Here's one you don't see everyday - a NIB AMT Hardballer Longslide!!

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WC145

WC145

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I just picked this up. It's a very early (made in Arcadia) AMT Hardballer Longslide. The gun is unfired and still coated in grease except where I wiped off the slide for the pics. It's in the original box with the paperwork and one mag that is stamped "AMT HARDBALLER" on it's base. I thought it would be heavier but it weighs 42oz and really points well, not muzzle heavy at all. I didn't realize they were made of "exotic stainless steel" back then, I assumed it was just the regular kind of stainless!:rolleyes:

Anyway, I think it's pretty cool and even though I posted it on a couple of other forums I thought I would share it here, too.

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SWEET! I had a 'newer' AMT Longslide, ca. 1986. After seeing 'Terminator' I just HAD to have one. I was sorely disappointed. Mine looked nowhere nearly as nice as yours. FWIW, the recoil spring plug will be mostly SOLID and the recoil spring is a standard-length 1911 Gov't Model spring...at least mine was.

I'd like to have another just for hunting purposes as the longslide 1911s available today only have 6-inch barrels, not 7s like the AMT.
 
WC145

What a great find you've got there. I don't think I've ever seen a 7" Longslide before, let alone one that was NIB. I like the "exotic stainless steel" notation; back then it was unique in semi-autos and I do remember the part about using a vegetable lube or a synthetic grease on it. Thanks for sharing that with us.
 
I like the warning simply precious. I would mix some vaseline with jojoba oil apply and take that beauty whitetail hunting.
 
AMT in all its incarnations was never known for good reliability. If you get a good one great! if not, good luck.

I had decent luck with the AMT "Backup" pistols only one of three needed work.
 
I'd be afraid to shoot it, just to keep from finding out if its a lemon. There is something awesome about the AMT's that I just can't put my finger on.
 
I hope it works better than my AMT Hardballer made during the same era........


The barrel lugs didn't match up in the slide. A Colt Gold Cup barrel fit great. I sent a letter off to AMT detailing the problem. Their response? They sent a parts sheet with "Barrel" circled, along with the retail price of same.
 
This one's a keeper because of the cool factor but, to me, it's value is in the history more than as a shooter. I remember being about 16 when these hit the market and they were about the coolest thing going. I've got several 1911's to shoot but they don't take me back like this one does. I'll probably clean and lube it and put a couple of mags through just to see how it shoots but it'll be a conversation piece more than anything.
 
it'll be a conversation piece more than anything.
Click to expand...

If you want a conversation peice, find an AMT in 30 carbine. I saw one at the range and after the first shot I had to stop what I was doing and say "what the hell was that". It has a pretty impresive bang and fire ball.

AMT made some interesting guns but I never could open my wallet for one just because of their spotty reputation. I hope you got a good one and if you did, keep it and have fun with it.

By the way, vegetable base grease means shortening so stock up on Crisco.
 
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If you want a conversation peice, find an AMT in 30 carbine. I saw one at the range and after the first shot I had to stop what I was doing and say "what the hell was that". It has a pretty impresive bang and fire ball.
Click to expand...

I had an opportunity to get a NIB AMT Automag III in .30 Carbine from the same guy I got this Longslide from, along with some others. However, instead of the .30 Carbine I chose a NIB Automag V .50 Action Express. It'll be here next week. That one is going to get shot!
 
I had a longslide between 1986 and 1989. It functioned perfectly with all ammo. I shot it in NRA matches as well as other matches. I must have gotten a good one. I kept it lubricated with the recommended oil, Castrol 20W050 racing oil made from Castor bean, yep, that's right. I could not find it at all. So I contacted the Castrol company and they sent me one bottle, free of charge. I used it for 3 years and still have almost a full quart left. I won't put it in may car, but if I ever get another longslide, I am set with lubricant.
 
I never seen a 7" long-slide 1911 before. I really like how it looks. That was an excellent find. It sort of reminds me of a semi-auto version of a S&W 8 3/8" revolver used for silhouette shooting. It sure has a cool factor with me.
 
I highly recommend Wilson's Ultima white grease. I had an AMT Skipper once, it was a nice gun. Early stainless guns were really experimental as to the effects of wear and galling. There are so many types of stainless steel available, and back in the early days any all stainless gun was exotic. I have no idea what alloy they used, but galling was a common complaint.

We didn't have the internet back then to ask about it, how times change. It's nice now that we can ask about it in an open forum and get answers within a day or so. I'd love to hear from someone who was involved with AMT manufacture to tell us what alloy they used.
 
That's nifty ... like others have said I've always been leery of spending good money on an AMT but if I ever stumble across a well priced Javelina (basically the same gun in 10mm) I'd probably snag it up just for the S&G of it.
 
I used to have the 22 mag version. After loading the magazine and pulling the trigger the first time the gun slam fired the full magazine like some terminator gun.

After taking it apart, we found that the firing pin was stuck out by some metal drill debris. Basically a sprue was wrapped into the spring keeping the firing pin exposed. I'm not sure why it didn't fire when I sent the slide home, maybe it just needed that little extra oomph to get things started.

Anyways after removing the extra junk that shouldn't have been there the pistol performed great.

I kept it for a few years and then sold it because it was so loud compared to a 22 long rifle, and 22 mag seemed expensive then...boy was I wrong on both counts by today's standards.

L.W.
 
Very nice! I thought the old hardballers were all 6" barrel. I'm jealous, I'd really like one of those.

I thought the galling problem was pretty much ironed out by all manufactures by the late 70's. I have an AMT .45 backup that works well. It actually is the same size as my Kahr MK9 and is accurate at close range too, the sights are right on with 230gr. ball.

The trigger is horrible, but you get used to it. I might look into finding a weaker hammer spring for it someday.
 
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