We have a new gun shop in town, so the son and I popped in to see what was the deal - it looked sorta swank from the outside and I feared it would be full of tacticool junk with huge price tags.

Well, surprise, surprise. They had the expected super-duper sixteen rail AR-15's with lasers and flashlights and the thing on the side that makes perfect julienne fries, of course, and some high end AK's and SKS', but they also had a great selection of others, including some consignments and stuff they took in trade.

I've been looking for a concealable weapon that is actually concealed. Being a small guy my full sized 1911 isn't concealed so much as just under my clothes in an inconspicuous matter. Walter PPK's are too expensive, Makarovs getting rare and far too expensive than they should be, and I just don't like the compact grips on the modern stuff.

On the side case they had a Llama .380 MicroMax with a suspiciously low price. I asked to check it out, and it's really a scaled down 1911. This one is NRA used - the bore, barrel, and slide are sound, but it's been laid either in a glove box or a drawer without being in a holster. So the finish has had some abuse. But the slide is sound.

We dickered on the price with me running the poor gun down like it was a red headed step child (using 1911 criteria) and the store guy pointing up its merits. In the end we were both happy, did the paperwork and I walked out with it.

Here it is with my 1911 for comparison:



Looking up reviews and prices when I got home, it turns out that I got one of the "good ones" that have a locking barrel (like the 1911) rather than the fixed blow back versions. Filtering through some of the snobbery, consensus seems to be it's a middle of the road pistol, neither fantastic or crap. I also got it for about a third (and less) of what folks are asking for them online.

Now to hunt down extra magazines (it only came with the one) and a holster for it that won't cost more than I paid for the pistol!

In other news, my M1 Carbine's rear sight can't be re-pegged to keep it from floating left and right (they do gunsmithing there, too), so I ordered a new one; he said if he ordered it they'd have to put on the shop's markup for it. The gun smith said he'd slide and lock the new one in the receiver gratis, as it's not a big deal. About this time the owner gets into the conversation and we talk M1's and 1911's...and he agreed that for something as minor as the rear sight the gun smith is on the money (plus if I didn't show up to have it put on he'd be stuck with inventory he doesn't want).

Nice. Though I believe that is the first time I've ever read the phrase "high end," and "SKS" in the same sentence.

You can never have too many pistols!

If you know how many you have, you don't have enough.

Well, they're the ones with the after market stocks that have been super buffed and varnished, and the bluing immaculate. And they cause sticker shock.

I'm not into Chicom rifles, though. Or Soviet ones.

Gonna see if I can make it out to the range tomorrow to try out the new pistol.

I bought several new 33 rounds magazine for my Glock 17.

Why can't I put more than 28-30 rounds in them even with the speed loader that came with it?

CG, get an UpLULA pistol magazine loader.
Single or double stacks, 9mm - .45 no problem

It will work?

Because the reason I can't fit 33 rds in the magazine is the spring is new and won't go down any further after you have put so many rounds in it and still have 2-3 rounds left to go.

Took it to the range this morning. "Thumbs high."

First six were just for safety and operations, all good.

45 rounds at seven yards, firing off hand and in Weaver made a group the size of my fist, with a few out due to poor shooting. Indeed, it fits my hand like a little 1911 (no surprise), and when I relaxed and just shot rather than concentrating on shooting it tightened up quite a bit.

Firing off hand and in Weaver stance made no measurable difference, but that's probably because I learned firing one handed and it feels more natural to me.

Two stoppages, both feed related. The magazine has a slight hitch on the last round, meaning the one before it goofed up. Go figure, I cleaned the pistol and left the magazine bone dry. Cleaned and lightly lubed after I got home it now travels freely though the whole range.

Now to hunt down some extra magazines to go with the holsters I bought for it (one traditional belt, one in-the-waist for concealed carry).

Sometimes one puts down 150 bucks for a pistol and gets a stinker; sometimes one gets a sweet little shooting pistol with some cosmetic dings.

I bought one.

Just got it.

Maybe I am not doing it right.

I have some 33 round magazines I know I was only able to put 28-30 in them.

I am trying to put the last 2 rounds into them using the UpLULA and I can't.

I then took an empty 33 round magazine and put 1 round in it using the UpLULA and after that I can't put the 2nd round in using that gizmo but I can do it with my fingers the old way.

Place magazine on table, and then drop the UpLula onto the magazine.
Squeeze and Push down until it stops. Drop in cartridge.
Release grip and let it travel back upwards, repeat the squeeze, push, and load.

Thanks Bill.



I finally got it figured it out.



They make one for the rifles too.

I am going to buy one so I can load my 5.56 and .308 and 7.62!

CG, I ABSOLUTELY always carry the UpLula (pistol), and Lula (AR) with me to the Range.
You'd know this if you would go with me to the Terrell range.

The AR Lula is Super Duper Easy Peasy. Just place on magazine, Flip lever, DROP in the cartridge, Flip lever, repeat. You can easily load a magazine in no time.
To unload, just flip lever opposite way and out pops the round.

Dart, I checked the local online shops, no luck for that Llama magazine.
I am sure I could find it at the Gun Shows if I hunted for them.

I am looking for a range I can shoot a pump shotgun at targets and not at flying skeets and none of that restriction they have at many ranges here that you can't rapid fire your shotgun and you can only have 2 rounds in the magazine.

Preferably a combat range with buildings and walls and with different paper target, some showing bad guys, some showing civilians and cops, that pops up and move back and forth I can shoot my shotgun and handgun at.

BTW - I went to the Terrel range website and they are closed. Apparently the neighbors there complained about them and they got shut down.

I found a couple magazines - but they want 40 USD each for them. The Llama IIIa mags will fit it, but even they are rare as hen's teeth.

Crazy to think that one magazine is worth a third of the pistol with a magazine.

I'm just going to have to wait, as you said, for a gun show and hope there's one around and I can dicker for a better price.

Or make sure I never need to fire more than eight rounds.

Check your email, Bill.

Thanks.

$40... for rare magazines?!?! Uh... buy them now?!?!

Geez I've seen some mags go for over $130 that weren't even really rare.

Don't forget, you got the gun for a real low price, so its unfair to complain about "normal" mag pricing.

[Moving pointer on dial]

[Pulling string]

"The dinosaur says 'roarrrr!'"

Forty bucks is a lot of money for a pistol magazine, regardless of what it's for.