AMT Backup

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I have had very reliable feeding from my .380 DAO Backup from Silvertips and HydraShoks. Come to think of it, can you even get Silvertips any more? I have not bought any new .380 ammo for quite some time.
 
I Have An AMT .380 S/A

Bought it used, and after about 500 rounds of various manufacturer's ammo, this one had about a 1% misfeed rate, and they were almost all when dirty. Yesterday I broke it down and polished the feed ramp to remove any hint of milling marks, and went 50 for 50 this afternoon. You need about 500 rounds to readily and repeatably get your sight picture, as the sights are effectively non-existent. I find it easiest to make like I'm sighting down a piece of celery, and when all I can see if the U-shaped curve at the rear of the slide, it's as close as it's going to get. There just isn't enough material in the front tit to work with.
The safety sucks. If the lever is just bumped out of the "safe" detent, you can fire it. For that reason it's best not to carry it with a round chambered, which pretty much defeats the concealability benefits. Haven't had a problem with the magazine latch, but it is exposed and could conceivably leave you holding an empty weapon when you need it most.
It is surprisingly accurate for a short-barreled weapon, it's built to last (All stainless) and it will fit under the average wallet. The issues I have with mine are all design-related, and not workmanship problems. Mine was built at the Covina factory, so that may have something to do with it not being a POS. They're a PITA to tear down compared to other weapons, but it's well worth doing.
 
I've never owned a .380 but I at one time owned a BackUp .45. I wish I hadn't sold it. Long, heavy trigger pull (probably 15 lbs, or so) and not a target pistol by any means, it was reliably deadly at 5-7 yards.
I'd buy the .380 for $100 without a second thought, as long as it didn't look absurdly beat.
 
I have a DAO version and love it. Great gun for a BU. No sight to snag for a pocket draw. Stainless finish for carry on a hot sweaty summer day. Best part, it goes bang every time. I have heard of many people with jam-o-matic issues. I never had a problem with this one. Guess I got lucky.

It sounds like your friend is a friend and gave you a good deal if yours shoots as well as mine.
 
AMT 380 Backup

I had a single action version that was stolen from me at work. The gun did have problems feeding most hollowpoint ammo, but fed hardball ammo very consistantly, with the factory mag, and with the two aftermarket mags I had. A lot of pistols have this problem, particularly ones made 20 or more years ago. I liked it for its small size and additional punch over a 22 or 25. It gave the me the capability to slip it in a shirt, coat, or pants pocket, or sock/ankle carry without it being noticed. I found it very accurate, and with a little practice could put 5 or 6 rounds in a pie plate at 50 yards. That impressed me as it only had a groove in the top of the slide for a sight and the rifled portion of the barrel was only about an inch long. I guess the fixed barrel design had a lot to do with that.
 
i have carried one in single action 380 almost everyday for the last 20+ years. i shoot solids thru it and it never fails. i carry it cocked and locked and have never had an issue with the thumb safety and the grip safety i feel it is very secure. i have a little belt holster but it spends most of its time in my pocket or glove box. even when i carry one of my 38's, 357's, 9mm or 45's i seldom leave the 380 home. if i came across another of these little amt 380's for a 100 bux i would snag it up in a heartbeat.
 
Any idea where to get the internals for these pistols?
A friend of mine gave me one,he owed me $25,it's missing the trigger,left side handgrip and magazine.It maybe missing other parts,hard to tell without schematics.I ran the numbers,it's not hot
 
AMT .380

My first gun, and I still have it and carry it is an AMT .380 Backup in SA.

I know there is a lot of bad press.

I think it is sensitive to limp wristing.
It is also very particular about what ammo it will shoot.
So far, only MagTech and American Eagle seem to have a good success rate.
I also think a little attention from a gunsmith would work wonders.

I bought this gun about 25 years ago and am rather attached to it.
It fits in my front pocket and "disappears".

I could go for a bicycle ride and not notice it.

I like it. I think I am grudgingly going to eventually buy a Ruger LCP, but I won't be selling the AMT.

Not one bit of rust after 25 years, most of it spent in a humid climate.
 
I have a early 90s AMT 380 Backup II (this version made between '93 and '98 if memory serves) that has proven reliable since I acquired it used in '97. The thumb safety is solid and secure.

AMT380BackupII.jpg
 
amt back up 380

I have one, the original grips made the pistol unsafe because of the space around the safety, so I ordered custom grips for it. Now it works perfectly. Very reliable and as accurate as I need it to be. It's my carry weapon, I don't need it to be accurate outside of 5 feet, but it is. It's not about the arrow... Keep it clean and practice! The gun works
 
I purchased an original OMC with wood grips and steel fingergrip magazine, later either they or AMT put plastic on both and of course both broke within a short time, especially the floorplates. My pistol was one of the better ones but still suffered Feed and ejection problems to the point that i would not carry it as a backup as originally intended. One of our detectives carried it as a backup in an ankle holster for probably ten years, i made him shoot it at the range a couple times a year and it always worked (with ball).
 
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