Magpul Industries
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Magpul Industries Corporation is a firearms accessories and complete firearms designer and manufacturer based in Erie, Colorado in the United States. Magpul Industries takes its name from its first product, an accessory for US and NATO armed forces STANAG magazines. Magpul primarily designs, manufactures, and distributes accesorries for the AR-15 and M16 platforms. Magpul recently has expanded into the area of complete firearms design.
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[edit] History
Magpul was founded by Richard Fitzpatrick, a former United States Marine.
[edit] Notable Firearms Accesories
Magpul's first product was a simple plastic sleeve based on the "paracord loops" that experienced soldiers fabricated and taped to their magazines to allow for easier removal from magazine pouches. The original magpul fit over STANAG magazines, and allowed for operators to easily grasp and draw magazines from pouches and webbing under stress.
Magpul soon expanded its product lineup to included enhanced STANAG magazine followers, AR-15/M16 pistol grips, stocks, and other assorted accessories.
Notable accessories produced by Magpul include the M93B carbine stock, the CTR carbine stock, the UBR rifle stock, the MIAD pistol grip, and the PMAG polymer Magazine
[edit] Enhanced Self Leveling Follower
Standard M-16/AR-15 magazine followers can tilt within the magazine body and cause feeding issues and jams. It is commonly noted that the Magazine is usually the weakest link in the standard M-16/AR-15 operating system. In order to improve reliability, Magpul introduced a new follower design that doesn't allow for tilting. The Magpul followers also use a compound which has Teflon in them to reduce friction.
The third generation of Magpul's Enhanced Self Leveling Followers' version has just recently been released.
[edit] PMAG
The "PMAG" polymer magazine designed and manufactured by Magpul has demonstrated amazing resiliency and reliability. Its reliability has been praised by many soldiers, law enforcement officers, and firearms trainers through informal YouTube video and online forum articles, frequently subjecting PMAGs to tests that go beyond what would be considered reasonable expectation of a magazine's durability. The most famous of these tests involve a Chevy Avalanche running over standard USGI, Thermold, H&K, and Magpul magazines.[1]
The magazine is available in both windowed and non-windowed versions. The original concept of the magazine factored in the window, and as such the windowed PMAG can arguably be considered the "standard" version. Due to the fact the PMAG was designed from the ground up to include a clear polycarbonate window, the windowed version PMAG does not suffer from less structural integrity due to the cut outs in the magazine body.
The windowed PMAG allows for users to accurately estimate remaining rounds, despite the fact the window is a small slit in only the lower bottom half of the magazine. The viewing system works by having a section of the magazine spring being marked with red paint. The red paint's location in the window indicates the number of rounds left in the magazine.
[edit] Rifle Stocks
A rifle's stock is a component that is usually in contact with the shooter, and is important for both ergonomic comfort and consistent accuracy. Magpul's rifle stocks consistently have improved upon the ergonomics and design of the original Colt/Armalite AR-15/M16 rifle's standard stocks. In all of Magpul's offerings, the location or style of the locking mechanism is completely changed from the 40 year old original Colt design.
[edit] M93 Experimental Carbine Stock
The M93 was Magpul's original series of stocks. It was a completely original design which utilized a proprietary buffer tube. The M93B was adopted by MCSOCOM Detachment One and two U.S. Navy EOD Units.
[edit] CTR (Compact Type Restricted) Stock
The Magpul CTR stock utilizes a lever type system on a standard or commercial-spec receiver extension/buffer tube. However, the lever is shielded in the hollow stock, and a friction lock mechanism enables the stock to achieve fixed stock like rigidity. The CTR is also the stock the unreleased, and more budget friendly "MOE" stock is based on.
[edit] UBR (Universal Battle Rifle) Stock
The unreleased UBR rifle stock also utilizes a standard AR-15/M16 rifle buffer tube, but uses a proprietary locking mechanism.
[edit] PRS (Precision Rifle/Sniper) Stock
The PRS rifle stock is designed for sniper and designated marksman rifles.
[edit] Firearms Design Consultation
Magpul aided significantly in the evolution of the TDI Kriss from a prototype to its finalized production design.[2]
[edit] Complete Firearms
[edit] Magpul Masada
First introduced to the public at the 2007 SHOT Show, the Magpul Masada began as an evolutionary upgrade to the AR-15/M16 rifle, but the only parts that retain commonality with the standard AR-15 and M16 rifle is the barrel, fire control group (trigger pack), and front sight post.[3][4]
The rifle is of an extremely modular design, and the barrel can be changed in under 30 seconds. The rifle's caliber can be changed in under 60 seconds, and it can also be changed from a long range precision rifle to short barreled entry rifle. The rifle has an aluminum upper receiver, and polymer lower receiver. Mated to the aluminum upper receiver is a trunnion made of hardened, heat treated steel. The trunnion has interrupted threads, which allow for quick mounting and detaching of the barrel. Permanently attached to the trunnion are steel rails that guide the bolt carrier, resulting in smooth operation of the rifle.[5]
By utilizing a heat treated trunnion with permanently attached bolt carrier guide rails to mount the barrel, as well as an aluminum upper receiver, the Masada is able to avoid "wandering zero" which can be a problem for rifles with polymer upper receivers. Wandering zero is caused when a large amount of ammunition is expended, and heat from the barrel is transferred to the trunnion (holding the barrel) and surrounding polymer.
The Masada uses a bolt carrier group similar to the AR-18 rifle.
In January of 2008, the design of the Magpul Masada was licensed to Bushmaster Firearms International and the production version of the Masada is known as the Bushmaster ACR.[6]
[edit] Magpul Massoud
Currently in development, the Magpul Massoud is a 7.62mm caliber semi-automatic rifle. The prototype has been test fired, and strongly resembles the Magpul Masada[7]. However, there are few details concerning the operating system and magazines the Massoud will be using.
[edit] Magpul PDR
The Magpul PDR is a prototype 5.56mm caliber personal defense weapon which utilizes a bullpup design principle. The weapon uses STANAG magazines and fire the same type of ammunition as the M16. The purpose of the Magpul PDR is to better arm support personnel who would normally carry M9 pistols without adding any strain to current armed forces logistics with proprietary ammunition. The PDR is currently being tested with the USAF[citation needed].
[edit] Magpul FMG 9
Magpul designed a folding 9mm submachine gun similar to the ARES FMG which was first publicly unveiled at the 2008 SHOT Show. The functional prototype unveiled by Magpul utilized a Glock pistol as the core of the weapon.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ YouTube - Magpul PMag versus a Chevy Truck
- ^ Magpul Industries
- ^ Tactical-Life.com ยป Magpul Masada ACWS 5.56mm
- ^ Defense Review - MagPul Masada Adaptive Combat Weapon System (ACWS) Makes Its Debut
- ^ Defense Review - MagPul Masada Adaptive Combat Weapon System (ACWS) Makes Its Debut
- ^ Defense Review - MagPul Masada Rifle/Carbine Becomes the Bushmaster Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR)
- ^ YouTube - Magpul Massoud Test Fire
- ^ Defense Review - MagPul FMG9: Prototype 9mm Folding Submachine Gun
