Ok, This is what I found on my Frame/Slides. First, everything was made in Irwindale, Ca.

I compared a Automag III Series frame 30 Carbine, Automag IV Series frame 10mmMag, Automag IV Series frame 45WinMag and Automag V Series frame 50AE. I’m only interested in the slide to frame compatibility and NOT the exact measurements(unless somebody sends me a mic). I took some pics and made notes for all too see, I forgot about the Automag V 50AE pics, sry.

Anyway, the FRAME of the Automag III Series is SMALLER than the Automag IV and V Series refer to pic #1 and #2 and see the difference, wow!

Here’s where it gets weird!

I purchased a Used 45WinMag(only one I could find at the time). I knew it came with a ported slide but the barrel was not and always wondered if the first owners had the ports done or they didn’t like the ported barrel and purchased an un-ported barrel. As I pulled my 45WinMag slide apart I notice in front of the eject port on the underside “50”. So now I think they either broke the factory 45WinMag slide and brought a replacement slide which a 50AE ported slide was sent OR the guy was an idiot and switched his 45WinMag slide with his 50AE slide while cleaning both at the same time(opps!). Anyways, that got me thinking about the Automag V Series 50AE. So I pulled that one apart(so many parts out here now!) sure enough that Slide is marked underside with “50” as well.

So the Automag Series III is NOT the same Frame as Automag IV or V

The Automag Series IV 45WinMag Frame is the same as Automag V 50AE Frame

BUT the Automag Series IV 10mmMag Frame is NOT the same as ANY other Automags Frames!

Refer to pic#3 the Slide rail on the Automag IV 10mmMag is taller! You could fit the 10mmMag SLIDE onto the Automag IV 45WinMag Frame BUT it would be loose up/down wise and I don’t think it would be safe with that much play, not even sure it would rack or fire and NO I didn’t put the slide on knowing the rail difference.

I did try to stuff a mag from the 10mmMag and the 45WinMag in the 30 and the very last ½” or so was really tight and I wasn’t going to jam it in, so no it doesn’t fit. I also notice the 30mag indents at front, prob cause of the recoil round spring inside mag(?) to be held but that could be the issue at the topside in mag well causing the square mags from the 10mm/45 not to go all in OR the mag lips are much wider and top out on the bottom of the much narrow slide. Either way the frames are different and so are the slides as noted in pic#1 and #2 so unless you build your own slide to fit it which isn’t worth the hassle(I think).

I hope this clears up the frame and cal issues, feel free to ask anymore questions while I still have them out from the safe and apart.

Pic#1

Pic#2

Pic#3

WOW Thanks guys I was lead to belive that the 30 frame was the same. I knew the 50 was different .  I know my 9 mm mag.  upper was fitted on to my .30 by the factory AMT/IAI .  It's been 20 yrs since it was there or so . I remember a smith I talked to, think his name was Tony and all my Automag III magazines are the same as he recomended . I think he told me to "tune/bend" the mag lips if it gave me any grief.  Thanks Luc V for the pretty pics . John

To answer that question about my sights being amt or iai. I refer back to my pics posted showing the frames of 45/10/50 they are all AMT and the 30 frame not shown was one of my first AMT buys so yes it's a AMT also. There goes the sight  theory and in comes Quality control issues.

Here is a picture of an Automag IV along with the first magazine made for it. This magazine was made from an Auto Mag magazine to test the gun before the production magazines were finished. As the Automag IV has a magazine that will accept a .44AMP cartridge, Ed O'Neil and I tried to talk Harry into making a .44AMP barrel and slide to be sold as a conversion kit for the Automag IV. His legal department advised against it as no one was making .44AMP ammo at the time. I still think it is a good idea.

Here is a picture of an Automag IV along with the first magazine made for it. This magazine was made from an Auto Mag magazine to test the gun before the production magazines were finished. As the Automag IV has a magazine that will accept a .44AMP cartridge, Ed O'Neil and I tried to talk Harry into making a .44AMP barrel and slide to be sold as a conversion kit for the Automag IV. His leagal department advised against it as no one was making .44AMP ammo at the time. I still think it is a good idea.

On the other hand, there can oly be one 'real pistol' with the name 44 AUTOMAG.   

Thanks again for shearing all your information, it's fun to read the information from the original designers/manufacturers/employees etc. !!

Ok, Got some pics of the BBL ramps and lug grooves. The front BBL(closer to us) is the 30Carbine bbl. Next pics will be of slides

OK, Here some slides pics for you all.

