AMT Backup
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Designed	1978
Manufacturer	AMT Galena Industries High Standard Manufacturing
Specifications
Mass	18 oz (0.51 kg)
Length	5 inches (13 cm)
Cartridge	.22 LR .380 ACP .38 Super 9×19mm .357 SIG .40 S&W .400 Corbon .45 ACP
Feed system	8 rounds (.22 LR) 6 rounds (.38 Super, 9mm, .357 SIG) 5 rounds (.380 ACP, .40 S&W, .400 Corbon, .45 ACP)
Sights	Fixed

Colt has recently added a great feature, allowing you to look up your Colt firearm by entering the serial number. One can only hope SIG follows suit!Colt. Model 1931 serial number allocation, valid after November 1, 1952. The port numbers are divided into three ranges: the Well Known Ports, the Registered.

The AMT Backup is a small semi-automatic pistol. It was first manufactured by the Ordnance Manufacturing Corporation (OMC) of El Monte, CA. The first guns made in .380 ACP by OMC are known as the OMC Backup. OMC produced a short run of these pistols before the tooling was purchased by Arcadia Machine & Tool, who took over production. AMT .380 ACP Backup pistols were made by AMT in El Monte, Covina California, and Irwindale, CA.

The original AMT Backup was produced with a single-action only (SAO) trigger mechanism, while the later 'Small Frame' and 'Large Frame' Backup used a double-action-only (DAO) mechanism. These pistols were manufactured by AMT and later Galena Industries (until November 2001).^[1] SAO pistols were made with a manual safety, while DAO guns relied on their heavy trigger pull for safe handling.

The AMT Backup was available in a wide range of calibers: .22 LR, .380 ACP, .38 Super, 9×19mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, .400 Corbon and .45 ACP have all been offered.

The pistol's marketing slogan was 'the smallest, most powerful' backup weapon available (referring to the 45 ACP version).^[1]

The AMT Backup line of handguns were being marketed by High Standard Manufacturing.^[2]

Amt Firearms Serial Numbers For Sale

Sources[edit]

^ ^a^bShideler, Dan (2010). Gun Digest 2011. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 114. ISBN978-1-4402-1561-2.
^http://www.highstandard.com/

External links[edit]

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AMT_Backup&oldid=987176946'

Analysis of Serial Numbers

The Colt Patent Firearms Company of Hartford Connecticut was contracted by Auto-Ordnance to manufacture the first 15000 Thompson sub-machine guns from April 1921 to May 1922. Contract was signed on 18^th August 1920. All were marked “Model of 1921” and bore a serial number which was placed in four locations on the gun on the first 1000 and then in three locations with the rest.

The first commercial production gun was numbered 41 and was shipped on 31^st March 1921– numbers 1 to 40 were all considered prototypes and remain to this day in Museums in the US. Early guns were designated Model of 1919 and some were belt fed ammunition and only full automatic.

The sixth gun manufactured was serial number 46 and was the first gun consigned to Auto-Ordnance in the name of their salesman George Gordon Rorke on 2^nd April. This gun was sold to the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

During first month of production, 28 Thompson guns were shipped to the IRA via George Gordon Rorke, salesman for Auto-Ordnance.

Signcut pro crack torrent free. During February 1921 a group of men , all with obvious Irish surnames, ordered 50 Thompson guns from a salesman of Auto – Ordnance under the name of P.J. Gentry of New York who was a saloon-keeper on Manhattan’s Lower West Side and frontman for the IRA.

On May 25^th these were delivered and within days, the guns, the men and Mr. Gentry had disappeared.

In March 1921 the first Thompson guns were produced by Colt and were sent to Auto-Ordnance for hand finishing and inspection. The first two guns were shipped in the name of a Mr. Wise, a front man for the IRA.

These guns were tested by their Irish “purchasers” Sean Nunan (later to become Ireland’s Ambassador to the US!) and Laurence de Lacy (also known as Frank Williams) at the 69^th Regimental Armoury. The two guns soon left for Ireland hidden in the luggage of Irish American military officers Cronin and Dineen (later to take commissions in the Irish Army) who were sent to Ireland to train the IRA in the guns’ use.

Auto-Ordnance salesman Rorke placed and order for his Irish clients on April 5^th comprising 500 guns, 125 (x100) drums, 250 (x50) drums and 1000 (x20) box magazines.

Clann na Gael, Irish fund raising organisation in the US, maintained an arms dump at La Fontaine Avenue in the Bronx , New York. Other weapons of all ages were stored here along with ammunition destined fro the struggle in Ireland. 25 Thompson guns arrived there during April 1921 , another 30 on May 6^th, another 45 on May 11^th with further deliveries of 240 guns in total on 18^th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st May. By end of May 400 Thompsons were amassed at the Bronx warehouse.

A number of addresses of convenience were recorded in the meticulously kept Auto-Ordnance company records. This enabled guns to be sold to the Irish but give the impression of different business customers. While it is not certain all were IRA conduits, some were. Of interest were:

American Railway Express Companyof 46^th Street, New York

were used as a front for the purchase of guns sold by G.G.Rorke for in April, May and June some 306 were ‘shipped’ there. A definite IRA purchase.

Milton Kohn Export Corporation on Panama Railroad & Steamship Company of New York

were shipped 29 guns.

Moore-Handley of Birmingham Alabama

were shipped 16 guns.

Logan Hardware & Supply of Logan, West Virginia

were shipped 5 guns.

W.S.Brown, 523 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

was shipped 7 guns.

P.J. Gentryof New York

was shipped 50 guns. A definite IRA purchase.

Thomas F Ryan, 3 East 67^th Street, New York

was shipped 2 guns. The senior Director of Auto-Ordnance.

Morgan, Salesman for Auto-Ordnance

Was consigned during April guns #69, #75 and #66 – the latter now with Bapty & Co. London, movie prop business.

Captain Geo T.Wise, Washingtom DC

was shipped 7 guns. Serial numbers 42 and 43 were shipped on 24^th March in his name and with connection “USMC Navy Order”. From the Auto-Ordnance very first shipping chart week ending 9^th April 1921, the third line records the sale of two guns #42 and #43 dated 24^th March 1921 destination Capt G.T. Wise C/o Frank Ochsenreiter of Washington. The order had been pre-paid. With the order came 10 (XX) magazine, 4 (L) drums, 2 (C ) drums, 2 webbing gun cases, 6 webbing magazine cases, 1 handbook.

Ochsenreiter was a salesman colleague of George Rorke and fellow member of the Friends for Irish Freedom. He worked for another of Fortune Ryan’s companies at the time.

Interstingly gun #811 sold to Geo.Wise was captured by the Royal Ulster Constabulary in No