# Llama .380



## nukehayes

My wife and I were at Cabela's yesterday and while looking around at the gun counter she found this used Llama .380 Model IIIA. Well she liked it a lot but the line to be helped was like 2 hours long, so we didn't get to hold it. She loved the size of it and said that it would be something she would definately carry (she still won't carry any of mine except the P22). I would like to know more about this gun, I tried to google it and all my usual internet haunts and can't seem to find much on it. Any info yall have would be appreciated. She likes the narrow grip as she as short fingers, and I know the recoil won't be an issue. Maybe I'll just find a similar sized 1911 in .380acp. Mustang pocketlite maybe? I dunno, I can't seem to find a carry gun she likes, this is the only one she came and grabbed to show me while I was drooling over the HKP30


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## AndyF150

nukehayes said:


> My wife and I were at Cabela's yesterday and while looking around at the gun counter she found this used Llama .380 Model IIIA. Well she liked it a lot but the line to be helped was like 2 hours long, so we didn't get to hold it. She loved the size of it and said that it would be something she would definately carry (she still won't carry any of mine except the P22). I would like to know more about this gun, I tried to google it and all my usual internet haunts and can't seem to find much on it. Any info yall have would be appreciated. She likes the narrow grip as she as short fingers, and I know the recoil won't be an issue. Maybe I'll just find a similar sized 1911 in .380acp. Mustang pocketlite maybe? I dunno, I can't seem to find a carry gun she likes, this is the only one she came and grabbed to show me while I was drooling over the HKP30


Has she seen the Keltec P3AT? It's a very small .380 that fits quite well in a front pants pocket, or purse. If she really likes the Llama, then I think she would like the Colt mustang as well. The Colt would be much better in terms of quality and craftmanship.


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## Baldy

Hey Nuke most guys consider them in with the Saturday-night specials. Has she tried a Bersa .380 yet? Lots of folks like them. Good luck.


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## nukehayes

She doesn't like the 'look' of my PPK/S and therefore doesn't like the Bersa. I have trained her well, she likes how 1911's look. Also the KT P3AT is too small for her to hold comfortably. I'll be getting one for myself in the future though.


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## Baldy

If she likes the looks of the 1911 then there is only one gun for her in the .380 caliber and that's the Colt MK IV/Series 80 Government Model .380auto. Now this is not the pony. It's the one my wife wanted and they are exspensive. Good luck in finding one. It's a shooter I'll tell you that.:smt1099


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## BeefyBeefo

mmm....that's purrrddyyy

-Jeff-


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## Mike Barham

I can think of literally dozens of guns I'd carry for defense before anything that said "Llama" on it. I once had a Llama 1911 knock-off that wouldn't go through a single magazine without a malfunction.

Anyway, these guns are no longer in production as far as I know, and this will make parts hard to come by when it inevitably breaks.


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## PhilR.

Llamas run hot or cold, and more often cold than not. Unless you are just buying it for curiosity's sake, I would have to say that your money would be better (much) spent on a Colt. Yes, it might take a while to find one, but the Colts hold their value well, and there are several places that make metal guide rods and replacement springs, should you need them. AFAIK, the Colt is the only other .380 in that form.

I'm surprised that she would find the KT to be too small. Unless you have a freakishly large wife, I'm fairly certain that my hands are bigger, but I have no problem at all shooting one. Perhaps she will get used to yours, once you buy one. You might also wait a bit though, and check out the new Ruger LCP when it comes out next month. It might well be a better pistol than the P3AT.

One suggestion for a small .380 that would have a bigger grip than a P3AT would be the Beretta Tomcat, which has the tip-up barrel. Very easy to load/unload. Kinda pricey though, and that amount would go a long way to paying for a Mustang....

PhilR.


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## nukehayes

Tomcats only come in .32acp, and I've already showed one to her...no dice. We ended up buying the Llama, she loves it. She couldn't wait to take it all apart and clean it and learn how it all works. Man it's been a while since I stripped a 1911. We got it all cleaned and purdied up. The action is a little stiff. It is not a quality piece, but it works so far. A range report is coming as soon as my hand is better. I hope it is more reliable than the one you had, Mike. We will see. If it doesn't work well enough we'll sell it and get a Taurus or Ruger snubby. She's okay with getting a revolver, but she had to have this one. I hope it lives up to her expectations.


