AMT History
Arcadia Machine & Tool (AMT) was founded in the late 1960s by Irwin R. Barr. The company initially focused on producing aerospace components but soon transitioned to firearms manufacturing.
AMT built a reputation for producing firearms that were innovative and unique but also somewhat inconsistent in terms of quality and reliability. The company's legacy is one of pushing the boundaries of firearms design, even if it was not always able to consistently deliver on those innovations.
One of AMT's earliest successes was the Auto Mag pistol introduced in the early 1970s. This semi-automatic handgun was chambered in powerful magnum calibers like .44 AMP and .357 AMP and gained a reputation for its innovative design and solid construction.
Movie Guns
The unique looks of AMT guns made them great movie guns. The Auto Mag can be seen in “Die Hard” as Karl’s gun, and my earliest memory of it was as Clint Eastwood’s pistol in “Sudden Impact.”
Related: Dirty Harry & Mack Bolan's Big Thunder – The Auto Mag Pistol in .44 AMP
Perhaps the best-known AMT pistol was the Hardballer, a stainless steel, 1911-style pistol chambered in .45 ACP. It was Arnold’s “.45 long slide with laser sighting” in “The Terminator.”
In the 1980s, late 1990s, and again in the early 2000s, AMT faced financial difficulties and continually changed ownership. Today, AMT firearms are no longer manufactured, and the company is primarily known for its historical contributions to the firearms industry.
The AMT Backup .380
The AMT Backup 380 is a compact pistol designed for concealed carry and self-defense that was first manufactured by the Ordnance Manufacturing Corporation in 1978. AMT took over production a few years later and ultimately is the company most widely associated with the Backup.
AMT Backup pistols were made in California – this one in El Monte, as stamped on the slide. The slide is also marked .380 and 9mm Kurz, which is the European designation for .380 ACP.
The AMT Backup was initially made with a single-action-only trigger. Later Backups were changed to a double-action-only mechanism. The single-action-only guns had a manual safety and grip safety, while the double-action guns had both these safeties removed and relied completely on the heavy trigger pull for safety.
Over the years, Backups were made in .22 LR, .380 ACP, .38 Super, 9mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, .400 Corbon and .45 ACP. At the time, the guns were marketed as "the smallest, most powerful" backup weapon available, obviously a reference to some of the larger chamberings. Backups were manufactured until around 2001.
Test Gun
This .380 ACP AMT Backup is all stainless-steel and weighs 1 pound without the five-round magazine. The gun itself is 5 inches long, 3.5 inches wide, .93 inches thick, and has a 2.5-inch barrel.
The action is a straight blowback design with a fixed barrel. It is hammer-fired, but the hammer is internal. Pull on the curved, single-action-only trigger is about 7 pounds, which is heavy, but the pull is short and straight to the rear. The pull itself a bit gritty, but the reset is short.
There is a grip safety and a manual safety, which is along the frame where a magazine release is usually placed. The magazine latch is a European style at the bottom of the magwell.
Sights are small and trough-style, machined into the slide. Ejection comes out the top where the ejector is located.
Here’s a quick list of specs:
- Caliber: .380 ACP
- Capacity: 5+1
- Weight (without magazine): 1 pound
- Overall Length: 5 inches
- Barrel Length: 2.5 inches
-
Width: 3.5 inches
Shooting Experience
For me, this Backup was reliable with both ball and hollow-point ammo. I’ve heard it can have trouble with hollow points, but I didn’t. AMT recommended modifying the feed lips of the magazine to allow hollow points to feed, but I don’t know if this was done to this particular magazine.
The accuracy was actually very good for a pocket pistol that could be 30 years old or more. I was amazed. I was able to get consistent hits at over 30 yards, even with the tiny sights.
The safety is in a non-traditional location, but it worked fine. It’s a little bit stiff, but I had no problem actuating in on the draw. I’m sure it could become fast with consistent practice.
Issues
My biggest complaint is that the frame does not fit my hand very well. Because of how it sits in my hand, the gun hurts to shoot. It stings right at the web of my hand. The beavertail angles just don’t work for me.
Normally, I don’t have problem with .380 guns and find many soft shooting. I would have thought it would be pleasant to shoot because it is such a heavy pistol for its size, but I winced every time I pulled the trigger. In my research, I didn’t find this to be a common complaint, so I think it’s more me than the gun. Also, I had other people shoot it, and no one else complained.
Another complaint was that the 12 o’clock case ejection hit me in the head a few times. It’s not the best angle for ejection, especially if you are moving forward.
There is an additional issue with the takedown of the gun, which requires tools and is a little more complicated than on modern handguns. You have to punch a roll pin out to take it down and fiddle with the bolt. It’s just annoying enough that I don’t like dealing with it.
That said, the most concerning issue is with quality control over the years of the Backup’s production. From what I gather, the Backup is a good gun if built properly, but AMT struggled with its business for many years and changed owners multiple times. It seems like QC suffered sporadically over that time. There are some very good Backups out there which are loved by many, but there are also some lemons that are junk and really hurt its reputation.
Conclusion
If you are just talking features and performance, I think there are better options. Still, millions of these guns were sold and carried, so these can work for people. And since gun choice is so personal, I’m sure some of you will think this gun is great.
All in all, I think the AMT Backup is a great affordable collector’s piece, especially if you like unique designs and all-steel pocket pistols. The company has an interesting history, and the look of this gun is totally distinctive. I think it is a great looking pistol. It’s weird, but that kinda works for it. Just make sure to do your homework on any AMT Backup you are about to buy.
It’s a great gun to buy Certified Used from Guns.com, as we rigorously inspect each gun before selling it. There is also a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee for the first few days, so you can buy it and make sure it works before you commit.
