The Truth About the Llama Mini-Max .45

[RedRiver]

LLAMA's use to be of lesser quality i.e.- soft metal frames and slides. Today they are much sturdier. They have their ups and downs. I've read all the articles that yall have written so I bought a LLAMA Mini-Max .45 to see for myself. The first day I got it I dissassembled it and removed the packing grease with gun scrubber and lubed it up with some light gun oil in the moveable parts. I took it to the range and it didn't do so well. The first round shot accurately but would not feed the next round. For the next 15 minutes I just shot one bullet at a time and then tried loading the mag. I was using Magtech, Remington/UMC, and CCI Blazer. After 15 minutes of single shots I loaded the mag with the remington ammo and the gun shot two rounds without jamming. After some more single shots the gun loosened up and I was able to shoot a full mag. Unfortunately the other two brands would not feed. So I didn't cry, after all I read all the articles and I expected this to happen. I went home and took the gun apart and thoroughly cleaned it with gun scrubber. I polished the barrel ramp and frame ramp with a dremmel tool and then cleaned the gun free of shavings (can be a huge problem). I also tightened up the main-spring. After this I put the gun back together and oiled it properly and added a minute amount of grease to the slide. I took it back to the range the next day and it shot everything I feed it and it only got better. After 700 rounds of range time I can say the LLAMA Mini-Max was worth the price. NO JAMS! Of course I had to work on it; But I expected this and you should to. A lot of these people buy them and no nothing about gunsmithing or maintenance and trash the gun. They would prefer a lower IQ gun such as a Glock or Springfield (no offense, I own both). If you want to save money, be a man, not a mouse, and take the time to fix the problem. I don't regret my LLAMA at all and I think it's actually a great gun. After I worked on it it was just as reliable as a Kimber or Para. It's no Kimber or Para in it's smoothness or looks but it's accurate and reliable now. I would suggest someone with a small budget and an education to get a LLAMA and spend a little more money on a ramp job (or do it yourself for free if you know what you're doing). You can even send it to a LLAMA warranty service station if it fails to work properly and they'll basically turn it into a "great gun" for free! They have a great lifetime warranty (That's my friends experience); In the end you still save a load of money. NOTE: Never use a gun for defense if you don't know how to maintain it or work on it and haven't proven it's worth out on the range.

[dr.magnum]

I appreciate your report on the gun. It's good to hear how it turned out. I just have to ask, why can't Llama put it out in that kind of condition in the first place? When you buy a new car, you don't expect to have to give it an overhaul, when you buy a new gun, you shouldn't have to fix it.
No disrespect meant, but I'm not much of a gunsmith and I wouldn't necessarily know what to look for. I think alot of other shooters wouldn't either.

[RedRiver]

Dr. Magnum, I agree completely. Llama should just make them work perfect right out of the box considering the problem seems so small. If you want a gun to shoot that you really don't have to worry about shoot a Glock or XD-40. I own both and they're great guns. They don't have the smooth trigger of a single action pistol but they work every time. It's the difference between a truck and a fine Italian sports car. They're trucks and you can beat 'em up...that's what they're for. My point about the Llama is that it isn't this big piece of junk everyone makes it out to be; a "paperweight" etc... Every bad report I've heard about it has been by someone's "friend of a friend". They offered no explanation or mechanical reason why the gun would not function; I took the time to explain this. I believe people can make a better decision now about Llamas b/c they actually know something about them with facts to back it up. The problem was so small in relative terms it was worth it to me, but I understand it's not worth it to everyone. I bought it just to understand where people were coming from and to experience the Llama for myself. All in all I spent $259 for the Llama and with a little work it shot great. For the price expect a little work. If you'd rather have a stronger more reliable gun right out of the box get one of these; Taurus 24/7, Glock, XD Series for around $450 to $550. For $269 you can get a Rossi .357 Magnum at Academy which is most reliable and safe. They're made well and make good concealment guns.


My roommate just bought a Llama Mini-Max so we'll see how that one stands out of the box. I'll keep you posted.

[packa45]

Dad and I were at a gun show about 6 years ago and he bought a mini-max. It felt nice but you could sure notice the poor metal quality in the frame and slide. The barrel was great. I also worked on it with a dremel. He taught me everything I know about firearms so I did the work due to his sight. We shot Speer Lawman TMJ, CCI Blazer, and PMC. It feed fine after working the feed ramp. Recoil was heavy and accuracy was mediocre but okay for typical combat range. I think he spent $240 so I would say it's worth the cash. With HP ammo it's kinda picky but it works good with gold dots and silvertips. I would imagine GS would feed ok too.