Arcadia Machine & Tool

1977 – 1998

• from Irwindale, California
• 1978 AMT Backup 380
• 1982 to 1995 produced the AutoMag line of pistols
• 1989 acquired by IAI (Irwindale Arms Incorporated)
• 1998 purchased by Galena Industries of Sturgis, South Dakota
  –  assembled guns from existing parts
  – phased out the use of the “AMT” brand
• 2001 – 2018 purchased by High Standard Manufacturing Company in Houston, Texas
• 2005 – 2018 reintroduced & produced:
  – AutoMag II, AutoMag III, AutoMag IV, and Backup 
• May of 2018 High Standard Manufacturing went out business

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1970 – 1971
Pasadena, California

• 1966 designed the Auto Mag pistol
  – designed by Harry Sanford & Max Gera
  – short-recoil operated pistol
  – rotary bolt with locking lugs
  – similar to the M16/AR-15 rifle
• 1970 Harry Sanford opened Auto Mag Corporation in Pasadena, California
• 1971 .44 Auto Mag caliber
  – formed by trimming the .308 Winchester or .30-06 case down to 1.30 inches
• 1972  .357 AMP (.44 AMP, but is necked down)
• August 8, 1971 first pistol was shipped
  – less than 3,000 pistols made
• May 3, 1972 declared bankruptcy
• 1973 – 1983 company opened & closed multiple times
• 1996 Harry Sanford died
• August 2015 Walter Sanford the company & trademark to AutoMag Ltd. Corp
  – in South Carolina