Automag III light primer strikes

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   All,
I was exercising my new-ish to me Automag III today. Obligatory photo:

It proved to cycle and eject perfectly, and was reasonably accurate. However my shooting was adversely affected by the fact that I suffered an almost 50% rate of failure to ignite. Half the time my hammer drop was met with a distressing ‘click’ rather than a resounding boom and a rewarding fireball. 

In almost all cases, thumbing the hammer back and trying again resulted in successful ignition, although it frequently took multiple attempts. In the end I was left with three rounds from a box of 50 that resolutely refused to discharge. 

I’ve only fired it three or four times, with a variety of ammunition including factory ammo, my reloads (some of them quite old), and some other reloads from unknown and perhaps dubious sources. Nothing seems to have made a difference. It has a pretty consistent 50% failure rate. 

The primers all show pretty solid firing pin marks.  I’m wondering if the hammer spring is simply weak and needs replacing, or if I should switch to using small magnum pistol primers instead of the standard small rifle primers?

I’ve checked Wolff and can’t find springs for the Automag III there. If I wanted to change it, where would I source one? Does it use a standard 1911 spring, or is it something esoteric?

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have to share. 

PS Shameless plug here—my magazine loading tool worked flawlessly all day. 

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Pantera Mike Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Callahan's Auto Mag Joined: 20 Jan 2018 Status: Offline Points: 1007	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pantera Mike Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Automag III light primer strikes Posted: 18 Jul 2025 at 2:28am
	All, I was exercising my new-ish to me Automag III today. Obligatory photo: It proved to cycle and eject perfectly, and was reasonably accurate. However my shooting was adversely affected by the fact that I suffered an almost 50% rate of failure to ignite. Half the time my hammer drop was met with a distressing ‘click’ rather than a resounding boom and a rewarding fireball. In almost all cases, thumbing the hammer back and trying again resulted in successful ignition, although it frequently took multiple attempts. In the end I was left with three rounds from a box of 50 that resolutely refused to discharge. I’ve only fired it three or four times, with a variety of ammunition including factory ammo, my reloads (some of them quite old), and some other reloads from unknown and perhaps dubious sources. Nothing seems to have made a difference. It has a pretty consistent 50% failure rate. The primers all show pretty solid firing pin marks. I’m wondering if the hammer spring is simply weak and needs replacing, or if I should switch to using small magnum pistol primers instead of the standard small rifle primers? I’ve checked Wolff and can’t find springs for the Automag III there. If I wanted to change it, where would I source one? Does it use a standard 1911 spring, or is it something esoteric? Thanks in advance for any advice you may have to share. PS Shameless plug here—my magazine loading tool worked flawlessly all day.

Luc V. Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 1433	Post Options Post Reply Quote Luc V. Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jul 2025 at 7:50am
	Hi Mike, That is a more common problem with the AMT III. If you reload switch to pistol primers and big chance the problem could be solved. (That is what I do, as some others here) However, sometimes the hammerstrut CAN be bent, and that slows down the speed of the hammer. Springs are exclusively made for the III, IV and V series. I have no idea if something else will fit as a replacement.

Rumore Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Callahan's Auto Mag Joined: 14 Nov 2008 Location: Inola, OK Status: Offline Points: 524	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rumore Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jul 2025 at 4:13pm
	Light strikes are a frequent problem with the III, IV, and V guns. Your strut is most likely bent and the spring is collapsed into an "S" shape. In my experience, replacing the strut won't fix the problem if your spring is collapsed. Tony
	Run it up, until you blow it up, then back it down a bit.

Pantera Mike Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Callahan's Auto Mag Joined: 20 Jan 2018 Status: Offline Points: 1007	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pantera Mike Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jul 2025 at 6:06pm
	Thanks guys—the gun was dismantled at time of purchase to reveal an un-bent strut. It was purportedly a new, unfired gun. Where do replacement springs come from for these things? Mike

OneWay Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List International Auto Mag Joined: 06 Feb 2024 Location: North Idaho Status: Offline Points: 53	Post Options Post Reply Quote OneWay Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jul 2025 at 9:37pm
	Read through the thread on this forum https://www.amtguns.info/topic2898.html and you will know all about the III's quirks. It's pretty easy to bend a strut. There is a source of an apparently usable replacement spring buried in there. I picked one up for a spare but can not confirm it for function. Red Line Plus makes a superb strut replacement. Good Luck (Welcome to the exclusive FIRE DRAGON Club )
	The Older I Get The More "Keep It Simple Stupid" Means To Me "DENNY CRANE!"

