Marty ter Weeme

Want to try a custom project and have access to a hi cap LLama. She ain't no Kimber, STI or Les Baer ... but would it be worth trying?

The project intent:
Develop a custom caliber to fit the 45 ACP pistols
Has to be high cap and use existing mags and case head
Not break the bank for the project

Will the various parts and pieces out there fit this donor?

One thing I already found is that I cannot find any after market custom grips for this sucker (I would love some VZ micarta but they don't seem to fit?)

Your input and advice greatly appreciated!

Byrd

Don't bother...there are no aftermarket goodies for the Llama, and it is dimensonally a different weapon than the 1911. It would be more trouble than it is worth.

retDAC

Not sure what you intend by "custom caliber" but you might have to make/adapt parts.

Marty ter Weeme

I found out that the Llama was a world unto itself - nothing fits but Llama parts ... that pretty much killed the project

Custom caliber - my own wildcat ...

I need a platform that takes .45 Super or .460 Rowland ... the HK USP is starting to look like one of the few that might work ...

Bill Caldwell

Depends on which 45 Super You are talkin'....For God only knows how long, HANDS have been cuttin' .308, 30/06, .243, .270 and other cases to anywhere from .9 to 1 in., reamin' the case to.445 or close ( any dem. that will hold the bullet tight ) .175 to .375 deep and t hat is generally a 45 Super....The .460 Rowland is nothin' special at all...It is easy to build a 45 Super that outruns the 460 Rowland .....and who would want all that extra "CRAP" that is hung on the end of the 460 Rowland barrel.....AND MY FAVORITE IS STILL, HANDS DOWN, THE 40 SUPER...........

180 grain bullet at over 1800fps is like a broke drum....IT IS HARD TO BEAT

Bill Caldwell

Marty ter Weeme

Bill -

Been a long time! Hope all is well. Reason I was looking at platforms that take 45 Super or 460 R is I was needing a platform that can take the higher pressure and the extra abuse. My 'cat I doodled up was pushing a 180 gr JHP to 1600 fps from a 6" barrel and I had my blinders on - the 40 Super will do all that and then some.... Considering I have chambered AR15s in that caliber (ie have the reamer) it makes life LOTS easier! Thanks for snapping me back to reality, funny how you can get so bogged down in an idea that you can't get back out of it ...

BTW, ever done a 44 Super? While it doesn't give more velocity than the 40 Super with the light bullets (seems to be about the same with my software), it gives the option of 300 gr at 950 fps ...

Bill Caldwell

Hey Marty,
I've kept track of some of the things You've been doin'......interestin'.....Concernin' the 40 Super necked up to 41 or 44, go to View From The Hills....down at the bottom of page 2......See 1911 41 S.A.M.....44 Liz. It is easy to make 41s or 44s from 40 super brass.....40 Super necked to .357 will outrun the 38 Casull ....a lot

Bill Caldwell

Bill Caldwell

Marty, After buildin' the 1911s in .224 Zipperer, I built an AR, I could get 3000fps with the 40gr Hornet but where I ended up sure wasn't worth the price I paid to get there...spent a lot of hours workin' the STEN mags over.

If You have any ideas about what mags to use to run the 40 Super in an AR platform I'm listenin'......AR with an 18in/20in. barrel in 40 Super, a barrel change to a 41 an/or 44 would be interestin'

I've got a Savage 110, when time permits I'll build a 44 based on the 40 Super .....300gr. bullets?

Bill Caldwell

Marty ter Weeme

Bill -

We have ARs in 40 Super running, have barrels here. Best option to date: AR45 lower or else Bazooka Brothers lower. These take Grease Gun mags. Challenge is that they are set up right now as blow back from other sources which limits their potential. We build them as locked bolt gas operated version and they can run a lot more oomph. Feeding can be a bit of a bear sometimes, need to do some tweaking. We are trying to complete our drop in adapter for unmodified Pps43 magazines, which will take 45 ACP and any derived rounds like the Super.

For the 44 Super, I show 180 gr JHPs, 185 frangible, 200 gr Barnes X PB, lots of 240s and then some nice 300 gr (Hdy XTP). It seems to give the option of some light recoil loads with the 180/200, good carry loads with the 240s and then a heavy load with the 300s. The 300s would be subsonic from a pistol, from a 9.3" barrel light carbine, I suspect maybe 1100 fps?

kl7883

uh.........no disrespect meant,but apparently you dont own or have never personally owned,disassembled a llama yourself. almost all llama parts can be swapped out with standard 1911 parts.i personally have 4 llamas with aftermarket barrels,ignition components,mags hammers etc....the frame,slide and of course their unique caspian/wilson style external extractors are the only real unique parts.

kl7883

forgive my mistaken quote,i was meant to quote byrd.

Alabaster

If $ is a consideration, dump the Llama idea. Like you said, not knowing what all really fits, so it all has to be made. I'm out on that idea. It could be a pice of cake, or turn to a $ pit. I 'm eager to see what you come up wtih for caliber either way.

kl7883

one thing that is for certain though........i WOULD NOT recommend a higher pressure round like the .460 rowland with a llama.the frames and slides are a fairly soft metal and would certainly not hold up long with that sort of pounding.the stainless models are considerably stronger.

one eye joe

Welcome to the Forum, kl7883. I have never owned a Llama in .45ACP, BUT I must say that this apparent "myth" of lack of interchangeability with standard 1911 parts is a commonly held belief (as you can tell by several of the posts on this thread). I am surprised to hear this is not true. I did own a Llama semi-auto in .22LR at one time. While it got HIGH marks in the cool factor, it was a jam-o-matic. I traded it off. Just outta curiosity, what would be the attraction to cause you to 'smith 4 Llamas into acceptable weapons by the use of "aftermarket barrels, ignition components, mags, hammers, etc." Wouldn't it be more cost effective to purchase a 1911 with the features that you desire ? ? A friend of mine purchased a NIB AMT Hardballer at the same time that I purchased a NIB '70's Series Gold Cup. The AMT was initially much less expensive (his motive for purchasing it) than the Colt. After he tweaked and stuffed the AMT full of Colt parts to make it an acceptable/reliable weapon, he ended up having more money in the AMT than I had in my Colt, which ran fine right outta the box.....

kl7883

my attraction....well honestly.is nothing more than the fact that llamas are very cheap.i honestly,could buy one,destroy it and fix it without losing a ton of money.in doing so,i bought 5 of them .what i have found is that the slides and frames are not interchangable with other 1911s.the sear,disco,hammer,triggers,magazines,recoil springs and guide rods,barrel bushings and barrels

thats a pretty darned good interchangability amount.lol!the barrel however must be from kkm or kart due to the very long hood length needed to match it correctly.

one eye joe

LOW cost appears to be what drives purchases of these "sub-par" weapons. It fueled my excursion into the VERY UNSATISFYING world of Taurus revolvers. I find Llamas to be visually attractive. It sounds like you're having a grand ol' time tinkering with these pistols, ending up with a pistol that you like, and NOT breakin' the bank doin' it. IMHO, that's wonderful. We pursue our hobbies for the pleasure/satisfaction we derive from our activity. Sounds like you're getting plenty.......