Magpul Sells “Free Colorado” Magazines to Fund Gun Law Fight
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.04.13
Colorado-based gun accessory manufacturer Magpul recently announced a limited run of their celebrated PMAGs to support Second Amendment rights in their home state. Coming in packs of five and stamped with either a Boulder Airlift or Free Colorado logo, these magazine bundles are sold by Magpul at a bargain $64.75.
Unfortunately, supplies sold out in mere hours due to the high demand for the magazines. Magpul announced, to their surprise, that they will be selling another run as soon as possible. It is stated on the company’s Facebook profile that the sales from the limited runs will go directly to Magpul’s efforts to reverse recent gun control laws passed in Colorado, including one that will limit magazine capacity. Magpul joined 53 Colorado sheriffs and other plaintiffs last month in filing a lawsuit against the new gun control measures.
“While Magpul is currently in the process of moving its operations out of Colorado, we will not turn our back on our native state,” said Magpul’s Director of Product Management and Marketing Duane Liptak. “Extreme gun control interests have forced the passage of these unconstitutional laws in Colorado, and as a company, we are resolved to restore those rights to the people.”
Governor John Hickenlooper signed the bills into law in March, bringing Colorado in line with similar laws enacted in New York. Since the Newtown shooting last December, gun control advocates supported measures both locally and nationally that would re-haul the current background check system, limit the number of rounds held in a magazine, and perhaps most importantly, ban the sale and purchase of “assault weapons.”
Colorado’s laws were a major victory for gun control supporters. The state is well known for its frontier roots and dedicated gun culture, which made it an unlikely candidate for firearms reform. As the new regulations near their effective date of July 1, opponents of the legislation filed a federal suit declaring the new strictures as unconstitutional. In response to the lawsuit, gun control supporters decried the move as political maneuvering. Magpul, one of the suit’s key plaintiffs, believes that if it is successful, the lawsuit could set an example for the rest of the country.
“If this suit can get a mag ban struck down as unconstitutional, the nation may see a ripple effect across other states who choose not to trust their Citizens with their natural rights,” the company stated. “That makes this fight worth fighting even more than just the implications for CO, which would have been enough to get us involved.”
After the bills were passed into law Magpul announced that the company would indeed be leaving the state. Before it moved facilities elsewhere however, Magpul decided it would begin a campaign to sell as many 30-round magazines in Colorado as possible before the ban was in place. Dubbed the “Boulder Airlift,” Colorado customers received preference in online purchases.
