AMT SS 1911A1 - The Firearms Forum

berto64 · 09-30-2006, 12:06 AM

Anyone have experience or an opinion on these pistols?

I picked one up today very inexpensively and it feels and works really good.

The price is the reason I bought it. Less than $400.

I also understand they are no longer made, what about parts interchangeability? It looks like parts should fit but I haven't tried to yet.

stash247 · 09-30-2006, 06:32 AM

Berto, the early pistols got a lot of 'bad press', because the dummies that tested them were gun writers, not shooters, or engineers; the princia; issue was galling of the slide ways, allegedly due to the wrong combination or alloys, rubbing on one another.
Bulls**t!
I've owned a few, Hardballers, Longslides, Skippers, and the 'problem', if properly lubricated, never existed! Forget all you ever thought you knew, lubricate with Moly disulfide grease, on the slide/frame ways, and shoot it like you stole it!
This grease will put little black spots on a white Tee Shirt, that will never come out, if you use too much, but is 'de riguir' for all of my stainless reciprocating pistols, and they are all 100% guns.
AMT (Arcadia Machine and Tool) ran all around Los Angeles, from Arcadia, to Irwindale) but did good work, with creative designs, often replacing poor features in the arms they 'cloned', with better engineering.
The classic example is the AMT 'Lightning' rifle, a stainless 'clone', of the Ruger 10-22.
Ruger uses an alloy receiver, with a barrel attatched with a screw retained wedge; AMT built a similar rifle, with the barrel threaded into the receiver, all in stainless, and got hammered for their efforts, to 'improve the breed', in Federal Court, over 'patent infringement'.
The 'Knock off' is a better rifle than the original, IMHO, out of considerations for both durability, and method of assembly.
Enough of this reverie; lube the pistol, with Moly D grease, applied with an acid brush, to the receiver/slide rails, and shoot the heck out of it, no problems!
All in the gun is standard 1911 dimension; 'colt/clone' springs will work just fine.
Sights are propietary,the only parts bottleneck.
a
At the price, you done real good!

Shooter45 · 09-30-2006, 08:32 AM

Berto, Stash is right. I have also owned a few AMT 1911's. The worst problem I had with any of them was mag related.

Use Wilson or Metalform mags.

Good luck with your new find and don't forget a range report.

berto64 · 09-30-2006, 05:18 PM

Thanks fellers!

I'll haveta get town next week and pick up some budditts for it. All they had where I bought it was Wolf and I don't use that stuff.

This'll give me an excuse to got to the new Cabella's store in Boise. I might buy more than budditts.

southernshooter · 09-30-2006, 09:48 PM

Your a lucky man Berto to live by a Cabela's store

omegapd · 10-01-2006, 03:41 AM

Got a pic, berto?

Here's mine. Love it. From what I've heard, AMT mainly went out of business due to being lumped into the Ring of Fire with Bryco, Jennings, etc. since they were all Cali gun shops. Think lawsuits against the Ring finally brought them under.

(and one more AMT .45)

EW

polishshooter · 10-01-2006, 10:42 AM

Berto, I built my IPSC gun on a new Hardballer frame I bought from J&G sales in '82 or '83...and it's STILL going strong after more than 100,000 rounds...and I modified mine extensively, and have YET to find any "aftermarket" or Colt part that doesn't fit, at least the frame...

I TOO heard the "galling" stories, which was not ONLY confined to AMT, but ANY of the "early" SS guns, (but Stash is right, have any of you ever SEEN "galling???" If it WAS a problem, we should have SEEN it , right???)

If I remember right, their FIRST .45 was the "Longslide," right? I 'm guessing they probably had problems EARLY with guys not using the right springs when they "modified" them, and of course the bubba's claimed "galling," since THEY couldn't screw it up, RIGHT???

Now I built mine "two tone" (because I already had the slide!

) but I liked the looks of them, and SUPPOSEDLY the "dissimilar" steels made for LESS friction, or so I ALSO read in the gun rags of the time...which of course since I WANT to believe it, it MUST be TRUE, right????

That's my story and I'm sticking to it, although hownhell you'd PROVE it is beyond me...

But count me as an AMT fan, and for that price, I'd have jumped on it in a HEARTBEAT...

polishshooter · 10-01-2006, 10:47 AM

And Omega, how do you like the "Backup?" I've always wanted one since they foirst came out in .380, BUT I've heard they had problems..of course. prolly from the same guys who came up with "Galling...."

omegapd · 10-01-2006, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polishshooter

And Omega, how do you like the "Backup?" I've always wanted one since they foirst came out in .380, BUT I've heard they had problems..of course. prolly from the same guys who came up with "Galling...."

