Fierce LAR Grizzly 45 Win Mag Muzzle Blast!!

WOW... These Grizzly owners are recoil junkies just like me... I wanna meet these guys! Nice photos... I bet they were really happy at the range that day :)

Cam

Hello Grizzly folks!

I promised I would tell the Grizzly community about the 9mm Luger Grizzly conversion unit, so now here is my account.

I reeceived the unit several weeks ago, but was not able to shoot it until recently.
First here is a picture of the unit compared to the normal Grizzly:


And now the unit installed:


The vendor told me that a company made them back in the 90ies and he had sold roughly 200 of them.
It is a 1911 design just lengthened to fit on the Grizzly receiver.
The finish is somehow rough, not bluing but some kind of paint or varnish.
There are no markings on the whole system except for the proof firing markings.

The magazine is just as tylergnut suggested, a 9mm mag with aluminium hunch screwed to its back..

The barrel is not as thick as the standard Grizzly barrels, so that should explain the need for a different slide.
The bushing is a normal 1911 Govt style with a brazed insert.

I was able to test different factory loads and it was reasonably accurate for my skill.
Should anyone be interested or would like to have other pictures feel free to tell me!

Thats it for now I hope I was able to show you something new!

Ulrich

Holsters For The LAR Grizzly Win Mag!!

I get many inquiries about holsters for Grizzly pistols... and as you all know... they are VERY hard to come by!

Well, our luck has changed... My good friend Lynn Tompkins of Frontier Leatherworks in PA is now offering several custom holsters and belts for the LAR Grizzly Win Mag. You can see just a few of the initial designs below. Please visit his website at: www.frontierleatherworks.com and support my new Grizzly friend. I cant wait to get mine!

Shoot Straight,

Cam

Seriously considering a Mark IV...

Hey Folks,
My name is Harry and I am the new guy around here. I owned a Grizzly in .45 Winchester Magnum from 1991 to 1994, which I had purchased for myself upon returning from Desert Storm as a young Marine, at the now closed B&B Guns(famous for supporting the LAPD during the Hollywood Bank Shootout, only to have the weapons kept and be left without being reimbursed afterward) in California.

I envisioned her as the ultimate combat sidearm, and to that end I had slowly been customizing her with upgrades like a mag well and micarta grips from Smith and Alexander, and having the front sight drilled and fitted with a tritium insert. The trigger was also cleaned up by a local smith. I had spoken to Mr. Brown in Calif. a few times about his "combat custom" compensated set up designed in collaboration with Massad Ayoob, after reading about it in one of the gun rags of the time, and was attempting to save the $750.00 needed for that at the time, too.

As a side note, when I wasn't able to find properly sized base pads for my magazines to work with the S&A Magwell(combat handgunning and rapid magazine changes), Mr. Smith of Smith and Alexander actually machined me a half dozen out of aluminum free of charge! He refused to accept any form of compensation for them! He was an outstanding gentleman to deal with, and I can only hope he has achieved the level of respect and support in the shooting community he so richly deserves.

Regrettably, when finances got extremely tight, I was forced to sell my beloved pistol, and now years later coming back to it, I'm saddened by it having been discontinued.

With all of that said, I'm strongly considering moving to a Mark IV, in .44 Mag. I'm actually high bidder on one on Gunbroker, as I type this. I'm very interested in learning from owners and shooters how these perform. My .45WM functioned flawlessly, but I'm admittedly a little concerned about the rimmed cartridge in a semiauto platform. My motivation toward the Mark IV has primarily to do with the commonly available ammunition in that caliber, as well as my ability to save a bit in bulk purchase from folks like Ammoman. I know the DE has been working successfully with them, but am very interested in hearing first hand experience from owners on this system. Additionally for those that know, how do the Mk1s and 4s compare side by side? How about shooting characteristics?

Thanks for your time and attention, and to Cam for welcoming me back into the Grizzly community.

Respectfully,
Harry

LAR GRIZZLY Ad and Order Form...

I have never seen one of these before... I thought Grizzly fans would be interested. Note where they are still advertising the 9mm Win Mag and the 9mm Lugar as well. This must be really early in the Grizzly history.

If any one else out there has any Grizzly memorabilia... I would love to get it on our blog site. Let me know!

Thanks,

Cam

The Roar of the LAR Grizzly Win Mag

I received an email from a gentleman describing his frustration in finding a good place to shoot his LAR Grizzly WIn Mag. He had just moved to a new town and was searching for a shooting home. This story is hilarious and illustrates just how incredibly powerful these handguns really are. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did...

