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.
