Any 1911 Aficionados?

[ken98k]

I have acquired a LLAMA MAX II 45 L/F, which is a full size 1911 clone.

I have not yet fired it with live ammo.

I have discovered the following problem--

With the pistol cocked,

The safety catch ON,

The pistol held normally so the grip safety is pressed in,

When the trigger is pulled

The safety will jump to the fire position and the hammer WILL fall.

 

However;

With the pistol in the same cocked and locked condition,

If the grip safety is not held in, the hammer will not fall when the trigger is pressed.

 

This tells me the grip safety IS working but the safety catch is NOT working.

 

I pulled the safety catch from the frame and it appears that someone may have filed or used some type of grinder on it.

 

Any opinions?

 

[Dr.Hess]

A new safety may help, if that's what someone hacked up. Should be a cheap "test." It's been too many years since I pulled apart a 1911. What's the safety interface with? Sear I think. That could be part of your problem too.

 

Llama had some quality "issues" at least back in the 80's and maybe later, maybe always. Someone probably hacked up what you have because however it came wasn't working right, or it may have just come that way from the factory.

[AzRednek]

After LLama and Star and a couple other smaller handgun manufactures in Spain went belly up. The Spanish govt made the world a safe place and ended all crime by ordering the destruction of the factory's spare parts. Numrich has some LLama parts. Anything you might need, if they have it order it asap.

 

At one time LLama's quality rivaled Colt and I recall gun rag claims saying the LLama was actually stronger and just as reliable. LLama attempting to keep up with the American market during the wonder nine craze. Invested nearly all it's assets, resources and advertised heavy in their Omni pistol. It turned out to be a dud, LLama and their quality took a dump and they never recovered. While Star had success in the American market with their Firestar models. Poor management, supposedly the controlling family bleeding the assets and heavy taxation caused their demise.

 

EDIT: If Numrich doesn't have the part, check Ebay. There was a Spanish merchant that was and hopfully still is. Selling various parts for Spanish firearms.

[ken98k]

I tried the safety from my Norinco 1911 and it not only fit, it solved the problem

I ordered a new LLama safety from Numrich, they appear to have almost all the parts for this model.

 

Correction it's a MAX I, not a MAX II as I posted earlier.

 

I can see why they went outta business. If your going to make a 1911, make a 1911, not some half breed!

I think a few parts may be interchageable with a standard 1911, not the grips though which is unfortunate because the LLama grips suck.

Anways, I gave $300 for it at a local pawn shop. I think I can easily get my money back once it's fixed.

[rdm1962]

Kind of off topic but, I just installed an ambi safety on my Sig C3 1911. Being a lefty it needed one so I could carry concealed. I watched a u-tube video on how to fit it. Not as difficult as I thought it would be.

[AzRednek]

I had a full size LLama 1911 clone in 38 Super in the 70's. Although most if not all the parts looked the same as Colt they were not interchangeable. The barrel, link and pin were larger in size. If I remember right the only part that was the same was the flat leaf spring behind the grip safety. The trigger pull on my LLama was awful. I tried improving it by stoning the hammer and sear. I wound up with the hammer dropping in the half-cock position when the slide went home. After replacing the hammer and sear, it worked right but went back to the terrible trigger pull.