Auto Mag Collector Madness

Just had an interesting conversation with a friend about the Bert Mason site.

 

My friend was a bit upset that he had crafted a message for the guestbook and it didn’t instantly get published. I explained that I thought it was held for review, then posted which only irritated him. I get the impression he thinks Bert is not on the up and up. Personally I really dont care if he is or isn’t, am I missing something?

 

Apparently he took offense to Berts latest entry about identifying certain Auto Mag items as abominations and some claim that doing so would render them worthless.

 

Not sure if my perspective is off-center, but personally I don’t really care what anyone else thinks about my collection and where it came from or anything about well anything. Actually I was surprised that he was even interested in the matter as he dosnt even collect custom Auto Mags. Go figure.

 

I personally see no reason to get excited about anything that Bert may have posted, he is entitled to his opinion. Doesn’t mean I’ll agree with it or even read it, but he can say whatever he wants, it a free world. Maybe Bert is just not a great writer and it was just a case of poorly worded post?

 

I guess the message I’m trying to get across is that the history of the Auto Mag is sketchy to say the very least and I have learned to appreciate what I have in my hand, clone/fake/genuine McCoy whatever. I have yet to find any one person that knows all there is to know about Auto Mags, so I question anyone who claims to be the definitive authority (with the possible exception of Bruce Stark) but I’m not loosing any sleep over it either way.

 

To my friend I say chill out and don’t give it another thought, and to anyone out there who claims to know everything Auto Mag, I say good luck with that.

 

Again maybe I’m missing something, but so be it.

 

Well that’s my 2 cents, enjoy and keep them recoil rods tight!

 

GH

Hi Folks,

 

I had not looked at the Auto Mag Heaven site when I posted last night.

 

I see what Pete was all excited about, still don’t personally take any offense, but I get it and his argument about who is the final authority to say what is what and then to put it into print holds some water.

 

Point being but for actual regular production guns, what ever that is, who is to say what is legitimate vs what is not.

 

Well in some cases it could be Lee Jurras, or it could be Kent L, or it could be Larry G, or it could be Jim H, well you get the point.

 

I think its fine to put together a thesis about what you have learned and can reasonably identify as factual, the concern is that if you attempt to police what is legitimate and specifically identify so called abominations, then you have moved to another level.

 

Given the history of Auto Mags and how Harry cut deals to keep his business alive I think it would be damned hard to say with any degree of certainty that any particular item is an abomination.

 

You would have a hard time convincing me.

 

The hard and cold facts are that there are a few home-builts and the are very few folks with the talent to create them, so I guess I’m not loosing any sleep over it either way as it is what it is,,,

 

So to Bert I say, best of luck with that, to Pete I say don’t give it a second thought, to the rest, well I don’t think most of you are impacted either way cus if you own an abomination and enjoy it I dont think anything in print will change that for you, so keep them recoil rods tight and continue to enjoy it for what it is, a fascinating mechanical marvel!

 

Later

 

GH

 

p.s. Sorry, I still didn’t see Petes comments on the guestbook, maybe that’s part of what got under his skin, so I am only speaking from what he said to me and what I did read on the Auto Mag Heaven site. Sadly Pete is not a regular on any of the sites so don't hold you breath waiting for him to kick in. Truth be told Auto Mags are just a fraction of his collection, but thats his business. gh

Maybe an abomination was not the best choice of words but, the more Bert has delved into the matter the more variables  he has uncovered. I do suppose that all collectibiles, whether they be books, paintings, cars or whatever have their detractors. Any variation of the AM can or cannot be a viable piece, anyone understands that. If the would be purchaser deems to find out from the horses mouth all he has to do in contact the person in question, provided he is still alive, after they are all gone it makes no difference except for any available publications. It all comes back  what it is worth to the would be collector. However if one finds he has paid too much for an item and tries to move it under unreliable circumstances, he cannot get upset if a third party brings it to his attention that he has a copy, and can back up that statement. Look at how much the Colt collectors have gone thru, a screw being replaced can devalue  a gun by 10K or more, and maybe only decerned thru a mag-na-flux test. One could go on forever over what is a collectable item regardless the item in question. All Bert is trying to do is document to the best of his ability. Nobody else has in the past 20 years. Look at HS records and how they have been strangled with guns they never saw or shipped. If a person is or wants to be a AM collector he should be well versed in the subject or forever hold his peace. I happen to know the efforts Bert has put forth in time an money and there is no way he can ever come out ahead. If he has accumulated a few rare pieces along the way by being in the right place at the right time with his bllfold in hand, nobody should cry. His primers give an idea of what is out there.And what the effort has entailed. The only dog I have in the fight is documenting some of my custom variations. So for all the cry babies out there, where were you when I pumped 600 K into the operation to try and help keep it  going, and couldn't sell 25 standard guns a month ? Now 30 years after the fact you wanna cry ?

Your last post states it very well George. Like  you say its the new money kids, trying to make a quick deal that I see doing the most complaining and or know just enought to get themselves into trouble. The very same thing was  true when the AM was still in production. Very few understood, it was never really past the prototype stage as far as the general shooter was concerned. But the same thing happened with the Smith 29, too many bought that had no business with that much gun. A stady diet of full bore loads would have it sounding like a castinet after 3-4K rounds.

In the end it is all temporary. In 30 years from now will anybody know what an Automag was? Enjoy it while you got it and while you are physically able to hit the range with it.