HISTORY OF AMT
AMT (Arcadia Machine & Tool) was a firearms manufacturing company founded in the late 1970s by Harry W. Sanford, the former president of AutoMag.
AMT produced a new generation of pistols based on John M. Browning’s design of the 1911 pistol. These pistols were branded “AutoMag”, and were the first model 1911 clones made of stainless steel. AMT also ventured into manufacturing rifles such as the AMT Lightning 25/22, AMT Magnum Hunter, and the AMT Centerfire Bolt-Action Rifles. When AMT went out of business, the brand was acquired by Irwindale Arms Inc. of Irwindale, CA. They produced firearms from 1988-1991.
In 1998 Galena Industries of Sturgis, SD purchased the AMT brand and the manufacturing rights of most AMT pistol models. They proceeded to market the pistols under their model names, and phased out the use of the "AMT" brand.
In 2005, High Standard Manufacturing Company formerly known as Crusader Gun Company, Inc. of Houston, TX acquired Galena Industries. They reintroduced the AutoMag II, AutoMag III, AutoMag IV, and Backup in .380 and .45 calibers until May of 2018, when High Standard Manufacturing Company closed its doors.