Post WWII Commercially Manufactured M1 Carbines (U.S.A.)
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Overview | |
| Time Span: | 1987 |
| Quantity Produced: | approximately 1500 |
| Calibers: | .30 Carbine |
| Serial Numbers* | Carbines: AA64981 - AA66090 Enforcers: EF00331 - EF000535 |
| *Serial numbers were a continuation of those used by Iver Johnson | |
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Background
Iver Johnson Arms's of Middlesex, NJ was sold by it's owner, Louis Imperato, to a group of investors in Arkansas in 1982. In 1983 the company was moved to
2202 Redmond Rd. in Jacksonville, AR.
In October 1986 Iver Johnson Arm's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Federal Court in Little Rock. A month later one of the investors, Phillip Lynn Lloyd, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. While Chapter 11 protected the business from creditors until it could be reorganized, the investors who purchased the company from Imperato still owed him the majority of the purchase price. Imperato purchased Iver Johnson from the bankruptcy court for $1.2 million and sued the investors for the outstanding balance. [Arkansas Business magazine March 10, 1997]
The Birth of AMAC
One of several events that caused Iver Johnson to file for bankruptcy in October 1986 was an import deal involving 43,500 Australian Enfield rifles that had arrived seriously damaged. These were part of Imperato's purchase when he re-acquired Iver Johnson.
Arkansas corporate records indicate that in February 1987 Louis Imperato incorporated AMAC, Inc., doing business as Australian Military Surplus Enfield Enterprises, at 2202 Redmond Rd, Jacksonville, AR. Imperato was listed as the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The registered agent for the company was Glenn Barber. Iver Johnson became a division of AMAC, Inc.
 In February 1987 Iver Johnson became a division of AMAC, Inc. |
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The outward appearance of all of the AMAC carbines was the same as those by Iver Johnson.
 Prior Iver Johnson markings |  Replaced by |
Prior Iver Johnson markings
Replaced by
Serial numbers used by AMAC started where Iver Johnson had left off.
(the EF prefix identified the model as an Enforcer pistol)
Iver Johnson in Jacksonville 1983-1986 did not manufacture their own receivers. Most of their receivers were
obtained when they purchased Iver Johnson. They also used receivers manufactured for them by Universal Firearms
in Hialeah, FL. Imperato obtained a new cast receiver mold for the AMAC carbines. The marks left by the casting
mold are different than those on the receivers used prior.
The gas piston chamber was swaged to the barrel and pinned. The gas piston
chambers of barrels used prior had been brazed to the bottom of the barrel.
Parts used with the AMAC carbines were commercially manufactured. It's not known if any were different than those used by Iver Johnson prior.
The carbines bearing the AMAC name and logo were simply Iver Johnson carbines renamed for a brief time period as the company transitioned from one owner to the next.
Name Changes
It appears Imperato used the AMAC name on carbines for less than a year before changing back to the Iver Johnson's Arms name. Iver Johnson's Arms remained a division of AMAC but the carbines produced 1988-1990 were no longer identified as AMAC.
AMAC was initially incorporated as AMAC, Inc. doing business as Australian Military Surplus Enfield Enterprises. In September 1989 American Military Arms Corporation became it's own AR corporation. It's not known if the new corporation was affiliated with the carbines then being manufactured with the name of Iver Johnson's Arms.
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For further information regarding the carbines manufactured using the Iver Johnson name before and after AMAC please refer to the web pages devoted to Iver Johnson.
To continue with the story of Iver Johnson's Arms CLICK HERE
