AutoMag (pistol)
Encyclopedia
The .44 Auto Mag pistol is a large caliber semi-automatic pistol. It was designed between 1966 and 1971 by the Auto Mag Corporation to bring .44 magnum
power to a semi-automatic pistol.
The pistols were costly to produce and ammunition was never readily available, leading to the demise of the Auto Mag Corporation by 1982. The pistol's reputation and looks have made it popular in cinema and novels and several versions are listed as "Curios and Relics" by the BATFE.
/AR-15 rifle. The Auto Mag is a heavy pistol designed to give handgun hunters .44 magnum power in a semi-automatic pistol. The .44 Auto Mag was designed to shoot .429 inch, 240 grain bullets at about the same velocity as the .44 magnum revolver.
Auto Mag Corporation was short-lived for several reasons. The design team that took the Auto Mag pistol from a fully functional and working Chrome-Moly steel prototype designed by Max Gera, to a more complicated and less reliable stainless steel pistol disagreed with Harry Sanford about how the company should proceed. The design team was convinced the Auto Mag pistol was not ready for production and could not be produced at a profit. The design team believed that even with the correct finished design, the wholesale price of the gun had to be greatly increased or the company would go bankrupt. The design team was unable to convince Sanford, and they all resigned. The pistol was then rushed into production by a group that were not concerned with the gun making a profit but only that it got into production immediately. This led to expensive manufacturing processes, and later Pasadena guns were not fitted well as there was a constant push to get product out the door.
Severe underpricing of the Auto Mag pistol to indicate huge market demand to potential investors made success impossible. A final analysis showed that the Auto Mag Corporation lost more than $1,000 on each pistol (as was predicted by Max Gera when he sold his stock in the company over one year earlier); each pistol sold wholesale for around $170. The pistols originally sold retail for $217.50 (about $1200 in today's dollars). Used Auto Mag pistols now sell for around $2,000.
Lee Jurras of Super Vel Ammunition commissioned a limited run of Auto Mags to be given the LEJ-prefix on their serial numbers. They were to be custom-made to his specifications and were chambered in .44AMP, .357AMP and for his wildcat
.41JMP (Jurras Mag Pistol). Some of Jurras's custom guns had shoulder stocks, high polish jobs, gold plating, engraving, etc.
) manufactured several firearms under the AutoMag name, not the Auto Mag name, including the AMT AutoMag II
in .22 WMR
, AMT AutoMag III
in .30 Carbine
, AMT AutoMag IV
in .45 Winchester Magnum
and AMT AutoMag V
in .50 Action Express
.
or .30-06 case to 1.30 inches (33 mm). Loaded ammunition was once available from the Mexican firm of Cartuchos Deportivos Mexico and from Norma (a Swedish firm), which produced empty cases.
The .357AMP round went into production in 1972 with the North Hollywood guns. It is similar to the .44 AMP, but is necked down to accept the smaller diameter bullet. The same is true for the .41JMP, .30, .25 and .22LMP.
Presently, loaded ammunition is available from Cor-Bon, and new .44 AMP brass is available from Starline Brass. The dedicated handloader can form AMP cases from .30-06 or .308 Winchester
brass, using a series of forming dies and an inside neck reamer.
.44 Magnum
The .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
power to a semi-automatic pistol.
The pistols were costly to produce and ammunition was never readily available, leading to the demise of the Auto Mag Corporation by 1982. The pistol's reputation and looks have made it popular in cinema and novels and several versions are listed as "Curios and Relics" by the BATFE.
Function
The short recoil operated Auto Mag pistol featured a rotary bolt with locking lugs located at the front similar to the M-16M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
/AR-15 rifle. The Auto Mag is a heavy pistol designed to give handgun hunters .44 magnum power in a semi-automatic pistol. The .44 Auto Mag was designed to shoot .429 inch, 240 grain bullets at about the same velocity as the .44 magnum revolver.
History
In 1970, Auto Mag Corporation president Harry Sanford opened a factory in Pasadena, California. The first gun was shipped on August 8, 1971 and the factory declared bankruptcy on May 3, 1972 after making fewer than 3000 guns. Production guns were made in .44 AMP (Auto Mag Pistol). Experimental pistols were made in .45ACP, .30AMP and .357AMP. Except for the .45ACP guns, changing calibers required only the additional barrel and cartridges. The same frame, magazine, and bolt could be used on both.Auto Mag Corporation was short-lived for several reasons. The design team that took the Auto Mag pistol from a fully functional and working Chrome-Moly steel prototype designed by Max Gera, to a more complicated and less reliable stainless steel pistol disagreed with Harry Sanford about how the company should proceed. The design team was convinced the Auto Mag pistol was not ready for production and could not be produced at a profit. The design team believed that even with the correct finished design, the wholesale price of the gun had to be greatly increased or the company would go bankrupt. The design team was unable to convince Sanford, and they all resigned. The pistol was then rushed into production by a group that were not concerned with the gun making a profit but only that it got into production immediately. This led to expensive manufacturing processes, and later Pasadena guns were not fitted well as there was a constant push to get product out the door.
