Range Life

The Auto Mag Pistol Returns: SHOT Show Quick Look

After being out of production for a number of years, the heavy-caliber Auto Mag is back with modern machining and materials.

By Tom McHale

February 1, 2018

Auto mag pistol shot show 2018 — The revived Auto Mag pistol was on the floor at SHOT Show.photo by Tom McHale

Boom!

Remember that famous Dirty Harry line about the “most powerful handgun in the world?” Well, technically, there are revolvers more powerful than the resurrected Auto Mag but I don’t think anyone is going to argue that this new offering is right up there with all the famous big boomers.

This one is a reborn pistol. Production ended on the first Auto Mag guns back in 1982, but now a new company, Auto Mag LTD Corp has been formed to make them again with some modern improvements.

.44 auto mag cartridges — The .44 Auto Mag cartridges are made from cut-down and shaped .308 rifle cartridge cases (for strength) and topped with a .44 caliber projectile.photo by Tom McHale

What is it, you ask? It’s kind of a like a .44 Magnum semi-automatic pistol, but not really. The initial caliber offering of the Auto Mag is .44 Auto Mag. That’s made from a cut down and shaped .308 rifle cartridge case (for strength) and topped with a .44 caliber projectile.

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It performs with roughly the same power levels as a .44 Magnum revolver, but as a traditional semi-automatic pistol, albeit a big one. And it is big. I have large hands, and as you can see in the photo, this gun dwarfs me.

They’re selling now and in the near future the company plans to offer different calibers with the same frame such as .357 Auto Mag which will use a necked down .44 Auto Mag case and a .357 caliber bullet.