Need quick price Check. AMT Backup 45acp

[HighVelocity]

UPDATED w/ Range Report. AMT Backup 45acp

A friend of mine wants me to buy his AMT backup 45 acp with 1 mag.
Neither he nor I have a clue to it's value. He is a good friend and I want to give him a fair price so we both feel like we came out on the right side of the deal.

I have not seen the gun personally but I'd say it's probably like new knowing him.

Anybody know the ballpark value?

Thanks.

 

[MillCreek]

Over on Auction Arms, GunsAmerica and GunBroker, an excellent condition DAO Backup in .45 generally goes for $ 250 to 350. I have seen them ranging from $ 200 to $ 400, depending on condition and number of magazines.

 

[KurtC]

That is one of the few handguns that you should definitely shoot before you buy. It is not for everyone.

 

[Rangegod]

No offence meant, but having owned an AMT 45 Backup, I would never refer to anyone who offered me another a “good†friend. A good deal would be him paying you for its disposal.

JAC

 

[HighVelocity]

No offence meant, but having owned an AMT 45 Backup, I would never refer to anyone who offered me another a “good†friend. A good deal would be him paying you for its disposal.

Is that your way of saying they suck? That's why I asked on THR because I wanted the truth, no matter what that is.

I'm going to shoot it tomorrow. What are some things I should look for?

 

[wally]

AMT Backups were spotty. If he's got a good one they are good guns if you can stand the lack of sights and lousy trigger pull. Its also rather heavy being all stainless.

Around here used ones in very good shape are usually $180-200 at gun shows.

I'd agree to the advice of shooting it first, mine likes 230 gr hydrashoks. They won't go a large number of rounds without cleaning -- I seem to remember mine would jam after a couple of hundred rounds until I cleaned it. I'm sure this hurt its reputation as many pontificate that no gun is worthy of carry unless it goes 300 (or 500 or whatever) rounds without failure. Me, I insist it go thru the ammo I carry without failure when clean. I don't worry about problems that develop after more ammo than I can normally carry has been shot thru it without cleaning as long as they go away after cleaning. Once I've repeated this exercise half a dozen times with no failures in the critical clean gun three or four mags rapid fire I'm OK with it. OTOH I hate cleaning guns so I prefer they go 1000's of rounds without cleaning, but one must make compromisies in very small for its caliber CCW.


I don't carry it any more since I got a Kahr PM40. I'll be looking for the new Kahr P45.

--wally.

 

[ulflyer]

I wouldn't give $50 for one unless I could shoot it first. Bought a new one some years ago when AMT was still alive; brought it home, oiled it good, wouldn't consistantly fire any type of bullet without jamming. Got rid of it the next day. Minor probs with an auto just out of the box is one thing; that critter was way beyond that.

On the other hand, I had the Hardballer and it was a winner. Like some of the guys say, its the luck of the draw.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

My particular .45 Backup has performed well. I don't shoot it alot, but I've somewhere around 500 rounds through it since I bought it new. All of these have been full power loads (no target loads that my TLE likes so much). The only time it's ever given me grief was during the only range session that I shot more than one box of ammo through it. Cleaned it up and it was 100% next range session.

The gun is not pleasant to shoot and has a heavy triggerpull (takes a bit of practice to master). Also, the extractor tension on mine is a bit stiff, scratches brass up pretty bad.

Factory mags (nothing more than cutdown AMT 1911 mags) still run $25 each when you can find them, but the overall length of the mags is important since this gun uses a heel mag release.

OK, price. If the gun is pristine, $250-300. It is essential that you know the history of the gun. Does it function reliably? How many rounds through it? A good gunsmith may be able smooth spotty reliability out, but be aware that parts are pretty hard to come by. This may change. I've heard that a company is going to start making them again (I want to say the High Standard people in Texas, but I can't be sure - there was a thread about it).

I've seen very good condition ones at local gunshows for $200-250, BTW.

 

[Forseti]

I would recommend against purchasing it, unless the price is around $50 or less. Not a good weapon to buy.

If you want proof, try going to a gunshow in your vicinity with your friend, and have him ask the dealers around how much they will take for it. My guess...they won't even want to aquire it, unless its for something like...$50 or less. Even then, they would probably prefer not to have it.

 

[kirkcdl]

Sold mine for $325.Nice deep cover gun,IF you don't mind the trigger pull.Mine had a trigger job before I got it,still broke at about 12-15#.Ran well,though.A bit on the heavy side,but that's a necessary thing for full power loads.Overall,I'd own another one if I happened to get a good deal.It'd make a good bathroom gun...

