AMT 45 Backup

The AMT 45 Backup was the first ultra-compact 45acp pistol. AMT, Arcadia Machine and Tool, purchased the right to manufacture a compact "backup" type pistol from a once well-known, but now forgotten gun designer named John Wilkinson.

AMT guns (including the well-known Automag line of pistols) have a reputation for poor reliability. They deserve the reputation they have, because their quality control was nonexistent, and they shipped many guns with very poor finishing of critical parts.

Where the Automag line gets a least a "pass", since Dirty Harry owned one, the Backup line tends to get tossed in with the barrel of poor quality belly guns manufactured in California in the 80's. The AMT 380 Backup figures prominently in the records of criminal shootings investigated by the DOJ. The 45 Backup saw some use as a hideout gun for detectives working undercover throughout the 80's and 90's, usually after getting a "fluff n' buff" by a gunsmith to improve reliability.

The AMT 45 backup is a MUCH better gun than most folks think it is. Built like a tank, accurate, and with a little judicious filing and buffing, eminently reliable.

Lots of armchair experts who have never even seen one will tell you otherwise.

I put 100 rounds of 200gr RN over 5.5gr BE through the AMT yesterday. A totally 100% great gun! Well, almost... It was 100% reliable, and was incredibly accurate, but the trigger pull is INSANE. Picture a pickup truck with a ton (100 20lb bags) of dog food in the bed. Now picture yourself unloading the truck using nothing but your trigger finger... I feel like my finger went to boot camp.

That said, I had no trouble hitting gongs at 50 yards, and even hit the man-sized gong "Dirty Harry" at 125 yards. Overall, the gun feels like a 1911 with most of the parts left out and most of the barrel, slide, and frame cut away. And it's heavy enough so that once you blow your 5+1 you can use the gun as a bludgeon with good effect, and certainly without fear of damaging it. Heck, you could probably drop it out of a plane without damaging it. And certainly no fear of an accidental discharge.

Here's mine:

 

I'm afraid that 20lbs is about it. It is extremely smooth after everything is stoned and polished. It is certainly safe, to the point of being child-proof, even with one in the chamber. I suppose you could take a few pounds out of the trigger return spring without affecting the function of the gun. I may experiment with lightening the hammer spring. By using Federal magnum primers it should be possible to get sure ignition with a lighter spring. Might even be able to lighten the hammer itself.

 

Yesterday I took a friend to the range. He has had very limited experience shooting a 22 rifle and pistol (has shot a few times at paper, nothing more). I demonstrated the use of the Backup, and put it in his hands. He hit a 12-inch gong at 50 yards with the first shot. After ten shots he was through with it - Trigger finger couldn't manage the pull anymore. No issue with the recoil at all.

And out of a total of 40 shots fired, no FTF's or FTE's. That brings the reliability figure up to 240/240.

What are you waiting for?! Get one now! The price is going sky high (and they are getting hard to find) while you sit on your duff considering another tupperware gun in 9mm! Note that you MIGHT have to do some polishing or replace some minor parts (all parts are readily available due to High Standard's buyout of AMT). And if you don't like it, you can resell it in a year for a profit.

 

Finally found screws that fit the new grips:

 

When can I expect the prototype?

Actually, I am not the big-bore king of this forum by a looooong way. A little searching will turn up some truly fearsome guns here. I haven't had time to cast any appropriate bullets for my 454 yet.

 

Excellent design, strongly endorsed by men in red diapers:

 

Only wimps wear shooting gloves.

Actually, I wore shooting gloves ONCE. The seam in the left glove cut me like a knife. Never again. If you can't hang on to the gun with your own two hands, get another hobby.

 

See - Lookit that... 35 Rem Contender. That's just craziness! I couldn't handle a hot 200gr 44 load in a 14" contender. The crazy gun beat the crap out of me. The 3 inch FA is a pussycat compared to the Contender. Whoever designed the grip on the Contender was nuts.

 

I'll stick with my leetle pistola.

 

Right hand of Doom, left hand of God!