.380 Llama question

Farmer Brown

I'm kind of intrigued by these little 1911 copies. I understand that some of the older models were higher quality than the more modern versions. What model would that be, and when were they manufactured? I'd like to pick one up, but don't want to get a poor quality firearm. Anything to look for in the make-up of the pistol if a manufacturing date can't be determined?

Thanks!

rufe-snow

The old Model "VI" LLama was a .380 with a locked breech. It was made from the 30's to the early 50's. The markings vary but one of the Spanish Proof Marks would be a coded date. During that time frame it would be in the form of a capital letter. Each year was a different letter from "E" to "Z". There not commonly found any more, as they have been out of production for almost 60 years. The latter model .380's that Llama made are more common, but they don't have the locked breech mechanism.

navc130

They are good guns. The proper steel was used, good machining and good fit and finish. The American Rifleman ran some articles on the Spanish firearms industry for that time period - 1950 - 1960's. We used to buy them at the military Rod & Guns Clubs in Europe. If you get one that has a feeding problem, a knowledgable person should be able to adjust the magazine lips or the feed ramp. I don't recall any problems with them. They don't have a grip safety, only a safety notch in the hammer and trigger block (I think).
Bamavol is right. You may get one with a hard trigger pull and/or a long overtravel which makes accurate shooting difficult. Thay were not made as target guns. Those conditions can be corrected by a knowledgable person, or you just live with it.

oldnbald

I have three Llamas and I love them all. Good guns. Mine are dependable and accurate. Bought mine in the late '90s and early 00's.

Bamavol

My shooting buddy bought a new one. Triger was bad and you could'nt hit a barn at 20 feet. The old ones must be better. Look at Star. They made some good 380's.

v35

I had a miniature 1911 look alike Llama 380 that was well made and thin.
The grip angle was more vertical than the 1911.
Despite it being in new condition, it shot poorly so I sold it.

robert574

I have a Llama 380 that is one of my few remaining first pistols. The only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that it only came with those plasic grips. Could't ever find anything else made for it. Then about 1 1/2 years ago I came across a large grip dealer at a gun show and picked up a nice set of new checked wood grips for $30. What a difference that made. The blue on the pistol lower frame is not the greatest now (shows a lot of wear) but this had been one of those life-long searches so I went for it.

Bill DeShivs

The easiest way to find a good Llama is to look for one without the ventilated rib on the slide.

tsr1965

Colt also made a 1911 style 380, and now Sig Sauer is making an exact copy of the Colt Mustang. Everyone I have talked to about the Sig, that has them, love them...they are a tad pricey though.

rusty shackelford

i have a gold plated one and a chrome one both with engravings on them. let me know if you want to see a picture of them.

rusty