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This is my unfortunate experience with the .45 Backup. I REALLY liked it when it came out and HAD to have it. Take this information and use it as you prefer. Mine may not have been typical...I can only speak for the one I had.

I had my my AMT Backup .45 for nearly four years starting in 1998 and it was my carry weapon although I never fired it much. Money for ammo was tight then and it is not pleasant to shoot. It always bit the web of my hand and had significant recoil. The ejected rounds always seemed to hit me in the forehead.

I loved the concept. Small, compact, stainless, simple and stoutly made. It is really almost a contact weapon with a barrel of less than 3" and a groove for sights, but I carried it everywhere.

As the time for my CHL renewal approached I wanted to run through the proficiency exam a couple of times as I had previously qualified with another pistol and had maybe only 200 rounds through this in the four years.

I had several misfires/failures to eject/feed during my first run. I never made it through my second attempt. It jammed like I have never seen before. The slide was in a fully retracted position and two rounds (one live and one spent casing) were jammed in the ejection port. The slide could not be pulled back further to clear it. Since the hammer spring shares duty as the magazine latch, I could not drop the magazine to assist in clearing the double feed. Literally nothing would move. I was really concerned about the partially chambered round and the unejected case.

Fortunately, I was out in the country and tools were close at hand so I didn't have to drive with it in that condition. Using a small screw driver I was able to force the magazine latch open to drop the mag. That seemed to relieve a little pressure on the slide and I was able to pry it back just enough to clear the casing and eventually solved the problem. I never fired it again.

I stripped the weapon and found that the ejection rod was the primary culprit. It had become loose and wobbly and would occasionally miss hitting and ejecting the round to be ejected, causing the double feed. I further dissambled the pistol and was able to remove and then shim the ejection rod in place with a leaf from an old feeler guage. It actually seemed to be a pretty good repair. It would cycle rounds and eject them propely and there was no longer any wobble in the rod. However, I had lost confidence in it and wouldn't carry it.

I later sold it to a dealer at a gun show. That is my experience. Your mileage may vary. I soon bought a Glock 30 which is thicker but but only has a slightly larger profile. A Glock 36 would be pretty close to the AMT in size and weight.

Another thing to consider, which prompted my final decision to dispose of the AMT is that the company was then out of business and there was no source of parts or service. Had I been able to send it to a factory to be permanently repaired it MIGHT have influenced. I love my G30 and would probably like the G36 for the roll the AMT once had. Thank God I found out in practice and not in a time of need.

Whatever course you choose, I wish you all the best. I hope this helps in some way.