The AMT .45 Backup pistol is the best (read that as smallest) deep concealment .45 semi-auto on the market (5 + 1 rounds). It also appears to be one of the best kept secrets in the gun industry, as well as one of the most verbally abused little guns on the market. No other .45, including the Para-Ordnance 1045, the CAT .45, or the new Glock .45 Compact are as small; in fact those guns look gigantic compared to an AMT .45 Backup.
If you use a typical belt holster, including an IWB (Inside the Waist-Band), a shoulder rig, or a Kramer t-shirt like holster, even full size handguns are generally easy to carry in some kind of concealed manner. I can carry my H&K USP 45 concealed very easily with my IWB holster or my Kramer t-shirt holster. But for deep concealment, you really need a small pistol under 6" that is also narrow, like an AMT 45 Backup.
The typical Compact size gun that is the Big, Big RAVE nowadays, that measures from 6.3 to 7 1/4", (such as a Glock 19/23/26/27, Sig 229, etc), is good for those that can only have ONE gun (a compromise), instead of a better equipped person who has a full size Duty/IPSC gun combined with a true pocket pistol like an AMT 45 Backup. The typical full size gun, measuring from 7 1/4" to 8.75", (such as a Glock 20/21/17/22, USP 9/40/45, 1911's, etc), is easier to shoot well, because of less recoil and a longer sight radius. Of course, some may have a personal preference to combine a full size gun with a compact gun, instead of a true pocket pistol; if you have the room to carry the excess baggage, go for it.
The AMT .45 is 5.7" long, 4.1" in height, and only 1" wide in the grip and slightly less than 1" in the slide width. As a general reference, it's similar to the Glock 26/27 size, EXCEPT the baby Glocks are a lot fatter and more than 1/2" longer than the AMT .45. If it's easier to carry concealed, it will be carried more often. Each extra 1/10" in length, height, and width (with emphasis on height and width), makes a big difference in carrying a pistol in deep concealment.
The AMT .45 is a quality all-stainless steel model with only 32 parts to it (similar to the low Glock parts count), weighing in at 24 oz; the overall weight and engineering of the super small AMT .45 tames the gun nicely. I can say from personal experience, that the felt recoil is quite manageable. The AMT backup is also available in 380, 9mm, .38 Super, 40 S&W, and 357Sig. A Cor-Bon rep mentioned that AMT may come out with a 400 Cor-Bon also. I must add quickly that the unaltered factory AMT could do with some gunsmithing for those that like their pistols optimized --- see below.
The AMT Backup has a passive firing pin safety that only unlocks the firing pin when the trigger is pulled to the rear. The AMT uses a Browning style short recoil method with its blowback design. AMT makes their pistols in the good ol' U.S. of A.
I am the first to admit that the AMT backup is not a great General Purpose Small Gun like the Compact Glocks, Para-Ordnance 1045, etc. The reason for this is that the AMT Backup has a hefty double action trigger pull and a groove sight, although it is still quite accurate and functional out to 50 feet. But on the other hand, the AMT was not made to be a general purpose shooting gun! It is a Specialized Gun for Backup Only! While a general purpose pistol may be more comfortable to shoot for longer periods of time and may hold more rounds, those compacts also CANNOT be concealed as easily and efficiently as the AMT .45 Backup. You have to pick the right gun for the right purpose.
Frankly, if you have to use an AMT .45 Backup in an emergency situation, I doubt if you could tell the difference between a 6 lb trigger or a 12 lb trigger. In fact, lining up your pistol sights during a close up encounter is questionable. If you do have time to line up your sights, the groove sights on the AMT work just fine, although I like to hold the gun a little lower than I would with regular sights, so I can easily see the whole groove, from the back to the front.
The trigger mechanism can be polished up to lighten the trigger pull without affecting the spring, and combined with breaking in the trigger during practice and dry firing, the trigger should get down to around 12 lbs -- similar to the first long pull on a Sig 229; I can say that based on my own Sig experience. In fact, you can use a single smooth trigger pull or use a two step trigger pull: squeeze the trigger to take up most of the slack (the tip of your finger may even touch the trigger guard), then do your final site alignment and finish off the trigger squeeze. Dry firing is useful to break in the trigger, but I recommend using a dummy round in the chamber since the trigger spring is so strong --- I have heard of at least one firing pin breaking from dry firing.
Gunsmiths can work on the AMT backup pistols to lighten the trigger a bit with polishing, mounting very low profile sights, improving feed reliability, etc. The only quality gunsmith doing this kind of work that I know of at this time is:
John JardineHe generally has a huge backlog and may not accept new orders for periods of time. If anyone else does this kind of quality work, please send email to have your name added to this list.
I've been told by those that have had trouble with their AMT's, that you can send your AMT back to the factory and they will eventually get it right. Currently, the wait time is 4 to 8 weeks.
The AMT can handle +P loads but standard loads are recommended. From reports I've read, the Backup works well with ball and hollow point rounds that somewhat mimic the ball profile and over all length --- all the major manufacturers make such rounds. Be sure to sufficiently test your carry round. The 230 grain bullets seem to have the best over-all velocity for the short 3" AMT barrel. The Federal 230 grain Hydra-Shok bullet is pushed to 762 fps (296 ft/lbs), which amazingly still makes an IPSC Major Power Factor of 175, just barely. The new 165 grain Cor-Bon round may be an excellent high energy, low recoil round for the AMT. If nothing else, the size of the .45 barrel hole alone is cause to make a would-be attacker take time to consider other options.
The price is right for this little well made stainless steel AMT .45 Backup auto. I bought mine for $249 -- Brand New after shopping around. Prices ranged from $249 to $340. The retail price for the the AMT .45 Backup is $449. It's in a very important class by itself as of this writing! And for those who still may not like the AMT 45 Backup, well, it sure beats throwing the 45 rounds by hand.