Armscor (Philippines)

The Arms Corporation of the Philippines (Armscor) is a firearms manufacturing company headquartered in the Philippines. The company is known for its inexpensive 1911-pattern pistols, revolvers, shotguns, sporting rifles, firearms parts and ammunition. The company, 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. In 2017, the company was renamed Armscor Global Defense, Inc..[1]

Armscor
FormerlySquires Bingham Manufacturing, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryFirearms
Founded1905 (1905)
FounderRay Squires
William Bingham
Headquarters
Marikina, Metro Manila
,
Philippines
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Martin Tuason (President)
ProductsAmmunitions, Revolvers, Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns, Ammunition components, Air guns
SubsidiariesArmscor International, Inc.
Websitearmscor.com

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

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.[2] 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.[3] 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,[4] and Charles Daly 1911 style pistols. Armscor is an ISO 9001 certified compliant company which manufactures weapons using CNC (Computer Numerical Control) equipment.

The company has been headquartered in Marikina, Philippines since 1958[5] and represented in the United States by its subsidiary Armscor International, Inc, located in Pahrump, Nevada with facilities in Stevensville, Montana.[6]

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

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.[8]

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.[8]

Revolvers
Rock Island Armory M200

Handguns

Armscor's handguns are based on the Colt M1911A1 design and Tanfoglio versions of the CZ-75.[7][8]

Armscor 1911A1 9mm FS GI
Armscor 1911A1 9mm FS PS
Armscor 1911A1-FS PS .45

Shotguns

Based on design of High Standard Flite King shotgun.[7][9]

  • M30

Rifles

The company has been making bolt-action and rimfire rifles since 1980.[7]

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

Innovations

Armscor introduced a new propriety 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.[10]

More recently the company has released a bolt-action rifle chambered for this cartridge.[8]

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][11]

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. Squires Bingham History. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021.
  3. Rivero, Angel S. (February 1, 2014). "ARMSCOR – The Humble Beginings of A Filipino Enterprise". C! Magazine. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  4. 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.
  5. Lucas, Daxim L. (June 24, 2012). "World-class guns made in PH". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  6. Huntington, Roy (July 1, 2013). "Armscor Expands, Doubles Capabilities". Shooting Industry  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Archived from the original on September 21, 2014.
  7. Lucas, Daxim L. (June 24, 2012). "Third generation clan members take control of lucrative firm". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  8. Abuyuan, Abuyuan (November 10, 2013). "Top Shot". Manila Bulletin.
  9. "51329 - M5 Shotgun". Armscor USA. Armscor USA. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  10. "Review of the TCM Ammunition and pistol". January 9, 2013.
  11. "Another Arms Cache Found". Manila Bulletin. December 6, 2009.
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