Cam

"I began looking for a range where I could shoot my magnums (both pistols and rifles). However, most of the outdoor ranges either do not permit firearms with compensators or muzzle porting (disturbs adjacent shooters) or do not have suitable target distances for this cartridge (either 21 feet or 100 yard ranges). I then tried indoor ranges, but many would not allow any magnums, and those that did quickly banned me from shooting my Grizzly there.

I vividly recall the events at one range in particular. Since I had already been banned at others, I specifically asked permission to shoot my L.A.R. Grizzly 45 Win Mag at their range. The range officer looked at me and laughingly said, "Hell, son, we let 'em shoot 44 Magnums in here all the time, so you go right ahead." When I entered the range, most of the lanes were filled with local police department personnel shooting what I guessed were 9mm rounds. I took my time to setup, run a target down range, load and insert my magazine, and then take aim at the target. Blocking out all the non-stop "pop" "pop" "pop" sounds from the 9mm gunfire around me, I gently squeezed the trigger. As you undoubtedly know, the ensuing pressure wave and brilliant muzzle flash were substantially greater than those of the more modest 9mm cartridges in the range. Suddenly, I realized there were no "pop" "pop" "pop" sounds and the range was eerily silent. I put my Grizzly on the bench and stepped back to look down the line and every one of the police officers was looking at me. I waved and smiled, then stepped back into the booth, picked up my Grizzly, and squeezed off another round. As the muzzle flash faded, I watched one of the eight-foot fluorescent light bulbs fall from the overhead fixture and shatter in my lane. Just then, I felt a strong tapping on my shoulder and looked back to see a man excitedly signaling me to stop. I unloaded the Grizzly and followed the man to the office, where he began cursing at me for bringing that @#$*% canon in his range. About then, an assistant entered the office to report one of the deflector plates in my lane had sustained damage. The excitable man then identified himself as the owner and stated I was liable for the replacement costs of the damaged deflector and the fluorescent light. However, I challenged the owner and explained that I had, in fact, specifically asked one of his employees if I could shoot my L.A.R. Grizzly 45 Win Mag in the range and the employee said, "Hell, son, we let 'em shoot 44 Magnums in here all the time, so you go right ahead." After confirming my story, the owner told me I would not be held liable for the damages, but I could NEVER bring that @#$*% canon back to his range."

Hello from Austria!

Norway is not the only nation in Europe where Grizzlies roar!

I was hooked on the Grizzly pistol in 2005 shortly before www.grizzlypistol.com went offline. After I had bought my own (in 45 WM and 45 ACP) , I was able to get some spare parts and a 357 mag conversion unit from the most trustworthy JD from Texas. Thanks Jim should you ever read this! But as time goes by and ammunition is not getting cheaper I looked around for an inexpensive caliber.... But looking at the Grizzly there is none....

After looking through innumerable websites and after losing all hope I found something that startled me. There in the price list of an arms dealer I read: Conversion unit for Grizzly Mk I 9mm Para. Complete with slide. Exactly what I was looking for, so I acted at once. I tried to contact via email. The response was not very satisfying ("we have it in storage but dunno where, no photos etc"). I tried to contact via phone (some of the helpers I talked to did not seem to know what I was talking about and the boss was always absent). That was mid 2007. When I told Cam about this find he said he would be interested in getting more infos about it. As for now I have been able to recontact the gun dealer and buy one of the conversion units.
I await it within the next week or so. I will certainly post some info and pics about it once I hold it in my hands. That is it for now and I hope I did not bore you too much with my story.

But I do have a question: As there will only be one magazine shipped with the conversion unit, and replacements are almost non existant if at all I want to give it a try and craft one myself. To avoid buying wrong equipment please tell me if a standard 9mm colt style mag can be inserted into the Grizzly? Is it the same width? Is the hole for the magazine catch at the right place? Would it be possible to use it by adding lenth to it at the backside? Any help with this matter is greatly appreciated.

Ulrich

Parts.

Guy's I have talked to Bar Sto Machine and they can and have made stainless match grade barrels for the Grizzly. The cost is in the low/mid $300 range. I had had the pleasure to fire a 6.5" bar sto barrelled 45WM Grizz before and it is way more accurate at 100 yrds!

I have also talked to John at www.carboncreations.com and I have a set of rare factory walnut grips I am willing to send to him as a pattern for some fancy cool looking grips. Check out his web site and look at the grips, if you like the look contact John and let him know your interested and maybe we can get him to make a mold from the grips I have. He says if he feels there is an interest in this product he will make them.

