Armscor (Philippines)

This article is about the Philippine small arms company. For the South African defense company, see Armscor (South Africa).
Armscor Global Defense, Inc.
FormerlySquires Bingham Manufacturing, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryArms industry
Founded1905; 119 years ago (1905)
FounderRay Squires
William Bingham
Headquarters
Marikina, Metro Manila
,
Philippines
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Martin Tuason (President)
ProductsFirearms, ammunition
SubsidiariesArmscor International, Inc.
Websitearmscor.com

Armscor Global Defense, Inc. is a firearms manufacturing company based in the Philippines. It is known for its inexpensive 1911-pattern pistols, revolvers, shotguns, sporting rifles, firearms parts and ammunition. Armscor, whose manufacturing facility is located in Marikina, produces about 200,000 firearms and some 420 million rounds of ammunition a year, where 80 percent of this is exported and sold to over 60 countries. The company was known as the Arms Corporation of the Philippines (Armscor) until 2017.[1]

The company has been headquartered in Marikina, Philippines since 1958[2] and represented in the United States by its subsidiary Armscor International, Inc., located in Pahrump, Nevada with facilities in Stevensville, Montana.[3]

History

Former logo of Armscor.
Logos of Armscor affiliates, Squires Bingham International and Rock Island Armory, as well as the logo of the company itself.

Armscor traces its roots back to a Manila print shop, Squires Bingham & Co., founded in 1905. The print shop later imported and sold motorcycles and various sporting goods, which included some firearms and ammunition.[4] The company was bought by the Tuason family in 1941 and began making firearms through the present corporation in 1952, being renamed Squires Bingham Manufacturing, Inc. in the same year.[5] Armscor manufactures its own line of firearms and holds manufacturing contracts for other companies' firearm lines, such as Twin Pines' Rock Island Armory (RIA) pistols. In addition to the Rock Island Armory 1911 series pistols, Armscor is the source of pistols for STI's Spartan, Cimarron Firearms pre-1923 Model 1911,[6] and Charles Daly 1911 style pistols. Armscor is an ISO 9001 certified compliant company which manufactures weapons using CNC (Computer Numerical Control) equipment.

Armscor became a registered trademark on February 24, 2009.[7]

In December 2013, Armscor reported interest in the 4th Brunei Darussalam Defense Exhibition (BRIDEX) to provide arms and ammo for the Bruneian police and military.[8]

In 2017, Armscor provided firearms and ammo to the AFP in response in the fighting in Marawi.[9]

In August 2019, the company was named by the United Nations' Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (IIFFMM) for selling competition pistols to soldiers in the Tatmadaw Shooting Team from August 2018.[10]

Rock Island Armory

Rock Island Armory, founded in 1977, was a United States-based company located in Colona, Illinois and owned by David Reese (of Springfield Armory, Inc.).[11][12][13] It derived its name from the nearby US Army Rock Island Arsenal and sold military surplus from the base but the two were not formally associated.[11][14] Rock Island Armory, Inc. was acquired by Armscor in 1985 but several firearms continue to be sold under the Rock Island Armory name.[15]

Ownership/Management

Armscor is owned by the Squires Bingham Co. Inc, a holding company for the family of Don Celso Tuason. Don Celso's eldest son Demetrio "Bolo" Tuason is the Chairman Emeritus. Younger brother Daniel "Concoy" oversees production and plant operation. Bolo's son, Martin, is currently the president and CEO of the company.[16]

Products

While it is primarily known as a manufacturer of M1911 pistols, Armscor manufactures and markets a number of other handgun, revolver, shotgun and rifle models as well as ammunition and accessories.[16]

Revolvers

Rock Island Armory M200

Semi-Automatics

Armscor's handguns are based on the Colt M1911A1 design and Tanfoglio versions of the CZ-75.[7][16]

