I can be a sucker for an inexpensive gun, especially if it's something I've never tried before. I saw this one, a Star BM a couple of days ago and got it what I considered a good price ~$250.00. Not too bad for an all steel 9mm, with a 3 3/4" barrel, 8 +1 capacity, two sets of grips, two magazines, green Star plastic box, and instruction manual (in Spanish) I didn't think.

It's probably a little smaller than a Colt Commander, and in spite of it's appearance it is not a 1911. Different internals. I'm sure someone else can explain the differences better than I could, but one obvious difference is the lack of a grip safety. The manual thumb safety works different than a 1911 safety also.





Being all steel, it's a too heavy, for me anyway, to use as a carry gun. I understand parts are hard, if not impossible to find, but then I've had that problem with a Model 39-2. I suspect this one will be a range toy, and safe shelf weight.

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John 3:16 .

They're great little guns and excellent quality. However, the BKM is the one to have. Alloy frame, just feels so much better. Should have picked one up several years ago when the surplus ones were imported. Now you just can't find one at an affordable price.

I had one that I should have kept! Shooting them is a pleasure, all that weight really tames any recoil from the 9 in the small package.

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Life NRA, Life TSRA, C&R FFL

Star and Astra made some good pistols, and are the only two Spanish pistols that I trust to own.

I have a Super B or B Super. Like has been said, pleasure to shoot and parts hard to find. Mine needs a takedown lever, but it shoots just fine.

I thought maybe you had been in a corn on the cob eating contest.

Internals to 1911 are pretty much the same, except the thumb safety blocks the hammer instead of the sear. I have had a Star Super A for years, proofed in 1947, it is a little different from yours as it has a cam, instead of a link for the barrel, and a take down lever. Yours takes down exactly the same as a 1911.

Great guns - do not dry fire it, as brittle firing pins are the big issue with these. I had a really nice one that was customized by (now retired) gunsmith Sam Damewood of Alamogordo, NM . . . gave it to a friend's kid on his 21st birthday. I actually liked the heft of the all-steel gun.

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Now go make God proud...

I have one too. Fantastic trigger and it soaks up recoil well for me. Oddly enough my fiance dislikes its recoil impulse, finding other lighter polymer guns or heavier guns more to her liking. Just goes to show how perceived recoil varies by individual.

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Release the Kraken

Isn't that the truth, Steve? If I'm honest, I found the BM to be less easy to keep on target in rapid fire than smaller polymer guns. But I sure liked how it hefted . . .

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Now go make God proud...

These compact versions of the Model B were a great surplus buy when they were imported in great numbers some years back. Spanish Police and Gov't Security Agency issue weapons bought back by STAR in a contractual agreement when the Police & Agencys went to the M28 and M30 pistols. Interarms then got them from STAR, along w/turned in Model S, B-Supers and other STAR models for importation to the US. Some were refinished and rebuilt by STAR first, some not. It was a looser contract for STAR as it turned out.

Some of the late mfg versions have an inertia firing pin like the Colt 1911. These are safe to carry with a cartridge in the chamber and the hammer full down.
Most have the standard STAR fireing pin that is NOT an inertia type,,but rather the pin is longer than the breech and will protrude from the breech face with the hammer down.
That will put the FP down hard on the primer of a live round in the chamber if the hammer is down all the way. A dropped pistol or a bump to the hammer can fire the pistol.
These latter style are only safe to carry w/a round in the chamber w/the hammer at full cock and the safety ON.
Either that or carry with the chamber empty.
The hammer half-cock notch is not a safety notch. It's just there to catch the hammer should it fall from the full cock position accidentally just like the Colt design.

If you break a FP and need to replace it, you need to remove the rear sight from the slide. Underneath it is a pin that intersects the firing pin keeping it in place in the slide. Drive that pin out of the slide from inside the slide..then the fireing pin and it's return spring will drop out the back of the slide.

Standard STAR design w/ pinned trigger & extractor, no grip safety, disconnector on the outside of the frame on the left under the grip as is the trigger bar. Captured recoil spring unit .
The mag release is about the same as a Colt!

