Magpul Industries Corporation, founded in 1999, is a designer and producer of both concept firearms and accessories. Magpul, based in Erie, Colorado (US), obtained their name from their first product, the STANAG Magazine, which had been designed to ease the process of pulling a magazine from its pouch (ie "magazine pull").
History[]
Magpul was founded in 1999 by Sergent Richard M. Fitzpatrick (US Marine Corps Reconnaissance) producing accessories for military firearms to adapt various firearms to certain situations. In particular, Magpul was founded to fill the purpose of developing a more reliable, easy to use, magazine which eased reloading under stress. This design set the tone, as Magpul tend to focus their developments on things which their customers specify they need, rather than what Magpul think they need.
A Magpul modified AR-15.
In 2007 Magpul opened a new sector of itself: Magpul Professional Training & Simulation (PTS) which manufactures airsoft accessories. In a similar vein (albeit with real guns) Magpul Dynamics was founded in 2008, offering training and instructional videos on firearm use.
Magpul has also been involved in a fair amount of controversy in its relatively short life. In a demonstration by the "Free Colorado" group (organised against to Colorado House Bill 1224, which banned magazines) which resulted in the "Farewell to Arms Freedom Festival", Magpul donated 20,000 magazines for the campaign, which was attended by 3,000 people. Earlier that year Magpul had announced the "Boulder Airlift", intended to deliver magazines to people in the "Battle for Colorado Freedoms".
In recent years Magpul have focused more attention on the construction of concept firearms. The first major success of these was the Magpul Masada Rifle, unvieled in 2007. This design has since been contracted out to Bushmaster and Remington as thier "Adaptive Combat Rifles". Other concept models include the Magpul PDR and Magpul FMG-9.
Products[]
As mentioned previously, Magpul began their production by producing an improved version of the STANAG Magazine. Following this, not only have Magpul continued to develop the STANAG Magazine but have also branched out to produce a variety of firearm accessories, including scopes, tactical rails and grips. But their most famous firearm accessory remains their line of STANAG Magazine versions, with organisations such as the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MOD) ordering the EMAG (Export Magazine) by the millions.
Perhaps more significantly however, Magpul's development of the concept of the "Adaptive Combat Rifle" has seen Magpul expand the most, pulling it closer to one of the biggest names in the firearm world: Remington. Magpul's design, the Masada Rifle, was unveiled at the 2007 SHOT Show and has seen interest from the world's largest military organisations. A year after it's unveiling, Magpul were approached by Bushmaster and Remington (members of the Freedom Group owned by CCM) to allow them to produce their own civilian "ACRs". Magpul awarded them a contract and the popularity of the ACR has grown ever since.
Magpul's major firearm designs are:
- Magpul Masada
- Magpul Massoud - A development of the Masada, chambered in 7.62x51mm. Named for Ahmad Shah Massoud (famed leader of the Afghani Northern Alliance resistance group) whom was shot in Afganistan two days prior to the 9/11 attacks. The Massoud remains in development.
- Magpul PDR - A personal defense weapon concept using a bullpup configuration.
- Magpul FMG-9 - A folding submachine gun concept.
- KRISS Vector - A submachine gun design which Magpul contributed significantly to.