If you could own only one (well, maybe two) semi-auto pistol manufactured by Star, which model would you select? AND how much would you pay for it in a G-VG shooter grade. If they are to be avoided please share your opinion also.


Several FS on the net now. Seems like a good time to pick up one.

Thanks for the feedback.

There is a nice article about Star pistols in the latest issue of American Rifleman

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John

Right now I own a Star Super B in .9mm Largo. Bought it cheap back when they were imported by the truck load into the country. I think I paid around $100 for the gun, and bought 3 or 4 cases of 1960's military ammo for about dirt cheap. Sorta kinda like a 1911, they are very well made and reliable. Maybe a couple hundred rounds left, never had an issue with the gun.

Used to own a Star Firestar with the "Starvell" finish (hard chrome) in .45acp. Compact, well made, and reliable. Really like the way it shot and handled, but it was an all steel gun, and heavy for its size. Regret selling it. Frankly, it was better made than the 1980's Colt Commander I replaced it with.

Spanish handguns have an "iffy" reputation, but Star was among the good ones.

Larry

A Star BM in 9mm. It's all-steel. I had one, in fact.



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The Star Firestar series.....I have all three! Very under-rated gun in all regards....

Randy

I remember I had a Star PD 38 Super back in the 70s and never had a problem with it.

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_It was love at first shot_

Yeah... I had a Star PD in .45 auto. Carried it as an off-duty for awhile. It was a very nicely made and reliable firearm, and I liked it a lot, but back then I traded around a lot, and can't even remember what o traded it for. Never had any problems, though, and of corse, along with 9mm, 45 ammo is available just about anywhere.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

None but if I had to pay for one no more than $50

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

If you ever get a chance to buy a Star Model SA .22 grab it. This has to be one of the best and most reliable 22 plinkers ever made. I had one for years that I put countless thousands of rounds through without a problem and I gave it to the Grandkids to use when I got one in cosmetically better condition.
Jim

Yes they are!
I have the 9mm Md.43 and now I wish I had the other two as well!

I shot IPSC with a gentleman who used a Star PD in the 80's.

He shot very, very competitively against 1911 shooters.

Star,.....no thanks

Had one in .380 ACP, forty plus years ago. I shot I box of 50 SuperVel .380s at the range one day. When finished, the pistol was so loose, that I believe I could have shaken it for a minute or so, and it would "field strip" on its own. No thanks.........

The Star Model S is a "government .380". It doesn't have a grip safety but, otherwise, operates the same as a 1911 or, more to the point, a Colt Mustang or a Colt Government .380.

L Pete hated his - if it was an S model? - - I love mine and it's in the top list of guns I'd never part with.

They are spectacular shooters, accurate, ergonomically sound, easy to operate, and I know where there is another one and if I can get it I will.

Today's prices probably range from 300 to 600 dollars depending upon condition and if the seller knows how good the gun is.

I have a 1972 production Super B in 9mm Luger. It's been a real pleasant surprise from both a shootabilty and quality of manufacture standpoint. Truth be told I was fascinated by it being a close cousin to the 1911 design and thought I would give it a try since I thought a 1911-like 9mm would be fun. Not many handgun range sessions go by without me pulling out the old workhorse and showing what it can do. It is very soft shooting and extremely accurate. The only down side is the old style sights make it more of a chore so it takes more patience to line them up but the gun is as accurate as my old eyes allow if I do my part. Lastly, the Super B is ridiculously simple to break down and clean.

The issue if any with Super B's is finding good working mags that feed properly. I bought a couple Triple K mags from Robertsons a while back and they work great.

I would love to find a nice model BM, which is similar to a Super B, but in compact form.

I have a couple, and I think they are great pistols. Very well made, good steel, very accurate.
Mine, and price (what I paid):

Modelo B Super (Super B): Excellent 1911-like single stack, it looks like a 1911, but no grip safety. Takedown is like a Beretta or Sig, just flip the lever and pull the slide forward. Functions great, only caveat is that you should be sure to buy a snapcap to dryfire it. NEVER dryfire a B or Super B, the firing pin will snap if you don't have a snapcap.
$250 with 2 mags, box, manual.

Model 30MI- robust, tight, massive doublestack 9mm. When I say "robust", I mean that it makes a 5906 seem light and delicate! I paid $300 for the gun and 1 mag, was very fortunate to already have a 2nd mag. Strange safety, it pulls the firing pin away from the hammer, but doesn't decock or lock up.

Either would be a great fun gun, I'd lean towards the B series if you had just 1.

