Well, about a month ago, I picked a very well abused LLAMA Max-1 in .45 ACP.   I wanted a trunk gun, and to practice some home smithing stuff on an "el cheapo" so as to get good at it before working on a more expensive slab of steel.

This particular specimen cost me less than $100.   It arrived disassembled, the former owner having been unable to get it to work right (the sear spring was all out of whack), and with virtually no blueing left and a TON of rust.  The gun apparently had ridden onboard a boat off florida most of its existence.

Thinking, well... this sucks, I assembled the gun, replaced the sear spring and took it to the range.  No real accuracy checking, just wanted to see if it was reliable enough to warrant refninishing.   It was, and even then the groups seemed pretty good for a lllama.

So, I brought it home, stripped it all back down,  and used steel wool and abrasive blasting to rid the gun of rust.   I then refinished it in a "two tone" look with Brownells Teflon Moly on the slide and control parts, and Norrell's Moly Resin on the frame, grip safety, and MS housing (stainless steel look... actually looks nifty).

All said, the darn thing looks really really good.

Finally, I borrowed a 1911 sear jig from a gunsmith buddy and very lightly polished the sear and hammer to give it a 4 pound clean trigger pull while maintaining positive engagement.  

Off to the range, I went.  

And here's the amazing part.   This junky gun, into which I've got less than $130 invested, was shooting 2" to 3" groups off hand all day at 25 yards.  And usually, when I did my part, it was close to 2" with Federal match ammo (from ammoman).   At one piont, I got five shots into a 2" group.  I'm absolutely stunned.   I've only once shot this well with a .45 before, but it was a buddie's $1200 Kimber and I just can't figure out how a LLAMA could be this accurate.   One of the things I did was set up a 2x4 with 8 holes drilled in it that were the OD of that thick plastic 2" plumbing pipe.    A client friend of mine give me scraps of this stuff.  MOving in to 15 yards, I was blasting the pipe scraps out of the board one after another virtually without effort.   Also, it reliably fed and ejected everything I put through it.   JHPs, round nose, and even a mag of SWC's that I got from a gun show.

So far as I can tell, this gun has its original LLAMA barrel (I can see the Spanish proof mark), and its original bushing.  The fire control parts are also original.   The slide fits pretty loose on the frame (although  barrel/breach/bushing lockup seems rock solid).   Other than my light polishing of the hammer/sear engagement and the replacement of the sear spring, there's been no work done to the internals.

What gives?   Has anyone heard of a LLAMA printing groups like this?    

It cant be the gun so you must be magic.

Another guy at the range shot the gun too, and he also remaked "These shouldn't be this accurage..." and asked me whether I changed the bushing.  

Its just weird.  

I have heard of this before.  And I have heard of many that spit empty shells on the the shooters head, jammed, etc.  

For accuracy in a 1911, barrel lockup is way more important than slide to frame fit.  


Good purchase,  enjoy.  You got to feel proud of yourself.

I have a Maxi-11 the one that holds 13rds. That's the only reason I bought it. Much to my suprise, it has only jamed once and that was with a pro-mag. Getting 2-3" groups at 25yds. also. Have fired at least 300rds through it.  However I only have used hardball. Turned out to be a darn nice gun.