Thermold Mag question

Any one ever have issues with thermold 30rd mags?

I bought one last Friday and got to use it over the weekend.
The mag fit and released normally while loaded.
i chambered the first round and shot. After the 1st round cleared the next two rounds( 2 & 3) tried to double feed.
After clearing that, I was able to get a round chambered and fired again. This time when the spent casing ejected
round no. 5 popped up and some how wedge its self into the charging handle race way forcing the bolt to stop about 3/4
of the way closed. while No. 6&7 tried to double feed again. so now there were three live rounds in the chamber.
After removing the cluster of a jam i could not get the mag to release. I had to disassemble the weapon and while holding
the mag release in proceed to beat the mag out of the mag well with a hammer.

I have a Bushmaster XM-15 E2s(early 2000s mfg) bone stock with about 300-400 rounds through it now.
I have never had a problem using the stock Bushmaster 10rd or 30rd mags nor the colt 20rd preban or Pmags.

Is this what i can expect from thermold or is this just a fluke?

The Thermold 30rd mags are not well thought of: the Candians tried to produce them domestically... and stopped, after issues became glaring. The U.S. Made ones fare slightly better, but they're far from duty-ready. Not as many issues with the 20rd Thermolds.

So, yes, that's what's to be expected out of thermolds. Stick to your bushy mags or PMags, and you should be fine.

I bought some awhile back and they will feed in uppers with M4 feed cuts but not in standard (non m4) uppers. The point of the round doesn't tilt up when fed and doesn't enter the standard feed ramp.

I had some way back in the 90's. They worked fine for me in Colt and Bushmaster rifles.

They're past their prime now for really trusting, what with P-mags going for 15 bucks. The T-mags are fine for range beaters.

I use older and the newer ones. Never have any issues with them. Seem to work great. In all reality, I have had more issue with Pmags than Thermolds in several AR's. I have shot many thousands of rounds through them too.

Could the problems be fixed by modifying an anti tilt follower to fit?

Like this post

I have a couple from the AWB era, and they have been perfect in every way, never a problem.

The standard thermold follower has anti-tilt legs.

Maybe I don't fully understand the 'tilt' part. My thermold followers are no where close to staying nice and flat (longitudinal movement) when pushed down as opposed to the mags with magpul anti tilt followers

What am I missing?

you pushing them down with your finger(s)?

Opposed to this

I like Thermolds as range mags, CDNN used to have the 20 rounders for $2.99 and I stocked up. Never an issue, I always shoot milsurp ball. I like the 30 rounders too, and the 30/45 models were a good idea. Store 30 rds while the mag is extended and the spring is not fully compressed. Great for long term loaded storage. Or you can fill them up with 45 rounds. The only mag issues I've ever had was with some suplus Izzy Orlites, which I use to throw in the mix to add a little variable to my range time. Good practice. I guess if the SHTF I would feel no qualms about using Thermolds but my grab bags have GI and Troy mags in them.

Been using the Thermelts for decades,
Havent had any problems what so ever.

I like them better than USGI 30

I also like the stippers and loaders better than the USGI spoon/strippers

I heard that knucks dump the Thermold because of artic cold weather?? I guess USGI must do better in the extreme cold.

Hell I even bought some used ORLITES for range use and didnt have any problems with them.

I do like plastic over metal EXCEPT for The Colt 20rounders with alloy followers . They are my all time favorite mags. Havent tried out the 20rd Pmag yet

I have 2 therejunk mags and if I insert them into the mag well too hard they dump a round or two.

I have 8 of the 30rd Thermold mags and 3 of the 20rd mags. I've run 500-600 rounds though the 30rd mags over the years including a 200 round rifle course at a LE training class and at no time did I ever have an issue with the 30 rd mags. They are less rigid than other polymer mags no doubt, and my gut tells me to not trust them as much as I do the updated USGI mags. Again, just a gut instinct. The 20rd mags have has less than 200 rounds through them and I did have a hiccup once upon a time when I slammed a mag home while at the range and a few rounds slipped passed the feed lips on an open bolt.

They are good mags, but for "front line" use I'd stick with the tried and true (USGI),

my 2 cents.

I would just throw it away and never buy another Thermold except maybe the stripper clip loader

Damn I must be doing something right

I just recieved a mix of 20 and 30 rounders from CDNN. All of them fit the mag well nicely and drop free. Barring rain I'll be running rounds through all of them this weekend to see how they behave. I hope they run good since CDNN has them on sale through the end of the weekend.

The Canadian mags didn't handle cold weather because they made them out of regular plastic, not zytel like Thermold mags.





OP- I bought some AR-180 thermolds, and had to use a rat tail file to thin up the feed lips to get them to feed right (they had been too thick, and the Bolt would pass over the rim and not pick up rounds), after that they ran like champs.




Sometimes getting bum mags is fun because you learn a lot about feed lip geometry, and how everything works.



Your mags sound like junk though.

Hence the name Thermelts.

I did a two week AT with my reserve unit. We went down to Curcao and did a bilat training exercise with the Dutch MArines in 2001. They all had Thermold mags that were beat to shit but worked fine. Most had cracked feed lips and still worked. Getting anything past 27-28 rounds in them would cause the rounds to pop out due to the feed issue. I carried a Diemaco C7 LSW (big blocky forened with a ELCAN) for a day and the mags fed fine.

I have a a small pile of thermolds and keep a couple in general circulation. I've never had an issue with them I even have a few orange ones to boot.

have had good luck with the 30rd mags US made
had issues with several 20rd mags rounds popping out/double feeds

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