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## Randall Donahoo

*How much $?*

Do you mind saying what you paid for the Llama .380? I was at a gun show in Ft. Worth 2 weeks ago and saw a couple. I think they were used, but in very nice shape, and the asking price was $299 each, if I remember right.

Coincidentally, a day or two before going to the show, I had shot this very model. It was in my brother-in-law's collection. It is small, though not exactly pocket-weight. But I loved the feel of this gun, and I was stunned with the accuracy, though I was just "burn-pile plinking." Offhand at probably 15 yards, I hit a strip of cardboard less than 3" wide right in the center where I was aiming.

Most Llamas may be junk, as suggested in this thread, but I have yet to see one that felt loose and junkie, and the only one I've shot was a sweetheart. I prefer .45, .357, or 10mm mostly, but I'd trust this little .380 if it were in my possession when I needed a gun.

So, congratulations on your purchase!


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## nukehayes

The price was $199. I found on e-gunparts.com an entire page full of parts for it, hopefully it wont be a jammamatic.


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## MrsNukeHayes

*Hey!! Mrs Nuke Here!!*

WELL gentelmen, I am finally going to shoot my baby Llama today!!:mrgreen: I Can't wait! I love everything about it! I knew I'd come accross a gun and just *Know* it would be perfect for me and when I saw it, i got that butterfly feeling, HAHA. Ill have to come back later tonight and let you know how it was and maybe post my targets...because you know they will be good...lol, maybe.


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## DevilsJohnson

A Llama is not built near as well as about..any other pistol. I might take it over a hi point unless i needed the extra size to use for a paperweight. They look like 1911's but they are not. Well, not really. 1911 parts will not fit a Llama

I'm not some 1911 purist that thinks everything needs to be a Colt or a Kimber etc..It's just that they are not near as well built as most anthing else that will look like them. I was offered the full size llama new for 209.00 a while back. i got a chance to shoot (Well..try to shoot)one a few days before my trip to the store. I'm glad I did. That would have been a really bad use of that money.


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## niadhf

Baldy said:


> If she likes the looks of the 1911 then there is only one gun for her in the .380 caliber and that's the Colt MK IV/Series 80 Government Model .380auto. Now this is not the pony. It's the one my wife wanted and they are exspensive. Good luck in finding one. It's a shooter I'll tell you that.:smt1099


:drooling::drooling::drooling:

i passed on one of these 20 years ago for mny officers 45. I love that offecirs, but still kick myself on passing on that mustang
:buttkick:


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## AR1911

*How about a postitive vote?*

I like pocket .380s, and I like Llama.s, so I'll weigh in here.
Last year someone offered a Llama MicroMax .380 for sale on another board, $200. Geography prevented me buying that one, but I started looking for them locally. A few weeks later in Cabelas, I spied a small 1911 for $199. Of course it was a Llama .380, and I bought it immediately. turned out to have been made in 1946, and was mint, apparently unfired. Since then I have bought 2 more llama .380s, and 3 other Llamas. I've also researched them quite a bit. 
If you can fin a small-bore mini-1911 Llama from 1950 or back, those are the best - high quality, and all the features of a 1911 - locking breech etc. these have wood grips, straight grip frames, and non-ribbed slides, good steel, nice bluing. I will buy all I can of these for $300 or less. They fit my hands much better than my Keltec. They are sweet shooters, very accurate, very little recoil.
During the 1950s wood grips continued, as did the high quality, though they varied mechanically from the 1911 pattern. 
In the 1960s s - 1980s grips were plastic and slide ribs were pronounced. these also appear to be the years that llama acquired a bad rep. Most were also blowback, which made the recoil harsher.
From about the mid 1990s on quality became much better. Most of the Max series guns appear to be reliable and accurate over long periods. 
So enjoy your Llama .380. Most people who have owned one love them. Parts will be scarce but I bet you won't need any unless you work it long and hard. The same can be said for a Colt.