Luvz2Shoot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Callahan's Auto Mag Joined: 16 Apr 2011 Location: Washington Status: Offline Points: 660	Post Options Post Reply Quote Luvz2Shoot Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Jul 2025 at 3:55am
	I have run into this exact issue myself, and am going to follow this thread (and the thread that OneWay posted, above). Long ago I read somewhere that the 30 Carbine ammo was made for the M1, so they made the ammo with rifle primers. As you might know, rifle primers are "harder" than pistol primers. Hence possibly why not getting the BOOM (and flames) that you'd expect with every round? No primer ignition? Have you loaded any rounds with pistol primers and tried those? I've also read that pistol primers are a hair shorter than rifle primers. If you do load some rounds with pistol primers, watch the depth you seat the primers. I'd love to know what you find. I haven't needed to load any 30 carbine yet, but when I do, at least I'll learn from you. Also, as we all know, the "quality" wasn't always the best with the cast frames. I have vowed that the next time I tear mine apart to clean it that I am going to "polish" the spring area, and the firing pin area with some crocus paper wrapped around something and attached to a hand drill (not a dremel tool). Maybe, just maybe, there is a small burr that is causing the firing pin to not float freely after a hammer stike? As for springs....??? You/me/us/we can measure the spring next time it's apart. Spring diameter, ID, OD, length, etc. I've used Century Spring in the past. They have a nice "filter" to help narrow down a suitable sub replacement spring. ( https://www.centuryspring.com/shop/316-compression-springs ). I am sure there are other spring manufacturers, Century Spring is the one that I am familiar with.
	If you were happy and you knew it, would you clap your hands?

Luc V. Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 1433	Post Options Post Reply Quote Luc V. Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Jul 2025 at 10:58am
	Hi John, I checked my spare springs and I have two left. I did the lazy way taking the measurements, so if you can use this to make replacements please do! I see the springs do shorten when used, old vs new, about one coil shorter: Some numbers, I used US settings instead of my usual metric system to make it easy on you... Not compressed OAL: Wire thickness: O.D. I.D.

Luc V. Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 1433	Post Options Post Reply Quote Luc V. Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Jul 2025 at 11:06am
	I liked the idea of Tony and Eric said, to use the double spring setup. That should solve the problem with the bent hammerstruts. The power of the extra spring should also help to hit the primer harder. I looked in my supply of springs but don't have anything able to use. It's a tiny hole to put an extra spring inside the original... Just an example how it should look, original on top, below two random springs:

OneWay Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List International Auto Mag Joined: 06 Feb 2024 Location: North Idaho Status: Offline Points: 53	Post Options Post Reply Quote OneWay Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 Jul 2025 at 7:46pm
	I suspect that the absence of a Hammer Spring Bushing shown in RedLinePlus' tutorial has a lot to do with mis-alignment (drag and stress increase of the strut/hammer spring union) affecting hammer drop.
	The Older I Get The More "Keep It Simple Stupid" Means To Me "DENNY CRANE!"

Yellow Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List International Auto Mag Joined: 15 Aug 2023 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 51	Post Options Post Reply Quote Yellow Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2025 at 12:16pm
	I saw that too in his manual, but I have 3 AMiii’s, and none of them have this part. Also the exploded view of the pistol doesn’t show the hammer spring bushing. Interarms has mainsprings if you need a new one. If your hammerstrut is bent, you can easily make one yourself. I made a replacement hammerstrut from a piece of sheetsteel, not hardened whatsoever, and it works great. Rifle primers shouldn’t be a problem. I use fiocchi small rifle primers and all three pistols work fine with them, even with bent struts and slightly shortened hammersprings (from use). @Pantera Mike: i see you have two different magazines, or at least followers. Did you notice that? Any difference in feeding? I have 5 mags and they all look like the one at the bottom of your picture. I think the one above it is actually a 9mm magnum magazine.