heavenIsAlie
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Abbotsford
i would like one, but i want the automag II in .30 carbine a little bit more. not as rare so i dont feel to bad shooting it 
How about the Automag?
- Thread starter tgt40
- Start date
- Location
- Calgary, AB
Here's my toy. Early model .44 Pasadena automag with a vanity serial number and factory polished barrel. Bought from Don Nixon in Indiana when our dollar was at par and Questar's rates were lower (pre US export rates being higher). Also picked up two extra mags and never used reloading dies.
Many thanks to John Kwok and CGN for helping me source this pistol out and to Questar for doing a great job bringing it in. I have to admit this is one of my favorite firearms.
Enjoy the pics ...
Many thanks to John Kwok and CGN for helping me source this pistol out and to Questar for doing a great job bringing it in. I have to admit this is one of my favorite firearms.
Enjoy the pics ...
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Max Owner
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Armco was gonna get one so I called to get in line for it.
He had mentioned about selling it to a guy in Texas because he could get more for it.
Gunnar never called me back after the initial conversation so I gotta presume it went to the Texan. It was gonna be in the $3,000 CDN range is what I was told.
He had mentioned about selling it to a guy in Texas because he could get more for it.
Gunnar never called me back after the initial conversation so I gotta presume it went to the Texan. It was gonna be in the $3,000 CDN range is what I was told.
??? One makes a bigger hole? Not sure what you're asking. Interest in terms of shooting, collectability, what? - dan
And a 41 version rarer yet, I believe. - dan
jetrefueller
Regular
- Location
- Northern Ontario
Had an opportunity back in 1972 to buy one from either Hallams or Hollman and Hickey,memory is going, I believe the price was more like $790.00 and a week later it was over $1000.00 which was too rich for me at the time. Allways wished I had bought it.
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Happy New Year everyone.
Did not realize so much interest still on CGN regarding the automag. Refreshing to know from the different members their past history and experience with this gun. Just a few more thoughts...
The automag was designed with the best minds and people from the US, including Harry Sanford, George Nonte, Lee Jurras, etc. so it is very much an American venture. Sanford wanted the gun in the market immediately because of his financial backers, the rest of the design team told him not to as more work had to be done, and the marketing people told him to sell at least at cost or a decent profit margin which Sanford did not do and which led to the demise.
The Automag is expensive, but then on the CGN site it is amazing what many members have in terms of expensive and exotic black rifles, trap & skeet shotguns, etc. that cost as much if not more. I developed a fascination with automags in my late teens but could never afford one. 51 years old now with a better income, and now have the means to obtain in my mind "the holy grail". I wrote to Lee Jurras back then when he was distributing it, and he sent me a full colour brochure (now a collector's item), but did not have the money then to order one.
The automag still has that ###iness factor which I think has never been duplicated over the last 30 years. Aside from being the first stainless steel factory made handgun, there are some unique points about it, the top end if entirely exchangable within 10 seconds by way of a lever so one can go from different calibers and different lengths of barrels, while using the same magazine. The most unique part, I think, is the fact that the grip is about the size of a glock, and unless one has supersized hands, the automag is much easier to handle than a Desert Eagle or a Wildey. The automag is balanced when sometimes the other two models feel like "2 x 4"s.
The automag is touchy. The Mexican ammo if still available is relatively safe to use but extremely dirty. The car-bon ammo, if available is still dirty, but has unsafe pressure levels. So one needs to reload, probably single stage to be safe. The best load is about 22 to 23 grains of Hodgdon H110 (Win 296), behind a 240 grain XTP bullet (which is essentially exactly a full 44 mag load). Underload or overload and the gun does not function or you damage the bolt (part cost $700 US if you can find one).
Even when properly loaded, the automag has a risk factor of damaging the bolt anyway and that's the problem with the design.
The 44 automag shoots like a Smith 29 with full loads, but the automag recoil is about 70%, comes back in hand, typical of a semi-auto. It has more than 6 shot capacity than a revolver, but one would not put in a full magazine, keeping it to about 5 shots at a time.
The automag calibers are 44 AMP, then 357 AMP, and the latter is not common but it is not rare. What is possibly unique about it, is that the 357 is less likely to damage the automag.
The first 4 automags I brought in were 2 unfired Lee Jurras Custom 100s, matching serial number in 44 and 357, an unfired Pasadena, and a North Hollywood barely fired (the North Hollywood guns were actually assembled without a factory but in one of the guy's garage when the Pasadena plant shut down).
The 6 coming in, in 2009, are another set of Lee Jurras, matching serial # 13 (357 and 41), some rare barrels in 8.5" for 44 and 357 (Clint Eastwood Sudden Impact versions), an 8.5" 44 bull barrel, an 8.5" 45 Winchester mag bull barrel, etc.