This shows how tight fitted the 9mm bbl is to the 9mm slide, bbl lug is the main issue.

This is the 30Carbine bbl lined up with the 9mm slide, as you can see it won’t fit thru as the bbl lug is to wide.

I did shove the 9mm bbl thru the 30Carbine slide opening and push it thru till it pop out the other side.

Now what I show here is the 9mm bbl in it’s 9mm slide, bbl hood locked in place.

Perfect fit/gap all around the bbl.

Now this is the 9mm bbl into 30Carbine slide, bbl hood locked in place.

The bbl tends to tilted downward as it really doesn’t fit properly into slide lockup groove

The bushings are way different also, the 9mm is so much bigger, ref. the slide openings posted last time

The recoil springs are a littler different, just by 1 ¼ extra spring coil

The hammers are different, I really don’t think it matters as I test slide both slides on both frames and they work both types of hammers. I did not test fire anything tho.

The internal bbl lugs areas look different, the 30Carbine has a radius at front, not sure if that would matter.

I stood my mags on the lips and lined them up at bottom backs edge while still holding them on the lips also.

All my mags lined up perfectly, no differences on my mags at all as far as shape of them go. The mag plastic follower I did not YET look at for difference. Mine 30Carbine mag is so dirty that I want to clean it before comparing.

I suspect that the 30Carbine was the first caliber made in Automag III cause this manual only shows that. I have others that show both cal on the front cover.

OK, This will NOT a be a final answer about ALL the differences between the Automag III 9mmWinMag and the .30Carbine, I do not think that will happen for a long time unless one of YOU reading this do it!

What I found:

Magazines:

      * The 9mm is wider(1/16”) and longer(back-to-front 1/16”) and front feed lip is taller(1/16”)    

* Follower on the 9 has 2 steps on it, the angle is ½” from the front

* The 30 has 3 steps, the first ½” from front and another half way back

* The feed lips on mine are exactly alike

* The follower on the 30 rides higher onto the feed lips before stopping, while the 9mm

   I really had to closely compare these magazines to see the differences.

Frame

* The mag well on the 30 is smaller(1/16”) that makes the mags from the 9mmWin Mag tight.

      You can use both types to both frames but the 9 is tight in the 30 and the 30 is loose in

* The 30 Extractor has 1/16” more exposed than does the 9mm.

* The hammers are different shapes but the slides did work both styles.

Slide

            * 30 bbl can not go into the 9mm slide, bbl lug too wide to fit thru

            * 9mm bbl can be shoved thru the 30 slide but does not seat into the hood area correctly

            * Bushings are different sizes on both, as well as the slide bbl openings

            * Ejection port on the 30 has all of the top cut out as well as some down the left side,

            * Recoil spring for the 9mm is 1-1.25 coils shorter then the 30

BBL

            * 9mm much bigger then 30

            * 30 did NOT have slide lock-up ridge(yes, I know some said their’s had them but I

Sites

            Here we go folks!

            I looked at 5-30’s, 3 had 3dot sights (all marked AMT), 2 had blk/lines 1-IAI, 1-AMT)

                                                4-9mm, 4 had blk/lines

Maybe the 30 with blk/line site went back for repairs and they changed it OR owner did it

Seems like they started without dots as the one was an IAI and is the first version and I have a spec sheet saying Adj Millet sites with my later spec sheets saying 3 dot sites

Now the question of when they move and changed the slide markings on the right side, I found three different styles so far. One day I will make up a chart of marking and locations but that’s another day(much later day)!

From my experience, I once was cleaning my 30, 50 and 2 or 3 other firearms after a day of shooting with my Uncle who I thought was a gun guru, boy was I wrong! We sat down and I was going to take one at a time but Nooooo he said no problem, assy line style. So he rips into them, after we got them all cleaned up and back together I check for slide function and seemed ok. So we start cleaning up the newspaper we had under them while cleaning and BEHOLD out comes a spring and ½”X1/8 dia pin. DUH, now where did that come from!!

I have shot everyone of them afterwards and never found out. Now I found out, it’s the spring and pin that goes inside the recoil rod. I guess it works without it too, lol. Function was fine even without it there, I’ve shot 500-1k rounds at least thru it since. I will re-install them now IF I can remember where I put them. It has been 15 years ago! I know I have them but where, hmmmmm.

It’s been fun folks and I have learned a lot doing this, recoil rod has a pin and spring inside also!