Martin Tuason: Remembering the Armscor and Rock Island Armory CEO Who Helped Shape the 2A Community
Martin Tuason, president and CEO of Armscor and Rock Island Armory, died on November 19, 2025. He was 51. His passing left a deep loss for his family, the people who worked alongside him, and the firearms community that knew him through the companies he led. His family’s obituary remembered him as a kind, direct, approachable man who made time for people even while carrying the demands of leading an international business. Tuason’s story was tied closely to a family enterprise that grew from a sporting-goods business into one of the best-known firearms manufacturers in the Philippines.
Over the years, he helped guide Armscor and Rock Island Armory through international growth, expanded manufacturing, and a changing firearms market. His legacy reaches beyond company leadership: he represented Filipino-made products on the global stage, supported the development of the Philippine defense industry, and helped make Rock Island Armory a familiar name to American shooters.
A third-generation leader at Armscor
Born in Manila on May 23, 1974, Martin Tuason joined Armscor as a teenager and worked his way through the family company. In 2012, he became president and CEO, continuing a legacy begun by his grandfather, Celso Tuason, and carried forward by his father, Demetrio “Bolo” Tuason. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that he rose through the ranks before taking the company’s top role.
Armscor’s roots go back to 1952, when the family entered firearms and ammunition manufacturing in the Philippines. The business later expanded beyond its home market, building a U.S. presence and acquiring the Rock Island Armory name. Tuason inherited a company with a long history; his challenge was to keep it growing while preserving the values the family associated with its work.
In a 2017 interview with The CEO Magazine, Tuason described the company’s history and its emphasis on manufacturing, community involvement, and giving back. His public comments often reflected pride in bringing Philippine-made products to buyers around the world. At SHOT Show, he described Armscor as carrying the Philippine flag and helping put the country on the map in the global firearms and defense industries. Esquire Philippines covered those remarks.
Growing Rock Island Armory’s reach
During Tuason’s leadership, Armscor and Rock Island Armory broadened their international reach and invested in manufacturing in both the Philippines and the United States. An NRA Shooting Illustrated remembrance noted the companies’ expansion across six continents, modernization of operations, increased manufacturing capacity, and automation initiatives under his tenure.
Rock Island Armory became especially familiar to American shooters for its 1911-style pistols and value-focused product lineup. Tuason’s role was not simply to maintain a legacy brand. He led a company serving a wide range of customers, including people entering the shooting sports as well as experienced owners looking for practical, reliable firearms. The company’s emphasis on accessible pricing helped bring its products to a broad audience.
That connection to customers also showed up in the way Tuason was remembered personally. His family’s obituary said he was frank, friendly, and generous with his time, and that people felt welcome around him. In an industry where relationships between manufacturers, dealers, competitors, and customers matter, that personal accessibility helped make him a recognizable presence in the community.
His contributions to the 2A and shooting communities
Martin Tuason’s influence in the 2A community was closely connected to the products and company culture he helped shape. By leading Rock Island Armory through years of growth and keeping a focus on value, he helped make firearms available to a wide range of American shooters. The reach of the brand meant that many people encountered Armscor and Rock Island Armory through a first pistol, a competition gun, or a conversation with another shooter.
His work also touched the shooting community beyond the U.S. market. Armscor supported shooting programs and institutions in the Philippines. In 2019, the company donated firearms to the Philippine Marine Corps shooting team, with Tuason participating in the handover, according to the Philippine News Agency. The donation was intended to support marksmanship training.
In the Philippines, Tuason also championed locally made defense capabilities. A House of Representatives resolution honoring him credited him with advocating for the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act and leading the launch of RIA Defense, a homegrown defense brand whose platforms were developed with input from military and police personnel, engineers, and technical experts. The resolution described his work as part of a broader effort to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
These contributions are part of a wider picture of Tuason’s place in the firearms world: an executive who built a global business, supported shooting programs, and advocated for the role of Filipino industry in national defense. His impact on the 2A community was not limited to a single speech or campaign. It was visible in the company and products that connected with shooters over many years.
A commitment to service beyond business
People who knew Tuason also remembered his charitable work. He supported the Bigay Awa at Tanglaw sa mga Anghel Foundation, known as the BATA Foundation, which serves underprivileged girls in Marikina. The foundation provides care and support, including shelter and education. His community work reflected a belief he had spoken about publicly: business success should be accompanied by service to others. The Philippine Star reported on his support for the foundation and his generosity toward employees and the communities Armscor served.
That commitment adds another dimension to his legacy. Tuason was a company leader, but the people closest to him described someone who valued personal relationships and gave his time to others. His family’s obituary called him a peacemaker, a devoted husband and father, and a man who made people feel like family. Those descriptions help explain why news of his death resonated with colleagues and acquaintances as well as with people who knew his name through Armscor and Rock Island Armory.
Martin Tuason’s legacy—and how much he will be missed
Martin Tuason leaves behind a family legacy in manufacturing, a company transformed through years of international growth, and a name familiar to generations of firearms enthusiasts. He helped carry Armscor and Rock Island Armory into a new era while continuing the family’s ties to Filipino manufacturing and community service.
But a business legacy only tells part of the story. The tributes to Tuason point to a man remembered for his warmth, candor, generosity, and willingness to make time for people. Those qualities are what colleagues and friends will carry with them long after the announcements and headlines fade.
He will be deeply missed by his family, the Armscor and Rock Island Armory teams, and the many people across the shooting and 2A communities whose lives he touched. His work helped shape the industry; the way he treated people is what made his loss personal.
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