2 guns were made for Sudden Impact from left over parts. 1 firing and 1 that fired blanks. I read that Eastwood always keeps one souvenir gun from each of his movies. He kept the firing one. The blank one went to the son of Harry Sanford, who was offered $50,000.00 US for it and he turned it down. Talk about the bling bling factor. LOL.
What is neat about importing the automag, and if the rules are still the same, is that any extra barrels or magazines or gun parts are all treated as one item under 1 single import permit. To bring these in separately is cost prohibitive.
Sending some of you guys private PMs. I do caution about buying from even gun stores. Most of the automags you see are mismatched frames and top ends. The serial numbers are specific to the various 8 places of manufacture. Also if you can't visually inspect the gun, there could be internal damage.
A couple more websites:
http://www.glossover.co.uk/amt/
http://biskun.com/hobby/
Regards to all, and happy to hear from any of you by PM as we share the same interest, and fascination.
Did not realize so much interest still on CGN regarding the automag. Refreshing to know from the different members their past history and experience with this gun. Just a few more thoughts...
The automag was designed with the best minds and people from the US, including Harry Sanford, George Nonte, Lee Jurras, etc. so it is very much an American venture. Sanford wanted the gun in the market immediately because of his financial backers, the rest of the design team told him not to as more work had to be done, and the marketing people told him to sell at least at cost or a decent profit margin which Sanford did not do and which led to the demise.
The Automag is expensive, but then on the CGN site it is amazing what many members have in terms of expensive and exotic black rifles, trap & skeet shotguns, etc. that cost as much if not more. I developed a fascination with automags in my late teens but could never afford one. 51 years old now with a better income, and now have the means to obtain in my mind "the holy grail". I wrote to Lee Jurras back then when he was distributing it, and he sent me a full colour brochure (now a collector's item), but did not have the money then to order one.
The automag still has that ###iness factor which I think has never been duplicated over the last 30 years. Aside from being the first stainless steel factory made handgun, there are some unique points about it, the top end if entirely exchangable within 10 seconds by way of a lever so one can go from different calibers and different lengths of barrels, while using the same magazine. The most unique part, I think, is the fact that the grip is about the size of a glock, and unless one has supersized hands, the automag is much easier to handle than a Desert Eagle or a Wildey. The automag is balanced when sometimes the other two models feel like "2 x 4"s.
The automag is touchy. The Mexican ammo if still available is relatively safe to use but extremely dirty. The car-bon ammo, if available is still dirty, but has unsafe pressure levels. So one needs to reload, probably single stage to be safe. The best load is about 22 to 23 grains of Hodgdon H110 (Win 296), behind a 240 grain XTP bullet (which is essentially exactly a full 44 mag load). Underload or overload and the gun does not function or you damage the bolt (part cost $700 US if you can find one).
Even when properly loaded, the automag has a risk factor of damaging the bolt anyway and that's the problem with the design.
The 44 automag shoots like a Smith 29 with full loads, but the automag recoil is about 70%, comes back in hand, typical of a semi-auto. It has more than 6 shot capacity than a revolver, but one would not put in a full magazine, keeping it to about 5 shots at a time.
The automag calibers are 44 AMP, then 357 AMP, and the latter is not common but it is not rare. What is possibly unique about it, is that the 357 is less likely to damage the automag.
The first 4 automags I brought in were 2 unfired Lee Jurras Custom 100s, matching serial number in 44 and 357, an unfired Pasadena, and a North Hollywood barely fired (the North Hollywood guns were actually assembled without a factory but in one of the guy's garage when the Pasadena plant shut down).
The 6 coming in, in 2009, are another set of Lee Jurras, matching serial # 13 (357 and 41), some rare barrels in 8.5" for 44 and 357 (Clint Eastwood Sudden Impact versions), an 8.5" 44 bull barrel, an 8.5" 45 Winchester mag bull barrel, etc.
2 guns were made for Sudden Impact from left over parts. 1 firing and 1 that fired blanks. I read that Eastwood always keeps one souvenir gun from each of his movies. He kept the firing one. The blank one went to the son of Harry Sanford, who was offered $50,000.00 US for it and he turned it down. Talk about the bling bling factor. LOL.
What is neat about importing the automag, and if the rules are still the same, is that any extra barrels or magazines or gun parts are all treated as one item under 1 single import permit. To bring these in separately is cost prohibitive.
Sending some of you guys private PMs. I do caution about buying from even gun stores. Most of the automags you see are mismatched frames and top ends. The serial numbers are specific to the various 8 places of manufacture. Also if you can't visually inspect the gun, there could be internal damage.
A couple more websites:
http://www.glossover.co.uk/amt/
http://biskun.com/hobby/
Regards to all, and happy to hear from any of you by PM as we share the same interest, and fascination.
Lee Enfield
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Alberta
A friend of mine had 2, but he has fallen on hard times and I believe that he sold them to a second fellow I know who had 1 or 2 already.
.357, 41 & .44 automag IIRC
