I've never heard all that much good about the Llama auto's.

I owned one in .38 Super years back, and it was ok. Would only work with ball ammo...which meant .38acp, as the only 'Super' round made at the time was Remington hollowpoints. The Llama hated hollowpoints!

I kept it for a year or so and bought something better.

My retired pal shows up with a small .32acp Llama bought at a gunshow a few months ago. I looked the model up, but forgot what it was(XIII, orIIIX moot point). Came in the box, near new looking. Stoeger imported. Probably from the 1960's or so.

There is a reason the old pistol is near new in the box. Reason being that it's a ***!

He tried to shoot it, but its got a broken grip safty spring. like a 3 fingered 1911 grip safty/sear/trigger/disconector spring, only small.

Pal wants me to fix it. I take it apart(like a month ago), sure enough, the part of the leaf spring for the grip safty is busted off/gone. Pistol looks like new inside. Close to new outside. No model markings. No model markings on the box. I figure out what it is and look for parts....and look for parts....call Popperts, Jack First, Bob's, Numerich, Hoosier's...waste of time.

Get to thinking about it...pistol should still work, just have a floppy grip safty. The internals are just miniture 1911 style parts.

I put the giblets back together, and it does work...after a fashion. Not only is the grip safty spring busted, somethings jacked with the safty lever too! Have to hold it down for the hammer to drop. I pull it apart again. All looks good, no wear, nothing marred/broken. Put it back together. Same.

Dawns on me the slide stop/safty detent tube is loose. The part just screws on the Llama, not staked like a Colt 1911. I tighten the tube and it don't help....the safty isn't properly fitted in this near new looking old *** pistol.

I think somebody busted the grip safty spring off trying to rectify the trigger/safty issue, thinking the grip safty was the problem. It ain't! I took the grip safty clean out, and it's the safty lever gives the trigger it's hitch.

I just can't work up much enthusiasm to go filing on the safty mechanism. If I want a grip safty spring, I will have to make one. It's a cute little hunk-O-&#it!

Needs a safty refit and I suspect the lever detent tube is misplaced on the frame. Parts will have to be made, repaired, refitted. I would do it myself if I owned it. However I really don't care to monkey with another man's safty parts.

No particularly competent gunsmiths around here, and it ain't worth spending much on. I'm done with it, out of my league, plus I'm peo'd at the thing!

What do I tell my buddy?...."Hey pal...you been screwed"...."Here you go. It's broke"...."Great paperweight"....What?

I have to be subtle...'cause I think he paid like $175 for this nice looking, 99%, in box paperweight.

Well, you could be subtle:
"Where are the rest of the parts?"
"Was this a kit?"
"Did you get kissed first?"

May I ask the purpose of your post? You take a few isolated examples, and you proceed to rant about what a *** a LLama pistol is in your eyes.
I've heard these same points about blasting Llamas: "***", "Paperweight", "You get what you pay for", ad nauseum.
What am I missing?
Again, what's your point? All Llama's are worthless?
BTW, I've owned two: damn good pistols...So, what does that say?
Stevie, re-read the last part of your OP, my fault on interpreting your intent. I guess I just have "Llama fever"....

This Llama is a hunk....I can't say too much bad about my first, except it only liked ball ammo. I own a really old one, Ruby, rust ball, it works fine.

Didn't mean to hurt your feelings....sorry.

Done told my pal what it is. He wants me to fix it anyhow....I'm not enthused, and may not.

If you want to stay being his "pal", then I wouldn't work on it either. This thing looks like it will split apart a friendship in a heartbeat. I'd give it back to him and let him down easy with some excuse - something like: "...I just don't have the time or patience to work on this, and I know this pistol means a lot to you. Why don't you check with (insert the names of a couple of area gunsmiths)", and then duck and run like hell!

Best of luck,

Dave

If I may make a few observations upon the first post in this thread...

I concur that the poster is frustrated with his inability to satisfy the needs of his friend in repairing said pistol because of the inadequacies of parts supply chain management and the apparent issues of quality control procedures in place at the facility where said pistol was manufactured at the time it was manufactured.

To put it simply, he's just frustrated and ranting to us cause he can't fix it easily, and don't want to disappoint his buddy.

We're a good forum to rant on.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

Still ranting....It will be ok....I think I just fixed the safty lever!

Filed about .004" worth of leftover machine burr off the working surface of the lever. Put it back together, and now you can pull the trigger and drop the hammer when the safty is off.

And believe it or not....safty still works without sear creep! looking better anyhow.

Getting good at scattering and reassembling the thing. Will never look at a 1911 the same again! Although this one just shares lockwork design, really is a blowback, no barrel link, slide stop just traps the barrel leg in the frame.

Also took a better look at the box(pistol cost $59.87, new price I guess), and it's a IIIA....I think Numerich Arms has the spring for that model. Won't have to saw up a feeler gage and bend a three eared spring out of it.

My old retired buddy might just have a functional pistol yet. I hope.

Here's a picture of my junky old Llama It's such an eye sore I guess I'll have to keep it forever.

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Art