AMT Hardballer Longslide from The Terminator

[@willbar1961]

Mine is the later IAI version of this and all the markings are near 100%. I shot one mag of ball ammo when I got it, about 20ish years ago. It functioned fine with low recoil. A few years ago I made an attempt to get the laser and it was a dead end. I do also have a 380 backup DOA and it actually shoots reliably. There was also a run of hardballers under the brand Galena and I got one in original box/etc long ago. They are really just collection pieces now.

[@MikeBailey74]

About the Hardballer Longslide from Chat GPT: The AMT Hardballer series, including the Longslide, represents a unique chapter in the history of American firearm manufacturing. Here’s a more detailed timeline and production background: *Initial Development and Production* The AMT Hardballer series was first introduced in 1977 by Arcadia Machine & Tool (AMT), located in Irwindale, California. AMT focused on producing firearms from stainless steel, a material not commonly used in handgun manufacturing at the time due to machining difficulties and potential for increased friction. The first Hardballer model was AMT’s take on the classic M1911 design, but in an all-stainless steel construction, setting it apart from the typical blued or parkerized finishes of traditional 1911s. The Hardballer was designed to chamber .45 ACP and initially targeted a market looking for a durable, corrosion-resistant, and more affordable 1911-style firearm. *Introduction of the Hardballer Longslide* Building on the initial Hardballer’s popularity, AMT introduced the Hardballer Longslide in the early 1980s, likely around 1980-1981, as an expanded version aimed at accuracy and competition shooting. This model featured a 7-inch barrel and slide compared to the standard 5-inch, which offered a longer sight radius and slightly increased muzzle velocity, enhancing accuracy for target shooters. The Hardballer Longslide was one of the first widely available, extended-barrel 1911-style pistols, marketed to enthusiasts who valued precision over compactness. *Production Challenges* The Hardballer series, including the Longslide, faced some production challenges. Stainless steel, while resistant to rust, is prone to “galling” when two parts made from the material slide against each other. Early Hardballers reportedly suffered from this issue, leading to a reputation for occasional reliability concerns. Later models addressed this by using advanced lubricants and machining improvements, but by then, the brand’s reputation had been somewhat affected. Despite these technical challenges, the Hardballer Longslide gained a dedicated following among marksmen and handgun collectors who appreciated its build quality, accuracy, and distinct stainless-steel look. AMT’s limited production capacity and quality control issues limited the Longslide’s commercial reach, making it a somewhat rare find even during its initial production period. *Pop Culture Boost and Production Legacy* The Hardballer Longslide gained iconic status after its appearance in the 1984 film The Terminator, wielded by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character with a then-uncommon laser sight attached. This exposure in pop culture brought renewed attention to the model and increased demand, particularly among collectors and fans of the film. While AMT never achieved mass production for the Longslide, its appearance in the movie helped boost its niche status and cemented its place as a collector’s item. *Later Production and End of the AMT Era* AMT continued producing the Hardballer series, including the Longslide, until the early 1990s. Over the years, several variations of the Hardballer emerged, including models with adjustable sights and improved triggers. Despite the innovations, AMT’s limited resources and issues with quality consistency led to fluctuating production schedules. By the early 1990s, AMT struggled to stay competitive, and production of the Hardballer Longslide ended as the company changed ownership and restructured. AMT eventually went bankrupt in the late 1990s, and the rights to its designs and assets changed hands several times, passing through companies like Galena Industries and later High Standard Manufacturing. However, neither company resumed production of the Hardballer Longslide, solidifying it as a discontinued, collectible model with no modern equivalent. *Collector and Historical Status* Today, the AMT Hardballer Longslide is sought after for its rarity and distinctive look, particularly by collectors interested in 1911 variants and film memorabilia. The early production dates, unique stainless-steel construction, and role in firearm history give it a collectible status.

[@matthewcarino4392]

Love the content so far! This is definitely more of the stuff I wanna see for firearms related channels!

[@ms.annthrope415]

My first 1911 purchased is an AMT Hardballer. What a piece of junk. It was a jammamatic on anything other than FMJ. The rear adjustable sight would fly off when the cross pin fell off. I finally reppaced it with a roll lin to keep it from popping off.

[@hollywoodguns]

LOL - I cant argue with you, but I love em anyways!

