engraved llama .380

single 5 · May-03-14 12:05

Hey guys, I just happened to pick up an engraved llama
380 @ a yard sale. I couldn't
pass it up for the price. The condition is "neglect". It needs a thorough cleaning inside and out. The gun is solid and does fire. Anyone have any experiance with these guns?

TwoGunJayne · May-03-14 15:05

Let the cat from the bag since you've ponied the scratch.

Full-strip clean and inspect it. Source parts if you don't like the look. Springs are always a plus.

You took the project when you said yes.

bill_deshivs · May-03-14 23:05

I have a little experience with them. Is the gun blued or chromed?
What do you want to know about it?

single 5 · May-04-14 07:05

Well I found out by the A1 stamp that the gun was made in 1955. After a thorough bath in solvents it now functions flawlessly

. I am going to take an old tooth brush and scrub somemore. The gun isn't chrome, but has a dull silver finish? May be blued, not sure, will do some polishing and report back.

bill_deshivs · May-04-14 11:05

Can you post a picture?

antares_b · May-04-14 12:05

I can't believe you found a gun at a yard sale. Lucky!

I held an old Llama .380 recently. I was impressed with the build quality and the classic look. It also felt great in the hand.

The restoration should be a fun project for you.

OV-1D · May-06-14 04:05

WOW !! Now that's engraving , it almost looks that 20 % of the metal been removed on the entire piece , beautiful though and of course the mini .

TwoGunJayne · May-06-14 07:05

That's really nice looking!

RogueTS1 · May-06-14 10:05

I like it!

bill_deshivs · May-06-14 11:05

It's an earlier model, without the ventilated rib. These are very nice guns. Standard factory crude engraving. The finish appears to be blued, but I can't really tell from your pictures. The grips are cow horn.

single 5 · May-06-14 13:05

Thanks everyone. bil_deshivs, do you know what model it may be?

bill_deshivs · May-06-14 15:05

Model 15 maybe?

grayelky · May-07-14 20:05

My Dad had a chrome engraved Llama .380. Very nice shooter. Once you take it apart, checkf to see if the barrel has locking lugs, like a .45. If so, you can load some VERY interesting loads. We had some that were supposed to get 1300 fps with a 90 gr bullet. I suspect with today's powders, you could get even higher velocities. Add modern, bonded core bullets and you have a pretty decent self defense handgun, especially if you are a 1911 fan.

Mind saying how much you paid for it, ball parkish, of course.

single 5 · May-08-14 10:05

It doesn't have the locking lugs but does seem to be a nice little shooter. I paid a bill for it and it is my first semi auto. I thought it was cool looking and I didn't want to spend alot on my first semi. I prefer wheel guns, but still wanted to see if I would like a semi auto. I checked gun broker first to see what they were going for in case I didn't like it. I might hang on to it for a bit.

Uncle_Lee · May-09-14 05:05

A lot of good reading on the llama:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llama_firearms

bill_deshivs · May-09-14 09:05

Any Llama .380 made in 1955 should be a locked breech gun.

single 5 · May-09-14 17:05

Thanks uncle_lee, that was a good read. Yeah, the breach locks open after the last round is spent. I do believe that it is a model IIIa which could be had engraved. The model XIX was identical but in aluminum alloy, both starting production in 1954. Early models had a lanyard ring post (mine has this) then they switched up a bit and put several ribs on breech. Still learning about this gun. Thanks for everyones help, it has been fun researching. I still carry my bw everyday :-), luv that gun!

bill_deshivs · May-09-14 19:05

You obviously have no idea what "locked breech" means.

ikoiko · May-10-14 00:05

Gee, Bill, a helpful reply, could, well, be helpful. Surly replies, not so much.

single 5 · May-10-14 05:05

Well as I have said before, I'm a revolver guy. This is my first run at a semi. Please forgive me if I miss speak. But by all means, do enlighten me!

Uncle_Lee · May-10-14 05:05

Quote from: bill_deshivs on May-09-14 19:05
You obviously have no idea what "locked breech" means.

Catch a new guy with a wrong term and kick him in the gonads and stick a sharp stick in his eye.
He will learn better (better than to come to this forum).

That reminds me of a forum I left because I called a magazine a clip.(in my first post)
10 quick reply's letting me know how screwed up I am. (I already know that)

The terms are interchangeable in this day and age.

OV-1D · May-10-14 05:05

Well Unc that's better than calling it a thing-a-ma-jig that holds the things that go bang or boom .

Besides everyone leaves for awhile just because , I did BECAUSE but we won't go over that again .

Gesundheit ! !

Uncle_Lee · May-10-14 06:05

Bless you.

Na, we won't go there.

The new should be given time to learn.

glenn · May-10-14 07:05

C'mon guys ... Bill didn't call him an idiot or anything like some of the guys on the old board would have.
He just said that he obviously didn't know what a locked breech was. No harm done.

single 5 · May-10-14 07:05

Well, the reason I joined this forum was because I Am a novice. Just a regular guy that happens to like guns. *Disclaimer* I am not a professional! I like you guys and gals here. After months of just reading posts I determined that there were no gun snobs on theses boards (except maybe that one guy that does not like Cobra)! I 'll stick around a little longer because I like to learn. I 'll try to keep my un-knowledgable comments to a minimum :-)

bill_deshivs · May-10-14 09:05

Your posts indicated that you thought "locked breech" meant the gun stays open on the last shot. Someone else told you to look for barrel lugs and you said there weren't any. There are.
I'll explain it. "Locked breech" guns have the barrel move rearwards with the slide for a short distance, until the bullet has left the barrel and pressure drops. This type action can handle more powerful ammunition than " blowback" guns with fixed barrels. In later years, when Llama was a failing company, they simplified manufacture to exclude the locked breech function on their .380 guns to make them cheaper.

ikoiko · May-10-14 10:05

Thanks Bill. Appreciated.

single 5 · May-10-14 11:05

Ohhh. I got ya! So I guess mine would qualify for hotter ammo. I still don't think plus p is a good idea though. What do you think? It does have several picture type of stamps on the gun and one looks like and onion with a "p" in its center. What do you recon thats all about?

cfsharry · May-10-14 16:05

Don't believe they designed guns for +p pressure back then. Best to stick with normal pressure ammo. Too little to gain, too much to lose. My opinion only.

single 5 · May-10-14 16:05

Nah. I got no reason to try +p

TwoGunJayne · May-10-14 17:05

I'd have bought it at that "yard sale" price.

bill_deshivs · May-11-14 11:05

The stampings are Spanish proof marks. you got a great deal on that gun!

single 5 · May-12-14 04:05

Thanks twogun and bill :-)

OV-1D · May-12-14 08:05

Bet you can fit a set of wood like laser grips for that gorgeous specimen .

I would like to find yard sales like that .

single 5 · May-12-14 09:05

I think pearl grips would be awesome! But, I like your idea :-)