The Llama M87 was Gabilondo y Cia’s high-end competition pistols based on the M82 action, and made in both 9mm Parabellum and 7.65mm Parabellum. This was mechanically a copy of the Beretta 92 system, and it was adopted in basic form by the Spanish Army. For the commercial market, Gabilondo took all the upgrades that were being popularly made to IPSC competition pistols, and put them all in place as factory features for the M87. This included good adjustable sights, and excellent trigger, flared magazine well, single-action FCG with an ambidextrous slide-mounted safety and also a frame-mounted safety, extended barrel, and extended beavertail tang. This made for a very good pistol, but at a very high price ($1450 in the late 1980s). It never saw much commercial success, and the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 finally killed it commercially, as its magazines could no longer be imported.
Semiauto pistol
Astra 300 – A Pocket Pistol Bought Mostly By Germany
The pistol in this video is coming up for auction here. The Astra 300 was introduced in 1923, copying the layout, mechanics, and handling of the Astra 400 military pistol in a much more convenient […]
Semiauto pistol
Special Presentation: Semiauto Pistols of the 1800s
Today’s Special Presentation is an overview of all the semiautomatic pistols that were actually put into serial production before the year 1900. We have looked at these individually before, but I think it is worthwhile […]
Semiauto pistol
Charola Y Anitua: Tiny Spanish Broomhandles
Manufactured from 1899 until 1905, the Charola y Anitua pistols (later becoming just the Charola pistols) were basically scaled down C96 Mauser designs chambered for the 5mm Clement and 7mm Charola cartridges. They were briefly […]
Kudos to Beretta for making a similar “factory custom” 92 (but not a knockoff) for an identical price in non-inflated 2023 dollars!
A couple of decades before that, the Star Super A in 9 x 23mm Largo had a number of features that later became common on competition-type custom 1911s;
1. Loaded chamber indicator
2. Full figure-8 barrel bushing
3. Full-length recoil-spring guide rod
4. National Match-type firing-pin safety
5. Flared magazine well
6. No grip safety
7. High-profile fixed sights
8. Chamber cut to headspace on case mouth, standard for the rimless 9mm Largo round but a custom feature on .38 Super Auto-chambered 1911 competition guns to increase accuracy.
The Star Super B was the same except in 9 x 19mm. The difference was that the Super A made Major Caliber power factor qualification with standard 9 x 23mm service loads; the Super B required the heavy-loaded IPSC 9 x 19mm ammunition to “make Major”.
I think if I’d been competing back then, instead of a hot-rodded Colt .38 Super, I’d have just used a stock Star Super A and pocketed the change.
clear ether
eon
Can anyone tell where A welrod pistol can be purchased and/or sold,and an estimated price of a mkII