Found a Chinese 75 round drum in my stash. Has some rust spots on it gonna cleaning up. What do you guys think its worth?

Around $200 give or take

Thank You

I have one from back in 1999-2000, paid $50 with a $235 Egyptian maadi akm.

I thought it was mucho dinero considering the cost of the gun.

Those were the good old days when East German AKM and AK-74 mags were $5 to $7 a pop.

This thread brought back memories, let me tell you...

I ordered Chinese flatbacks for $2.99 apiece, and 75 round Chicom drums for $29.99 each from a Classic Arms ad in the Shotgun News way back in 1996, and had I known what this stuff would do over time, I'd have spent my next four paychecks on that crap.

I bought my first centerfire rifle in 1991, a Norinco MAK-90 for $289.00 plus tax from Big Buck Sports in Hattiesburg, MS.

A year later, Rose's Department Store took in a HUGE shipment of COMBLOC weapons and ammo, and I bought a New England Westinghouse Mosin-Nagant M91 for $35.00 out the door, and Russian 54R ammo for $1.50 a pop for the 20 round paper-wrapped pack. Russian Capture K98s were $69.00, SMLEs were $60.00, and SKS rifles were stacked to the ceilings at gun shows for $75 apiece.

J&G Sales ran ads for $79/1000 7.62x39 surplus ammo.

Talk about the good old days!

Are the current production Korean wind up drums any good?

Wish someone would knock off the Russian/Romanian style lever loader drum.

Yeah, the good old days that will never happen again.  I only wish, back then, that I had more disposable income to stock up on all that stuff..  I’m good on East German AKM/AK74 magazines and Chinese 30rd AK magazines for the rest of my life… This means no less than 10-12 per rifle. Counting all the nationally of all my AK magazines, it is well over 200, with most being bought before 2007.

Anyway, before the laws changed in my state, WA, I saw a Norinco 75rd drum at a local gun shop for $200 back around 2020-2021.  It was too rich for my blood since I paid $80-ish for a like-new Norinco 75rd drum back around 2005… Before being sent to Iraq.

Honestly, I do not know what would be a responsible price for a Norinco or even a Soviet pattern Romanian 75rd drums since I haven’t seen any massive shipments coming into the country in decades… In recent years, I’ve seen some Chinese pattern drums being marketed as “Romanian” AK drums, but I’m sure they’re Chinese drums, but have been in Romania for a period of time, to legally become “Romanian.”

Honestly, I have three 75rd AK drums, one Chinese and two Soviet pattern Romanian drums, but I have never used them since all my AKs are semi-auto, so I’m good with 30rd mags when shooting them. With the cost of ammo these days, I’ve stopped “mag dumps” around 2012!!  Without question, those drums have a “cool” factor, so they have collector value to them and something any serious AK collector should have at least one in their stash.