OMC Back Up

Question
Jim,

I own a OMC .380 Back Up, serial number A 09548.  I have owned the weapon since the 1970s +/-.  It was purchased new.  I know that AMT purchased OMC sometime way back.  Neither OMC or AMT are still in business?  I cannot find any references or information on OMC.  When I go to the referenced for the AMT owners manual and look at the manual for the AMT Back Up, the exterior of the weapon is obviously different from the OMC.  For starters, on the OMC, the safety is a lever on the left side of the weapon on the frame just behind the trigger.  There are multiple other visual external differences.  This raises the question, will the disassembly instructions for the AMT BackUp work on the OMC Back Up?

Now, my questions?
Is there anywhere to obtain a parts breakdown and instructions for the OMC Back Up?

Does anyone have any idea how many OMC .380 Back Ups were manufactured by OMC prior to the sale and conversion to AMT?

Answer
Peter,

From Wikipedia...

"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.[1]"

Most other 'experts' write nearly the same thing word for word as in the Wikipedia article.  I figured I'd simply give credit where credit was due.  I have no idea what constitutes a 'short run' of the OMC variant, but it doesn't sound like they made very many.  There is no known serial number data on these guns, either the OMT or the AMT.  

Since it is not considered collectable, I'm not sure that it matters a great deal in terms of the value of the gun.  There have been reports of quality issues on some of the early guns, but they are mostly anecdotal as opposed to anything that is well documented.

Here is a link to a website that has the manual that includes takedown instruction for the AMT Backup.
http://stevespages.com/page7b.htm

In the manual on this website the diagram shows the safety on the left side, just as you describe.  It is directly behind the trigger.

Check it out and see if it looks a little more like your gun.

Hope this helps you out some...

Doug Little