Pocket Pistol Report

Ganderite

Ganderite

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 99.7%
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Location
Farm south of North Bay
AMT BAckUp



I have a number of pocket pistols. My latest is an AMT BackUp in 380.

It is small enough to actually carry and powerful enough to be useful.

It is small.

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It weighs 17 ounces. It is all stainless steel. No aluminum frame here. Apparently it was designed to be actually carried as a backup pistol. In addition to a safety switch (located where the mag release would be on most pistols) it also has a grip safety.

I shot it at 5 yards and also shot an Astra Constable, a somewhat larger 380.

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The Astra has excellent sights and a very good trigger. It is an excellent plinker in 380. I see it shoots somewhat high.

The BackUp has tiny crude sights and the worst trigger of all my handguns. It is clearly to be shot at close distance when adrenaline is running high. I have no doubt it would be perfect in that role. It shot exactly where I pointed those crude sights.

Using 95 gr FMJ white box, the Astra averaged 950fps out of a 3.5” barrel.
The Backup did 905 fps out of a 2.5” barrel.
 
I was attracted by it's neat look but man, it is not pleasant to shoot! Not a big fan of the internal hammer or "slapped together" workmanship...also field stripping is a PITA! Okay for what it was designed for but I'd have several other picks way before it ie: Colt Mustang, Detonics Pocket 380 etc. A cool addition to any pocket pistol collection though. Congrats!
 
Have a couple of pocket pistols - a 1900 Browning .32 and a Beretta 71 .22. The Browning is an awkward thing to shoot, very heavy trigger. The Beretta, on the other hand, is accurate, and shoots to point of aim. Holds a 2" square at 5m.
 
geologist said:
I feel the same way about those motherless 12(5) 8astards.................
Click to expand...

You are the middle child of the firearms world. Blessed more than some, but not as much as others.
I regret the misplaced interests of my youth. If only I had been interested in FALs and snub nosed revolvers rather than girls, wooden boats, and motorcycles. None of which the government felt, in its eternal wisdom, worth banning, but all far more dangerous.......
 
I'm jealous.
All that I have is a lousy CZ45 .25 auto, that serves as a door stop to hold the 12(6) door open for me.
I have in past owned a Colt old model .25 Auto, Browning 1910 with a .32 and .380 barrel, and a Beretta 1934 in .380.
This makes me want to own more pocket pistols again.
Ah well, more money in future. Then we will see.
A few turn up here and there for sale.

And, I once held Bonafide Collector status, and owned a Sten Mark II and a Mac 10, both in 9mm.
Back in the 1970s, before 1978, you could register them just like any restricted firearm, and shoot them at any range where you could shoot restricted firearms. (As long as you could afford to feed them.)

I also owned a few of the full-auto converted to semi-auto guns back in the 80s as I recall.
A BAR, PPSH, and a Bulgarian AK47 with a milled receiver and a folding stock.

So, at least I have enjoyed unique shooting experiences in my misspent youth that the young whipper-snappers today never will.

I wish that I had them now.
 
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have a couple AMT in 22 mag, kind of nice guns, but as you say crappy trigger, make my norincos seem exc,.

The bondarms derringers are also terrible, any one worked on them?

have been thinking about doing a trigger job, but too many irons in the fire at moment
I have a mauser 1914 that is as good as it gets..32acp

Just a note to aggravate the ones that don't have gray hair yet, back in the day I had full auto on my dealer book.
MP40 sten mk3, C 1 and cs and couple ak47's
The MP 40 is a work of art.
 
The worst part of being a millennial: not even getting a chance to own something like this...and being blamed for voting liberal...
 
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