The Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act Senate Bill No. 3397

It looks like the Anti-Gun lobby won a major, MAJOR victory for Gun Control under the PNoy Administration. One big problem with PNoy is that his financial backers, among them the rich and powerful Ayala clan, have Anti-Gun sentiments. In fact, rumors has it that Anti-Gun Advocates like Nandy Pacheco and his group has been pestering the Administration for tighter gun control laws as soon as he first stepped into office.

Now it looks like they finally got their wish thru the Administration's allies in the legislature, who has come up with the with the "Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act Senate Bill No. 3397". Here is a direct link to a copy of the law itself in full for everyone's reference: http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/1507312687!.pdf

While everyone was talking and arguing about the Reproductive Health (RH) and Cyber Crime Bills, it seems the legislature quietly worked on this bill and got under everybody's radar as it has now PASSED BOTH houses as of February 5, 2013. There was NO NEWS of President Aquino vetoing this bill, so I ASSUME that this has NOW PASSED INTO LAW as our laws states that any bill passed by both houses and not vetoed after 30 days automatically becomes law. 30 days after February 5, 2013 was March 7, 2013, or around 2 months ago.

My Magpul UBR for Glock Review

'Magpul UBR Stock'
I was able to buy a China-copy of the Magpul UBR to go with my Endotactical TSA-G. I went with the Magpul UBR mainly because of its looks. I have seen pictures of Glocks with the TSA-G and Magpul Compact Type - Restricted (CTR) stock, and it looked awkward, as the stock looked too big for the pistol. On the other hand, the Magpul Utility Battle Rifle (UBR) looked just about right with the pistol as it is less bulky overall compared to the CTR stock.

In fact, among all the Magpul stocks, as well as collapsible M4 Carbine stocks made by other manufacturers, the UBR looks the most compact, probably after the Ace Ultralight Stock. The Ace Ultralight Stock was actually my first choice, but I just couldn't find anybody selling it in the country, or online.

The seller advertised it as a "Magpul PTS UBR", but I know better, because the unit is marked "Magpul Industries Corporation" on one side, and "Boulder, Colorado, USA" on the other side. A genuine Magpul PTS UBR would've been marked "Magpul PTS" and/or "Professional Training and Simulation". Besides, the unit was priced only have of what a genuine Magpul USA or PTS UBR.

The unit is very well made, though. The workmanship is excellent, very little flashes, no unsightly marks, and the fit of the parts are tight, almost no wobble when the stock is fully extended. The only fly in the ointment is a wayward nut that was not installed properly on one side of the unit, causing it to tilt during installation, of which up to now I am unable to correct. Nevertheless, I'm pretty happy with the unit.

The unit felt a bit rear-heavy initially, so I decided to remove all the items that I do not intend to use with the unit, namely the:
- Storage Plate and Cover;
- Quick Disconnect (QD) Sling Mounts, both front and rear, and the Screws, Nuts, Washers, and Mounting Cups.

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.

Issued Firearms Serial Number Tracking

One problem the AFP is facing right now, is the issue of SOME (not all, but SOME) AFP personnel selling issued firearms for profit. There has to be a way to contain the problem as much as possible, & one possible solution revolves around the traceability of firearms using Serial Number.

All firearms produced by the manufacturer are stamped w/ its own, individual Serial Number (S/N). This is one way the manufacturer keeps track of its firearms. These records could be used innovatively to keep minimize military firearms trafficking.

A firearm's S/N could, of course, be tampered with, & the skill of some gunsmiths are such that they can reportedly change a S/N without leaving a visible trace that it has, indeed, been tampered with.