Llama Danton .25 ACP

[bdss_237]

Hey all - Newbie here.

I've recently inherited a few guns and was hoping I might find some insight to their history here.

One of them is a Llama Danton. As I understand, it was manufactured between 1925 through 1933. The example I have is a .25. My father died in 1994 and it has been in storage for over 17 years in a humid gun safe in a cold basement... hence it's condition. And who knows how long it was neglected before that. I think he may have gotten it from his father who is a WWII vet, or from an uncle he had.

The cell phone in the first picture is for scale. It is smaller than my hand.

Here are the pictures:

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/8768/img3883d.jpg (http://img833.imageshack.us/i/img3883d.jpg/)

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http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/6518/img3885i.jpg (http://img837.imageshack.us/i/img3885i.jpg/)

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http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/4530/img3888d.jpg (http://img28.imageshack.us/i/img3888d.jpg/)

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http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/8030/img3891fs.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/i/img3891fs.jpg/)

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http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/6738/img3893k.jpg (http://img63.imageshack.us/i/img3893k.jpg/)

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Any thoughts, or resources you can point me to?

Thanks,

-Sean.

[James K]

The Danton pistol was made by Gabilondo & Cia., the same company that later made the Llama line of pistols and revolvers. They were moderately well made guns, a cut above most of the similar Spanish pistols of the period. If in good condition, it should be safe to fire. Value is low, even in good condtion; those, or guns like them, sell for around $150 tops, and usually go for around $75, assuming they are fully functional, which many are not.

Those guns were imported in quantity before and after WWI. They were not military guns, even though some soldier of some army might have carried one as a personal weapon. Absent documentary proof, any connection with anyone's military service would be speculative.

Jim

[bdss_237]

Great - thanks for the information. I figured the value was low, but didn't know how low. I read somewhere that at one point the company was shipping around 100,000 a day... or maybe it was 10,000. So I knew they were numerous.

I plan on keeping it for now, cleaning and maintaining it, then seeing if it still fires. It cycles cleanly, but the main spring is bent, and I don't know if there is anywhere to get parts. The grips obviously need work, but I have not seen any online either.

Thanks again.
-Sean.

[Bill DeShivs]

The grips are made of cow horn.
The crack can probably be patched unnoticeably by someone familiar with horn work.

[bdss_237]

Thanks for the heads up.

Also, does anyone know if this gun has a guide that runs through the main spring and out the front of the slide? This is how my CZ is anyway, but this gun seems to be missing this guide that the main spring fits over. I think this may be why the spring is bent.

There is also a cap at the end of the main spring that the slide uses to compress the spring. This cap has a hole in it, as if it is supposed to have this slide.

Any thoughts?
-Sean.

[James K]

I don't have one of those guns, but it is quite possible that there should be a guide. With the slide off, look in the front of the frame and see if there is a hole about the same diameter as the recoil spring*. If so, it is probably for support of the recoil spring guide. If you conclude that one is needed, it could probably be made by turning down a plain old nail and cutting to the right length.

*In firearms terminology, the "main spring" is the hammer or striker spring that fires the gun, even though other springs may be larger.

Jim

[Oceans11]

Sean, I also have one of these pistols. It's in a lot better shape than yours. I was thinking of getting it refurbished.This weapon would make a great concealed Carrie. Joe

[James K]

Hmmmm. I said it should be safe to fire, I didn't say I would want to depend on one for self defense. But not my decision.

Jim

[gyvel]

I also had one of these, unfired in its original box with an instruction sheet in French. The pistol was fairly well made, but not up to Colt or FN standards; About what you'd expect for a "Llama."

I traded it for an FN 1910 at a gun show.

[priell3]

I have one of these, in pretty good condition. I have put 75 rounds through it with occasional failures to cycle, usually a failure to eject. I have considering trading it.

http://i51.tinypic.com/11171aa.jpg

Here is what it looks like broken down.

http://i45.tinypic.com/2054h09.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/kbsoat.jpg

[RJay]

Looks as if it breaks down the same as the gun it copied.