Arcadia Machine & Tool, commonly abbreviated to AMT, was a firearms manufacturer from Irwindale, California. The company produced several weapons, often clones of existing firearms. Plagued by quality and reliability problems, the company went bankrupt and the assets and trademark were acquired by IAI (Irwindale Arms Incorporated). The company was also named as a defendant in the lawsuits brought against various gun manufacturers. Some of the company's products are now sold by High Standard Manufacturing Company.
The AMT Backup was first known as the OMC Backup. This early variant was produced in .380 ACP caliber in El Monte California. OMC produced a short run of these pistols before the molds were purchased by Arcadia Machine & Tool, who took over production.
The original AMT Backup was produced with a Single Action trigger mechanism, while the later Backup II used a Double Action Only mechanism. These pistols were manufactured by AMT and later Galena Industries (until Nov. 2001).
The AMT Backup is a small semiautomatic pistol available in a wide range of calibers: .22LR, .380 ACP, .38 Super, 9x19mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, .400 Corbon and .45 ACP have all been offered. This pistol was designed to be carried as a backup gun by law enforcement and security professionals or anyone desiring a small concealable weapon. Its marketing slogan was "the smallest, most powerful" backup weapon available.
The AMT Backup line of handguns is now being marketed by High Standard Manufacturing.
