rat.bastard.reviews: Podavach
Disclosure: I'd like to start this review by personally Thanking Podavach for sponsoring this review, Andrei Shevchuk (The great and powerful OZ of Podavach)for facilitating my contact and Mrs.Bastard for all the ways you help with these reviews. I must disclose that the materials being reviewed here today were provided to me free of charge from Podavach and the lovely Ms. Alina Uvarova (Head of Marketing). But don't let that shape your perception of this review, the Bastard ain't never been about no shit and My analysis will not be effected by receiving these items free of charge. Lets boogie.
Initial Impression: When I first saw Podavach's
U-LOADER AK + AR15 Magazine Speed Loader online I knew I had to get my hands on one, once I framed my mind around approaching Andrei for a sponsored review I happened across a few more Items offered by Podavach I thought were hidden gems. Yes, they Offer AK mag pouch's, I managed to snag a single cell Mag Pouch AR15+AK and a Double Mag Pouch with my loader to expand my review. In my eyes for the price these items are both rarities and perhaps even obscurities considering that the demand is there but an affordable market wide supply is not. Podavach has done an excellent job at filling the hole left behind after companies identified the need for these items and began marketing pricey solutions without offering an economic alternative.
Breakdown: The U-LOADER AK + AR15 Magazine Speed Loader come in all kids of finishes, patterns, stains and prints; the one I received was the all black model for AR15's and AK47's. Of course we all know AR patterned rifles are for boys who piss sitting down SO we tested this on our collection of standard capacity steel AK mags (Polish, Croatian, Korean, Romanian, and Yugoslavian). Podavach proudly boasts their product is eco-friendly, made with Baltic birch wood and non-toxic materials. They feel nice, sturdy, durable with a quality finish. The design is simplistic and effective, the rubber feet keep it stationary when loading and the round count markers are accurate. Now I didn't time myself but I can honestly say I was loading about three mags in the time it would take to leisurely handload one steel mag. This is obviously fantastic, it makes your pre-range prep super easy and you can't argue the fact that time saved is free time applied elsewhere. Where I really think that the Podavach Loaders stand out is its manual operation, simplicity is the key to reliability. There's only two things that can go wrong, it either has a structural break or there is an operator error; meaning you're doing it wrong! When we compare that to automatic loaders we are putting our faith into design, function, power source, mechanical integrity, structural integrity, operator error, and general wear and tear on parts. The manual operating system also helps with keeping the cost down, and if I'm being honest it's pretty satisfying to slam 30 rounds by hand into a magazine in a matter of seconds. I might also add the rounds stay fully seated, no adjusting or rattles; I do still give the magazines a good slap out of habit but have yet to feel the weight shift of rounds adjusting rearward from this. I find it endearing to see a product offered with its consumers in mind, priced for the every-man coming from a company that cares about us, its product, and the firearm community overall.
The pouches, I found these really interesting because outside of the good ole' Chicom chest rig there's not a lot out there marketed towards AK mag pouches, before hitting prices that fall somewhere between "hipster" and being so collectable you don't want to train in it. Now please don't get me wrong there is a load of functional gear out there for the AK platform but the problem is as follows: the custom chest rigs are ungodly expensive and often sold out, the time proven goodies are rare and set at collector prices, the import stuff is more affordable but can sometimes be "Airsoft Grade", and the mountable cells are usually either proprietary or 3x more then their AR counterparts. So in a world of "what the fucks" Podavach once again steps in and offers its customers an economical option unobtainable anywhere else. Now, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you these are the best pouches I've ever handled because that's simply not true but they are extremely well built and the single cell Mag Pouch AR15+AK is actually very advanced for the pricing. The single cell Mag Pouch AR15+AK is built in the uber modern taco style with the utmost rigidity including hard side-walls to retain its shape and a very snug retention strap with a quick-pull tab. The Double Mag Pouch might seem very familiar to service members, as it is almost identical to the standard issue MOLLE webbing pouches they issue you at CIF. Of course the color is rich and new, and the material is much more coarse and stiff as it hasn't made its way through 600 boots before making it's way to you, but otherwise very similar. The Double Mag Pouch does keep the more modernized retention strap and pull tab which is nice, but loses the upgraded taco stylings of the single cell pouch. I'm okay with this, as its reflected in the price staying low and in fact at the time of writing this the Double Mag Pouch is cheaper then the single cell Mag Pouch AR15+AK. Honestly it's an overbuilt product, they both are I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these to anyone. My only complaint about these is there are no button snaps on the MOLLE webbing, yes I know the retention is there from the inherent design But shit those button snaps have got to be $35 for a 1,000 count bag. I'd gladly pay an extra dollar to offset the cost, and have the ease of mind that I'm not going from green to black on ammo after a bumpy car ride to Arby's in full kit. Remember when they used to do those 5 for $5 roast beef classics? so rad.
Special Mentions: The U-LOADER AK + AR15 Magazine Speed Loader I received was in perfect condition however, the push handle was mighty ugly. The puck that slides under the lip of the feeding chamber looked deformed. I'm not positive if this was a molding issue, a quality assurance issue, or perhaps since the item was donated for a sponsored review a blemished handle was used But I'm happy to say it did not effect the function of the loader or make the experience less enjoyable. All of my steel magazines were filled with no issue, the loader didn't care where my ammo came from or if it was the cheapest of cheap steel casing; it functioned flawlessly 100% of the time. The shipping was fast and the Podavah crew was very friendly, and I think if you are a responsible consumer and really care where your money goes then we should all be taking the time to look at more companies like Podavach.
Final Thoughts: подавач (Podavach) literally translates to "Feeder" and that's exactly what the U-LOADER AK + AR15 Magazine Speed Loader does. There's not much for gimmicks here folks, Podavach has offered its consumers a no frills package that performs as advertised for a price most all of us can afford. The workers and representatives are fantastic people heavily involved in our modern firearm industry with a focus on us, the people. Podavach is still relatively small, and only needs a gentle push towards product refinement in order to place itself well above large scale Quality Assurance standards. I would recommend this company to all willing to listen and wish them the best of luck in future endeavors, I'm hoping to work with them again soon.
-Rat Bastard