Severe underpricing of the Auto Mag pistol to indicate huge market demand to potential investors made success impossible. A final analysis showed that the Auto Mag Corporation lost more than $1,000 on each pistol (as was predicted by Max Gera when he sold his stock in the company over one year earlier); each pistol sold wholesale for around $170. The pistols originally sold retail for $217.50 (about $1200 in today's dollars). Used Auto Mag pistols now sell for around $2,000.
Specifications
Auto Mag Pistol- Chambering: .44 AMP (Auto Magnum Pistol) [10.74x33 mm] (1970), .357AMP [9x33 mm] (1972), .41JMP (Jurras Mag Pistol) [10.41x33 mm](?).
- Barrel Length: 6.5 inches.
- Overall Length: 11.5 inches.
- Weight: 57 oz (3 lb 9 oz) (1.62 kg) [.44 AMP]; 54 oz (3 lb 6 oz) (1.53 kg) [.357 AMP].
- Magazine: 8-round single-column box magazine.
- Sights: Adjustable target sights.
- Finish: Stainless steel.
- Furniture: Two-piece black polyurethane (AMP models) or holly or ebony wood (JMP model) grips.
- Features: Ribbed barrel.
- Production: 1970–2002
- Price: Original retail $217.50 later increased to $275 ($425 for a paired .44 AMP and .357 AMP barrel kit)
Designations
Between 1971 and 2002 the Auto Mag would wear eleven different names:- AM, Pasadena, California (Made in Pasadena, CA)
- TDE, North Hollywood, California (Made in El Monte, CA) There was never a North Hollywood factory.
- TDE, El Monte, California (Made in El Monte, CA)
- TDE, El Monte, California, High Standard (Made in El Monte, CA)
- TDE, El Monte, California, Lee Jurras (Made in El Monte, CA) Most custom work by Lee Jurras
- TDE, El Monte, California, Kent Lomont (Made in El Monte, CA) Custom work by Kent Lomont
- TDE / OMC, El Monte, California (Made in El Monte, CA)
- AMT, Covina, California (Receivers made in Covina, CA and guns assembled in Irwindale, CA)
- AMC, Covina, California (Receivers made in Covina, CA and guns assembled in Irwindale, CA)
- AM, Irwindale, California (Made in Irwindale, CA)
- AM, Sturgis, South Dakota (Some made in Hesperia, CA and some were made in Sturgis, SD)
Lee Jurras of Super Vel Ammunition commissioned a limited run of Auto Mags to be given the LEJ-prefix on their serial numbers. They were to be custom-made to his specifications and were chambered in .44AMP, .357AMP and for his wildcat
Wildcat cartridge
A wildcat cartridge, or wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and firearms are not mass produced. These cartridges are often created in order to optimize a certain performance characteristic of an existing commercial cartridge.Developing and using wildcat cartridges does not...
.41JMP (Jurras Mag Pistol). Some of Jurras's custom guns had shoulder stocks, high polish jobs, gold plating, engraving, etc.
Calibers
The Auto Mag design gave birth to three new cartridges: the .44 Auto Mag (.44 AMP), .357 Auto Mag (.357 AMP) and the lesser-known .41 JMP. There were barrels made to shoot other cartridges:- .45ACP (experimental only)
- .44AMP
- .357AMP
- .300AMP (different shoulder angle than .30LMP)
- .41JMP
- .30LMP (Lomont Magnum Pistol)
- .25LMP (Lomont Magnum Pistol)
- .22LMP (Lomont Magnum Pistol)
- .45ACP Magnum (experimental only)
- .45 Win Mag
- .40KMP (Kincel Maynard Pistol, experimental only)
- .475 Auto Mag (experimental only)
AMT AutoMag
AMT (Arcadia Machine and ToolArcadia Machine and Tool
Arcadia Machine & Tool, commonly abbreviated to AMT, was a firearms manufacturer from Irwindale, California. The company produced several weapons, often clones of existing firearms. Plagued by quality and reliability problems, the company went bankrupt and the assets and trademark were acquired by...