Having said all that, my carry weapon is still a Keltec .380. Add the magazine lip from NAA or Bersa and it works a whole lot better. without it you may as well be trying grip a bar of soap by the end - not enough to hold on to. the pinky extension is mandatory for me.
why don't I carry one of the llamas? One reason: The firing pin does not float, so I cannot carry it hammer down on a loaded chamber. And I don't want to carry Locked & Loaded in my pocket. 
Be sure your wife understands this. If she is going to carry it, she either needs to carry with an empty chamber, requiring her to rack the slide when she pulls it, or carry it cocked with the safety on. I think the latter requires a holster with a safety strp over the hammer.

Oh, if any of you happen to have one of those old POS Llamas you want to get rid of, drop me a line.


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## AR1911

Baldy said:


> If she likes the looks of the 1911 then there is only one gun for her in the .380 caliber and that's the Colt MK IV/Series 80 Government Model .380auto. Now this is not the pony. It's the one my wife wanted and they are exspensive. Good luck in finding one. It's a shooter I'll tell you that.:smt1099


Baldy, a Colt Govt .380 is on my very short 'buy' list. they seem to be going for North of $500 currently, but I've about talked myself into buying one instead of a set of race tires. The Colt would probably last more than 2 weekends, more than I can say for the tires.


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## one-eyed fat man

"If you can find a small-bore mini-1911 Llama from 1950 or back, those are the best - high quality, and all the features of a 1911 - locking breech etc. these have wood grips, straight grip frames, and non-ribbed slides, good steel, nice bluing. They are sweet shooters, very accurate, very little recoil."

I will second those remarks, Llama changed from locked breech in the early 80's to straight blowback operation. The earlier guns were all the world like a 5/8 scale 1911, to include the link and tilting barrel locking into lugs in the slide. They had an external extractor, that unlike the Kimber 30 years later, worked well. They came with pretty good sights for a pocket gun, although the rear sight would benefit from a good "de-horning" lest you slice your hand open. 

And one of the things that happens quite frequently at work is as the conversation turns to CCW, someone invariably says, their carry gun is a custom double stack Loudenboomer in 577-450. Of course, the response is, "Wow, let me see!!"

"Wait a minute while I go to the truck"

Where upon he spies the Llama or Kel-tec in my hand and asks, "What's with that little popgun."

"That's what keeps you from getting to your truck."

A dependable .380 you actually carry is a lot more useful than all the guns still at home in the safe.


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## submoa

Hmmmm... Llama....


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## AR1911

*Llama*


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## Peacemaker

I would pick one up for $199. I bought a stainless .380 Star that shoots really nice. Grips were hard to find though.

Good luck with the new pistol.


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## AR1911

*Back*

Yeah, I know this is an old thread.

But I want to follow up on the Star .380s. I have two of the SS models, with is the later version with the mag safety. These are excellent quality in the 1911 style. The lockwork is nothing like a 1911, though it is a locked-breech.
They have a longer grip frame than the Llamas, so more capacity and better fit. They feel great in the hand, and most have a good trigger after some break-in.

Parts for Stars and other Spanish guns are available from "Star" on gunboards.com. His name is Jorge, and he lives in Zaragoza, Spain. He bought a bunch of NOS Star parts, along with some Llama and Astra. he sells them as a hobby. He has new reproduction walnut grips for all the Star pistols. Good guy, and the grips are beautiful.


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## evnglmike

I just picked up a Llama 380 no feeding problems I love this gun I'm not sure of the model as it does not have the grip safety like most I;ve seen I would like to getanother mag or two kinda afraid to order one without model #s having said you have done research can you help me date and model this weapon thanks Mike


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## BeefyBeefo

evnglmike said:


> I just picked up a Llama 380 no feeding problems I love this gun I'm not sure of the model as it does not have the grip safety like most I;ve seen I would like to getanother mag or two kinda afraid to order one without model #s having said you have done research can you help me date and model this weapon thanks Mike


Punctuation is your friend.

You're going to need to provide more details, and preferably some pictures if you want anybody to help you date your weapon.

Welcome to the forum.


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## plentyofpaws

I carried a Llama .32 in 'Nam. If ever I could find one in good shape I'd buy just for old times sake.

My .32 never gave me a lick of trouble and trust me, it was under the harshest of conditions.


