Anybody shot their 44 automag much?

[Peter M. Eick]

Here is my 44 automag that is still in unfired condition. I have all of the "stuff" that goes with it, so now that it is over 30 years old I cannot bring myself to pull the trigger.

What I was thinking about is getting a shooter, but from what I can tell, the current feeling is that the 44 automag was kind of a delicate gun and parts are hard to come by and very expensive. My thought was to reload for it so it would just run the action with lightest possible loads to try and not beat it up.

Have you got one and have you shot it much? What do you think of it?

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'll take it off your hands so it'll be less of a problem. Heck, nice guy that I am, I'll even pay the freight for you.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Oh that on is not a problem, it is a bit of my retirement. Never fired, have the original box, every bit of paperwork and equipment from the factory. Heck I even have the original shipping box from the factory. As I remember it only costs about $3.18 to ship it back then.

No that one is not a shooter, it is a true collectors piece.

My question is about should I go buy a shooter. They seem to be running about $2200 for a shooter, so I am thinking about getting one for fun, BUT I want to shoot it. I don't want to break the thing with no parts!

 

[Jim Watson]

Back in the '70s the Automag guru was Kent Lomont, did articles in great detail in Gun Digest and Handloader's Digest. Now at
http://www.klomont.com/

He seems to have moved on to bigger and better things (37mm!) but might have up to date information on actualy shooting Automags.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

As an aside, I have had several off line email discussions with other automag owners and the general comment is if you don't try to turn the automag into a rifle and keep everything tight it works just fine. The key is just enough powder to run the action.

This is all second hand information, but I guess I am starting to lean toward a shooter automag to go with my collector shown above.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I've seen plenty of shooters around $1600 or less. 98% available on

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976400735.htm

 

[WonderNine]

Mr. Eick, I'm glad you're not going to shoot that one! It is a true collectors piece, being unfired and all. Of course they test fire them at the factory, but still I would not fire it either.

I would like to get one someday, but they are just too expensive and ammo is hard to come by.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Yes this one was fired at the factory. There was a bit of powder residue in the barrel that I wiped out a few years ago with a dry patch.

After the first of the year I will get serious and start looking to get one. I want another pasadena version. I will just bite the bullet and if I break it, then I break it. At least I have the new one as a go by for some machinist to make new parts!

 

[Marcus]

If you read up on mainenance and load data I think you`ll find that most Automag owners find them pretty reliable and durable. They were very well made guns (at least until the last years) and many of those who have them believe that their reputation for being delicate came mostly from folks who were feeding it nuclear handloads. If you need any parts why not try www.automagparts.com? I`d LOVE to own one myself some day! I recently got the chance to fire one and it was GREAT! Marcus