Magpul Products' Availability in the Philippines

(Update Note: I have updated this blog, click here to read about the latest developments about the topic)

MAGPUL is a relatively new company, that has taken the firearms world by storm the last couple of years. The company's official name is "Magpul Industries Corporation", and was founded in 1999. The company is best known for their plastic accessories and parts, specifically for the AR-15/M-4 platform, and their products are not only very well made, but also very elegant and high-tech looking, which is a big part of their success.

I started buying some of their stuff for my Glock (why I am buying M-4 parts for my Glock? Long story, to be taken in other blogs), and I have had a bit of confusion with regards to which of their products are genuine, which are copied from China, etc. So I did a little bit of research, and I would just like to share some of the things I found out.

First, it turns out that Magpul has two main plants in different locations, producing slightly different parts. And these are MAGPUL USA, and MAGPUL PTS.

'Magpul USA'
Magpul USA or officially, "Magpul Industries" is located in Colorado, USA, and the most important thing to remember about them and their products, is that they only serve the US market. US laws by default forbid them to export these parts and/or accessories for high powered rifles to other countries. They can apply for export of these parts and accessories, but for some reason, they have opted not to do so. As a result, this has had a huge impact on the prices of their products outside of the USA.

That inability to export their products is the primary reason for the outrageous prices of ORIGINAL Magpul USA parts in the Philippines. For example, a "Magpul Compact Type - Restricted" (CTR) Stock in the US costs only USD 80, but some shops at the Makati Cinema Square (MCS) sells the same products for approximately USD 348. That is more than four times the retail price in the US. Another example, would be the Magpul Back Up Sight (MBUS) Generation 2 sights, for example. These retail for only USD 40 in the US, but in an MCS shop? P12,000 (approximately USD 279), or around SEVEN times as much.


These original Magpul USA products you see being sold were likely brought in by individuals from the US on checked in luggages, or similar procedures. Because of the distance, and the fact that they could not probably carry too many of them at any given time means very few end up in the Philippines, and together with the high demand for these high quality and good looking products have, the result is vastly inflated prices.

Products from Magpul USA are made entirely of 100% Polymer, and are designed for use specifically with real firearms. Of course they could be used also for most of the accurately realistic Airsoft toys that are quite popular these days.

'Magpul PTS'
Magpul only has one other plant, and this one is outside of the US, specifically it is in Hong Kong. The company is named, "Magpul PTS", with "PTS" standing for "Professional Training and Simulation". Products from this plant serve the International Market, but the only problem is that Magpul PTS products were made from cheaper material than the 100% Polymer material used on Magpul USA products. Also, Magpul PTS products were designed mainly for use with Airsoft toy guns.

This is where a bit of a confusion exists, because some of these Magpul PTS products could also be used for real firearms, although not all of them, only selected ones.

Magpul's model "CTR", "MOE" and "ACS" rifle butt stocks, as well as their "MBUS" sights can be used on real firearms, since they are not exposed to direct heat, and are sturdy enough to withstand the impact of a rifle's recoil. So is the "Angled Fore Grip" (AFG), for the same reasons.

On the other hand, their handguards are definitely NOT for use on real firearms, as these parts envelope the barrel and gas tube, and are therefore exposed to extreme heat, and these PTS parts were not made to withstand those type of temperatures.

As for their pistol grips and the UBR Stock, although these are not exposed to direct heat, they can only be used on airsoft rifles as they were specifically made for that.

'Conclusion'
Looking for companies that will ship Magpul USA products to the Philippines is very difficult, I could only find one that looks like it will do so after hours upon hours of search, and that is a company called "Action Gear" on the Amazon website. I haven't tried them yet, because by the time I found them, I've already gone out and bought cheaper knockoffs of the same product. But it looked like they were willing to push thru with the shipment when I test-ordered a Magpul CTR from them on Amazon.

If you really want to have and use Magpul USA parts right away, you will either have to pay the high prices available on stores here, or perhaps ask somebody to buy it for you from the states, and bring them back here.

You could also ask some sellers to order these for you, but expect the prices to remain high as they will need to put in profit for these products on top of the price. The Magpul PTS parts are a good option for real firearms, specially if you are on a budget, but only those specified above for use on them.

Sources:
- Wikipedia article, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpul
- Official Magpul Industries Corporation Website, http://www.magpul.com/
- Official Magpul PTS website, http://magpul-pts.com/
- MAGPUL PTS vs. MAGPUL USA, http://www.airsoftoutletnw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=167:magpul-pts-vs-magpul-usa&catid=23&Itemid=215

(Update Note: I have updated this blog, click here to read about the latest developments about the topic)