Llama, Llama , Llama

[Hickok44]

I have a 45 ACP in 1911. It is a Llama 1911 L/F. Bough it new in 1998. Have shot 5k rounds through it. Gun is still tight, accurate and 100 % reliable. Any other Llama owners out there have a good Llama?

 

[bikerdoc]

Never had an auto but I bought a 357 in 1970. still going strong.

 

[Walkalong]

I have one in .32 ACP that is a nice little shooter.

 

[MagnumDweeb]

Don't have one but I'd like to get one of the .380 ones one day if the money is right and the price is right. Fun fact, Colt started their Mustangs after seeing the success of Llama's with their .380s. I've always heard that Llamas are POJ but if I could find one for $200 I'd give it a go.

 

[spm]

I have a .45 Especial that I bought from a friend in the mid 70s, for about $75.00. Still goes bang. Not as accurate as my Colt, but the Colt didn't cost $75.00, either.

 

[mstreddy]

I have one in 38 Super. My father had bought it from a coworker back in the late 70's/early 80's. He later gave it to me. A buddy and I attempted to parkerize it and it didn't go well. It sat in a bag rusting and forgotten for several years due to Hurricane Andrew and a move. I "rediscovered" it back in 2006 and brought it back to the living through bead blasting and a cerama-kote finish. I remember my dad (passed in 2005) when I take it out to the range. And, it's a fun shooter too.
Had 2 others in 45, one sold, other gifted to a good buddy.

 

[tark]

Never owned a LLama, but have owned Astras and Stars, all were good guns. I think those three Spanish manufactures turned out good guns

 

[Cocked & Locked]

 

[rswartsell]

My hillbilly grandfather owned a Llama that I remember from when I was in elementary school. That was a factor in my only Llama purchase in the early '80s, a full frame "1911" .45 ACP from a gun show.

That was the worst experience I ever had in the used handgun game. I need to explain. It simply would not feed reliably and I was far too inexperienced to assess and correct the situation. Even now my ability to practically address the situation might be severely limited. Parts, 'smiths, etc. being in very short supply for the full frame Llama. I believe Llama was one of the early 1911 clone producers that went a bit off the reservation as far as JMB's original specs are concerned. Never a very good idea.

The Spanish small arms world is widely varied and fascinating. Stars, Llamas and Astras have all had very credible pieces still in service and of good quality, the "mom and pop" unregulated producers can be a horror show until Franco stepped in and regulated the industry.

Bottom line I will not hesitate to admit that there are some very good examples extant, but it is something of a crap shoot and if you need to address a problem you very well may be SOL.

 

[medalguy]

I have several Llamas: .22 LR, .380, .38 Super, 9mm, and .45 ACP. All are fun to shoot, pretty accurate, but parts and mags are nearly impossible to locate if you ever need any.

 

[Willie Sutton]

One of the brands that I miss seeing in the catalogs.

Their scale-model 1911 in .22 is a gem. The .45's aren't too bad either. Good bargains can be had.


Willie

.

 

[jcwit]

I have a number of Llama's in various calibers, all are good/excellent shooters.

The 45 I have will just about keep up with my Kimber custom.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

I had a Stoeger-imported Llama (from the late '80s), 1911-style in 9mm. It was well-made, HEAVY, and very accurate. I eventually sold it for more than I paid for it, and sometimes wish I had kept it.

(When I first got it, I asked my gunsmith to check it over, improve the trigger a bit. He told me that one of the hammer hooks was broken. He replaced the hammer with a stock 1911 hammer, to find that it and the Llama sear were incompatible. When he replaced the sear with a stock 1911 sear, they matched up fine. Those were the only parts that had to be replaced. Colt 9mm magazines would work, but weren't exactly like the Llama factory mags, and didn't cycle quite as smoothly.)

Most of the Llamas seemed like pretty good guns, in the 1970s thru the late 80's, but their final years -- when most of the gun companies in Spain were having problems -- seemed to do them in.

 

[angrymike]

I have a 1971 .380, and it runs like a Deere. Its a shiny blue, and still looks awesome too, I'd swear my life on it, and do all summer long. Nice gun......;-)
I paid almost $300.00 last year, but its very nice.........

 

[DammitBoy]

I had a llama minimax in .45 that was a great shooter after it was throated, polished, and deburred. Only sold it to upgrade to a para warthog.

 

[HOOfan_1]

My dad bought this one back in the 60's Everything about it is original still even the magazine/springs and followers. Thousands of rounds through it

 

[Pilot]

I have a Llama IIIa in .380 that I bought used in the mid 90's. It is a 1911 copy that is reduced in size, but operates similarly to a 1911, except it is the blowback version. The older IIIa's were locked breech, I believe.