I have a Super B in 9mm Luger and a BM and love them both.

Here's my wife's competition gun (fantastic ergos) and an Astra given to me by a friend at his passing.

Attached Images

STAR.jpg (14.7 KB, 719 views)

I had a couple Model B's in 9mm that i really liked, except for the cheese grater heel to the grip.

The Firestar line, I have an M43 and a Firestar Plus (13+1). The Plus is one of the most accurate semis I own. Love them both.

Got them both in the early 90's, I think I paid $209 for the M43 and $235 for the plus. Back then they were some of the smallest 9mm's out there.

There is an M43 Starvell at my local gun shop, when it sits a bit longer I'll get a real deal on it.

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SWCA #2817

I've had lots of STAR pistols.
The only ones I have left are a couple Model F 22LR semiauto.
I's still recommed a Model F as a 22 plinker. I like the older versions w/the round bbl profile, but own a so called square bbl model as well. They came in 'Sport' and 'TArget' versions with longer bbls and adj sights. I had an early 50's Sport model but never a Target.
The STAR Model CO 25acp hammer automatic, the 22LR cal 'Lancer' alloy frame pistol and the Model PS 45acp full size steel frame pistol were favorites too. The 45cal PS was an x service pistol from Guatemala still in near exc cond.
All gone down the road now.

For a centerfire, I'd buy back one of my Model B Super /9mmLuger pistols or a Model B.
The Model 'A' versions of them are the same except in 9mmLargo caliber which isn't necessarily a bad thing if you reload.
Any of the Model B versions like the BM, BK (K for alloy frame), BKS (S for mag safety) and others are nice pistols too.
Many of the A, B . S(380) and I (32acp) variations in the country are X Military and security pistols from the Spanish Govt. Some are from the 40's and have had some hard service .
Check the thumb safety for proper mechanics (should be a one handed operation, no need to pull the hammer back to engage the safety).
Most (not all!) STAR semi autos are not safe to carry w/a round in the chamber and the hammer down as the firing pin is not a rebounding style.

Most of the models that were in the lineup since the postwar time underwent a change from narrow base mags to wide base mags. Something to be aware of when buying/searching for magazines for these pistols.

Yes I like 'em

Jules Winfield carries a Star model B in Pulp Fiction!

I've only owned the BM, but it was a well made pistol, it was accurate, and it never malfunctioned. I did only shoot FMJ's through it, though.

Still, I would own one again.

I still have a Star Firestar in 45acp that I purchased new in the early 1990's. It goes bang every time I pull the trigger with no stovepipes or misfires. I carried it for many years until wifey got me a Sig P239. For some reason, I never got used to the way the trigger pivots on the Firestar as I was more used to the straight pull of a 1911. It is still somewhere down in the safe & gets oiled up once in a while.

I believe the SA .22 I alluded to in my above post is also called a Model F. These are great plinking 22s!
Jim

I have a Star Modelo Super in 9mm Largo. AFAICT, it doesn't seem to be a Super A, Super B, or anything but a Modelo Super. Nicely fitted and finished, in about 85-90% condition, and fires .38 Super without issues. I have 3 Spanish magazines, one with a slightly different floorplate - all function perfectly.
I mostly shoot .38 ACP handloads w/a 135 gr RNL, but very accurate with CCI Blazer Al-cased Largo.
Oh, and I've dry-fired it occasionally for the 15 or so yrs I've owned it and the firing pin is still functional.

Larry

I had a Model BK, the full size, aluminum frame 9mm. Very reliable with FMJ-RN but didn't like any JHP I tried. One feature that made it a good carry concealed gun was that it was very thin, quite a bit thinner than a 1911. I just plinked with it at the range, there were better rounds available for self defense than FMJ 9mm, and I traded it off after a few years. I worried about it breaking some part and it being hard to find replacement parts, as this was before Al Gore invented the internet.

I had a FIRESTAR in .40 cal. A bit heavy, fit my hand very well. Shot itself loose very quickly. Had if fixed. Same problem. Sold it. Might be OK in 9mm. Also had a Model B and a Super in 9mm largo. Worked just fine though eventually I sold them too when the cheap surplus ammo dried up.

And Modesty Blaise had a PD .45 in the later books.

Had 3 PD45s. Down to one. WILL NOT be down to 0.

Never again. I owned a 9 mm Luger Super B, a 9 mm Luger BKM and a .45 PD. There were too many quality control issues with the Stars that were made to sell to the U.S. civilian market. There is no factory repair available and magazines are expensive. My guess is that buying a government surplus Star would be less risky than buying one made for the U.S. market. I'm assuming the military or police user would have sent the jam queens back to the factory.