[@Gloomshadow100]

​@@hollywoodgunsyeah and they werent all polished up like you wanted to do to the thing. They looked pretty much like yours does right now.. just leave it be. Even back in the day, AMT had a bad reputation for jamming, everything they made jammed including that .380 you showed. The Hardballer had a cool look with that long slide and it was in Terminator but still they didnt sell due to AMTs reputation for making jamamatics, bad metallurgy. A Springfield Armory or Colt 1911 in steel would blow a AMT away in cyclic reliability. Nothing AMT cycled , the worst being the 30 carbine automag pistol.. expensive junk.

[@hollywoodguns]

@@Gloomshadow100 good to know, thanks. Glad I didnt Bubba mine. Also, I only had mine jam on flat nose and HPs, so I guess I must be lucky.

[@Gloomshadow100]

​@@hollywoodgunswell think about it, they are selling that pistol as a hunting 45 but it can't cycle hollowpoints of the time.. why would hunt with a 45 In FMJ when for a fraction of the price you can have a Smith 586 in .357 that shoots any 357 rout you can stuff into the cylinder, not to mention all the 41mag and 44mag that was out there. Then for LESS money than the AMT you can get a Springfield or a Colt 1911 that will cycle hollowpoints.. there were companies making long slide and barrel in steel that worked great for pretty short money out of a newsprint magazine we had called Shotgun News , it was a FFL dealer magazine that allowed anyone to order anything as long as it was not a lower receiver with a serial number on it , see here in the US only the receiver is a gun legally, the rest of it was just parts , anyone can order parts. well you could just order longer slides and barrels made by little 1911 shops. much cheaper and more relaible.

[@Gloomshadow100]

​@@hollywoodguns, but yeah they could cycle FMJ but for hunting you gotta cycle HP rounds and in 45, well that's a real fat open mouth to hang up during the cycle.. so not really a hunting gun either.. its a target gun, but not accurate enough ..

[@SurlyMontanan]

I was kinda hoping of a little discussion of the laser sighting system, but oh well...

[@vvogt4252]

Excellent Work!!

[@hollywoodguns]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@TheRealYaro]

The DeLorean DMC12 of firearms.

[@redefv]

Quality and options wise both total losers.

[@John-yw4zs]

My favourite gun, amt hardballer long slide, still my dream❤😮

[@badape3620]

My unicorn pistol. I wish someone would bring back the AMT hardballer with the 7 inch barrel back

[@andrewscott7485]

Crockets pistol from Miami vice S&W model 645. There was a target version 745 on the market at the same time. Just subbed . I love movie firearms. Been in to them since 83 and learned a lot about there functions and barrel plugs. Look forward to going through you library of videos especially the 92f . That's next on my watch.

[@hollywoodguns]

Thanks Andrew!

[@HunterKhan-rl8kv]

Miami Vice!!

[@tylernathan7985]

That was the Bren Ten Don Johnson was rocking with Tubbs

[@johnalexander7369]

The stainless needs to be a specific hardness in the frame and slide to prevent (yes the term is galling) . This was a problem early on for even S&W. Lama is an under rated and decent priced gun. Had a 380 some years ago currently have a Super Comanche 6 inch in 44 mag.

[@spacedredd]

Miami Vice but the 2nd or 3rd season. The 1st season Crockett carried and used the Bren 10 10mm. There were issues. A lot of them. So the producting changed to the S&W.

[@hollywoodguns]

Re: issues: I also heard that they couldn't get 10mm blanks so the Bren was rebarreled to fire 45ACP blanks instead...... Not sure if true though.

[@FlightInTheEye]

Yeah the S&W 645 was in Miami Vice. My dad had one he used on the force

[@hollywoodguns]

You got it and now there is a video on my channel covering it in Miami Vice. Take a look and let me know what you think!

[@NeoNyder]

Well done video, I always thought the firearms in the original Terminator were far more interesting than those in the sequals.

[@Irishpewtuber]

I have a .44 auto mag on my channel, but, alas it's just a blank firing model from Japan. They are even rarer than actual .44 automags though. So i suppose, that's something.

[@aj5748]

AMT was ahead of their time. Always loved the .30 carbine. Would love to own one.

[@hollywoodguns]

Agreed - AMT is awesome. I haven't shot a 30 carbine - So many calibers, so little time!

