44 AMP pistols, commemorative pieces that are manufactured like the original gun Sanford developed. While it waits for the sale to be completed, the company is producing a limited edition of 1,000 of the. 44 AMP was discontinued in 1982, the victim of high production costs and limited volume. 44 AMP cartridge and the Automag pistol that fired the round. (AMT), a deal that had been pending since late last year.ĪMT was founded by the late Harry Sanford, who developed the. Interarms reportedly has substantial stock of the Brazilian revolver, but has thus far refrained from making low cost, high volume sales many believe would disrupt the still fragile handgun markets.Īn investor group from Oregon is reportedly looking to purchase California pistol manufacturer Arcadia Machine & Tool, Inc. The possibility of a Walther-Interarms deal also piqued the interest of several wholesalers who see a chance to pick up some of Interarms’ Rossi inventory at bargain prices. “A deal like this makes sense because they could set up something like Walther USA and have everything in place to manufacture here if they wanted to,” one observer commented. Market sources say that price could probably be reduced if the gun were made in the U.S. Walther’s 9mm pistol is imported, but with a retail price that tops $900, the gun has not carved out the market niche in this country that Walther would like. The Walther PPK is manufactured for Interarms by Emco, Inc. rights to its name and trademarks while building market share under its own name. If the deal goes through as expected, Walther would regain the U.S. Interarms has represented Walther in the Unites States since the mid-1960’s under a licensing arrangement that continues until 2014. Walther and the Japanese-made Howa rifle line are Interarms’ remaining brands. Rumors that Interarms was on the block began late last year when the firm lost the Rossi revolver and rifle line-its largest and most profitable-to Braz-Tech International LLP, a newly-formed joint operation between Amadeo Rossi and Taurus International. Most observers think the deal, worth a reported $13-14 million, could close within a couple of months, although no timetable had been set. Officials from the two companies would neither confirm nor deny the reports, but several sources in Europe and in this country said talks between Walther and Interarms have been under way for some time. German handgun manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen is in negotiations to buy Interarms, Inc., the firm that has handled its marketing and distribution in the United States for more than 30 years, market sources report.