Don

Grizzly spare parts

In the past I've seen folks looking for spare / re-placement parts for the Grizzly line of pistols [ ie ] slidestops , extractors , how were these parts made and what type of machine would be needed to make these parts again , also the libality , patent infregiment and any other area that needs to be concidered ? Paul grizzly45win@yahoo.com

WTB Lar Grizzly mark1 parts etc

I am Interested in Buying reasonably priced LAR Grizzly Mark1 Parts and conversion units especialy a 357 slide stop please Email with items and prices etc to waymore_1@yahoo.com

Hi from Norway!

I'm the proud owner of a Mark I, in caliber 10mm Auto, which is fitting for an european, born with 10 fingers and used to metrics.....

Mine came with two magazines, and have been sparingly fired, as the ammosituation in 10mm has been hard around these shores.

I have a box of original Norma loads, I got hold of a few boxes of Winchester loads recently (they where expensive, just like the Norma!), and just a short while ago I got a case of 1000 Partizan loads, manufactured in the former Yugoslavia, in Serbia to be specific. These was quite cheap, about on par with 9mm Para around here (easily double of what you pay).

The gun came with two extra caliber kits: 357 Magnum and 45 Win Mag, but so far hasn't been fired much: only the 357 has seen a bit of action, and that dinged up the brass, which is kinda discomforting.

Anyone with good tips on how to fix that?

Mark 4 barrels

I was wondering if the Mark 4 barrels can be interchanged with either barrels from a Mark 1 or a Mark 5?
Thankyou
Jim

First Year Grizzly Win Mag Price List

I was able to get my hands on a "first year" pricw list from L.A.R. I find all of the Grizzly Win MAg memorabilia to be very interesting. I hope you guys do to!

Wouldn't it be nice if these guns were still being produced. I understood that LAR experienced overwhelming response to the offering of these pistols. It would be nice to know the real story of their demise. I have heard rumors that LAR at one time got in some trouble with issues and/or lawsuits revolvong around some government contracts and shortly after that they discontinued production of the pistols.

Does anyone know the real scoop?

Grizzly Win Mag Pistol Barrel Porting

The following is a letter included with a Grizzly .45 Win Mag Pistol with a 6.5 inch Barrel I own . I'II enter it exactly as its written -----------------------NOTICE --------------------------Dear Customer , Please note that the Barrel on your Grizzly Win Mag Pistol has not been ported. After substantial testing , we have found that the ports hampered accuracy and velocity. Also , the test revealed that the recoil with or without the ports were not that noticeable. Accuracy and Velocity far out weigh the recoil advanatge prompting us to eliminate the ports. Thank You, L.A.R. Manufacturing Inc.

L.A.R. 45 Grizzly Win Mag pistols

I have always used the acronym L.A.R. when decribing the .45 Winchester Magnum pistols , as I did'nt realize all the outher facts as to the orgins of this pistol , so in the future I''ll refer to them as .45 Grizzlies .

Arnett Patent System Grizzly Technology History

At the time when LAR Mfg. Co. was manufacturing the first batch of pre-production prototype Grizzly Pistols for me under License, we needed barrels for them.

I was then serving as an in-plant Consultant to LAR (since I had invented the technology and licensed it to them), and I had the most complete knowledge of what the desired end result was to be. I suggested to 'Robbie' that he order barrel forgings from Crucible or Carpenter [if I recall correctly] since they were the only barrel forging available that were made of "4150GM" (Government Modified) steel - the strongest barrel steel then affordably available for the purpose - with a "grain size Five or finer".

He didn't really know if the gun would sell, so apparently to hedge his risk, he got some .45 caliber Douglas rifle barrel blanks from which about six (?) Grizzly Pistol barrels were made. They were properly dimensioned and heat-treated, so far as I am aware.

We were testing one of the first batch of commercial Grizzly Pistols made, to see if, and when it would destroy itself from just being fired. We had put about ~5,000(?) factory WW 45 Win Mag loads through it and saw no dimensional or other changes in the firearm, so we decided to try some WW 45 WIN Mag Proof loads. Just a couple was not enough!

I had suggested a design for a Lexan polycarbonate automatic proof-firing chamber that held the gun so it could be fired safely by an operator from outside the box. They built one and we began the test.

At about the ~1,200th(?) Proof round fired through that one pistol, the gun jammed with the slide retracted partially frozen in that position, the brass was intact, everything else was fine. Upon examination, I found that the barrel had split longitudinally! I inspected the situation and disassembled the gun. I took photos. Nothing was wrong with the remainder of the pistol in any way.

