A certain Richard M. Fitzpatrick stood at the birth of this future legend. If this name doesn't ring a bell, know that he was a former sergeant in Force Reconnaissance, one of the most elite units of the Marine Corps. Richard had ample experience handling weapons in challenging conditions and understood that some of the equipment used by American soldiers did not meet the needs of the modern battlefield.
From Magazine to Stock
The first product was a seemingly minor item—a rubber "sleeve" that was pulled over the bottom of an M4 carbine magazine. It was equipped with a large loop, allowing soldiers to easily and quickly pull the magazine out of a pouch even under stress, with sweaty fingers, or while wearing gloves. Such a grip is known in English as a Magazine Puller, abbreviated as MagPul, from which the new brand derived its name. Fitzpatrick first developed a version for STANAG magazines for 5.56×45 mm ammunition, followed by versions for 7.62×51 mm and Glock pistol magazines for 9mm rounds in 2000. The next year, Richard, who was still running the business from his home and without any employees, registered his first patent. In 2002, his hard work began to pay off when Uncle Sam's Marine Corps ordered a hundred M93 telescoping stocks. This "broke the ice," leading to more contracts and products. In 2004 alone, Magpul introduced the ergonomic Ranger Plate magazine bottom with a loop (making it easier to pull from a vest and protecting the magazine from impacts), the Self-Leveling Follower plastic feeder, and the ergonomic MIAD (Mission Adaptable Grip) pistol grip for AR-15-based weapons, featuring interchangeable backstraps and storage space.
From a "garage" company, Magpul grew into a world-renowned firm, with its products becoming the benchmark for quality, functionality, and tactical usability in their category. The brand became most famous for stocks, grips, magazines, and other accessories for the AR-15 platform, though dozens of parts are also designed for Eastern Bloc weapons (AK-47 and AK-74), the Austrian bullpup Steyr AUG, and the German G36. Shotgun owners, particularly of Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 models, are not left out either. Due to market demand, Magpul gradually introduced magazines for Glock pistols and parts for Remington and Ruger rifles.
Uncle Sam's Preferred Supplier
Another milestone in the company's history came in 2008: Fitzpatrick's team introduced the possibly most popular line of accessories, MOE (Magpul Original Equipment), and established a new division. While Magpul Industries manufactures firearm accessories, the division Magpul Dynamics, established in 2008, offers training academies for Magpul customers, providing firearm training and self-produced instructional videos. This division still operates today, though now under the name Magpul Core. Given its domestic success, the company began to seek foreign contracts, leading to the development of the EMAG (Export MAGazine) compatible with German HK416 and British SA80 rifles. The following year saw significant success when the London government ordered one million of these magazines, soon tested by Royal units deployed to Afghanistan. Among the interesting items was a tactical field case for the iPhone.
In 2013, Colorado began debating a new law limiting magazine capacity, which would render some of Magpul's products illegal in the state. When the law passed, the company relocated its offices to Texas and its manufacturing facilities to Wyoming. The move did not harm the company, and the confidence of the armed forces in Magpul reached such a level that in 2016 it became the exclusive supplier of magazines for the US Marines. After two more years of testing, the US Army, which had been using outdated aluminum EPMs (Enhanced Performance Magazines), also recognized the quality of PMAGs.
Original Rifles
In addition to accessories, Magpul engineers ventured into developing several complete weapons of their own design. The first foray was the Masada assault rifle, introduced in 2007. Originally intended as a modernization of the AR-15 platform, the designers ultimately decided to combine elements from several advanced weapons, taking the best features from each. The result was a lightweight, modular rifle combining a short-stroke gas piston from the Armalite AR-18, the upper receiver and charging handle placement from the FN SCAR, and some polymer components from the G36. Only the barrel, trigger mechanism, and parts of the sights remained from the original "black rifle." It also featured several elements developed directly by Magpul—a quick-change barrel system, adjustable gas regulator, non-reciprocating charging handle, and storage compartments in the stock and pistol grip. Another appealing feature was the ease of caliber conversion by swapping the barrel, magazine, and bolt head. The weapon's name referred to the siege of the Jewish fortress Masada, which, although captured by the Romans in 73 AD, inspired Magpul with the defenders' heroic resistance.
In January 2008, Magpul licensed the production of the civilian semi-automatic version of the Masada to Bushmaster. The automatic version for military and police units was produced by Remington and manufactured as the ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) until 2020. It participated in the Individual Carbine competition, seeking a replacement for the M4 platform for the US Army. Alongside the Remington ACR, the military tested the FN FNAC, HK 416A5, and Beretta ARX160, but in 2013, Uncle Sam canceled the project.
Enlarging and modifying the Masada led to the prototype of the Magpul Massoud semi-automatic rifle in 7.62×51 mm caliber. It featured extensive Picatinny rails and a redesigned bolt but never reached mass production.
In 9mm Caliber
An atypical fate awaited the Magpul PDR (Personal Defense Rifle), a bullpup weapon chambered in 5.56×45 mm. Two variants were developed: the PDR-C (Compact), with an ergonomic grip like the FN P90, and the PDR-D (Direct), with a traditional pistol grip. The weapon featured ambidextrous controls and ejection. Despite many advanced features, it never entered production, and in 2011, the management halted its development. This decision surprised experts and fans of modern weapons, as the futuristic-looking carbine offered a significant advantage over most personal defense weapons (PDWs) with its globally widespread ammunition. The remarkable design lives on, albeit in a different form. It was revived by PTS, a company specializing in airsoft weapons, and in 2013, the PDR airsoft version hit the market.
The last complete weapon from Magpul's workshops was the futuristic folding submachine gun Magpul FMG-9, chambered in 9mm. Designers did not intend to produce it; they wanted to test technologies and methods. The compact automatic, based on the Glock pistol frame, offered a magazine capacity of up to 33 rounds. Developers worked on the concept for years, eventually transforming it into the folding carbine FDC-9 (Folding Defensive Carbine) and the folding pistol FDP-9 (Folding Defensive Pistol). Just when it seemed the project had fallen by the wayside, a shock came at the SHOT Show in January 2021: Magpul introduced the final version of both semi-automatic weapons, completed in collaboration with ZEV Technologies. To this day, however, the compact beauties have not appeared on the market, and their fate remains uncertain.
