I just spent a week in the Philippines and visited a few gun shops.

The first thing I noticed was that guns are very expensive.

A Mossberg 500 is over $1000.

A Ruger SP101 is $1200


The other thing I noticed is that the gun stores have armed guards outside and they don't let you take pictures.

I took out my camera and had two guards quickly stop me.

Dang, for some reason I thought they'd be cheaper over there!

Do they have any requirements/restrictions on purchasing/owning firearms that you know of??

I have a feeling that many of the firearms may be sold/bought without registration........I could be wrong.

This is interesting with respect to gun laws in the Phillipines. (One of many search engine "hits" on the subject):

http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/philippines

I especially note that they have jumped onto the UN Gun Ban bandwagon.

I still can not understand why so many groups of people --mionorities, nations, what have you --are anti-gun, when they themselves have been suppressed and tyrannized by those with more guns.  Have the Filipinos forgotten the lessons of World War II already?

This says it all: "Disarmed people are neither free nor safe - they become the criminals' prey and the tyrants' playthings."

Evidence of this which demands a verdict:

http://jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/deathgc.htm#chart

And that's only for the 20th Century.  Go ahead, add up that fourth column in that chart... I dare you.

Terry, 230RN

I just spent a week in the Philippines and visited a few gun shops.

The first thing I noticed was that guns are very expensive.

A Mossberg 500 is over $1000.

A Ruger SP101 is $1200


The other thing I noticed is that the gun stores have armed guards outside and they don't let you take pictures.I took out my camera and had two guards quickly stop me.

I went to Makati on a business trip a couple of years ago and armed guards were every where.  Every Starbucks and Seattle Best Coffee shops had their own armed security guards.  Some of them were carrying and if you looked closely, some of their holsters were empty or had a gun in them that didn't looked like they functioned. 

I often wondered by each of the malls (Greenbelt and I forget the other one that was nearby) had security wanding everyone going in.  Then a few months after my trip, I heard that a jewelery store in on of the Greenbelt wings was robbed by armed men that stormed through the security.  My hotel was across the street from that shop! 

I didn't think to check out any of the gun shops while I was there, but I've heard that IPSC is big time there and many of the USPSA guys here complete there regularly. 

Firearms are more expensive in South East Asia as a general matter. I was in Makati two years ago and know of nationals from the P.I. who had personal bodyguards carrying assault pistols and the like. I also seem to recall seeing a number of armed guards with chromed-barreled or SS long guns in Makati standing out front of non-financial commercial establishments.

I just spent a week in the Philippines and visited a few gun shops.

The first thing I noticed was that guns are very expensive.

A Mossberg 500 is over $1000.

A Ruger SP101 is $1200


The other thing I noticed is that the gun stores have armed guards outside and they don't let you take pictures.

I took out my camera and had two guards quickly stop me.

I would think it's because you're a shady looking dude rather than the gun laws?

i think it depends own who u know to.  my parents have a vacation home in ilocos and my dad has a decent collection of firearms and buckets of ammo.   

I just spent a week in the Philippines and visited a few gun shops.

The first thing I noticed was that guns are very expensive.

A Mossberg 500 is over $1000.

A Ruger SP101 is $1200


The other thing I noticed is that the gun stores have armed guards outside and they don't let you take pictures.

I took out my camera and had two guards quickly stop me.

Huh... wow you'd think they would be cheaper....

Bet your cash could buy other stuff way cheaper though... no?