Never a problem. It's heavy, the sights stink and the trigger pull is pretty bad (that's the only safety) but for a dependable .45 belly gun it's perfect. Totally different design from the early single action .380, I know 3 other people who carry the .45 Back-Up all the time. One's a gunsmith and has lightened the trigger pull on his, but I'm too afraid to mess with mine and screw something up.

10 years ago, when I bought it new, it was the smallest .45 on the market. Now, there's other choices out there that are much lighter but it still fills a niche in my collection and gets carried occasionally.

stash247 · 10-01-2006, 11:09 PM

Polish; It was never mettalurgy, always lubrication!
I have seen galled slideways on these pistols, many times, on the Arcadia guns. Always, the ways had residue of WD-40, or lesser, lubricant!
The slide ways need a substantial lubricant, read this grease, not oil, and damned sure not oil carried to the location by a volitile vehicle!
Many stainless alloys are like this, almost gummy, to machine, and then one wants to 'rub' one piece on another close fitting piece, with little to no lubrication?
It won't fly!
The same situation, alloys. etc, lubed with an 'extreme pressure' lubricant, has gone well beyond 100K Rds in several pistols I have owned, with absolutely no issues, beyond the occasional 'favorite' shirt, with a stain that is there forever; IMHO acceptable 'collateral damage'.

berto64 · 10-04-2006, 10:19 PM

Actually I only paid $275 for the AMT.

The shopowner is a buddy and he let me have for what he had in it. He had taken it in on a trade. I thunk I did OK.

Big Christmas this weekend, my $600.00 US&S 1911A1 should arrive Fri/Sat. Can't wait for that honey.

It's in pretty poor condition but it'll be fun bringing back to it's former glory, and a challenge!

I think I'm done buying for a while till I see how the US&S works out.

southernshooter · 10-04-2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berto64

It's in pretty poor condition but it'll be fun bringing back to it's former glory, and a challenge!

Like my sig. say Any gun work is good work
By the way I would like to see some Before and After of that pics If you will

berto64 · 10-04-2006, 10:28 PM

I'll try PS. Gotta figger that part out yet.

09-30-2006, 12:06 AM	#1
berto64 VMBB Admin Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Owyhee County, Idaho Contributor Posts: 7,388	AMT SS 1911A1 Anyone have experience or an opinion on these pistols? I picked one up today very inexpensively and it feels and works really good. The price is the reason I bought it. Less than $400. I also understand they are no longer made, what about parts interchangeability? It looks like parts should fit but I haven't tried to yet. __________________ Be who you are & say what you will, Those that matter won't mind and those that mind don't matter. I'm a bitter clinger, One Nation Under God. -->

09-30-2006, 06:32 AM	#2
stash247 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Central Texas Posts: 2,815	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 Berto, the early pistols got a lot of 'bad press', because the dummies that tested them were gun writers, not shooters, or engineers; the princia; issue was galling of the slide ways, allegedly due to the wrong combination or alloys, rubbing on one another. Bullst! I've owned a few, Hardballers, Longslides, Skippers, and the 'problem', if properly lubricated, never existed! Forget all you ever thought you knew, lubricate with Moly disulfide grease, on the slide/frame ways, and shoot it like you stole it! This grease will put little black spots on a white Tee Shirt, that will never come out, if you use too much, but is 'de riguir' for all of my stainless reciprocating pistols, and they are all 100% guns. AMT (Arcadia Machine and Tool) ran all around Los Angeles, from Arcadia, to Irwindale) but did good work, with creative designs, often replacing poor features in the arms they 'cloned', with better engineering. The classic example is the AMT 'Lightning' rifle, a stainless 'clone', of the Ruger 10-22. Ruger uses an alloy receiver, with a barrel attatched with a screw retained wedge; AMT built a similar rifle, with the barrel threaded into the receiver, all in stainless, and got hammered for their efforts, to 'improve the breed', in Federal Court, over 'patent infringement'. The 'Knock off' is a better rifle than the original, IMHO, out of considerations for both durability, and method of assembly. Enough of this reverie; lube the pistol, with Moly D grease, applied with an acid brush, to the receiver/slide rails, and shoot the heck out of it, no problems! All in the gun is standard 1911 dimension; 'colt/clone' springs will work just fine. Sights are propietary,the only parts bottleneck. a At the price, you done real good! __________________ Don't start no st and there won't be none, Terry

09-30-2006, 08:32 AM	#3
Shooter45 Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Contributor Posts: 8,752	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 Berto, Stash is right. I have also owned a few AMT 1911's. The worst problem I had with any of them was mag related. Use Wilson or Metalform mags. Good luck with your new find and don't forget a range report.

