Thermold Magazines

[Mac5.56]

Hey Everyone,

I did a search and a lot of what came up was really old data.

I recently came across Thermold 10 Round magazines as a possible solution to the magazine ban in my state. But I can't really find any mention of them as being worthwhile and the website doesn't really show much.

Are these things any good at all?

While I keep my fingers crossed that Cuomo's ban will be shot down, I would like to be able to shoot my AR again without the fear of felony charges.

Yes, it's come to this... (http://www.thermoldmagazines.com/collections/magazines-accessories/products/2ar-10-mlcb-magazine)

[AR Newby AZ]

They're probably the last mag I'd want to grap out of the bag. I'm sure it'll feed your AR at the range but that's all they should be used for.

[John Fritz]

I have a couple of Thermold 30s for my ARs. I haven't used them much but they work fine thus far. I can tell you that when you disassemble them you need to be careful reinstalling the baseplate. It's a shitty design, it has this long flimsy plastic tab that can (will) be very easily flexed back and forth while you try to put your cleaned mag back together. It bends enough of course to snap off thus rendering the magazine completely useless until you get the replacement part.

Ask me how I know all this. On second thought I'm sure anyone who read this far realizes I broke one of my mags cleaning the damn thing. Which didn't need to be cleaned anyway, I was just curious how to get the thing apart and back together again.

A bit of good news is that customer service dropped a new baseplate in the mail to me immediately after I told them what happened. So there's that.

I won't ever again disassemble either of the two Thermolds I own. It's almost impossible to get them back together in one piece. They're just going to have to live life dirty.

I don't know if their ten round mags are designed the same way but I would pass on them if they are.

[duece71]

I had a 30 rounder, first use, bottom of the mag popped off, emptying the entire contents on to the ground. Went straight to the trash. I also have a 20 rounder which I have used and seems ok. I don't trust it though, especially with what happened to the 30 rounder.

[RHINOWSO]

They're probably the last mag I'd want to grap out of the bag. I'm sure it'll feed your AR at the range but that's all they should be used for.

You'd take a Promag ahead of a Thermold? ;)

I have a couple for my SCAR 17, with the intent to block them to 5 rounds for hunting if I ever need that. But in general I'd avoid them.

I think C-products has metal 10 rd mags. Magazine, not my first choose of magazine, but I've had good luck with them before, YMMV,

[smoky]

If they were $10 I would buy a couple just for sh!ts and giggles, but other than that I would not trust them.

[Cowtown556]

I have got some that are a least 10 years old and still use them all the time.

[dash1]

I found a Thermold 30 round magazine some years ago. If I loaded it with more than 25 rounds it would not feed.

[Stukas87]

I got 7 of the Canadian Army issues ones, for awhile I used them alot never had a jam but when the mags were loaded full up rounds would pop out while they were in pouches on my kit and I did alot of running around so a 30 round mag would end up be a 27-28 rd mag.

[Quiet-Matt]

I got a few of these as part of a trade for work I did for a friend. In the bag there were 2- 30's ans 2- 20's. Sportsman's was selling them for something like $3 at one point. I've used them at the range quite a bit and here's my findings...

-They dont really fit in ANY pouch.
-The feed lips are soft and flex too much, so that a hard blow will result in several rounds poping out.
-The floor plates are BARELY hanging on. Dropping these on the ground isn't the best idea.
-Last round lock-back was about about 30%

[Turk182]

Is there a thread that tells a man what mags are worthy of his dollar?

This is what yaw have learned me (durring the "current climate ")
GTG ..

anything "USGI" dh/colt/ect.
Pmag
lancer
Emag

Not worthy

Tapco (called "Crapco" when I asked about them)
Thermold

I would love to know what to never buy. Thread?

Thankyou
J

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

Is there a thread that tells a man what mags are worthy of his dollar?

Orange search button will turn up more threads on mags than a show dog could jump over.

[1dawg]

I may have been lucky, but I have about 8 of the thermold a and so far have had no issues with them. I have only shot about 200 rounds through them and have never ran or shook them up. All of my AR shooting is just garden variety standing, sitting, prone, etc in my backyard range. I just shoot my AR for fun cheap plinking.

