I recently picked up this Star Model B from an auction house that gets confiscated weapons and auctions them off.

Two things of interest about this one.

First - apparently Ray was a pretty classy guy. He took little stickers with RAY and stuck them on the slide - then dribbled glue all over them (missing and getting glue all over the left side). Also, in the checkering of the original stocks, gold paint. I'm still trying to figure out how to get that out. Ray did not take good care of his gun - it was really dirty, but mechanically good with an excellent bore.

Second - It looks like it may be a WW2 Nazi order one. It has the last 3 digits of the S/N stamped on all of the major parts. Also, on the barrel is stamped Cal.08. Don't ask me why that was a German caliber designation for this (supposedly P08 Parabellum)

Got it for $140.



I found this blurb on a website dedicated to Star pistols.

That is a post war manufactured model B. The swell at the bottom of the front grip strap is a dead give away. Nazi contract pistols have straight grip straps. I'm a bettin' the serial number is 3-4 hundred thousand range.

Here is a recent thread on these:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearm...#post139919410

Thanks. Good info. Mine does have the LPN marking on the front grip strap.

jmace57, I have Antaris' big Star book. If you want to PM me the serial number I can tell you when it shipped to the LPN. It should clean up nicely and the LPN guns are desirable. Especially as I'll bet it does not have any horrible defacing import markings. Great score for $140.

Thanks to information provided by Walter, this one is post-WW2 as CZU pointed out. It was part of the LAST shipment of Star Bs to W Germany in November of 1954.

It cleaned up really nicely.