The Rimfire Report: The Elusive (But Cool) .22LR AMT Backup
I’m a huge fan of .22LR and .22 WMR pocket pistols. While their efficacy in defensive situations is probably suspect, to me, they’re collectively some of the best firearm curios out there. The AMT backup fits perfectly into that niche and actually even shares a lot of the same features and aesthetic choices of that era when these types of guns ran rampant on both local gun shop shelves as well as pawn shop display cases. I’ve yet to add one to my own collection just yet, but as I was browsing through listings on GunBroker.com this last Black Friday, I couldn’t help but look, and that little browsing session helped inspire this week’s Rimfire Report subject. So let's check out and see what the .22LR version of the AMT Backup had to offer.
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The Rimfire Report: The Elusive (But Cool) .22LR AMT Backup
Unlike many of the other semi-auto .22LR pocket pistols of the day, the Arcadia Machine & Tool (AMT) Backup was initially designed not for the average citizen but specifically for law enforcement. However, the gun would find a lot of success in the civilian market as well. The Backup series of pistols was originally chambered in .380 ACP and meant as a deep-carry pocket pistol, as its name would suggest. Later, in addition to cartridges like .40 S&W, .357 SIG. 9mm and even .45 ACP, the Backup line would eventually expand to include the humble .22LR cartridge. The .380 ACP and .22LR versions shared one user manual.
The .22LR version of the AMT Backup shared the same basic form factor as its bigger chamber cousins. The .22LR version had a fixed 2.5” barrel, single-stack 8-round magazine (10-round extended magazines were available), and extremely low-profile sights. In stark opposition to other pocket pistols of the late 70s and early 80s, the AMT Backup from the very beginning was an all-stainless design, featured removable and replaceable grip panels, and even had a regular button-style magazine release.
The AMT Backup .22LR went through a small design change at some point during its manufacturing years, with the gun being switched from being a single-action to a double-action-only design. This is also when the 1911-style grip safety disappeared, in addition to the standard frame-mounted manual safety. The AMT Backup was priced “reasonably” for the time, which earned it and AMT membership in the infamous ATF “ Ring of Fire” company club. A list of companies that the ATF recognized for selling inexpensive, often Zamak, firearms that had dubious reliability and durability features.
I asked fellow TFB Writer Sam S to check his cathedral-sized library of gun-reference books to see what these sold for back in the day, and although they were available before, the earliest date of the AMT Backup being mentioned in any edition of Gun Digest’s Book of Gun Values is 1983, for a price of $295.
Famous, For the Wrong Reasons
As can be expected, the AMT .22LR Backup pistol didn’t have the best of reputations. Similar to my Jennings J22, the gun had a reputation for consistently failing to go into battery even when shot with the recommended “hot ammo” that most companies that made these recommend. A lot of that has to do with how dirty .22LR is, but the guns were also notorious for having extraction issues from overly tight tolerances, and even feeding issues because of unpolished feed ramps.
However, it wasn’t all bad news for .22LR AMT Backup owners. A lot of people, especially those on Rimfire Central, have lots of small tweaks and fixes that can get an AMT Backup up and running fairly consistently. After that, all you have to contend with is the galling that often crops up if the slide was oiled instead of greased. A lot of these fixes are things that didn’t necessarily require a gunsmith's hand, just a Dremel and a bit of drive. Lots of guys have allegedly fixed up feeding issues by polishing certain surfaces like the extractor channel, and of course, the feed ramps.
Similar to a lot of pocket .22LR pistols, the other half of the story is likely that people are simply not maintaining the guns properly. While most of us are used to a majority of firearms at least going a couple of hundred, if not thousands of rounds, without any preventative maintenance, guns like the AMT Backup, Jennings J22, and more all need a bit more frequent TLC if you want to keep them running at least somewhat predictably. Historically, the gun was used as a weapon of last resort, and thus, accuracy was a minor concern for most purchasers and owners. If I ever get my hands on one, I doubt it’d have much better accuracy than my Taurus PT-22 or my ageing J22.
Near Unobtainum
Despite its infamy, the AMT .22LR backup is one of the rarest versions of the Backup pistol family. While you can almost trip over the .380 ACP versions. .400 Cor-Bon, and .22LR might as well be non-existent in all but the rarest of circumstances. In addition to that, even if you find one, you’ll likely pay somewhere in the neighborhood of about $300-$400, depending on the overall condition of the pistol.
Unfortunately, many examples are quite rusted and generally in poor condition, given the pistol's status as a cheap gun. I’d imagine a lot of them are discovered in tackle boxes and old, forgotten shoe boxes, probably unfired, too. AMT would eventually share the same fate as many of their pocket pistols and closed its doors for good at the start of the 2000s. Years of lawsuits, constant warranty issues, and, not least of all, political pressure all contributed to their demise, but they would have likely stuck around had most of their handguns actually worked.
All of this drama is actually why I happen to like the gun and other rimfire examples like it. These guns are the outliers in what we typically look for in guns, and are, in my mind, perfect examples of what not to do, while still making it look good. Even if they aren’t great tools, they’re neat pieces of firearms history. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this rather boxy little rimfire pocket pistol, if you’ve ever owned or shot one. As always, thanks for stopping by to read The Rimfire Report and we’ll see you all again next week!
Reloader SCSA Competitor Certified Pilot Currently able to pass himself off as the second cousin twice removed of Joe Flanigan. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballisticaviation/
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I don't own one of these, but I still own both an AMT Automag II 6" 22magnum and a IAI Javelina 10mm longslide made by AMTs sister company. Both are ammo sensitive, and like the stainless to stainless surfaces lubed with silicone brake grease, but it's fun to take them to the range and rip through 3 or 4 magazines without a hitch - almost without fail someone will come up and ask how I did that, as they or someone they know had one that was constant frustration. Both were bought used and required valve grinding compound to lap away the galling between the frames and slides...they definitely didn't like gun oil as indicated in the story.