[@bartcox4150]

A friend of mine had a the 45 version and after handling it, I started a search. Once I found they were later made in my fetish caliber of 10mm (then much less popular, except for nerds like me!) I had to have one. After a long search I found the later Javelina which is the same pistol in my beloved 10mm. The very used and abused one that I bought had a trigger pull of 10.5 pounds (I could see the hammer actually move back slightly before releasing). I put all new internals on it as I want it as a shooter not an ugly horrible safe queen. I scrounged and bought parts until I had good functioning and gave it over to my gunsmith who did some magic with it! Safety snaps firm and crisp and the trigger is now sharp!. I have scored hits on a milk jug at 100 yards. I was originally going to send it to Robar to do their "Special" contrasting where I would have the slide and other parts in black, internals in NP3 and the frame left alone. Sadly Robar shut down before I could have it done. Anyway, I got a semi-custom leather holster from Simply Rugged and have carried it deer hunting. Mine works with all ammo but needs a little more gunsmith work (my gunsmith has since retired) on the mag release to raise the magazine a little higher to reliably strip off the first round of a magazine from a locked open slide. When firing, there have been no jams. I wish I had some his tory for these pistols. I will look around and see if I have any other paperwork. Great Video!!!

[@hollywoodguns]

Thanks Bart for that back story. I would also like a Javelina in 10mm. Deer hunting with it would be cool!

[@4.20.69]

You mentioned around 2 minutes into the video that you have polished firearms up to a shine before - it might be cool to have an episode where you show how to do that, what to watch out for, etc.

[@hollywoodguns]

Thanks for that suggestion - I will add that as a future video for sure. My quick tip is Flitz metal polish! 1 coat, 20 seconds leave on and a quick buff off to brighten old, dulled Blueing. Several applications and a lot of elbow grease for stainless steel guns though because you cannot polish away the finish.

[@scavenger9579]

45 long slide with laser sighting

[@GlaucoAlves]

Awesome video! Id like to find more videos about the pistol used by James Caan on Thief. Also long slide and squared trigger guard

[@hollywoodguns]

I had to look this one up and Wow, thanks for bringing it to my attention - Its Michael Mann's Directorial Debut and I had no idea about it, which is crazy as He's my favorite director - I thought Manhunter was his first movie..... I will have to watch it this weekend. Here's the gun: www.imfdb.org/wiki/Thief#Custom_Jim_Hoag_M1911A1

[@GreekPreparedness]

I think you are missing part of the Automags history...some time in the 90s, the firm was resurrected as the IA, Irwingdale Arms Industries. A very well known gunfrom it, is the Javelina Longslide 10mm Pistol

[@tylernathan7985]

The javalina was in 30 carbine and it was a piece of shit also

[@1awrenceofarabia]

I haven't handled one in person but from images of the AMT guns the frame finish appears to be the raw finish from investment casting.

[@hollywoodguns]

Wow - Great observation. I just googled it and you appear to be correct. I wouldn't have guess this - I was expecting it to be forged!

[@ryanrebel5]

I traded that same model for a Benelli super black eagle years ago. Wish I never made that trade. 😢

[@hollywoodguns]

boo, hiss - Unfortunately its part of life mate.

[@phaeton01]

If it turns out you have the llama m85 from Leon I’ll be impressed

[@hollywoodguns]

Do you mean the M87 that Matilda takes to visit stansfield? Afraid not….

[@phaeton01]

@@hollywoodguns thats one to keep an eye out for, very rare but not all that collectable

[@skepticalbadger]

I'd suggest trawling old issues of Gun Digest for more info.

[@hollywoodguns]

Good Idea, thanks. I have a whole heap of 70 and 80s gun digests courtesy of Ebay too!

[@BunyipDude]

I’m not positive, but I believe one of these was also used in the 1992 Walter Hill movie “Trespass” (carried by William Sadler and Bill Paxton’s characters). However, the gun in that movie was blued and had a lot of retro 1911 features in order to look like an older pistol.

[@hollywoodguns]

yeah, not sure on that one...... Some folks think it was an AMT Hardballer Longslide that was blued, or some other custom longslide 1911 clone.....

[@BunyipDude]

@@hollywoodguns The slide at least looked like it was a blued Hardballer slide - not sure if it was on another company’s frame.

[@BulletCult]

My dad has that same model of Llama 1911. Only difference between yours and his is that his is chambered in .38 Super

[@hollywoodguns]

Cool! I've been looking for one of them, as I also have a 2/3 scale Especial in .380. They made them in several calibers and I'll probably try and get them all like pokemon!

[@BulletCult]

@@hollywoodguns if I had the funds, I would do the exact same thing 🤣

[@thomasrandall6367]

There was three in my pawnshop, not too long ago 30 caliber and two 45 all for 1k each USD

[@hollywoodguns]

bargain. normally 50% more than that.

