WB was whining about the Auto Mag having stainless front

It is likely easier to make that way. I've lived with it most my life. Nickel Colts and Stainless S&W, Stls. Walthers and about any other nickel or chrome gun.

$3500, wow, got to want it bad. With originals running around $2500 that's a tough call. It makes a Grizzly Win Mag an absolute steal! Only 16 parts on a Grizzly differ from a standard 1911 if I remember right. I used a standard 1911 18# spring and Commander match bushing in mine. Shot fantastic, never should have sold it. I never forgave it for throwing my 50 cents each brass in the bushes every time I shot it.

I had a co-worker that had a $100 deposit on an Auto Mag around 1972 which he lost.
I took a job in Santa Barbara in 1974 and some time later I read an add in one of the newspapers: AUTO MAG for SALE.

So I called the number and he gave me an address which I looked up later and it was an apartment in North Hollywood IIRC. So I made an appointment to see what they have since I had never seen one before.

I arrive and it turns out to be Harry Sanford and his son. We go into the bedroom and he opens a closet door and there are boxes on the floor stacked up like cord wood. He takes one of the boxes out and shows me the Auto Mag. I felt nervous at first since the son was open carrying. :)

They were very nice and we talked a bit about guns,etc and I left. I didn't have the money at the time and I don't recall the asking price.

Some time later in Feb 1975, I was in Fowlers Gun Shop in LA and found an Auto Mag with both 44 and 357 barrels, ammo and other accessories. Turns out the owner had problems with the gun not feeding, etc so the price was $562 out the door. I had read that they needed to be broken in so I bought it.

Cleaned it up and never had a problem after firing a few boxes. The 44 was very accurate off of sand bags while I never did much with the 357. The 357 did shoot 90 grain 9mm bullets better than I would have expected. The best groups for them both was 1 1/2" at 25 yards open sights from my records.

Excell arms also makes a .22 Mag auto. Anyone have any experience with one? It is on the list of handguns Californians are "allowed" to buy.