As the enthusiasts have posted, you can get lucky buying a Star.

Thanks to each and all for sharing your knowledge, opinions, etc. I will print this Thread for a reference when shopping.

I've had several Stars. The only one that has disappointed me was the M43. It just does not fit my hand well enough to be a carry gun. I just could not get a consistent draw with it, the gun pointed every which way.

The Super B and BM are excellent guns. The Super B makes a great training gun for new shooters as it is very soft shooting.

I still own an Ultrastar which is a strange design. It has a polymer shell over an almost complete steel gun. There is little, if any, weight saving over a BM and I reckon a BKM might weigh less.

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Release the Kraken

I still have the PD 45ACP I bought in 79 in Norfolk while in the Nav. Couldn't afford a 1911. This little gun runs well. I should have bought it's brother back then. I was just too cheap and regret it.

A friend of mine had a .45 PD. One day we were at the range and ran out of ammo. I rumaged through my ditty bag and found some old .45 ACP reloads made with Keith 255 grain .45 Colt semi-wadcutters that I had loaded for a 1917 revolver. Dang if that PD didn't feed each and everyone of those big blunt SWCs.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Star model PS 45 acp...$250.00 in nice shape.

Mine was stolen. Similar to a 1911A1 , I liked the "improvements" , no grip safety , pivoting trigger instead of sliding , external extractor , no safety/slide stop plunger tube to come loose. Full size , all steel , blue finish.
Accurate and fed everything I loaded into it .
I seem to be one of the few that have/had the full sized model PS - 45 acp.
I have a big first place trophy I won in a 45 acp match with it.
Beat several Colt 1911's that day ! Stolen 21 years ago and I still want it back...good 45 !
Gary

Until I read this post, I had totally forgotten that my first .45 auto was a Star PS. I couldn't afford a Colt and I bought a Star. I showed it to a friend of mine and he felt that I needed a 1911 pattern semi.

He went to a Birmingham, Alabama gun show and called me, telling me he had found a 1911 built on an Essex frame. He proceeded to buy it for me. I couldn't afford to keep both (poor college student, ya know), so I sold the Star. Probably didn't have it 6 weeks.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I like Star pistols, I'm down to half a dozen now. Sold off my A's, not because of mechanical/function problems but because 9mm Largo ammo dried up. I still have a couple of the rimfire models and 4 Model B's, 2 of which are Nazi contract models. Some pics below..

Star F




Star F Sport

I have a really nice star BM in 9mm parabellium/ Luger that had cycling issues with normal new 9mm ammo. But I have a stash of Spanish 9mm ammo in the green box that cycles it fine.
I think the star pistols were worth buying for plinking. They were dirt cheap and the 9 mm largo ammo was cheap by the case from century arms. I still have them in 9 mm largo. The Astra pistols, m600/43 in 9mm Luger and the 1921/400 in 9mm largo were well built pistols. My m600/43 was a war bring back from my uncle. Weird looking but they function. I have a large llama extra in 9mm largo. It's a heavy 1911 style pistol.

9mm Largo Webpage

I've owned 2 like the 2-3 pictured down from the top. As I said earlier these are great plinkers and seem to be indestructible.
Jim

Larry, sounds like you have a nice pistol!

A couple things from what I learned while researching my Super B:

Spain used the 9mm Largo (9x21) round, not the 9x19 Parabellum rd, until quite recently. So the Model A and A Super were for local use, while "B" was for export. Thus, if yours is a Super and chambered for 9x21, it's basically an "A", by definition. It's the gun as originally designed, as that was the rd it was designed around.

Re 9mm Largo and .38 Super: the rds have the same dimensions, but 38 Super is loaded a lot hotter, and the gun wasn't built with that in mind. You might get away with a few mags of full-strength ammo, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it.

Re the firing pins- it's pretty well documented online that firing pins breaking while dry-firing is very common; and it's very hard to find a replacement. If/when you do, you're most likely going to have to fit it, unlikely to be a drop-in replacement. A snap cap is a very cheap investment to prevent a disaster.

Happy Shooting! I mean no harm, I just want to pass along some preventative tips before you run into a real problem.

A Star PD imported by Interarms. Star had a habit of skimping on heat treatment at times that would accelerate wear on slides and such. After getting a bit of a bad rep with the PD's imported by (Garcia ???) Interarms told Star that if they improved their heat treating and a few QC issues they would import for them. They did and they did, the second run of PD's were good pistols and I've owned two of them over the years and regret letting them go.

