Got me a Llama 45

[Scotty 2 Hotty]

Hey yall, got me a Llama 45 a couple days ago at a good price. Shoots like a dream. Already put 200 rounds through it. I have heard alot of Bad stuff about llama, but I am impressed with this one. At the price i couldn't beat it. Let me know what you all think.

God Bless You All,
Scott:banghead:

 

[aka108]

Not a thing wrong with them. Just less costly. I've know people who have owned big name big buck 1911 style 45's that have never run really good.

 

[sloman]

Hey

Greetings from G'ville County, SC! Where did you buy your Llama??

 

[Gifted]

Same as I thought. I've had more than a few malfunctions, but I don't have the knowledge right now to troubleshoot much, and it's not being depended on for anything more than holes in paper and bowling pins.

There are two basic kinds of Llamas. First is the older ones, which were pretty crappy. Several years ago, the gunsmiths bought the factory, and they were making good guns. More recently the investors decided they wanted cash, not investment, and I don't know if that was resolved.

 

[Steve C]

While Spanish guns have been known for the lack of consistent quality when you get a good one hang on to it. I've known people that have had good and bad luck with them.

The one thing to be careful with is that they don't have an inertial firing pin and when the hammer is in the down position the firing pin protrudes and will be on the primer. If you drop the gun you could get an accidental discharge if it lands on the hammer. This was how they where years ago and I'm not sure if they ever corrected the design. Its a simple enough thing to check with the slide locked back take a screw driver or other implement push the back of the firing pin flush with the face of the slide stop, then look into the camber and see if the firing pin protrudes. All it really means is that the gun isn't safe to store or carry with a round chambered and the hammer down.

 

[Snowdog]

S2H,
I never had any failures with my Llama Minimax when I owned it. I put perhaps 500 rounds through it of various ammunition, primarily Raineir Hexhead plated HPs and FMJs (all homebrew). It did have a tendency to bonk me in the forhead every 20 rounds or so.

If you have one that works, consider yourself lucky and enjoy!

 

[Ron James]

The big problem will be when you need parts since Llama is no longer with the living.

 

[Mad Magyar]

I had this Llama IXA .45 for a few years and it was as good as any .45 I've owned...It was supposedly the older model that is a POS; but it never gave me any problems with any ammo.
I didn't like the plain as vanilla brown grips and altered mine with a nice black Australian snake skin...
The few parts that I needed, like replacement springs, came from Numrich..Extra mag from a gun show & eBay....
Glad to know you are happy with yours...
How about PIC????

 

[Kurt S.]

I've owned 3 Llama pistols. One of the first guns I ever bought (back in the '70s) was a Llama .380. I found out much later these had a terrible reputation, but I must have put 300 or 400 rounds through it without any problems, not a break-in period or anything. Ended up getting stolen.

I had one of those old model Llama .45s. I bought it used because, well, I needed a handgun at the time (rather not discuss the circumstances right now). It cost me over 1/2 of my weekly paycheck but it was well worth it. I couldn't even afford Winchester or Remington FMJ's for it and had to make do with a box of LRN reloads, which worked fine. I fired half the box as a test without any problems and saved the rest for possible social work. Later, I fired it with several different brands of FMJ, not a single problem. I wound up trading it for a used Hi-Standard pump gun!

My last Llama .45 was a MiniMax. It took 500 rounds, endless tinkering, and a new $40 magazine before I could get it to fire a whole mag without problems. I sold it for 1/2 of what I paid for it but I think I got the better end of the deal. I think maybe the problem for me was short-barreled 1911s, I had even worse issues with a Springfield MicroCompact.

 

[wally]

I'd have no problem buying a Llama, but only if I could shoot it first to be sure it worked. Like anything else, if you get one that works that's great, what could be wrong with it? Parts and repairs down the road are another issue, but most any gun that works initially will go many thousands of rounds with little more than cleaning and the occasional spring replacement.

--wally.

 

[Jim K]

A while back, a friend asked me to test his Mini-Max since he couldn't get it to group. It was trash. It worked OK, but the best groups at 25 yards were on the order of 12-16 inches. The barrel was poorly fitted, the slide was sloppy and the gun inside was full of file marks, not a good sign. (No, "hand fitted" is not what you want to hear about a gun.)

The gun was nice looking, and I really liked the external appearance, but internally it was basura pura. He was going to spend a lot of money because the seller had assured him that the gun could be "accurized" for a few dollars. I recommended he trade the gun; maybe one of the Llama fans bought it and is happy.

Jim

 

[Joe Gunns]

1974. Saw an ad for Llama .45 auto in Shootin' Times for $119. Two days later I'm in Fred Meyers doing the grocery shopping with the missus and happen to drop by the sporting goods section. Saw a nice, wood-gripped Llama .45 auto in their case for $75. Bought it right now! (That was in the day when the Sporting Goods Stores charged manufacturer suggested prices, or more.) Had it 11 years, fed it all kindsa ammo -jacketed, lead, big-hole hollow-points, factory, my reloads, other guys reloads- not one problem. Handled any mag I stuffed in it. Did no mods. It shot 'em where I was lookin', no probs. Heard other guys horror stories, so when I needed extra funds I sold it off. Of all the guns I sold, that is the one of two that I would like back. However, I figured I lucked out with that piece and am leery of buying another.
James

 

[MachIVshooter]

I currently have 4 Lllama's, 2 Max-1's, a Micro-Max .380 and an old IIIa .380. The IIIa is a really nice little piece (it's a very early one). The others are more typical of Llama; decent shooters, but pretty rough around the edges. Though I've never worn one out, you will notice that Llama pistols tend to use fairly soft metals that quickly show signs of battering in such areas as the slide stop notch.