 

[Sean Smith]

AMT made an unbelieveably crude and often unreliable product. Some of them work (a Hardballer I shot for a while was OK), alot of them don't. Bottom line? Avoid it.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

I bought my Backup 45 ACP about 3 months after they were offered (1996?). I shot between 500-750 rounds through mine and never had a problem with it......fast forward to four months ago after the gun sat up for 4+ years without being shot......

I started having all sorts of FTE and ammo primers failing to detonate. I discovered that you can buy parts for the gun through Brownells, now. I replaced the hammer spring and extractor spring, and it works like a champ, again. I've only shot factory FMJ, and it is definitely a STOUT gun. I've sliced the webbing between my thumb and index finger with the slide a couple of times (when at the range, I usually use gloves, now). The trigger pull is heavy, but for it's intended purpose, it's not a problem. The gun is NOT a range gun, but a personal defense gun. Still, on slow fire, I can put 50 rounds into the head of a B-27 target at 10 yards without missing.....for simple two-handed, point-and-shoot defensive shooting, I can nail a B-27 target every time at 10 yards and probably 80% at 15 yards (not aiming/less than a second per shot).....A recently developed issue (after over 1000 rounds through the gun) is that my trigger pin is starting to creep. I'm going to have to find a way to avoid this pin from creeping. It hasn't caused a problem, yet, but I see its potential.

Miscellaneous notes:

1) Recoil is brutal, and unless you are used to shooting the gun, you can stray all over the place....I rarely will shoot it one-handed
2) I find that I need to keep the slide well lubed, or I can get a FTF.
3) If you get a primer that fails to go off, you can pull the trigger and hit it again, usually firing the second time
4) Grip screws vibrate loose VERY easily (I lock-tited mine)
5) It is NOT a gun that is enjoyable to shoot, especially for anything over 20 rounds.
6) It is heavy (I carried mine for two weeks, through 22 states, on my motorcycle once.....couldn't really tell it was there in my jacket pocket)


That's all I can think of on this gun....In many ways, I wished I'd gotten it in 9mm instead of 45ACP......Prices listed above are what I typically have seen, too.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

A friend?

The one I shot was one of the more painful experiences I've had while SHOOTING a handgun. (If you've shot a Seecamp, think Seecamp on megasteroids.)

I wouldn't have one, except cheaply, and then only as a novelty, to afflict upon shooting buddies who need some "payback" for having done something similar to me...

If you were a cop, and truly needed a backup gun for up-close and personal confrontations, maybe. But only maybe...

 

[HighVelocity]

**UPDATE**

My friend and I went to the range this morning. He brought his AMT 45 and I brought my Glock 20, 30 and a Steyr M40.

To make a short story shorter, I would never own an AMT backup 45 acp after trying it. Painful as hell on my arthritic hands and completely unreliable.

As for my friend, I think it had been a while siince he fired it and he'd forgot just how painful it was. He only fired about 20 rounds though it before he was putting it back in the bag. He had touble with the triangle sights on the Steyr (they're not for everyone) but he shot pretty well with the G20 and G30.
He fell in love with my 3rd gen Glock 30 though and he'll probably end up with one. Another one turned to the darkside.

Thanks to everyone that commented in this thread.

 

[rolltide]

High Velocity,
Tell your friend that if he still wants to sell it, I will be glad to make him an offer. I have a AMT Backup and I love mine.
Roll Tide

 

[PSP Chuck]

AMT 45

I bought mine originally for a large caliber backup to my State Police service weapon. It met the criteria for a Departmental secondary weapon. I qualified with it on the first try up to 25 yards. I prefer Golden Saber HJP 45 185 grain +P's. I have never experienced any of the problems encounterd here.
To my surprise the range officer said it was on the Departments list of banned weapons. Unreliable. Even though I've seem Walthers, S&W's and Colt autoloaders stovepipe, jam etc.

I still use it "off duty." I like the heavy trigger pull since it increases the safety.

 

[GruntII]

HAd one shot it with everything from 185 grain match to 230 grain +P (OUCH!). As what I refer to as an eye, ear, nose, and throat gun it was okay. I had several factory mags and WECSOG'd several 7 round mags. It kicked like a mule and had real bad trigger back lash. At 10 yards it was pie palate accurate beyond that it was iffy.

 

[Zen21Tao]

I bought a like new AMT .45 at a local gun store last year for $330 and find that it has been a great investment. The one I own is extremely reliable and has fired everything I have put through it without a single jam or feed failure. On the positive side is that it is perhaps the smallest .45 acp you can find. Being a single stack means less printing than a double stack through clothing when carried concealed. On the negative side is it's pretty weighty, packs quite a recoil, and lacks reliable sights. I find it less than desirable for a dedicated OWB or IWB concealed carry option but It makes a great choice in real hot weather when wearing light shorts and a t-shirt. Also great for a gun to toss in a pocket if you have to run out for something and to keep in an ankle holster as a backup piece.