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.