That said, the Llama's I have owned always functioned pretty well with mediocre-to-decent accuracy. No less than I would expect from a $250 .45.

 

[hankdatank1362]

Watch the plunger tube... they have a tendency to shoot loose. Is yours pinned and staked or screwed?

If screwed, I suggest Loc-Tite. If pinned, I suggest JB Weld.

 

[Gifted]

Rough is about right. Mine's no tack driver, but when I get the extraction problems fixed it'll be enough for a dresser gun or some such. Thing is, the newer ones were made on CNC machines, and the low price is the lack of finishing. Sam ran his stones over mine, and pointed out a few issues that didn't do much to cause problems, and pointed out that the factory trigger was actually pretty good.

The tolerances I've been told are not milspec, but close. Thus any parts transfer would require some modification.

 

[rolltide]

I own a Mini-Max 45 and it is no tack driver but is 100% reliable. No complaints. It does everything a 45 that cost me less than 2 bills should. I did use it to qualify for a CCW. It is accurate enough for that.

Roll Tide

 

[MacViolinist]

I had a Llama after my dad gave it to me on my 21st. Years ago.

It was horribly bad. I was lucky to make it through my first CHL shooting test without a major problem. I spent close to a thousand bucks at the gunsmith trying to get it to work right.

It was never reliable. I would never carry it. Who wants to carry something that won't work? I keep it around only because my dad gave it to me. Not even worth the trouble of shooting every once in a while.

Not trying to bash, that's just my experience with one gun.

 

[GRIZ22]

While Spanish guns have been known for the lack of consistent quality when you get a good one hang on to it. I've known people that have had good and bad luck with them.


I have personal experience to back up this statement. I bought two Llama 380s about 20 years ago. Always liked the "little 1911" look. These were used police guns from some South American country. Both had a good deal of holster wear and they were really cheap (like $60 each). The serial numbers are only a few hundred apart. One has been a gem since I bought it and have fired several thousand rounds with no problems. The other never got through a magazine without some type of malfunction.

 

[Rex B]

I traded for a Max-1 a few months ago, got a great deal. This one is of recent manufacture and never fired. The quality appears fine, although it does have sharp edges. I have dry-fired it quite a bit and it leaves the inside of my thumb sore. Otherwise it seems fine, but again, I have not fired it.
I have taken it apart after trying a Ciener conversion slide on it and finding out it won't work. It was stuck, disassembly required. Everything looks standard 1911, with 2 exceptions: Plunger tube (screw attachment) and grip panel screw-hole locations.
Also, mine has a firing pin block. The firing pin will not move forward unless the grip safety is pressed. This is also the reason the Ciener slide did not work. I could use the slide if I removed the firing pin block from the receiver, but I'd have to replace it to use the original slide..
I'll test fire it soon. Unless it's a dog, I'll be keeping it

 

[Treo]

I actually had one fall apart in my hands. Hell will freeze SOLID before I own another one. my wife bought a micromax (.380) for a CCW and I INSISTED she buy another type gun ( She ended up W/ a CZ 2075)

 

[capttom]

a Llama .22

Twenty years ago I bought a used Llama .22. I don't know the model number, but it was basically a rimfire MdlIII, I think It was a nice looking gun and shot well until the rear of the firing pin peened over and the gun went full auto on me at the range. Talk about scary! The soft steel (i guess) of the firing pin was the problem. I had a new pin fitted and sold it to a cousin whom I didn't like.

 

[Rex B]

I have a couple of older Llama .380s. These were built in the 1940s, apparently before they gave them model numbers. They are both in mint condition, one apparently never fired. They are 3/4-scaled 1911A1s, deep blued, good steel. They do not have the ribbed slide like the later ones. They are my favorite guns out of about 30 I own. I think they are currently undervalued, so I intend to buy more as I run across them.
I did take one to the range to test fire recently, for the first time. It shot good, very mild recoil compared to my Keltec .380. But 3 or 4 rounds of each magazine fired full auto. I think I traced that back to a defective sear spring. I think I have it fixed but have not tested it.

As for overall Llama quality, my take is that anything made before 1960 or after 1995 is probably good to very good quality. Those made in 1970 - 1994 (approx) I'd probably avoid unless I wanted a cheap gun to tinker with. Some of the parts are interchangeable with later guns, so might be good for spares.

Someone mentioned firing pin protrusion, and I can confirm this. My .380s do not have floated firing pins, so can't be carried with hammer down on a live round. However the Max-1 .45 ACP (2005) does have the floating firing pin.
My guess is that the .380 firing pin is not heavy enough to work as a floating design.