Ever wondered Magpul PTS, or the Professional Training & Simulation Division of Magpul, started producing products for the airsoft and training markets that are not actually developed by Magpul in the past year? Magpul PTS' recent releases, apart from the upcoming ERG RM4 series, have all been licensed from other companies.

And why the emphasis on the PTS name rather than Magpul PTS? Surely, having the Magpul name will give more credibility and more sales for that division? Even us, we have been sent request for correction to write in our news stories about them as "PTS" rather than "Magpul PTS."

A new entry from Airsoft Outlet Northwest (AONW) explains why: "Magpul PTS Airsoft Products Discontinued."

But please be advised that no official statement from Magpul nor from PTS has been released yet.

Magpul has been admired for putting its products in the airsoft market, the only company that went directly and consciously producing products for airsoft through the PTS division. With that approach many airsoft players who have been purchasing replica Magpul products flocked to PTS, assured that they are getting "genuine" Magpul products tailored made for the airsoft market.

Existing stocks of Magpul PTS products will remain to be sold until all supplies run out.

According to the AONW news entry, the decision to pull out "was made in conjunction with Magpul USA due in large part to the number of counterfeit items being imported not only as PTS, but also as genuine Magpul products." Magpul is making a defensive move to protect its brand and core products, and halting the supplies of PTS products is seen as part of solving the counterfeit issues, especially in the USA where there have been complaints of counterfeit products that have been mixed with real deal ones either consciously or unconsciously by retailers, or sold by unscrupulous retailers who make a killing of selling rip-offs usually made in China.

Implications of such counterfeit sale can result into threats to the lives of those who depend of weapons accessories and systems. The rip-offs may fail the user when he or she needs it most --- when defending the lives of the innocent and themselves. Those who are affected primarily will be those in the Law Enforcement and Military organizations.

But this does not mean that Magpul will be abandoning PTS and let the latter be on its own. Further into the news story, Magpul products may be reintroduced again in the airsoft market through PTS if the issue with counterfeit products gets solved or minimized and will be a cat and mouse game that will go on for years if we base on the experiences of other industries such as electronics and fashion.

So if you are planning to have Magpul products in your airsoft set up better do so now before all supplies run out, which may be announced by PTS. After such announcement, anything "new" from Magpul for airsoft will be deemed as counterfeit and even the second hand market may have a mixed bag of genuine and counterfeit. PTS will still continue to function as a business, albeit with building its product line-up through licensing and partnerships with other corporations.

If this is really true, then it's unfortunate that such a decision made by Magpul was influenced by the proliferation of rip-offs. Patronizing counterfeit products always result into loss of revenue for the actual owner and affecting those they employ and others who depend on their supplies to have a livelihood.