Kikay and Kukay Cruz bring us into the world of competitive shooting
With the scorching sun beating down on their necks, arms fully extended with both hands grasping a pistol that’s raised to eye level, Kukay and Kikay Cruz have their sights aimed at a distant target, ready to fire on the command of their coach and father Snooky Cruz.
Armscor ambassadors
The range master that afternoon was Bob Sajot, the Gun Club president, manager of team Armscor Philippines, and the executive vice president of the Armscor Shooting Center, Inc. (ASCI). He is also a mentor to the siblings.
Prominent in the country as the youngest female free fall skydivers, the twins have been into extreme sports as soon as they could walk and talk. The extensive list of other action sports in which they excel are rock climbing, rappelling, motocross, biking, karting, race car driving, gymnastics, archery, scuba diving, martial arts, knives throwing, and surfing.
“The twins do all kinds of sports, shooting included. They have been trained in tactical shooting at a young age. Now they are more than ready to shoot competitively,” explains Bob on the decision to make Kukay and Kikay brand ambassadors. But it was ultimately the choice of the “big boss,” Gina Angangco, deputy CEO of Armscor.
The 18-year-old girls initially got into shooting as a hobby. Yet, it soon became a form of therapy to ease their pandemic anxieties. Being stuck at home for so long, Kukay and Kikay were over the moon when lockdown restrictions eased. While Covid-19 may have robbed them of their youth, it was the gun and range that helped them, in some ways, catch up on the fun they missed over the past two years. “Another reason we are now more invested in shooting is for self-defense,” admits Kukay.
Currently, Kukay and Kikay are the ambassadors of Armscor’s STK 100, a 9mm semi-automatic striker-fired pistol, one of their favorite armaments in training. “The STK 100 is fun to shoot and is easy to handle out of all the handguns we’ve tried,” says Kikay.
Tips in bullets
The 18-year-old girls shared some dos and don’ts at the shooting range. The first advice, “Don’t experiment by yourself,” says Kikay. “You should have a trainer or at least someone experienced to oversee you shooting.”
“Don’t be afraid of the gun. It won’t do anyone any harm if the wielder knows what he or she is doing,” interjects Kukay. She points out how essential it is to familiarize oneself with the ins and outs of firearms. Knowledge, at the end of the day, is power, so learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of your choice of armament before testing it out on the field.
The most vital ammunition of all is knowledge of gun safety. In the shooting range always wear eye and ear protection. Firearms not in use should be unloaded and kept in a secure place, separate from each other. Open the action to visually check the chamber, receiver, and magazine to ascertain that there are no bullets inside.
The most basic rule is to never point the muzzle at anything you don’t mean to shoot. This is important to observe when loading and unloading. This rule of thumb should be followed even when “dry firing” with an unloaded gun. Know exactly where your muzzle is pointing at all times.
Lastly, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Although the STK 100 has a trigger safety lever that acts as a block to avoid the pistol from firing on its own, it still pays to be extra responsible when handling your gun.
“You have to practice a lot. Most of shooting is muscle memory. You have to make sure that what you are doing is right,” says Kikay on shooting at the range. Kukay furthers, “Smooth is fast. Make sure what you are doing is correct. Start slow and you’ll eventually draw faster, and shoot more precisely and accurately.”
‘Don’t be afraid of the gun. It won’t do anyone any harm if the wielder knows what he or she is doing’
Gun country
Guns have been part of Philippine society for a long time. Filipinos have utilized firearms to defend the nation, for self-protection, and in sports activities.
feature in its trigger
The Filipinos’ love for guns can be attributed to our relationship with the US and the local cultural construct of machismo borrowed from the westerners.
And yet, prior to the arrival of America and even Spain, several forts in Manila, Lubang, Pampanga, Cainta, and Laguna de Bay, had already been mounted with lantakas or muzzle-loading swivel canons.
During the Spanish occupation, the Philippine revolutionary army adapted to the war and began utilizing the Spanish M93 and the Remington Spanish rifle to resist foreign invaders. Filipino soldiers would also improvise artillery weapons made of water pipes reinforced with bamboo or tinder.
Currently, the Philippines has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Southeast Asia.
In a study conducted in 2014, there are over 1.7 million licensed firearms owners in the country. Those who privately own a gun, legally and illegally, almost reach four million.
Rise of the undead
“During the pandemic there was clamor for shooting activities. Shooting is a skill that needs to be maintained, especially for competitive shooters,” Bob says about the state of the sport in the Philippines.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Shooting Championship is coming up in October this year after being postponed in 2021 due to the health crisis. “People are practicing for the scheduled competition set later this year.”
As for the gun industry, Felino Neri IV, COO of Armscor Global Defense, Inc., admits that any imbalance in the market can affect sales. The ongoing election gun ban until June 9 is a factor. “You can buy guns today, but they can only be transported after the gun ban,” he adds. “But it’s the best time to buy a gun, if you don’t have a License To Own and Possess Firearm (LTOPF). It’s easy to process at the One-Stop-Shop Camp Crame. There aren’t any lines. Plus there are promos in stores.”
Laws regarding civilian ownership of firearms
In the Philippines, ownership of firearms is regulated by the Firearms and Explosives Division of the Philippine National Police (PNP). An owner must be at least 21 years of age, has passed background check, and has taken a firearms training and safety course before being issued a possession license.
A good entry gun
The STK100 is a well-rounded option that integrates a variety of features that are currently popular in competition and tactical pistol designs like its optics-ready slide. Milled from 4140 high-carbon steel, the handgun feels premium with its matte-black Parkerized finish. The Glock-inspired grip frame lends a lot to the stability of the pistol and doesn’t flex as polymer guns do. Magazine capacity is 17 rounds.
About Armscor
In 1905, the first Squires, Bingham & Co. headquarters was established in the Philippines. After years of trading clothing, firearms, ammunition, and other items, the business was bought by Arthur Hileman in 1930 and was renamed “Sportsmen’s Headquarters.”
In 1941, visionary entrepreneur and industrialist Don Celso Tuason acquired the company before the beginning of World War II. Don Celso rechristened the company into “Squires Bingham Manufacturing Inc.” in 1952, and helped rebuild the post-war Philippines by obtaining the first firearms manufacturing license granted by the government.
It reorganized into “Arms Corporation of the Philippines” in 1980, with Don Celso’s sons Demetrio “Bolo,” Carlos “Butch,” and Severo “Conkoy” co-managing the company.
In 1985, Armscor expanded to the US as Armscor Precision International and opened its first US office in Pahrump, Nevada.
This was trailed by the acquisition of the Rock Island Armory brand, a leading M1911 manufacturer and developer.
In 2017, the company embarked on another milestone when it rebranded to “Armscor Global Defense, Inc.” to highlight the vision to expand its reach and bring the best of the Philippines to the rest of the world.
Now, Armscor is among the biggest exporters of firearms and ammunition in the world, exporting to over 65 countries in Europe and Asia, as well as the US. Its factory in Marikina City produces over 180,000 firearms and over 500 million pieces of ammunition annually.
Plans for the future
“We’re moving forward to the ‘defense’ side of things,” begins Felino on the future of the company. “We are set to get ammo like 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.55 PRC, which are on a different level. We’re trying to capture the worldwide market.”
For firearms, Armscor is venturing more into popular gun types such as pocket pistols, subcompacts, and striker fires, which lead back to the first-ever striker fire in the country, the STK100.
Photos by Noel Pabalate.