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Stay safe people!

A PD for sure.

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BCCI Life Member #2068

If you like Star pistols, I can heartily recommend Leonardo Antaris' book on Stars. It is expensive but absolutely loaded with excellent information, beautiful photos and is considered to be the the "bible" on that make.
One of the things explained in the book is the effect of Spain's post WWII economy on Star's production and quality. The military wanted new guns at several times and had no money. Star agreed to take the old models in on trade. Most were reworked and sold on the world market and especially to Sam Cummings and Interarms for US distribution. When Star was having financial issues, the quality of their reworks and even new production suffered. Near the end of the company's life they were selling everything but the kitchen sink and a lot of partially completed guns and parts were imported into the US and put together here. Those are the ones to watch out for, and are usually easy to spot. They look like they were run over by a belt sander before rebluing and the safety/hammer interface often doesn't work properly. But, when you get a good Star, they were quality made guns.
Here's a few examples. The Model 30M is hell for stout but not one that you would want to concealed carry.

The 9mm Largo and 38 Super will often interchange in the Star and ASTRA pistols chambered for the LArgo round but that is not intentional,
The 38 Super is a semi rimmed case, the Largo is not. The 38Super usually chambers and fits the breech face of the pistols just fine due to mfg tolerances being a bit generous.
The Astra 400's sometimes refuse to accept them which is a good thing.
Depending on which source you read, the case length of the Super is a bit longer than the LArgo too, but again they seem to fit and fire.

9mm Steyr will fit and fire re liably in most of the Largo pistols too dispite reports to the contrary. There was a fairly good supply of it around for a while when the Romanian & Chilean surplus 1912 Steyr Hahn pistols hit the market in the 90's

***Do not shoot any of the Winchester 9x23mm stuff through any of these Largo chambered pistols...
Though case dimensions are the same as the Largo,,the factory ammunition is way over pressure (55K psi) for the STAR and ASTRA Largo pistols.

A good round would be the 38ACP with it's lower pressures. But people do use the 38Super in the STAR Model A & A Super pistols and seem to do OK with it. The 38Super runs in 35Kpsi range which is where the 9mmLuger does and that's chambered in the identicle Model B and B super.
Take your pick. I choose not to.
Definetly not in a blowback Astra 400! ...Nor in the earlier STAR model 1920 and 1922 9mmLargo pistols. They are kind of rare anyway and more of a collectors item in themselves., The 1920 Model I had shot nicely with slow poke entry level 9mm Largo loads. It already had the common cracked slide at the extractor cut.

My Star Md#43 was my entry into the world of 9 mm. It shot very well and it felt good in the hand. I could not complain one bit in regards to fit and function!
My only problem with it though was for the size gun it was, it was heavy! I considered using it for concealed carry and I did try it but I felt I didn't want to take up wearing suspenders!
I still have it, hasn't been to the range in quite some time though?

Wow, there's a lot of love for the Star pistols on the S&W forum. Some of those .22's look pretty neat.

I have a Star Super B I picked up last year from Aim Surplus. I have been impressed with it. It can shoot just as accurately as any of my $500 or $600 9MM's for half the price.

I had a Star PD in .45ACP in the 1970's...great as a carry piece..but stung the hand when shot..wish I still had it..

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NRA PATRIOT BENEFACTOR LIFE

I couldn't afford a real Colt either. My buddy , who could, bought a Colt Commander, the Star PS shot tighter groups...he didn't like that ! So he upgraded to a stock Gold Cup , with target sights...at the time that was the top gun. The Star still shot tighter groups than Gold Cup... he was realy upset over the money spent on the Colt GC and how it would do no better than a Star PD with fixed sights.....he kept trying to buy it from me, but I wasn't about to let that accurate shooter get away. 1- ragged hole groups were normal at 50 feet.
Gary

Have shot many Stars, but they could never take me away from the Colt M1911's. However, I did own a Star Model 28 in 9MM. Wish I had never sold it. Haven't seen a Model 28 or a Model 30 for sale locally or would use either to replace my Beretta 92FS.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Model 28 did very poorly in the US military trials. And a well known gun writer told me that he tried three M-28's, the importer hoping to get one to him that worked right. None did, but the famous gun magazine put a M-28 on its cover for the issue in which his review ran. It was all about getting ad dollars.

Model 30 has much better reports. I think it was developed to de-bug the M-28.