Llama Pocket .45s - What are these? Good?

[chiefchuck]

Go ahead, throw up!! Throw yourself on the floor kicking and screaming and then hold your breath till you turn blue.

 

[DammitBoy]

I picked up a Llama minimax .45 at a gun show last week for $250.00 - this included two magazines and a bianchi holster.

I'd heard differing reports on this gun from many different sources. I carefully inspected the firearm and it looked like it had seen a lot of use and a lot of carry time. I decided to risk the purchase and hope for the best.

Took the Llama to the range last night and put 50 rounds through it - both hollow point and ball. Never even hiccuped. I consider that to be luck of the draw though.

 

[pck3]

Just to add my .02 I have a Mini Max that I bought about 3 months ago.. So Far so good. The only issues I have had was finding ammo It LIKED.. Remington UMC has worked great.. Defenatly trust it. Ride next to Me in My big truck in downtown St. Louis

 

[HisSoldier]

I carry a llama minimax 45 in stainless'

There was a lengthy thread in the Spanish Pistol forum about that, it was determined that no Llama's were ever made of stainless. I'm not arguing, that's just what it ended up at, with input from a collector in Spain who sells Llama parts as well as other brand parts. One guy said he had one, another doubted it, so the guy who said he had one took a grip panel off and drilled a divot where it couldn't be seen and dropped instant bluing in the hole, it went black. (Nickle or chrome plate)

As to all the fuss about Llama quality, I love the Llama .380 with locked breech, one of the best .380s ever made since it is a very close scale down of a 1911. No one else even came close to it, Colt's Government .380 is based on the Star design, a totally different trigger mechanism and safety.

Yes, some are good, and some are just awful. The good ones are very nice for the reasons I mentioned, I'm a 1911 guy!

I tested the steel of a very poorly made Llama with my Rockwell tester and it was dead soft, like mild steel. Remember though, many wartime 1911 built by Colt and others were also soft, and they worked well beyond expectations.

I really wish someone would reproduce the 1940s and 50s Llama .380 with modern stainless steel and better quality control, it would be a real winner.

Anyone who really likes guns but says something about all of them being garbage just doesn't care about a true design classic, in my opinion, at least if they include the .380.

Now, if someone wants to talk about Stars I will wax eloquent.

 

[blkbrd666]

Wow, I thought this thread title looked familiar. I have never owned a Llama, but an old neighbor had several. They were all fullsize. I never had the desire to shoot one even though they would try to spit on you if you got too close.

 

[test drive]

First gun i ever bought from a gun store was a brand new full size llama back in 86. the blue was nice but the gun would not feed even hard ball without jamming. traded it. few years later i got a new in the box llama max I commader size. much closer to a real 1911. this gun was great. dead reliable with any ammo. and grouped fair but not great. sold it. few years later got a used llama max I commander. could not hit the side off a barn from inside the barn. would feed hard ball but thats it. sold it. few years later got a fire storm (llama) new in the box. gun was ok but only a range gun at best. traded it. in 06 i picked up used high cap llama sub compact at a gun show, 275.00 uot the door. this gun will feed anything and and has never had a stoppage. and has 1 inch groups. and shoots to point of aim. i guess what im saying is, all gun makers make good ones and bad ones, most make moore good than bad, say, 90/10 but LLama seems to be much less say 70/30

 

[coyotemoon]

Just my 2 cents. I have a Llama in 32acp, one of the best auto loaders I have ever owned, accurate and never any problems. And I think the Llama Comanche is one of the best revolvers ever made, besides the Ruger GP100(or any Ruger for that matter)and the Taurus M66. Been a gunsmith for over 40 years, worked on many guns, these are my favorites.Just my opinion

 

[Rex B]

.380s

I'm with HisSoldier on the .380 Llamas. I have 4 or 5 made in the 1940s that are little jewels of mini-1911 workmanship. Several are too nice to shoot, but the shooters are reliable and accurate.
After buying 5 within a little over a year, I have not seen a single one for sale in almost a year.
I think HisSoldier and I need to keep quiet about these things