Who has one ?
Opinions ?

I had one.

I was attracted by the size and concept.

Unfortunately, the thing only worked intermittently. When it worked, it was unpleasant to shoot.

Try as I might, I couldn’t get it to function reliably.

My gunsmith couldn’t get it to run and threw up his hands in frustration. He’d called around to colleagues to see if anyone had had the same problem or had discovered a remedy. He discovered that, for those who’d encountered the gun, the experience of unreliability was common as was the inability to fix it.

I got rid of it after investing as much trying to fix it as I had in buying it.

My dad’s would randomly fly apart into multiple pieces while shooting. His gunsmith said “well at least take-down is easy” which got a huge laugh out of me that my dad did not appreciate!

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Possum—The other white meat!

I owned two. Neither one was reliable. It seems AMTs we’re built out of the same material and would transfer metal from one moving part to the other. It is also extremely loud.

I owned a couple over the years. When I bought the second one, it didn't take long to remember why I sold the first one. Shaky reliability even with FMJs, lousy trigger, lousy sights. It was an attractive platform back in the day, but there are so many great 9mm pocket guns that are single stack and slim that there's no real reason for the AMT Backup anymore.

Gnarliest trigger pull ever. Friend has one in 38 Super, fired 2 or 3 rounds, couldn't pull the trigger back for the subsequent round. 30 pound trigger pull doesn't do much for accuracy.

It did go bang every time the trigger was pulled. But pulling that trigger...

The only reliable .380 pistol I have is an older LCP, but I went through both the Glock & S&W before that. If you find one that works (mine has never malfunctioned) hang onto it.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

My 3rd ex had one. I recollect nasty recoil and an awful trigger. Which explains why it never went into my accumulation.

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Come and take it!!

AMT recommended use of ball ammo, some HP rounds would function. After market mags if used might be unreliable. Also might depend on mfg, AMT/IMI/IAI etc. Came in both single and double action. Mixed reviews, some reliable some lemons. My experience with one was that it was reliable and due to weight not unpleasant to shoot, as for practical accuracy very limited due to almost non existent sights, more like pointing than aiming.

Thank everyone for the replies.
I have a chance to purchase one for $249.00.
I carried one as a member of a CDS Squad back in the 1970s as all the other squad members (deep cover B/U). I now recall that none of these was really reliable.

I think I will pass on purchasing another.

Have a 5 digit serial number one bought when they came out. Carried it in ankle holster for few years when bell bottoms were “ in”. No issues with mine, first round is glasser. May shoot it every year or so.

Which one? I had both over time, an early single-action and the later DA-only. The single action wasn't that bad, but carrying chamber-loaded was nervous-making. The DA-only version's trigger was so horrendous that beyond arm's-length it was mostly a noisemaker.

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Pisgah

An AMT Backup was my first venture into semiautomatic pistols.

I was so soured by that little pistol that I continued to carry revolvers for the next two decades.

IIRC, it was the only gun my agency ever specifically banned for BUG use.

I have one of the single action versions I bought years ago for a good price.
It is accurate and reliable with ball only IF kept well lubed. Chamber empty carry is mandatory. It is a pain to clean and take down. Only use I have for it is as a tackle box gun or such use that it would not bother me if I lost it. I have only put 200 rounds through it. The parts don't look like they would last if I actually fired it a lot more. I think the old Lorcin brand is a better gun, FWIW

Tried to qualify a guy once to carry as a back up but the gun flew apart and cut his hand so bad he needed stitches… He traded it the next day and the 380 Backup was added to the “list” of guns not suitable for carry.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

Carried many types and brands, and calibers over my career both o and off-duty. Tried several amt backups. Always reliable enough to get one round off-maybe. Then it was a pretty heavy weight to toss at someone…

I would carry a hipoint before I carried an amt backup again. Remember the disassembly procedure? I don’t usually bash a gun. These were and still are krappy, useless pieces of garbage…. Too much?

Regards,
Rick Gibbs

A friend bought one when they first came out. Beautiful gun, well designed for carry, but then we tried to fire it. The trigger we originally thought was stuck but it did finally break around 30++ lbs. Couldn't keep 10 rounds on g B27 silhouette target at 15 yards with it. He parted with it soon after. It seems to me all I ever see are usually like new, (because no one can shoot them).

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Single action 380 Backups trigger not great but not bad. Not a range/target gun, best limited to 10 foot or less belly gun. With two safeties on the single action model never felt uncomfortable with a round in the chamber. Took a lot of years of development to get a sub compact semi auto this size to be reliable. Given a choice for a reliable backup it is still a S&W or Colt snub 38.

Had an amt 1911 and a Backup in .45. Polished it up, stippled it, actually liked it and cc’ed it but the firing pin broke one day in my yard. When I tore it down I found that the 1/4 inch firing pin rod had 2 reliefs cut into it, a vertical and a horizontal. They overlapped making the 1/4 in ss pin only a 1/4 of that size where they overlapped which is of course where it snapped. I got a replacement from amt installed it and had a gunshow bud with an ffl sell it. I don’t know if the .380 fp’s were made this way but I never bought another amt.

Disassembly was a be-yatch, reliability was non existent, accuracy was absent, AMT's metallurgy was infamous for galling, . . .



If ya had one years ago, buying another is like remarrying one of your ex-wives, so I'm told . . . . .

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Qui plantavit curabit

Good call. Friends don't let friends buy AMY Backups.

For another $50-$100, you could get a Kahr CM-9. Only slightly larger, 9mm, and reliable.

I have one, a DAO. It is reliable but quite unpleasant to shoot and with that long stiff trigger hard to shoot well. That being said it is intended to be a belly gun.

One of my agents bought a .380 SA to carry undercover. At the time our off duty/2nd gun course of fire was 50 rds. He finally gave up trying to qualify with it. Even with FMJ ammo it kept jamming.
I still have a .45 Backup. I've only fired FMJ in it. It's run fine, can't recall any bobbles, but not at all pleasant to shoot.

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183rd FBINA

My only .380 edc is a Colt Mustang. Other than the slide stop spring being weird, had to dremel a deeper cut for it to lock into.

I still have one. It was my EDC for years. It functioned flawlessly for me.
It was replaced by a Ruger LCP only because the Ruger is smaller.

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Paul
Salome, AZ

I've never owned one of these but looks like many don't care for them. A friend had one of the small .45 ACP double-action guns twenty or so years ago.

I fired less than a box of ammo through it and don't remember the accuracy (I think I was shooting at a 25 yard target) but do recall vividly that one or two empties out of every magazine would land square in the forehead area. You wouldn't want to shoot it without a cap with the bill pulled down. Still, a bit intimidating as you anticipate the strike in the forehead.

Have a .380 D.A.O. no jams no failure to feed just failure to fire because some primers are harder than others. Long heviey trigger pull.

At the time bought it instead of PPK big mistake dont feel right selling it to someone who might use it for concealed carry