THere are still some available at SARCO in "good" condition for about the same price you paid Cajun, but yours is really nice looking. I bought one several years ago for next to nothing ($125) becuase the finish was awful It was my first refinish (Aluma-Hyde) I ever did. Even before I shot it. I LOVE shooting it. I like the recoil absorbing weight of the steel frame. Finding magazines can be a real challenge any more. One of my favorite guns to shoot. Nice find!

I collected a few Star pistols. I got into the 9mm largo pistols years ago. I guess I'm into weird calibers. The Spanish 9mm largo ammo was cheap. It gave me something to shoot during the ammo shortages.
9mm Largo Webpage

The Star and Astra handguns are very popular in Europe.

As long as we're talking about other Star pistols, I thought I'd put up a photo of the evolved model that I carry sometimes.

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Now go make God proud...

That's true!

Back when the Internet was young I was on Firearms Discussion List and many of the members were familiar with various Star pistols and always spoke well of them. I have long owned a Star Model S that I can assure you is an incredibly good shooter - extremely accurate. I am not sure I can still use those tiny sights but I guess I need to try - it has been awhile.

The original grips, some kind of rubberized black things or polymer, well, the right side grip, anyway, cracked and when I would tighten the screw it would press on the mechanism and jam the gun. Ajax custom made me a set of rosewood grips to fix the problem and they look great, feel great, and solved the problem perfectly.

Attached Images

	Star Model S - Ajax rosewood stocks - right side.jpg (190.9 KB, 39 views)
	Star Model S - rosewood Ajax grips.jpg (269.5 KB, 40 views)

I love my old b models, star and john deeres, heres one of the stars

Possibly the only time in cinematic history a stand-in was needed for a Star PD, they of course went with a Star BM.



I know somebody's going to ask: The snap is from the cult classic Ms. 45.

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TEAM DNF

The star nm is a mini 1911 style pistol. It's a heavy little guy because it's all metal.

Astra moved there manufacturing to Switzerland. They did offer a new all forged and hand fitted 1911. They weren't cheap they were top notch in quality. I heard about it, seen pics of it but didn't see it swim to the USA.

About 15 years ago Interarms had a large quantity of the BM pistols, surplus from the Spanish Gardia Civil (paramilitary police). Prices ran about $130 per, in the green plastic factory box with manual and 2 mags. I ordered 3 of them with the idea of having a relatively inexpensive back-up piece for each vehicle.

Quality is very good. All 3 functioned perfectly with ball ammo, cast bullet reloads, and 2 different brands of hollow-points. Accuracy was good. Ergonomics are very good.

Then the problems started. Son #1 needed a pistol, so I let him take one home. Son #2 found out about that, showed up wanting one, so I let him take one home. Oldest grandson wanted a pistol but couldn't afford one, so he took one home.

Oh well.

I had one for several years. I got as new in the box. I got it in one of my better trades. The owner took it down to clean it and lost the safety spring and detent ball on the end. He never found the part and it sat for 20 years. He gave it to his son in law who could not find the part.

I had bought a NIB Harris bipod at an estate sale for 75 or 85 cents. It sat for a long time too.

He was trying to sell it for enough to buy a Harris bipod for his sniper rifle. Trade happened. I put a Colt spring and detent in it.

It was a 9mm. I truly liked it. I took it and others to a gun show. I put 300 on it and the 1st guy who asked to see it collected them. He did not blink, gave me 3 hundred and moved on.

I bought a Ruger 7.5 in 357 for 150 and sold it in a few minutes for about 275. I ended up finding a sw I liked and was into it cheaply.

I miss the gun it was handy to pack and carry in the suitcase. One of my better trade days.

It off set the days where I overpaid for one. Lots of days like this.

The Star BM was my first center-fire handgun. I had just gotten the boat shop I worked in to delve into guns, gotten us our FFL, and ordered 4 factory-reconditioned former Spanish Civil Guard (CGP) Star BMs from Southern Ohio Gun. I believe they came out to $165 each after shipping. I bought the last one we had. I proceeded to carry and shoot that gun for a decade, and still own it. It's still the most accurate 9mm compact I've ever fired, and it's never missed a beat. I even still have the factory cardboard box, cleaning rod, and manual.

Liked for the Mini-Barrage in yellow

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Not in jail.