spot ... Click Here for more

• AK47 rifle ammo identification

  The 7.62x39mm cartridge was invented by the Russians and adopted as the M-43 cartridge in 1943. The cartridge was developed in response to.. Click Here for more