Llama .380

[Blackhawker]

Anybody know anything about Llama .380's?  I came across what I guess is an old one at a store the other day.  It looks like a 1911 but mini sized.  It's in very nice condition and I could probably get the price down to about $150 if I work on it.  Everything seems tight and the finish is nice.  If I had to guess, it's probably from the 80's or maybe the 70's.  I really have no idea.  Who know's, it may be even older.  It has a fairly ugly set of grips on it; brown plastic, but are in very good condition.  Seems like something of the 60's or 70's.       The only thing that I noticed that seems awfully odd on this pistol is that the rifling in the barrel seems evenly worn all the way around except for the top portion of the barrel for at least the first inch or two from the chamber.  This seems to tell me that there is a chambering issue maybe???  Not really sure.
 
Anybody know anything about these "Pistola's"?

[drdougrx]

I have a friend that had one and sold it a few years ago.  They were pretty good carry often - shoot seldom, guns.

[Blackhawk44]

Quality varied as did reliability.  Llama would not be my carry gun. 

[odoh]

Back in the 70s our HW store had'em for $145. I tried to save up to buy one but soon discontinued. I liked them as they were locked up just like a 1911 whereas most other 380s were blowback.

[Blackhawker]

Thanks for the info guys.  I'm sure that by now the gun is long gone.  However, I've done a little research and I've read about the same as what is posted here;  the quality of these handguns was hit or miss.  Some people loved them, some people would pay you to take it away from them.  I don't know if it's worth $150 and the cost of some ammo and having a yellow sheet filled in my name to find out if this thing works or not when I could just buy a Bersa Thunder or something similar for an extra hundred bucks.    As much as this pistol looked and felt really nice, I'll probably pass on it. 

[Blackhawk44]

The Bersas have had far better quality control than Llama ever did. 

[us920669]

I had one a long time ago and thought it was OK.  I'm probably not qualified to properly evaluate it but it never gave me any trouble.  I gave it to my girl friend at the time.  Her ex was a Marine officer and she shot his 1911 some, so she thought the little Llama was really cool.  I know she shot it and never had a problem either.  I don't know if anything has ever been written on them, but I stayed interested in them off and on and talking to people at shows I have gotten the impression that mine was either really early or possibly for the non-US market.  It had an engraved slide (probably just pressed in) and no vent rib.  I got it with no grips so I made some out of horn.  I think the earlier US guns had very nice checkered grips, walnut or similar, and the brown plastic with thumb rest are newer, which means many decades now.  As I recall, my bore was very nice , that uneven rifling would give me pause.   $150 is not bad, a few have sold on Gunbroker for more.