09-30-2006, 05:18 PM	#4
berto64 VMBB Admin Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Owyhee County, Idaho Contributor Posts: 7,388	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 Thanks fellers! I'll haveta get town next week and pick up some budditts for it. All they had where I bought it was Wolf and I don't use that stuff. This'll give me an excuse to got to the new Cabella's store in Boise. I might buy more than budditts. __________________ Be who you are & say what you will, Those that matter won't mind and those that mind don't matter. I'm a bitter clinger, One Nation Under God.

09-30-2006, 09:48 PM	#5
southernshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Deep South Mississippi Posts: 5,943	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 Your a lucky man Berto to live by a Cabela's store __________________ Only you can see this

10-01-2006, 03:41 AM	#6
omegapd V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: GA Posts: 82	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 Got a pic, berto? Here's mine. Love it. From what I've heard, AMT mainly went out of business due to being lumped into the Ring of Fire with Bryco, Jennings, etc. since they were all Cali gun shops. Think lawsuits against the Ring finally brought them under. (and one more AMT .45) EW

10-01-2006, 10:42 AM	#7
polishshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Indiana Contributor Posts: 7,863	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 Berto, I built my IPSC gun on a new Hardballer frame I bought from J&G sales in '82 or '83...and it's STILL going strong after more than 100,000 rounds...and I modified mine extensively, and have YET to find any "aftermarket" or Colt part that doesn't fit, at least the frame... I TOO heard the "galling" stories, which was not ONLY confined to AMT, but ANY of the "early" SS guns, (but Stash is right, have any of you ever SEEN "galling???" If it WAS a problem, we should have SEEN it , right???) If I remember right, their FIRST .45 was the "Longslide," right? I 'm guessing they probably had problems EARLY with guys not using the right springs when they "modified" them, and of course the bubba's claimed "galling," since THEY couldn't screw it up, RIGHT??? Now I built mine "two tone" (because I already had the slide! ) but I liked the looks of them, and SUPPOSEDLY the "dissimilar" steels made for LESS friction, or so I ALSO read in the gun rags of the time...which of course since I WANT to believe it, it MUST be TRUE, right???? That's my story and I'm sticking to it, although hownhell you'd PROVE it is beyond me... But count me as an AMT fan, and for that price, I'd have jumped on it in a HEARTBEAT... __________________ The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living. Last edited by polishshooter; 10-01-2006 at 10:43 AM..

10-01-2006, 10:47 AM	#8
polishshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Indiana Contributor Posts: 7,863	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 And Omega, how do you like the "Backup?" I've always wanted one since they foirst came out in .380, BUT I've heard they had problems..of course. prolly from the same guys who came up with "Galling...." __________________ The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.

10-01-2006, 11:09 PM	#10
stash247 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Central Texas Posts: 2,815	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 Polish; It was never mettalurgy, always lubrication! I have seen galled slideways on these pistols, many times, on the Arcadia guns. Always, the ways had residue of WD-40, or lesser, lubricant! The slide ways need a substantial lubricant, read this grease, not oil, and damned sure not oil carried to the location by a volitile vehicle! Many stainless alloys are like this, almost gummy, to machine, and then one wants to 'rub' one piece on another close fitting piece, with little to no lubrication? It won't fly! The same situation, alloys. etc, lubed with an 'extreme pressure' lubricant, has gone well beyond 100K Rds in several pistols I have owned, with absolutely no issues, beyond the occasional 'favorite' shirt, with a stain that is there forever; IMHO acceptable 'collateral damage'. __________________ Don't start no s**t and there won't be none, Terry

10-04-2006, 10:19 PM	#11
berto64 VMBB Admin Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Owyhee County, Idaho Contributor Posts: 7,388	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 Actually I only paid $275 for the AMT. The shopowner is a buddy and he let me have for what he had in it. He had taken it in on a trade. I thunk I did OK. Big Christmas this weekend, my $600.00 US&S 1911A1 should arrive Fri/Sat. Can't wait for that honey. It's in pretty poor condition but it'll be fun bringing back to it's former glory, and a challenge! I think I'm done buying for a while till I see how the US&S works out. __________________ Be who you are & say what you will, Those that matter won't mind and those that mind don't matter. I'm a bitter clinger, One Nation Under God.

10-04-2006, 10:28 PM	#13
berto64 VMBB Admin Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Owyhee County, Idaho Contributor Posts: 7,388	Re: AMT SS 1911A1 I'll try PS. Gotta figger that part out yet. __________________ Be who you are & say what you will, Those that matter won't mind and those that mind don't matter. I'm a bitter clinger, One Nation Under God.