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## Aerolite

Hello. I am new to this forum and pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this thread. I have the Llama IIIA Nuke bought for his Mrs. I also have a Glock 17 and a S/W .38 6" barrel that I carried in RVN. I bought the Llama back in the mid 80's from a guy at work. Paid around $50 for it if memory serves. Have fired it a number of times over the years with no problems. I have only recently gotten my concealed carry license in NC. What I need is to find a good holster for inside the waist band to carry the Llama. I'd appreciate any ideas as to what holster and where I might get one.

Thanks


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## scooter

go to the main forum page and about 3/4 of the way down is a forum on holsters/manufacturers


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## sportstertim

Hello everyone. I just found this forum while searching for some tech tips on my Llame "Especial" 380. I've owned my Llama for about 20 years having picked it up at a gun show for $150.00. I've put thousands of rounds throught it with no problems. I purchaced a Beretta 84fs Cheetah in .380 and let my Llama sit in the safe for a year unused. When I pulled it out a few weeks ago, the magazine catch wouldn't keep the magazine in. This had me worried, but after oiling the heck out of the catch, it again worked just fine. I'll never neglect it again as it's a great little shooter, and accurate. I ordered a few parts from Numrich just in case including an almost new magazine catch, but mostly all the springs as they don't seem to hold up with age. I've stripped it down and am taking it to the platers for some sprucing up. I would recomend this pistol to anyone looking for a light carry weapon as long as you can find one in good shape and for $250.00 or less.


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## Dvan34

I have one that I bought way back in 1958 and carried as an undercover gun. It is unfortunate that Llama went out of business. I have not fired it in many years and moved on lately to the S&W Shield .40. There are some great informative videos of the Llama .380 on Youtube. It is a beautiful little version of the 1911.


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## Dvan34

*Llama 38 Auto- video*



AR1911 said:


>


Published on Aug 10, 2013
The Llama Especial, also known as the Micro-Max, or the Llama IIIa, is a 7/8th copy of a 1911Ai pistol, chambered in .380 caliber. The Especial is a great little shooter that is much stronger than the typical blow-back operated .380s we usually run across. It is a real fun gun to shoot.


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## Scorpion8

They are great little guns, but they also suffer from some problems like any other. My IIIa .380 will fail to extract about 40% of the time, and I've been fighting it for awhile now. On the other hand, I have a Llama Max-I L/F .45 ACP 1911-clone that is rugged, accurate, and the equal of any other 1911 in it's range. Llama was an old Spanish gun maker and they made superb firearms until their industry crumbled in the 1990's.


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## AirForceShooter

I've had the Llama for 40 years.
It's a good shooter. 
I replaced it with a Colt XSP polymer .380. It's a 1911 clone and hasn't failed on a single shot.

The Llama can be hard to find parts for

AFS


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## Dvan34

I just read your post. The Lllama.380 Especial is coming out again in the 1911. It is the same pistol. I am uncertain as to who the Mfgr. is. I think it is being sold at this time. I have one of the originals which I used to carry CC off duty. I hadn't fired it in probably 40 years. I took it to the range a couple of days ago and fired it along with the SW M&P Shield .40 Caliber. I love the 1911 take down. It is still a great pistol. With the new versions of .380 bullets it should provide plenty of protection. It is accurate, has little recoil. This is the same exact model you and your wife saw at Cabela's. No changes. I am glad to see this since there will be spare magazines and parts that can be ordered. This is an excellent undercover and concealable pistol. And extremely safe in the 1911.


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## shootbrownelk

Dvan34 said:


> I have one that I bought way back in 1958 and carried as an undercover gun. It is unfortunate that Llama went out of business. I have not fired it in many years and moved on lately to the S&W Shield .40. There are some great informative videos of the Llama .380 on Youtube. It is a beautiful little version of the 1911.


 What's a beautiful little version of the 1911, is the Kimber Micro .380. It's sweet, not sure on what the street price is. It'd be worth a look.


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## Scorpion8

Dvan34 said:


> The Lllama.380 Especial is coming out again in the 1911.


Browning is coming out with one, and I believe Arsmcor already has also. Why it took them so long ....


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