Need help with LAR Grizzly Parts

M

Matt A

Inactive
Just got what I thought was a heckuva deal on a Mk1 Grizzly in .45WM, 300 rounds, and a set of dies. All is good except it appears the extractor is broken. I looked through the old thread here and tried the contacts they have.

I called LAR. Their automated phone tree is up, but can't get a live person to talk to.

Numrich, Brownells, Midway all have no parts available.

Gunbroker has one (currently at $72.00).

Any thoughts on where I could get one or have one machined?

Thanks!
 
Not that familiar with the lar or 45wm, if the case head is the same as 45acp and the extractor hole is the same as a govt, a 1911 extractor may fit.
 
The .45 WM is the same size as the .45 ACP, but longer. The LAR looks a lot like a standard 1911, but much bigger. As such, a standard extractor will not fit.
 
I might have an extra or two. Lemme check...

Yeah, I have two extras. They are brand new. If you can't get one through LAR, hit me with an email. It's in my profile. LAR still has a limited supply of pistol parts (last time I checked). You might be able to get an extractor....maybe.
 
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I paid $100 for a 45WM magazine at the last gun show! The guy had a couple of extractors in a ziplock bag that were for sale with the pistol he had, but he wouldn't part with them separately. Unfortunately, that seems to be the most fragile part on the Grizzly's. Hope I don't break the one I have. Wish I would have bought an extra or two when I bought the last one.
 
email returned. One thing that will help with these extractors is to never drop the slide over a chambered round. The extractor is designed to have the rim slip up behind it as the round is stripped from the magazine. Forcing it over the rim will shorten its life.
 
Thanks reticle... just responded back to your email. And thanks for the note on not letting the slide go forward on a chambered round. Makes sense.
 
Thought I'd update. Just got an email from Matt stating that he put his new extractor in and sent some rounds down range. All seems well. It's gratifying to get another Grizz back on line. :)
 
LAR Grizzly is owned by Remington and will move to the Huntsville plant in the near future.

Remains to be seen if it survives as more than just a brand name.
 
LAR hasn't produced the Grizzly pistol in years. The rumor from back in the day was that they dropped it in order to concentrate on their .50 cal rifle and AR parts.

The sad fact is that magnum autopistols are niche guns. Autopistol shooters don't want them, because they don't fit in. They're not piratin' material! ARRR!:D

Simply, they do not fit with the usual uses for auto pistols. TOO BIG, TOO HEAVY, and Too POWERFUL! And did I mention?, TOO EXPENSIVE!!!

Magnum handgun shooters seldom choose them, again, weight/expense, complexity, reliablilty, etc. Lots of revolvers firing mag round to choose from, why bother with the autoloader?

The Auto Mag is long gone from production. The Wildey is in limbo (they still have a web site, but it hasn't been updated in years, and their phone goes to someone else...) The Grizzly is long gone. The Coonan was gone, but is now back! Hope it can make it. The only magnum Auto pistol that has remained in production since its introduction is the Desert Eagle. Personally I think the only reason Desert Eagle has managed to stay in production is the sales generated from those who buy one because they saw it in a movie, or used it in a game.

Some 1911A1 parts will fit in the Grizzly. Some will fit the Coonan. Sadly, the ones that will are almost never the ones that break!
 
A few years ago I visited with the front office secretary at LAR in West Jordan, Utah. She was a very nice lady....told me I had beautiful eyes (aw shucks :D) . I asked her why LAR had discontinued the Grizzly pistol production. She told me that they were being threatened by a gun banning lobby to be named in a law suit along with other manufactures, but if they would sign a document promising to cease operations of handgun production, they could avoid the potential liability. Remember, this was during the Clinton years and the gun banners were feeling their oats.

LAR Manufacturing makes much more than guns and has employees that depend on their jobs to survive. The owners knew that if they were even named in the suit and had to seek council, they'd go broke before any trial would take place. It wasn't worth the gamble so they dropped production.

The Grizzly pistol was a well engineered and executed variant of the 1911. The machining, raw materials and assembly was done with the highest regard to quality at the time. It will never be resurrected though. Perry Arnett whose brainchild was the Grizzly Pistol multi caliber system still lives in Utah, unless something has changed since last I heard. He provides detailed history here. Interesting read. It is a shame the project had to be killed by lunatics.
 
So as it turns out, I've had the pleasure of emailing back and forth with Mr Perry Arnett over the past week. We discussed several historical aspects of the Grizzly Pistol project that were of particular interest to me. Best part of all is that Perry is looking to revive production of the Grizzly Multi Caliber Pistol to include potentially other heretofore unavailable caliber conversions.

This news is very exciting as the art that is one of these Grizzly Pistols deserves to be available with parts production. Perry was kind enough to allow me to make an advance announcement of his initiative to revive production. Looks like LAR will not be the manufacturer, but as Perry has offered to be personally involved in production, no doubt the peerless quality will remain. With his express permission, below is the text of his announcement yet to be released:

“ I’m the sole inventor of the Arnett Patent Multi-caliber Magnum ‘Grizzly .45 Win Mag’ Semiautomatic Pistol Technologies which are Offered for sale, licensing, or joint venture.