[@jacksmith8002]

I'll be back !

[@hollywoodguns]

You stayed to the end! Thanks!

[@skepticalbadger]

Huh? Where is there a Hardballer in Predator? As for Hitman, Hollywood traditionally has used 9mm 1911 variants as .45 ACP blanks could be unreliable.

[@hollywoodguns]

its a Cameo in Predator 2 during a scene where they are choosing amongst the guns in the trunk of Danny Glover's car. Interesting point on the 9mm blanks versus .45ACP. Now that you mention it, I had heard that before somewhere.....

[@BunyipDude]

.45 ACP blanks are a lot more reliable now than they were 30+ years ago, so there are not that many armorers sending out 9mm 1911 derivatives on productions anymore. “Hitman” was likely just a fluke, and the guns were also provided by a French armorer who may not have been as attuned to the current blank conversion practices of American armorers.

[@Gloomshadow100]

the reason why movie gun "45s" are always 9mm is because 45acp blanks are too low pressure to cycle... that's why all the 45s in The Untouchables are actually Star 9mm ... close but not the same. that's also why all moive Mac-10s are in 9mm when most of the early MACs are 45acp

[@MayumiC-chan9377]

glad my husband showed me this channel

[@momosgarage]

Is there any company that currently manufactures something similar today, with a longer barrel, that has comparable accuracy, despite not having a 7 inch barrel?

[@hollywoodguns]

There are plenty of very accurate pistols now, but I cant think of anything modern with a long slide/barrel in a semi auto platform, except perhaps the Remington R1 Hunter. Not sure if this is still in production though.....

[@flickerVertigo]

Will you be doing a video on the 645?

[@hollywoodguns]

Yep, it’s actually the next video I am working on.

[@flickerVertigo]

@@hollywoodguns Do you have a Bren Ten, too?

[@hollywoodguns]

Ahhh… you got me - afraid not. Still looking!

[@flickerVertigo]

@@hollywoodgunsThey are true unicorns. Can't wait for the 645 video.

[@bc1953]

Miami vice

[@hollywoodguns]

Check out my last video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6O6qJ2gp5uobtEsi=r4VOxITAJPN4CEJB

[@judsongaiden9878]

Arnie also used the AR-18, Armalite's "forgotten" rifle. Aspects of its internal design have ended up in the L85 and G36. 9:26 Thank you for pronouncing "versus" correctly! People sound so lazy nowadays when they say "verse" in place of "versus." Plus, it's just plain incompetent because those words have completely different meanings and aren't interchangeable. I'd bet you anything the same barbarians that say "verse" in place of "versus" also don't use Oxford commas.

[@hollywoodguns]

bahaha, I guess being English, I have to make sure to use the 'proper prose'. Also, I will have an AR18 from the Terminator soon. I missed buying one recently that was a great price - Someone else beat me to it. Just waiting on a reasonably priced one to come on the market....

[@David45Abq]

I do enjoy your videos and history descriptions. One thing though ... Even though you show the weapons clear, I cringe every time you stick your finger in or near the barrel. Practicing and adhering to the 4 basic steps of firearm safety is paramount no matter what platform you demonstrate them on.

[@hollywoodguns]

I'm up to about 10 comments on this. you're right - I can do better and will in future episodes.

[@tylernathan7985]

Why not ask someone who was around when the hardballer was in production? The hard ballers were kinda shitty in fit and finish. They were also shitty in function. The Automag was a shitty gun too although the idea is Awsome!

[@hollywoodguns]

Lots of people in the comments who had first hand experience at that time, have told me AMT was bad. I was only 9 then, so what I do I know? Mine is good. No jams as I said with ball ammo!

[@gruntspy44]

Where youvat that you can own such? You defientlybare not american. I'm in ohio I have the same kinda gun love as you

[@hollywoodguns]

I'm British living in Arizona for the last 10 years.

[@BunyipDude]

@@hollywoodguns Good for you! I’m so glad you escaped and are able to enjoy the blessing of the 2A here.

[@GreekPreparedness]

errata: The Automag had nothing to do with 44 Magnum. the gun was chambered to the equivalent 44 Automag Pistol cartridge, with cases made from cut-down 308 Winchester brass. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.44_AMP

[@tylernathan7985]

Yes, automag was a shortened and bottlenecked 308 case. Only similarity with .44 remington magnum is the bullet diameter, .429