Opinions on the AMT Backup 45

gasaman

gasaman

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What is the concensus on this pistol?
I already know that it has a very heavy trigger. I also realize some have FTF issues.
I bought one several months ago and had a local smith do a fluff and buff to enhance reliability.
Who out there carries one as your primary CC?
 
I bought one NIB about 10 yrs ago. Never liked it. Loud, to
many FIFs. Sold it to buddy who is Deputy, he did'nt keep it
very long either. Last I herd of it, still working it's way through
local deputies in this area. They all think it's neat, but no one
ends up packing it. ( I'm talking 45acp)
 
Had one when they first came out. You already bought it but since you asked. No way. Big, heavy, lousy trigger, no parts available. Good luck.
 
I bought this one for my brother in 2009, I gave $135.00 for it, IIRC. It jammed a good bit due to the rough finish on the inside of the slide. He polished the inside of the slide, the rails, and the top of the hammer. He replaced the recoil spring. It runs like a Singer sewing machine now. Not the most accurate gun but he can stay on a paper plate out to about twelve yards.
Picture_0346.jpg
 
I bought my first one twenty years ago, and it has been my
EDC ever since, replacing my 649 (which I still have).
Since the first one, I have acquired two more Backups in 45ACP
and also a .380 and a .22 Auto Mag II.
They do have a long trigger pull, but in a self defense situation,
your adrenaline will be so pumped that you probably won't even
notice. It is also a bit heavy, but after 20 years, I don't even
notice the weight anymore.
The Backups can be hit or miss. I am fortunate that all the ones
I have function properly.
As far as I know, it is the smallest 45ACP semi-auto ever made.
As a matter of fact, if you lay it on top of a J Frame revolver,
you will see that it is actually a bit smaller than the J Frame.

Stu
 
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Got one NIB about 20 years ago.

Ran 150 rounds of FMJ through it.
Worked OK, but once every 6 months put 20-30 rounds through it.
It started to have FTE with FMJ and Golden Sabers.
Swapped it even for my .44 HE Target from1923.

Don't miss it that much.
 
Mine used to be my carry choice before wifey gave me a Sig P239. I might have run 150 rounds total thru it over the years & it never had a FTF or stovepipe, but as mentioned above, they are quite heavy for their size. The only other handgun I have that is as painful to shoot is a S&W mod 60 with old skool +P. I did have a 9mm Backup that I traded for an American Derringer in 38 sp. (Both were NIB bit I don't know who got the best deal on that one)
 
Bought one when they first came out, not too impressed.
The only AMT firearm I have is a 30 carbine, and it's a keeper.
Friend of mine has a 45 Hard Baller that's a great shooter.
 
I had one when they were new and cool, after reading about them in Soldier of Fortune. I actually had two mags for mine. One mag worked and fed anything. The other only worked with FMJ.

The gun was heavy. For me anyway it was prone to cause slide bite. At the time a much younger me also found the recoil objectionable. The lack of sights and design intent made accuracy a moot point.

However, at the time, I did worry about whether it was at all drop safe. The manual that came with it belabored that a round ought never be carried in the chamber.

I think my mother still has mine.
 
I bought one about 20 years ago. I was lucky as mine did function well but was heavy, terrible heavy trigger and recoil was brutal. I did carry it for a short while. I later traded it on a S&W model 27 and was glad to be rid of it.
I wish you luck with yours but I wasn't impressed with mine.
 
STCM(SW) said:
Got one NIB about 20 years ago.
Ran 150 rounds of FMJ through it.
Worked OK, but once every 6 months put 20-30 rounds through it.
It started to have FTE with FMJ and Golden Sabers.
Swapped it even for my .44 HE Target from1923.

Don't miss it that much.
Click to expand...

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

:D:D:D:D

Best - swap - ever! And I thought I had done pretty well by trading in my piece-of-garbage AMT .380 DAO with some cash for a Coonan .357.
 
I had an AMT Backup in 45 ACP. The gun would not always fire (light strike on the primer). I sent it to AMT to fix. They shipped it back to me. The gun still had the same problem.

I liked the concept, and would have liked the gun, but an unreliable firearm of any kind is of no use to me what so ever.
 
You did have to reply but since you did you managed to come up with about the most foolish reply possible . . Go ahead and buy one of the most undependable handguns made then
 
Last edited:
STCM(SW) said:
Got one NIB about 20 years ago.

Ran 150 rounds of FMJ through it.
Worked OK, but once every 6 months put 20-30 rounds through it.
It started to have FTE with FMJ and Golden Sabers.
Swapped it even for my .44 HE Target from1923.

Don't miss it that much.
Click to expand...

There's not a semi-auto I own that wouldn't have gone in that trade.
 
My AMT experiences were with the 22 mag pistol (jamamatic) and a Hardballer. That was years ago and I've not been back.
ETA:
I forgot to comment on the swap for the 44HE. Good golly miss molly, why can't I ever find these deals?
 
Last edited:
hardluk1 said:
You did have to reply but since you did you managed to come up with about the most foolish reply possible . . Go ahead and buy one of the most undependable handguns made then
Click to expand...

OK then- hardluk1
Thanks for your opinion.....
 
Last edited:
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