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Thread: AMT Hardballer

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    24th May 2018
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    AMT Hardballer

    My 1911 is a earlier , pre Galena Industries , Arcadia Machine & Tool Hardballer , I don't see much talk about these . They were made from 1977 to 2002...twenty three years of production , there should be a few floating around.
    I bought mine about 1979 or 1980 because I wanted a stainless steel 1911 with adjustable sights and Colt did not make a stainless steel 1911 at that time... AMT was the first .
    Mine has been totally reliable , has shot every bullet profile including my cast lead SWC's and accurate enough to win me a 1911 only first place shooting match ...I proudly display that trophy to this day.
    When I get home I'll try and post some photo's.

    Surely someone else out there has or had a AMT...lets talk about them.
    Gary

  2. #2
    Join Date
    2nd October 2006
    Location
    Weeki Wachee, Fl
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    I had an AMT Hardballer back in the early ‘90’s. I bought it as a bag of parts, put it together, and used a lot of Flitz getting all the rust off of the outside of the frame and slide. Apparently it had been left in a soft case for an extended period before the smith I bought it from detail stripped and “bagged” it. As they say; stainless isn’t stain free.

    I got it, along with several mags, for $250.00. It ran flawlessly with the “right” mags (I went through about 20 to end up with eight that it’d run OK with).

    It was my very first IPSC gun, and I used it to shoot the biggest buck that has ever been killed at our hunt camp.

    If memory serves, I think I traded it off for a S&W 629 in the late ‘90’s.

    I haven’t seen one since then, and though it may have been pretty poor compared to any of the 1911’s I have now, it was my pride and joy back then.
    "Sights are for the unenlightened."

    Rick

    IDPA Certified Safety Officer
    Last edited by Rick McC.; 2nd February 2019 at 22:20.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    2nd June 2004
    Location
    Terra
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    A friend of mine has had one for twenty years or so. His runs reliably ... but he's a gunsmith, and he told me it took "a lot" of work to make it reliable. AMTs are like the West Hurley, NY, Auto-Ordnance pistols -- quality control and reliability were extremely inconsistent.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside
    Last edited by Hawkmoon; 4th February 2019 at 19:45.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    28th January 2006
    Location
    The Great American Desert
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    I still have one I bought new in 1984 for $199. I think I bought is as it looked like a Colt Gold Cup..... sort of. The grips were stinky so I put some rubber Pachmayr wrap arounds on back in 1984. A few years ago I found the originals and they had out gassed and were still flexible so I put them back on the pistol. So this guy is 100% original to how I bought it. It goes bang all the time but did not impress me. It got packed away as I moved around the country with me and survived.



    Mine was made in Covina, CA by the way.
    NRA Life Member

  5. #5
    Join Date
    11th October 2018
    Location
    da' 'BURGH
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    Ol' boy I learned how to reload from, had a 10mm AMT Javelina - long slide. I remember 'em back in the day - I went S&W 1006 myself in '91. Like Rick above noted, mags were the finicky part, if you otherwise got a well-built one.
    "Because shooting twice is ridiculous."

  6. #6
    Join Date
    24th May 2018
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    I must have gotten lucky , I've never had any trouble with my Hardballer except for normal worn stuff . I replaced the barrel bushing with a new , snugger fitting one , new extractor and a couple new Meg-Gar stainless steel magazines.
    Recently replaced the rubber grips with some nice Gaboon Ebony grips from Kim Ahrend's Grips .
    But it has always been reliable from day one with any and all ammo .

    You know it's been a while since we made a range trip....been shooting mostly revolvers lately....I think it's time to cast up some 452460's and take my old girlfriend dancing again...been too long !

    I need to figure out this new camera the wife gave me...I want to post some photo's but it's smarter than I am.
    Gary
    Last edited by gwpercle; 3rd June 2019 at 18:41.


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