I was watching Sudden Impact the other night and was wondering if anyone knows the make/model/history of the .44 cal semi-auto pistol he carried?

S&W Model 29 IIRC.

8 3/8 inch barrel

Automag .44 Automag semi auto pistol, Clint was actually given one by Automag owner personally.
Clint used a 6 inch S&W Model 29  in other movies, a 8 3/8 barrel model was used in promo posters to make it bigger.

.44 AUTO-MAG

He shot .44 special loads from the model 29. Makes about as much since as getting a .357 and only shooting .38s from it.

...or buying a wimpy .38 and a wimpy .22?
The .44 Special is a great load, major mass and you can keep it on target.

But was a .44 special revolver "the most powerful handgun in the world"?

He used an AutoMag which was assembled from parts long after the AutoMag company was dead.  He used two pistols in the movie, serialized Clint 1, and Clint 2.  Clint 1 was a live firing gun and Clint 2 was set-up for blanks.  Typically the AutoMags only had ventilated ribbed barrels on the 6.5" barrels, not on the 8.5" as he used in the movie.  The vent rib 8.5" barrels were custom made for the movie, however some others were made previously by Lomont, Maynard, and Gibbons.  There were also a few 8.5" vent rib barrels made on special order by the AutoMag Corp as well.

I have a small collection of AutoMags including the 44 AMP, 41 JMP, 41 AMP, 357 AMP, and .30 LMP chamberings.

I read somewhere that the automag used wildcat ammo.  A cut down 30.06 or .270 case if memory serves.  I saw one in a local gun shop and of not for sale.  I'd have give a testicle for it (maybe two). GO AHEAD, MAKE MY MILLENUM!

If you actually listen to the movie dialog, he only shot .44 special in the "Hogan's Alley" target courses.  .44 maggies on the street.

Norm

"The Enforcer", when he admits his dirty little secret.



Well, it's been a while since I saw the movie, so maybe you're right...But .44 Special makes more sense, since Clint ain't Arnold, and anyone who ain't Arnold couldn't possibly recover so fast between shots "on the street" with full power .44 mag loads.

hey tony would you post some of them? i would like to see them.

Thanks guys, so I guess my chances of finding one to buy would be pretty slim???

Harry's 44 mag was a 6 1/8" barrel--i know because he called me to see what to use in the movie...Yea that's bullsh*t but i did have mine before he did--when people used to say "Hey that's a gun like Dirty Harry's" i'd say -no he has a gun like mine......Dick

Here's a pic a Baby Auto Mag 22LR, as well as a full size AutoMag with 12" 30LMP barrel on it.  Below are barrels in 44, 41, and .357 AMP

Tony Rumore
Tromix Corp
www.tromix.com

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1531281&a=11594755&p=47384226&Sequence=0&res=high[/img]

Mr. Rumore, i would presume that the .22 LR is a BIT rare in Automags, am i right.

AMT made the Baby Auto Mag in 22LR well after the AutoMag Corp and TDE were long gone.  Harry Sanford, who was the man behind the AutoMag from the start, was running AMT at the time Sudden Impact came out, circa 1984.  At that time, Harry spooled up 1,000 piece run of look-a-like 44 Auto mag, dubbed the "Baby AutoMag."  They each came in a hardwood case marked "Baby Auto Mag, 1 of 1,000.

They made about 10,000 of the full size AutoMags, so the "baby" is certainly more scarce.  But the real trophies in the collection are the exotic barrels, most notably the 41 calibers and the .30 cal.  On the "books" the 41 JMP which was later changed to the 41 AMP is quite rare, and they were only made in 6.5" and 10.5" configurations.  I happen to have one that is 8.5" however.  This was most likely a factory mistake on a 10.5" barrel, so it was cut down to 8.5" since the sight assembly had to be cut off and reinstalled.  The 30 Lomont barrel is basically an aftermarket affair and only a handfull of those were ever made.  The AutoMag is one of my all-time favorite handguns and it accompanies me on every hog hunt.  If you check the Tromix website at www.tromix.com you will see me in a pic with a wild boar shot with a Tromix Sledgehammer AR-15, but you will note the handle of the fabulous AutoMag in my shoulder holster.

AMT/Galena, headed by David Small, bought up the remaining AutoMag inventory from Harry Sanford's wife when Harry died in 1997.  David moved AMT from California to Sturgis ND and geared up to build 1,000 new AutoMags from the left over parts.  I am not sure if any of these "new" AutoMags were ever delivered from AMT/Galena.

That's Sturgis, SOUTH Dakota.