SAR 20#2

firearm”. Known examples of this variation
had a small or no locking lug on the
barrel, the barrel hood locked into the
slide. Reportedly this variation will function
without the barrel delay spring and
plunger assembly in the guide rod. Two
other features on the AMT pistols are a
three dot rear sight and the magazine
release button has a slightly different
checkering pattern. The AMT marked
models are more common than the earlier
production IAI marked pistols.
There was also an Automag III model
available in 9mm Winchester Magnum.
However, many of the components differed
in dimensions from the .30 carbine
caliber model and swapping calibers between
the two guns is not practical.
After squeezing the trigger of the .30
carbine caliber Automag III two things
become immediately apparent, a huge
muzzle flash and a loud report. Despite
the flash and bang, recoil is relatively
mild. The average muzzle velocity is
1650 to 1775 feet per second firing GI
surplus ammunition. After one grows
accustomed to the noise and flash, the
pistol is capable of decent accuracy,
shooting groups of 2.5 to 3-inches at a
distance of 25 yards.
Pistols produced under the Automag
name by IAI/AMT included: the Automag
II in .22 WMR, Automag III in .30 Carbine
and 9mm Winchester Magnum,
Automag IV in .45 Winchester Magnum,
Automag V in .50 Action Express and
the Baby Automag in .22 LR.
After AMT went out of business in
the late 1990s the company’s assets
and trademarks were sold to the Galena
Industries of Sturgis, South Dakota, who
continued the AMT line of pistols. Galena’s
assets that included tools and tooling,
sixty pistols and thousands of parts
were offered at auction in July of 2002.
In 2004, the re-established High
Standard Corporation announced that
they would make Automag pistols and
now offers several models under the
AMT banner. To date the company does
not offer a .30 caliber Automag III.
Field stripping the Automag III is
similar to the 1911 pistol.
1. Remove the magazine and visibly
check the chamber to ensure it is
not loaded.
2. Retract the slide far enough to
push out the slide stop, and pull it
out of the frame.
3. Pull the slide/barrel assembly forward
and off of the frame.
4. To remove the barrel from the
slide, depress the recoil rod bushing
and rotate the barrel bushing
until it clears the rod bushing.
CAUTION the recoil rod bushing
is under spring pressure.
5. Remove the recoil rod, being care-
TOP: Top view of the Automag III showing the adjustable Millet rear sight, and fixed front
sight. CENTER: Disassembled magazine. The steel magazine has a plastic follower and
a round spring. BOTTOM: The barrel at the top of the photo is from an early manufacture
pistol featuring a locking lug. The barrel below it lacks a lug using the barrel’s hood to lock
the barrel to the slide, forward of the ejection port.
WWW.SMALLARMSREVIEW.COM 65 SAR Vol. 20, No. 2