Armscor 1911A1 9mm FS GI
Armscor 1911A1 9mm FS PS
Armscor 1911A1-FS PS .45
  • 1911 Tactical Series
  • 2011 Tactical Series
  • 22 TCM/Micro Mag Series
  • GI Series
  • MAP/MAPP Series (Armscor assembled and marketed Tanfoglio Combat and Force pistols)
  • Match Series
  • XT 22 Series
  • STK100 Series
  • RIA 5.0 Series

Shotguns

Rifles

The company has been making bolt-action and rimfire rifles since 1980.[7] In 2024, the company announced its first 5.56 rifle line.[18][19]

  • M1400E
  • M1400TS
  • M1500TM
  • M1600
  • M1700
  • MAK 22 (Also known as AK 22)
  • MIG 22 Standard
  • MIG 22 Target
  • TCM 22 Rifle
  • Torch Series

Innovations

Armscor introduced a new proprietary caliber named the .22 TCM (Tuason Craig Micromag) based on the 1911 pistol. The cartridge is essentially a 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge shortened to 1.265 in. total length with a 40-grain jacketed hollow point bullet. Its main characteristics are its high velocity and low recoil, allowing for repeated accurate shots.[20]

More recently, the company has released a bolt-action rifle chambered for this cartridge.[16]

AFP (Armscor) Arsenal Battalion

Due to the nature of the business of Armscor, it has been tapped by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be one of its partners as an "Affiliate Reserve Unit". The company was designated as the 1st (Armscor) Arsenal Battalion (Reserve) and placed under the operational control of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Command.[7][21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "PH's Biggest Arms Maker Now a Defense Company". Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  2. ^ Lucas, Daxim L. (June 24, 2012). "World-class guns made in PH". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Huntington, Roy (July 1, 2013). "Armscor Expands, Doubles Capabilities". Shooting Industry. Archived from the original on September 21, 2014.
  4. ^ Squires Bingham History. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021.
  5. ^ Rivero, Angel S. (February 1, 2014). "ARMSCOR – The Humble Beginings of A Filipino Enterprise". C! Magazine. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Shideler, Dan (August 20, 2010). Guns Illustrated 2011: The Latest Guns, Specs & Prices. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. p. 35. ISBN 978-1-4402-1624-4.
  7. ^ a b c d e Lucas, Daxim L. (June 24, 2012). "Third generation clan members take control of lucrative firm". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  8. ^ "Armscor pushes overseas growth with BRIDEX participation". December 11, 2013.
  9. ^ "Defense industry dev't bill: No more 'begging for arms'". January 20, 2023.
  10. ^ "Arms and Military Equipment Suppliers to the Tatmadaw" (PDF). www.ohchr.org. August 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Post WWII Commercially Manufactured M1 Carbines (U.S.A.) Rock Island Armory". M1 Carbines Incorporated. The Carbine Collectors Club. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  12. ^ Emerson, Lee (June 3, 2007). "M14 Rifle History and Development" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  13. ^ United States v. Rock Island Armory, Inc., 773 F. Supp. 117 (C.D. Ill. 1991).
  14. ^ Dabbs, MD, Will (September 27, 2022). "SPRINGFIELD ARMORY M1 CARBINE". The Armory Life. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  15. ^ "History". Armscor. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d Abuyuan, Abuyuan (November 10, 2013). "Top Shot". Manila Bulletin.[dead link‍]
  17. ^ "51329 - M5 Shotgun". Armscor USA. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  18. ^ Lucas, Daxim (June 8, 2024). "Armscor to enter 5.56 mm rifle market with new civilian semi-auto". Insider PH. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  19. ^ "ARMSCOR to launch the RIA Torch Rifle at the TACS Expo 2024". Dot Daily Dose. May 23, 2024. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  20. ^ "Review of the TCM Ammunition and pistol". January 9, 2013.
  21. ^ "Another Arms Cache Found". Manila Bulletin. December 6, 2009.[dead link‍]
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