Automag IV

[dubber123]

A local shop has an AMT Automag IV in .45 Winchester MAgnum for $399.00. I remember wanting one long ago, but never got around to it. I know AMT's quality control could be spotty, but does any one have any other feed back on these?. Thanks.

[Bullshop]

My experiance with AMT's is that they had heat treating issues. They made some very brittle parts that were prone to breakage. They made good guns and I like them especially the 22 mag II auto pistal, but the breaking parts is an annoyance.
BIC/BS

[dubber123]

Thats sure something to consider, I hadn't heard about the brittle parts. I have seen a big difference between the fit and finish of a good specimen and a poor one. Thanks for the input.

[dubber123]

I looked this one over pretty well, and it at least looks well put together. Looking it over, I don't think it has been shot much at all. The shop owner dropped $50.00 on the price, but it still had to go on lay a way. When I get it paid off, I'll post the results with cast boolits.

[Dutch4122]

Wasn't the .44 Auto-Mag "Mack Bolan's" sidearm of choice????????????
:hijack:
Sorry, but a buddy of mine's dad had stacks of those paperbacks lying around.

Seem to remember the Auto-MaG on the cover a lot.

[dubber123]

Wasn't the .44 Auto-Mag "Mack Bolan's" sidearm of choice????????????
:hijack:
Sorry, but a buddy of mine's dad had stacks of those paperbacks lying around.

Seem to remember the Auto-MaG on the cover a lot.

This gun, the Automag IV is a later gun by the same designer as Mack Bolans signature piece. Bolans was the origional, and worth a bunch more than this one I'm getting. Those are good books.

[runfiverun]

last i heard on these you had to keep them scrupiously[thier word not mine]
and load it right at max to run properly.
wouldn't stop me from getting 1 though

[dubber123]

The dealer took my 150$ deposit and told me to take the gun home, ya gotta like that! Paying 18$ for 20 factory rounds wasn't nice though, but I needed brass.

I shot up the factory stuff, and was happy to see it doesn't seem to be a brass eater. I loaded some 454190's over 16.5 grains of Blue Dot, and they feed and function perfectly, and were minute of beer can at 25 yards off hand, I suspect it will shoot very well. The bonus was 1,380 fps. and NO leading, a big surprise!

I tried some 452424 SWC's, and the first one fed from the mag, and jammed HARD in the chamber, at which point I remembered sizing them .454" instead of .452", so that little experiment will have to wait. At least it made it from the mag to the chamber, which is promising.

[dubber123]

Got to shoot 2 quick groups today after work. First was a Cast Performance 265 WFN from a small leftover stash. Round 1 was a flyer, clean barrel or me mashing the trigger, I don't know, but the next 4 went into 3-3/8" at 50 yards. Next up, some of the 454190's shot the biggest group in recent memory, and the group wasn't measured.

Looking in the bore, there was some lead, and 40 rounds of the 454190's didn't lead at all last weekend, so it may have been from the CP boolits with their junk hard wax lube. I will have to try the 454190's again from a clean bore to give them a fair chance.

The crappy white dot sights will have to go, and that alone should tighten things up a bit. If I can maintain a consistant 3" at 50 yards, I will be very happy.

[dubber123]

A local shop has an AMT Automag IV in .45 Winchester MAgnum for $399.00. I remember wanting one long ago, but never got around to it. I know AMT's quality control could be spotty, but does any one have any other feed back on these?. Thanks.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh83/dubber123/IMG_2588-1.jpg

[scb]

dubber I hate to be a wet blanket but you might find this interesting. I walked into a small gun shop several years ago, back when these were still in production. The owner knew I worked on guns and said "you've got to see this". From under the counter he pulled TWO boxes each had what was left of one these in it. One had broken the slide right at the ejection port. The only reason the owner didn't have the back of the slide in his face was a 1/8" square strip of steel on the left side refused to let go. The other was less impressive, but it too was a catastrophic failure. Luckily no one was hurt. I asked if the guns' owners knew each other, if they had maybe gotten the same bad hand loads. He said that these both occurred with the first box of ammo (factory) that had been fired thru them. The owners didn't know each other. Sorry, my advice would be dump it, quick, and get a Desert Eagle.:(

[Bret4207]

Mack Bolan, wow! I think I read those about the same time I was readin "The Survivalist" books by Jerry Ahern. Man, they were so BAD they were GOOD!

[dubber123]

dubber I hate to be a wet blanket but you might find this interesting. I walked into a small gun shop several years ago, back when these were still in production. The owner knew I worked on guns and said "you've got to see this". From under the counter he pulled TWO boxes each had what was left of one these in it. One had broken the slide right at the ejection port. The only reason the owner didn't have the back of the slide in his face was a 1/8" square strip of steel on the left side refused to let go. The other was less impressive, but it too was a catastrophic failure. Luckily no one was hurt. I asked if the guns' owners knew each other, if they had maybe gotten the same bad hand loads. He said that these both occurred with the first box of ammo (factory) that had been fired thru them. The owners didn't know each other. Sorry, my advice would be dump it, quick, and get a Desert Eagle.:(

Sounds like what Bullshop mentioned about heat treat problems in some guns. I have about 150 rounds through this one, 1 box of factories, the rest were handloads in the 255-305 grain range.

I haven't eaten the slide yet, and if these really do fail, I wouldn't want to sell it to anyone knowing that.

I have shot a Desert Eagle quite a bit, and while they are much better built, and very accurate, they feel like a 2X4 to me. A heavy one. I guess I'm stuck with this one, I'll keep an eye out for cracks. Thanks for the info.