Have you seen that XTech Tactical 650-pound binary explosion running around on YouTube and trending on Google? Were you left with questions about the video? A number of people were. Jeremy from XTech Tactical was happy to answer some questions about the destruction of all of those AK magazines and the huge explosion that did the job.
Here’s the back story:
US PALM contracted with Molded Devices Inc. in June 2016 to produce their polymer components. In August of 2017 US PALM closed their doors and as a result of accumulated unpaid debt, the molds were disposed of by Molded Devices Inc.
After the US PALM debacle, Molded Devices Inc. partnered with XTech Tactical to redevelop the magazine into what is now the MAG47 AK magazine. But Molded Devices Inc. was left with approximately 8,400 US PALM-branded magazines that they were unable to sell on the open market.
The decision was then made to destroy the product in the most stress-relieving way possible since they couldn’t even give them away.
Below is the video of Molded Devices, XTech Tactical, and Charlie Melton of Charlie Mike Precision disposing of all that unsellable product. The detonation of binary explosives also was a way to bring in Charlie’s 47th birthday with a 650lb binary boom.
You might be asking yourself what was involved in the cleanup. The company stated that they had dozens of staff on hand to clean the remnants of those XTech Tactical Mag47 magazines from the vicinity of the explosion that took place on Shots Ranch in Kingman, Arizona.
Some YouTube commenters assumed that the explosion was intended to help XTech Tactical and Molded Devices Inc. conform to possible impending state laws. That is not the case. XTech Tactical assures us that they will continue to make 30-round magazines for the foreseeable future (even announcing a merger with Century Arms International in September of 2018). They also reiterated that no state law was a motivating factor in the destruction of the unsellable products.
Others wondered why the magazines weren’t recycled and molded into new magazines. Unfortunately, the material would not have had the same structural integrity that it originally had and any magazine molded with the recycled material would have undoubtedly failed.
XTech Tactical released a statement about the explosion to clear up any confusion:
US PALM accumulated a debt of a significant amount owed to Molded Devices, Inc., based in Tempe, Arizona. After almost a year of non-payment, despite demands, it became clear that US PALM would not pay for the product that had been created.
Rather than sue a company that did not have resources to pay its bills, Molded Devices Inc. disposed of the molds as allowed by law. After this, XTech Tactical, LLC partnered with Molded Devices, Inc to created a new magazine that contains several innovative new features. The new features include: fully stainless steel reinforced feel lips, stainless steel spring, and making the magazine easily field serviceable.
Molded Devices, Inc. was informed US PALM had been acquired. US PALM’s new owners then told Molded Devices, Inc that it was forbidden to sell the US PALM magazines. Due to legal reasons, the manufacturer was faced with the decision to give US PALM’s new owner the product at whatever price they were willing to pay, or to destroy the existing inventory.
Molded Devices, Inc. elected to destroy the unpaid inventory of magazines. Since the decision to destroy the magazines was made, it was decided to make the best of it and bring together some of the greatest companies and people in the community.
I have had a couple of early production prototype MAG47s on hand for a few months and have been pretty impressed with their construction. Below are several photos of the prototypes. The final design of the magazine has changed slightly and we will be receiving production model MAG47s for review in a few weeks.
XTech Tactical is now shipping the new MAG47 that carries an MSRP of $28.95. They will also be shipping easy-load AR-15 mags called the XMAG that will carry an MSRP of $29.95. Learn more about Xtech Tactical on their YouTube channel or the Xtech Tactical website.