The split barrel was sent to a testing lab in SLC who determined that the barrel steel had (if I recall correctly) "between 0.10 and 0.12 points Sulfur" in it. I still have the split barrel, the lab report, and the photos in my papers.

As most gunsmiths know, some barrel makers use "re-sulfurized" barrel steel to make them easier to machine. But the higher than usual sulfur content also makes them slightly less strong than a barrel made with less sulfur (i.e. 0.02 - 0.05 points). When used in a rifle barrel, with a normal large "pressure-reinforce" area over, and ahead of the chamber, they are plenty safe and work fine. But when turned down to the dimensions of the Grizzly pistol barrel, heat-treated to a very hard condition, then subjected to the firing impact of ~5,000 commercial 45 Win Mag loads, and ~1,200 45 Win Mag Proof loads, under high, repeated impact, the high sulfur content can cause crystallization, and the barrel may split. [I have all the exact numbers in my Log books which are in storage, so I'm giving you 'best recollections' here]

That prompted LAR to order the forged barrel blanks(!), and there was never another incident of that type - so far as I am aware.

None of THOSE barrels were ever supposed to be shipped, obviously. However, I suppose it's possible that someone who didn't know any better may have put the remainder of those barrels with other parts and sold them as firearms. I don't know.

If you want, if you have a split barrel, you could send it to a testing lab and have them analyze the steel. If the sulfur content is high, then it may be one of those barrels.

Hope this helps.

Perry Arnett - sole conceiver, designer, inventor, patent holder (#4,253,377), engineer, and licensor of the Grizzly Multi-caliber Magnum Semiautomatic Pistol and its Arnett Patent System Multi-caliber Conversion Units, and other related technologies.

If I may be allowed to set some of the record straight here, since there seems to be some confusion about some of this:

I solely conceived the conception, - that is, the conception of using the "Browning Lock" (as embodied in the 1911-A1 pistol), to create a Multi-caliber, Semiautomatic Magnum Pistol that would safely contain the pressures and forces in the 45 Win Mag, and other major magnum caliber cartridges, and to turn that conception into a firearm that could be affordably made, and sold at a price that would allow others to enjoy that firearm;

- since my first patent for Multi-caliber Conversions (#4,253,377) had already just issued, this conception of the Grizzly Pistol, and the resulting technology, and the products resulting therefrom, were ALREADY COVERED under my patent at the moment of their conception!;

- I performed the math and physics analyses, the strength of materials, I hand-built the first fully functioning prototype Grizzly Multi-caliber Magnum Pistol (#PP001), and I hand-held-fired the first prototype in my own hand;

- I determined the materials, and heat treatments required; designed, engineered and specified the fits, finishes and tolerances; sizes, shapes, features, contours, appearance, ergonomics, function, name, etc., for the production products;

- I drafted the patent application, filed the patent application through my patent attorney [M. Wayne Western], and was awarded the patent (#4,253,377);

- I directed the taking of the first Grizzly product brochure photos for North American Manufacturing Co. at a guy's house in Provo, Utah, AND the subsequent photos for LAR - which were done under my direction by Tim Hatfield, a professional photographer, behind a barber shop, outside, in Cedar City, Utah;

- I personally wrote ALL the Grizzly and Multi-caliber Conversion Unit product brochure text and verbiage, and all of the Grizzly Owner's Manual; I personally edited all the text, and whatever errors of grammar or syntax there are, are mine! My friend, Dennis Rowley, helped with the layout of those first brochures, and he did the layout of the draft Owners Manual largely by himself.

- the Grizzly Logo [the raging bear] was designed at MY request, by a college art student then attending SUU in Cedar City, and was licensed by me to LAR as part of the Technology Transfer License Agreement package;

- the 'Grizzly' trademark, (even though filed by LAR), is owned by me, as it was also transferred to LAR from me as a part of the Technology Transfer License Agreement package;

- I showed the Grizzly Magnum Pistol and Multi-caliber Conversion Units at various gun shows; took ~$300,000 worth of orders for it and Conversion Units from Ellet Bros. ALONE, in 1981(?), at the NASGW show in Denver; I still have their green computer fan fold printouts...

