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Anyone Monopod Off A Thermold 30/45?


chp5

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I was talking with PaulE at the Ft Benning match about whether anoyone ever monopods off of the Thermold 30/45 (when extended).

The Thermold 30/45 is my only 40+ mag for my AR, but I never thought it was fit for monopoding when prone.

PaulE monopods with his with no problems. I was wondering if anyone else has tried it?

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They are also my only 30+ mags, I have 2 that I run. I have never tried monopoding off them, I didn't want them to collapse on me so honestly I have never tried it. I typically use them for the close in stuff and use metal 30's duirng the prone stages.

I will be interested to see if people do it and how it works?

Neal in AZ

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I tried it once, and NEVER again!! It tends to collaps a bit and if it isn't down to 30 rounds it pogo sticks like crazy. Imagine an AR bouncing up and down like Tigger and recoiling at the same time. Group size of 55 gallon drum at 50 yards!! BAD JUJU!!! I would use a Sterling mag or the new DPMS 45 rounder because the mag body is solid but I would NEVER again use a Thermold as a mono pod! KURT

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Kurt is correct about the collapsing mags when they get down to 25-30 rounds, but... you can take a few of the old-style magpuls (not the ranger pads, the rubber ones that slip over the mag). Cut off the loops and use them as spacers to keep the mag from collapsing. counting one left intact for the bottom of the mag, it takes three to do one mag, five to do two mags. The middle one ends up being like a sliver of pie, due to the curve of the mag, but the diameter of the magpuls is perfect. Fills the gap but doesn't squeeze the mag. And they keep dirt out of the bottom of the mags.

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I tried using the 30/45 and like other posters, did not like it. I cut a piece of wood to match the height of the 30/45 mag, painted it flat black and screwed and glued it to the bottom of a 30 round Thermold mag. At Ft Benning on stage 12, I was afraid that the horizontal member of the "grill" would be in the way and went with a 30 round Thermold as the monopod. No problem with that. The problem was the rear seat passenger which was barely visible and bullet-proof @ 7:40 a.m. Sunday morning.

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Kelly has a long memory, that was at the 3-gun nationals in Reno last year. I would also like to remind Mr. Neil that they threw out that stage so no penalty, no foul!! Thank god!!, but it does seem that they keep throwing out Kelly's good stages, and that I REALLY like as well :lol: KURTM

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Kelly has a long memory, that was at the 3-gun nationals in Reno last year. I would also like to remind Mr. Neil that they threw out that stage so no penalty, no foul!! Thank god!!, but it does seem that they keep throwing out Kelly's good stages, and that I REALLY like as well :lol: KURTM

Why do they always throw out my good stages and keep the bad ones?? Stage 10 and 11 at Ft. Benning for example. But for you and Erik Lund, they'll do anything to get rid of those bad stages.

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But for you and Erik Lund, they'll do anything to get rid of those bad stages.
BUT..... that Eric Lund!! Well I think you know!! KURTM

I have no defense, I definitely caught a break on that one. After I got home and inspected the extractor, I noticed the corner on the hook was missing. Not good for normal operations, but it did double feed quite regularly after that modification. :(

Opps... forgot to add (didn't want to hi-jack the thread), monopodding on a magazine....BAD JUJU! If Eugene Stoner wanted you to monopod off the magazine, he would have made it parallel to the ground, not angled! Can it be done? Yes, but I kinda think of it like having a cavity filled without using novacaine, sure it CAN be done...but it's not recommended.

Erik

Edited by Bear1142
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Opps... forgot to add (didn't want to hi-jack the thread), monopodding on a magazine....BAD JUJU! If Eugene Stoner wanted you to monopod off the magazine, he would have made it parallel to the ground, not angled! Can it be done? Yes, but I kinda think of it like having a cavity filled without using novacaine, sure it CAN be done...but it's not recommended.

Erik

I believe the ? was Anyone monopod off a Thermold 30/45, not the standard 30 rds mags. We have monopodding our rifles off the standard 30 w/o problems.

Edited by PacMan
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Monopodding on regular 30's and other "solid" mags is NOT bad juju IMHO. It works fine for me and everyone I know. Never had an issue doing this with any AR I own.

Erik please elucidate on why you feel monopodding in any manner is bad juju.

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George,

Monopodding...Well, here it goes. First my disclaimers. My aversion to monopodding is mostly based on personal preference with a sprinkling of bad experiences. The only real potential problem I see with monopodding is the additional pressure on the magazine may cause the magazine to be overinserted in the rifle, which can cause the bolt not to cycle. I've done some "energetic" bolt lock reloads with AR magazines and inserted them past the magazine catch. If the mags "jump" the catch they will prevent the bolt from cycling. Monopodding off the magazine puts an incredible amount of pressure on the magazine and magazine catch. I don't think shooters realize how much downward pressure they put on the rifle when they monopod in the prone. Considering the relatively loose tolerances in the catches cut into magazines, I think it's only a matter of time before the tolerances stack up on the loose side and a monopodded magazine causes a malfunction, as some on this forum have already indicated.

Obviously, there are a lot of shooters who have never experienced any problems using the monopodding technique and they may never, but I when it comes to the reliable operation of my AR, I prefer to not risk it. When other shooters ask my opinion, I counsel against it, but I do recognize that many people use it quite successfully.

For the record, I do use the monopod technique, I just use it in conjunction with my vertical foregrip and not the magazine.

Erik

Edited by Bear1142
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