Diamondback Firearms is known for their affordable, American-made guns. The Diamondback AM2 9mm pistol fits that description and is a pretty cool gun in its own right. It seems well-made and has some nice features, especially for what most would consider a budget gun. But how does it run, and most importantly, is it reliable?
The folks at Diamondback recently sent me an AM2 for testing. It has several range trips under its belt now, and here’s what I found. Let’s start with the gun’s specs:
Diamondback AM2 Pistol Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm Luger +P
- Capacity: 17+1 or 12+1
- Barrel length: 3.5 inches
- Overall Length: 6.49 inches
- Width: 1.09 inches
- Height: 5.6 inches (Extended Mag), 4.6 inches (Flush Mag)
- Weight: 22 ounces
- Sight Radius: 4.97 inches
- Trigger Pull: 5.5 lbs.
- Double Action Only
- Trigger Safety
The AM2: Not Just a Glock Clone
Diamondback’s AM2 first reminded me of a Glock 19X, what with its extended magazine, though handling the gun erases much of that first impression. The boxy slide is there, along with the familiar take-down tabs. But the grip angle is more 1911-ish, and it’s not as blocky as a Glock’s.
It’s also more comfortable. The grip texture is aggressive, covering both sides, the front, and the back, with understated front finger grooves. You won’t have any trouble gripping the AM2. There’s a slight rear palm swell that combines with the undercut trigger guard to facilitate a higher grip. An adequate beavertail protects very well against slide bite, despite that high grip.
The trigger guard isn’t as large as most of my other guns, but I had no trouble shooting with gloves, which I wanted to do. More on that shortly. The trigger guard’s front is serrated if you like to shoot that way. A three-slot accessory rail provides ample space for accessories.
The slide is boxy like a Glock’s, but all four corners are beveled for smoother handling. The front and rear cocking serrations are large and easy to grasp. It is not cut for an optic. The Glock-compatible three-dot sights are pretty good. The rear sight is dovetailed if you want to change it for night sights. The front blade has a high-visibility orange dot that I like, though it isn’t tritium or fiber optic.
The AM2’s action is a little stiff, though it should loosen up with time and use. Disassembly is exactly like a Glock. You are required to pull the trigger if the gun was previously cocked. No big deal for me, but some folks don’t like that. It’s not a problem if you’re following proper safety procedures.
AM2 Controls
The AM2 is not ambidextrous, with the slide catch and mag release on the left side only. The textured slide catch is easily reached and works like it’s supposed to.
The mag release, in my opinion, needs some work. The button is fairly large, and I can reach it with no trouble. But it’s almost flush with the grip, forcing me to alter my grip for my thumb to exert the required force. Even then, the button isn’t very responsive. I often find myself pulling the mag out with my support hand. Mags not ejecting, or at least dropping free, is not conducive to smooth reloads.
The trigger features the blade safety we all know, but it’s not exactly like a Glock trigger. The blade is shaped differently, presumably to make it more comfortable, which it probably is.
The trigger breaks at about 5.5 lbs., but it doesn’t really “break.” There’s a long take-up followed by some stacking. You essentially pull through the stacking without a wall. It’s fine, and the trigger is much smoother than a Glock’s with no grittiness. You just need to get used to pulling straight through the stacking.
But there’s one thing I don’t like. The trigger consistently bit me and my two co-testers. It came from the trigger’s tip pinching with the trigger guard. I altered my trigger finger to engage nearer my fingertip, which fixed my issue. But I didn’t like having to do that. Wearing gloves eliminated the bite, but I don’t want to always wear gloves.
My co-testers didn’t want to alter their grip, so they just dealt with it. But they didn’t like the trigger at all for that reason. I think a differently shaped trigger guard, with more space at the bottom, would solve the problem.
How Does the Diamondback AM2 Run?
Yes, it does, at least so far. I have 325 rounds through it. That’s admittedly barely enough to break it in. In my experience, however, most guns smooth out the further they go, so I’m optimistic that this AM2 will do just that and keep running. We fired the following 9mm loads over three range trips:
- 115-grain Federal American Eagle FMJ
- 124-grain Igman FMJ
- 124-grain IMI Black Dot JHP
The ammo was generously provided by Ammo-to-Go and Global Ordnance.
The AM2 was 100 percent reliable through the entire process. We experienced no failures to fire or eject and the magazine ran smoothly, including the defensive rounds. The extended 17-round magazine provides plenty of capacity, which was nice on the range, especially since we didn’t have a second mag.
We did, however, have trouble inserting the 17th round into the mag. That’s not uncommon with new mags. It’s also not a problem for me since I always download my handgun mags by one round anyway.
The gun was accurate, though we didn’t test it from the bench. But we reliably rang steel from 10 yards and in. It did fine with transitioning as we knocked over lines of plates and played on the dueling tree. We also hit from 25 yards, though my skill at that distance admittedly needs some work.
With only 325 rounds, I can’t comment on durability. No reviewer can unless they have personally run thousands of rounds through a particular gun. Long-term durability is usually where less expensive guns falter. But if we’re honest, most shooters will never even approach the number rounds needed to wear out a gun. If that number is closer to 5,000 than 10,000, it probably won’t matter to most people.
Carrying the AM2
I carried the AM2 around the house for a few days. I never carry a test gun for real. It was comfortable, but the extended mag is less than ideal. It printed pretty obviously. Diamondback does have an available 12-round flush mag that I think would be much more appropriate for carry. But the gun itself was fine.
I really like the aggressive grip texture on the draw stroke. That’s not exclusive to the AM2. Other guns have it too, but I like that feature for that purpose. The AM2’s grip isn’t the most comfortable ever, but it’s solid and positive.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I like the AM2. It has nice features and it’s reliable. I’d like to see Diamondback enlarge the trigger guard, and the mag release is a problem. That could probably be significantly mitigated by extending the release button. But I think this gun has a lot of potential for people looking for an entry-level carry gun with more than no-frills features.
I appreciate companies that make the effort to provide that. Not everyone can drop $600 or more for a carry gun. Or any gun. Modern firearms technology has enabled companies to provide a quality product for those folks. You can spend a bunch of money if you like, but price shouldn’t be a barrier to self-defense. I think Diamondback understands that and, again, I appreciate it because I was there myself once.
The market offers several inexpensive but reliable carry guns. I think the Diamondback AM2 is one of them. Even better, it’s one of the few that offers some extra features normally found on higher-end pistols. If you’re looking for such a pistol, check out the AM2. It might fit your needs very well.