- I initially licensed the technology to North American Manufacturing Co. in Spanish Fork, Utah, [owner, Frank Talley], who, after about six months, was cordial enough to return the License, since they were then engaged with new military projects, and were unable to proceed further with it at a pace he and I thought it deserved;

- So, in a conversation with my then tax attorney [Jim Arrowsmith], who happened to also be the tax attorney for LAR, he introduced us, and I consummated a Technology Transfer License Agreement with LAR Mfg. Co. of West Jordan, Utah. I then worked with them at their request, in their plant, for about 14 months as an Inventor/Manufacturing Consultant on the manufacturing and marketing of the Grizzly Pistol Technology Licensed Project.

In my 2,500 volume technical library and other papers, I have all the original engineering calculations and bent corners and highlighting on engineering texts.

My signature is on the patent. The patent is issued to me as "Sole Inventor".

My signature is on the first Technology Transfer License Agreement with NAM Co., and on the second with LAR.

My signature is on all the ~50 or so, Machine Drawings for Grizzly Magnum Pistols and Multi-caliber Conversion Unit parts - in all their variations [through about 1986].

My signature is on all the Manufacturing Change Orders issued from inception through about 1986.

My signature is on the [few] royalty and License Fee check (copies) I was paid and cashed.

More than 50 of my friends, neighbors and family were around during the time I invented the Grizzly Pistol and its Multi-caliber Conversion Units; lots of others in the gun business: Herm Bockstruck of WW (deceased?), Terry Paul, Jeff Talley, Harry Wind, Peggy Stein, Dean Grennell, Bob Milek (deceased), the nice folks at Ellet Brothers, Golden State Castings in Ogden, Utah, etc.; my oldest son, Aaron, who was the second person to fire the 9mm Win Mag prototype Conversion Unit - when he was about 10!

Those who know, KNOW...! The rest is history (or garbage...).

I'm pleased to see and hear about all the folks who like the Grizzly!

I did my damnedest to make the Grizzly Interchangeable, Magnum Multi-caliber Semiautomatic Pistol the finest big bore handgun ever produced. (You would never believe how much time I spent doing the math, revising, and re-revising the tolerance-stacks on the manufacturing drawings so that:

a) the relevant parts would fit together as tightly, smoothly, and as accurately as possible, thereby giving out-of- the-box, match grade accuracy, while,

b) being able to be manufactured at a cost that would be acceptable, affordable and profitable - so that ANY slide made could be mated to ANY receiver made and ANY barrel and ANY bushing, and the resulting accuracy would be Match-grade! - WITHOUT ANY hand fitting [I DID THAT!] - and that the proper materials selection, and proper heat-treatment of those materials would allow these parts to retain that high quality fit, essentially, forever.

These were all done on an HP 41CX hand-held calculator, (remembering that this was before cheap computers and electronic spreadsheets were common in manufacturing plants.)

I only hold two patents (self-funded), but the Grizzly Multi-caliber Pistol technology is but one of the more than 300 OTHER new product and process inventions I've conceived, designed and/or built since I was 17.

I've owned a small company specializing in new product development and innovative machine design for factory automation since 1985. Now I do a bit of free-lance machine design, manufacturing consulting, and lots of inventing....

FWIW: I have a 37 page Enabling Patent Disclosure for a new technology and series of products I call "The Last Rifle Technology" - since it embodies ALL the features which, if one owned THIS rifle, he'd never have to, nor want to own another; - the key aspect of which is that all 'variables' that might cause a miss at extreme range are 'digitally compensated for', thus insuring first round hits that might otherwise not be able to be taken.

Probable military contracts possible; serious inquires invited.

Sorry for the length. Thanks!

Perry Arnett

Grizzly Diagrams...

Here are a couple of quick reference diagrams for Grizzly pistols (click on them to enlarge). As you will see they are basically a Model 1911 in every way... just some of the pieces have been stretched and/or beefed-up to handle the size and recoil of larger magnum calibers. I will try to get some better scans of these in the near future.

Please note the link in our "links" section to the right. This will take you directly to a downloadable version of the entire Grizzly Hangun Owner's Manual. We are looking for the list that Grizzly once put out showing which parts were standard 1911 and which ones were different... if anyone has one... please scan at decent resolution and send to me at: cam2@towerprinting.com.

Thanks mucho...

Grizzly Ad Circa 1988...

The ad pictured below was also used as a promotional flyer by LAR for a few years. I was told that it ran for the first time in 1988... if anyone know any different please let me know and I will update this info. Seeing this old stuff is exciting to me. If anyone out there has any more Grizz memorabilia... please let us know.

Just an FYI... if you click on any of the pictures in this blog... they should pop-up in your browser at full resolution.

I'll post more as soon as I can...