Estimated Technology Value if exploited properly over the next 30 years is near US$1 billion. Gross Profit can run from $500-$800 million over the same period.



The Offering consists of a full Tech Data Package including: two U.S. patents issued to me (expired), the blueprints (machine drawings), perfected and finished commercial working models of the products, sample raw castings, forgings and barrel blanks from which the products can be made, defined manufacturing processes and methods, cost analyses, spreadsheets, packaging, promotional literature, brochures, owners manuals, etc., and the technical and gun business know-how necessary to start and run a firearms manufacturing company. Customary firearms advertising, marketing, promotion and distribution channels exist already.



Products of my invention, design, manufacture and license have sold world-wide since 1976 with NO recalls and NO product liability litigation. My products and I have been favorably written up in numerous gun magazines over the years. Products of my invention are reported to have 'starred' in more than 15 Hollywood movies and numerous TV shows, and my products are reported to have been owned by Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood, General Norman Schwartzkopf, Pres. Ronald Reagan, Charles Bronson, Hank Williams Jr., and an estimated ~15,000 others around the world. My products have been carried by a number of large firearms wholesalers in the past, and were featured in the Ellett Bros. wholesale catalog when they were manufactured under license several years ago.



Here's a little mention of me and the gun on Wiki... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAR_Grizzly_Win_Mag



and here: http://largrizzlypistoldiscussion.yuku.com/topic/426/9mm-Win-Mag



and here: http://grizzlypistol.blogspot.com/2007/02/arnett-patent-system-grizzly-technology.html





I’m available as a Manufacturing Consultant as well, if desired, to help set up a gun company and get the products ready for market.



You may know someone who would like to manufacture my Grizzly Pistols. I’ll offer a Finder’s Fee if a deal is struck that results in positive cash flow. I’m willing to set up a gun plant almost anywhere friendly to firearms manufacturing.



Further information is available on request.

Best,



Perry Arnett
Sole Inventor: Grizzly .45 Win Mag Pistol and Multi-caliber Conversion Kits
Sole Inventor: U.S. Firearms Patents #4,253,377 & 4,222,308


Buffalo Gap, SD “

He included his email, but I don't know if he wants me to broadcast it so until I know for sure, if anyone is interested, email me (email is in my profile) and I'll get it to you.
 
Forgive me for resurrecting this thread, but it contains by far the latest posts regarding contact with Mr Arnett, and with regard to the disposition of LAR. If anyone has tried to find and browse any sites appearing to be the genuine LAR web site, it would seem clear they don't 'do' web sites.

So...in several places around the 'net I've seen comments to the effect that LAR 'still might have...' or 'still has some...' LAR Grizzly parts. The posts I've seen are at least 10 years old now, and honestly, I don't see a way to contact LAR at all. It's bizarre. It would be nice to at least know that they have no parts and don't want to be contacted on the topic.

I'd be happy to have a spare extractor, firing pin and the extravagance of a 6 1/2" barrel--but at the very least it would be nice to know who the other 23 people are that own these things. :)
 
Bongo, I live not too far from the LAR Manufacturing shop. On occasion I drive right by there. Haven't been there in a few years, but I wouldn't mind stopping in to see what they have if anything. Feel free to email me with what you are looking for and I'll swing by.
 
Im one of the 23
if you find a source for those parts let me know, id love to get some spares.
 

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What's occurred to me is that, at some point in the future, there'll be the need to get as many Grizzly owners identified and communicating as possible--those who own and shoot them, not necessarily those who only own them--so as to coordinate commitment and resources for acquiring some limited set of parts. Sure, it seems extremely unlikely this could ever happen, but it definitely can't happen if the owners aren't aware of 'class action'.

Anyway, special-order group buys are not unheard of, and I've participated in several for bullet molds, for example. There, the unit cost per buyer is on the order of $100-150, and maybe 50-100 buyers participate. It's worth it for the manufacturer, and worth it for the buyers. It seems at least possible that a manufacturer that can make 1911 extractors, for example, might be able to create Grizzly extractors profitably, too. Suppose the price per unit to the buy is 2-3 times the price of a standard extractor, and suppose the maker accepts a special order for just 100 units. Who knows? My understanding is there were something like 5,000 Grizzlys made--I have no idea where I saw that number, maybe I just made it up. :)

Anyway, seems to me there are very few parts one would actually have to replace that aren't interchangeable 1911 parts. Harnessing the power of 150 owners with money might be adequate.

Just thinking 'out loud'.

EnoughGun, thanks for the tip re: Accurate Plating (that you provided 2 years ago :)). Never in a million years would I ever have considered plating a gun, but after reading the information at the site, I understand hard chrome finishing far better than I did. Seems like good outfit to do bidnith with, and it's now a serious consideration for me. The Grizzly I bought has some corrosion on it, and there's another one available considerably cheaper that could benefit from serious refinishing--I'd definite consider Accurate a top option.
 
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