Springs for AMT backup .380

H

harry mudd

Moderator
Ok, first thing, I know that this gun is a POS. NO, I won't entertain suggestions like throwing it away or melting it down or making a belt buckle out of it. Now, for my questions. I bought this gun when they were new. when i bought it I immediately ordered a complete set of springs for spares. I quickly broke the grip safety spring. It showed signs of abrasion so i buffed the offending area. I replaced it from my stock of parts and ordered another one. Now it has broken again, with no wear apparent. I replaced it from my stock of parts, but now amt is long out of business. I found one online for $25. That is more than i paid for all the springs together! That will NEVER happen. I am on my third spring, counting the original one. Obviously the spring design is faulty. It is a wire torsion spring, with a bend of about 160 degree bend. It needs to loop around 420 degrees to provide some spring instead of a corner bend. Where can i get a custom spring made? Can i buy stock spring wire to bend one up myself? would it need to be heat treated after bending? Has anyone here successfully negotiated a spring crisis? The gun is functional now but i don't want to use it anymore for fear of breaking it again. I will NEVER pay $25 for the part unless i can get a GOOD one that wont break again. Ideas?
 
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You can make springs from round wire spring stock.
Use pliers with rounded jaws to prevent nicking or scarring the spring, which causes them to stress break.
You can also make a spring bender device by putting several nails in a wood block.
You can buy spring wire stock from Brownell's:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=0/k=spring+wire/t=P/ksubmit=y/Products/All/search=spring_wire

You can also buy a new AMT spring for $4.25 plus shipping from Gun parts Corp:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=8558

Another possible source is Jack First Gun Parts:

http://www.jackfirstgun.com/
 
That's great! thanks! I can get two more stock springs plus the parts for my custom designed replacement all for less than the $25 i was seeing elsewhere.
 
POS? i've been carrying my amt 380 backup almost daily for about 30 years. dropped it on cement a few times, not even a scratch, no parts replaced and it still goes boom everytime i pull the trigger. i just noticed that it is heavier than my taurus 9mm slim line tho. it so small i almost never leave home without it in my pocket.
 
Ricky James, I love my little mouse gun but a gunsmith wont touch it. One smith pointed out where the manual says to never handle the gun when loaded! (it really does say something to that effect!) One guy offered to buy it for $30 so he could beat it with a sledgehammer. That guy would destroy it but not even consider working on it! Some guys love them but most guys hate them. Can you seriously tell me that nobody has ever told you that your beloved .380 was a POS?
 
lol, over the years i have read bad things about most amt products and i'm sure my friends have as well. the people that know me and shoot with me don't make fun of my little backup because they know it works and can hit what i aim at......at least at self defense distances :)
 
I have nerve to talk about our backups because while i am hunting springs for my AMT I am carrying a little Rohm .38 special derringer! (you wont believe it, but that Rohm is a great little derringer! It's 42 years old and still shooting!) I have many good large caliber firearms but i usually carry a little girlie mouse gun at work...... I cant be walking around work with big handles sticking out behind me, looking like a wheelbarrow. The owner doesn't give a crap but he says the customers run screaming like schoolgirls.
 
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Reassembly Help

Just bought a filthy AMT 380 backup from an auction. Now that I have it cleaned up, I can't figure out how to put the Trigger Bar Spring back on. I've searched all over the internet and there are no pictures of the inside of the handle without the grip.

Would really appreciate a pic of handle without the grips. Sure don't want to test fire it to see if I have it right!

Thanks,
khambone
 
Spring install issues AMT Backup

Someone was looking for a pic of some sort to make sure the trigger spring was installed properly. I found a website that offers the pics that you need as well as a link to a printable owners manual. www.glossover.co.uk/amt this should help.
 
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