[dontblink]

Bought 5 with my AR, threw them all away when I got my 5 PMAGs.

[John Fritz]

Bought 5 with my AR, threw them all away when I got my 5 PMAGs.
Shit, I would've offered them to the folks on the board. Give them to them if they covered shipping, something like that.

They haven't been bad for me, and they have a lifetime warranty which usually means they'll ship you a new whatever replacement part whenever something breaks.

[Smash]

I had a 30 rounder, first use, bottom of the mag popped off, emptying the entire contents on to the ground.

This made me chuckle aloud like a 12 year old fat kid.

It would have been funnier had your pants fallen down around your ankles at the same time. Which I hear is caused by using Thermolds.

[eperk]

I hear Thermolds will give you the clap.

[cma g21]

I have got some that are a least 10 years old and still use them all the time.

Then they were made by the original company (unless they're the ones produced in Canada).

The original Thermolds were good magazines.

The ones produced in Canada were made using molds produced by Thermold, but used a different polymer. The polymer used in the Canadian Thermolds did not hold up well to heat. They are often derisively called, "Thermelts."

The company that currently produces Themolds bought the name and molds from the owners of the original company (which had been out of business for years).

The current company appears to use a polymer that differs from the original. At least the ones I've tried - mostly 20 round AR-15 magazines - had feed lips so pliable that many would fail to hold rounds in the magazines.

OTOH their AK magazines seem to be O.K., probably because the feed lips are so much thicker.

The original Thermold Mini-14 magazines were arguably the best of the aftermarket Mini-14 magazines. I don't know about the current production, but my experience with the current AR-15 magazines doesn't inspire confidence.

Bottom line, I didn't think the new AR-15 Thermolds were worth the price when CDNN was was selling them for $3.99. I definitely don't think they're worth the current prices. YMMV.

[DMR]

Guys you forget he is fighting the 10 rnd compliance issue. Any 10 round mag is f***ing hard to get now. Since the NY ban passed I have yet to be able to source any mags.

Ordered 5 Lancers which showed as in stock, followed up with a back order notice.
Gouged on 2 Lancers on GB, waiting on them to come in.
Just got two ARC's from Midway, waiting on Them to come in. Sold out in less than 10 minutes with a limit of two per customer. They came in once before, but I wasn't fast enough to get any.
Ordered 5 Troy Battlemags last night from Troy. They are out of stock now, but waiting to see what ships.
And waiting on two FN2000 mags from Brownells.

Now if I could have 30 round mags I could get something basicly everyday of the week in comparison.

[ramairthree]

I would take any mag you can get your hands on right now.
In the past 32 years of personal and 28 years of work use of AR based weapons, mags like Thermold and Orlite are what made me scoff and blow off Pmags and Lancers for about 5 years before willing to try them.

[The Lance]

I bought 10 of them from Sportsman guide not too long ago right after Sandy hook for a what was a reasonable price then.
10 for 79.95 Or 69.95 one of the two


They worked fine for what they cost. Had no feeding issues, or double feeds.

I wouldn't trust my life with them, thats what Pmags are for but they aren't terrible by any means

[T2C]

Thermold magazines work fine in my LAR-8. My neighbor has a Thermold magazine he uses in his Colt HBAR and it works fine as well. Neither rifle sees a lot of use, but they do work.

[Sterls]

They also made a 30/45 mag. It expanded for 30 to 45 rounds.
Not sure on reliability.

[JusticeM4]

OP, why don't you go ahead and buy them to test them out. Obviously don't use it for SD/HD, but for range use and testing only.

I've never had any experience with Thermelts, and from what I've heard they're not the best--which is why I never bought any.

I stick to GI/Pmags/Lancers, but in your case buy what you can get.

[OH58D]

I have used Thermolds (US Made) since the late 1980s and have never experienced any feeding issues. Some will not totally drop free, but for my kind of shooting it's not a problem. I'm no tactical operator so they're not being dropped on the ground.

[dontblink]

Shit, I would've offered them to the folks on the board. Give them to them if they covered shipping, something like that.

They haven't been bad for me, and they have a lifetime warranty which usually means they'll ship you a new whatever replacement part whenever something breaks.

Shame I didn't find this forum sooner. :(