) manufactured several firearms under the AutoMag name, not the Auto Mag name, including the AMT AutoMag II
AMT AutoMag II
The AMT AutoMag II is one of four autoloading handguns chambered in .22 WMR, the others being the rare Grendel P30, the Excel Arms Accelerator Pistol, and the newest Kel-Tec PMR-30.-History:...
in .22 WMR
.22 WMR
The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, more commonly called .22 WMR, .22 Magnum, or simply .22 Mag, is a rimfire rifle cartridge...
, AMT AutoMag III
AMT AutoMag III
The Automag III is a single action semi-automatic handgun, designed by Harry Sanford, creator of the first Automag. The Automag III does not actually fire a magnum cartridge, but is chambered for the .30 Carbine cartridge originally designed for the World War II era M1 carbine...
in .30 Carbine
.30 Carbine
The .30 Carbine is the cartridge used in the M1 Carbine introduced in the 1940s. It is an intermediate round designed to be fired from the M1 carbine's 18-inch barrel.-History:...
, AMT AutoMag IV
AMT AutoMag IV
The AMT Automag IV is a large, single action semi-automatic handgun. It was created by Harry Sanford, who invented the original Automag. This model fires the .45 Winchester Magnum round; it was chambered for a time in 10mm iAi Magnum. It has a 7 shot magazine and is, like all of the AMT guns, made...
in .45 Winchester Magnum
.45 Winchester Magnum
The .45 Winchester Magnum is a .45 caliber rimless cartridge intended for use in semi-automatic pistols. The cartridge is a stretched version of the .45 ACP with additional strengthening in the web area to accommodate the higher operating pressure...
and AMT AutoMag V
AMT AutoMag V
The AMT Automag V is a large single action semi-automatic pistol made by Arcadia Machine and Tool . The weapon was created by Harry Sanford, who also invented the original .44 AutoMag pistol...
in .50 Action Express
.50 Action Express
The .50 Action Express is a large caliber handgun cartridge. It was developed in 1988 by Evan Whildin of Action Arms. The .50 AE is one of the most powerful pistol cartridges in production.-Overview:...
.
Ammunition
The .44 Auto Mag Pistol (AMP) cartridge was introduced in 1971. Its rimless, straight wall case was originally formed by trimming the .308 Winchester.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...
or .30-06 case to 1.30 inches (33 mm). Loaded ammunition was once available from the Mexican firm of Cartuchos Deportivos Mexico and from Norma (a Swedish firm), which produced empty cases.
The .357AMP round went into production in 1972 with the North Hollywood guns. It is similar to the .44 AMP, but is necked down to accept the smaller diameter bullet. The same is true for the .41JMP, .30, .25 and .22LMP.
Presently, loaded ammunition is available from Cor-Bon, and new .44 AMP brass is available from Starline Brass. The dedicated handloader can form AMP cases from .30-06 or .308 Winchester
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...
brass, using a series of forming dies and an inside neck reamer.
The Automag in popular culture
- Mack Bolan of The Executioner (book series) carried a .44 automag that he named "Big Thunder" in his war against the Mafia
- In 1983 the Auto Mag pistol was featured in the fourth Dirty HarryDirty HarryDirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
movie, Sudden ImpactSudden ImpactSudden Impact is a 1983 American crime thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood...
. Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
's character Harry Callahan uses his .44 Auto Mag pistol to kill Mick the Rapist after Harry loses his Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver in a fist fight. - In the 1987 action movie, Malone, Burt Reynolds plays an ex-CIA hit-man running from his past and standing up to the bad guys employing a .44 Automag for part of the movie.
- In 1987 the Eddie Murphy movie Beverly Hills Cop IIBeverly Hills Cop IIBeverly Hills Cop II is a 1987 action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Tony Scott. It is the first sequel in the Beverly Hills Cop series. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley, who returns to Beverly Hills, California to track down a joint robbery/gun-running ring...
featured the .44 Auto Mag and the spent cartridge cases as a plot device to locate the Alphabet Bandit. - In 2009 in Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony it is used by the main character Luis Lopez.
- The Warlord comic series hero Travis Morgan recovers a 44 Automag from his downed SR-71 Blackbird and carries it for most of his fantastic adventure in the centre of the earth, Skartaris.
- In A Drink Before the WarA Drink Before the WarA Drink Before the War is the Shamus Award-winning debut novel by Dennis Lehane and was published in 1994. It is the first book in a series focusing on private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro.-Plot introduction:...
by Dennis Lehane, the protagonist, private detective Patrick Kenzie, uses an Automag pistol as his main firearm throughout the book. He chooses this gun due to him not being as good of a shot as his partner Angie and that whatever hits, he wanted it to stay down.