Smith & Wesson Forum

Advertise With Us Search
Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > General Topics > Firearms & Knives: Other Brands & General Gun Topics

Notices

Firearms & Knives: Other Brands & General Gun Topics Post Your General Gun Topics and Non-S&W Gun and Blade Topics Here


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-15-2024, 04:32 PM
mk70ss mk70ss is offline
Member
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 647
Likes: 580
Liked 3,456 Times in 460 Posts
Default Found A Bargain In Maine

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/XJN**M8r/IMG-4475.jpg[/img]

Found this mint condition Star Firestar in a gun shop in Maine. Asking $275, I got it for $225 plus shipping to Tennessee. These all steel, well made guns were way under rated in my opinion. Going to become my new summer carry gun.
Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Like Post:
  #2  
Old 02-15-2024, 05:22 PM
AJ's Avatar
AJ AJ is offline
US Veteran
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: East of Stick Marsh, Fla.
Posts: 9,591
Likes: 5,023
Liked 21,434 Times in 6,467 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mk70ss View Post
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/XJN**M8r/IMG-4475.jpg[/img]

Found this mint condition Star Firestar in a gun shop in Maine. Asking $275, I got it for $225 plus shipping to Tennessee. These all steel, well made guns were way under rated in my opinion. Going to become my new summer carry gun.
Lots of folks liked them. I had a Star Model 28 and wish I had kept it!
__________________
USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #3  
Old 02-15-2024, 05:23 PM
robertrwalsh robertrwalsh is online now
SWCA Member
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Peoples Republic of Calif
Posts: 4,674
Likes: 1,236
Liked 6,045 Times in 2,154 Posts
Default

I bought one of those years ago in .40 cal. Fit my hands BEAUTFULLY. But.....The slide stop/release is (was) made in two pieces. The cross-pin became bowed from firing, which resulted in the magazine follower interaction tab shifting position, which grabbed on the SIDE of the magazine follower. This required POUNDING the magazine out of the gun. I bought a couple of spares and had one welded up by my local gunmaker to reinforce it. No joy. I got rid of it, with full disclosure of course. Works fine I was later told with low power reloads. I expect the 9mm variation was just fine. Maybe the issue was dealt with at some point downs the line. FYI
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-15-2024, 05:41 PM
beagleye's Avatar
beagleye beagleye is offline
Member
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,370
Likes: 4,049
Liked 2,545 Times in 738 Posts
Default

I have a star 22lr pistol, very high quality.
__________________
"Free dirt, you dig."
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-15-2024, 06:05 PM
LVSteve's Avatar
LVSteve LVSteve is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Lost Wages, NV
Posts: 20,075
Likes: 24,614
Liked 29,410 Times in 10,940 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mk70ss View Post
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/XJN**M8r/IMG-4475.jpg[/img]

Found this mint condition Star Firestar in a gun shop in Maine. Asking $275, I got it for $225 plus shipping to Tennessee. These all steel, well made guns were way under rated in my opinion. Going to become my new summer carry gun.
Hope you have better luck with that plan than I did. I found the grip too small for my thin hands and long fingers. Despite weeks of practice in front of a mirror, I couldn't draw from a holster and have the gun settled in my hand, ready to fire, and pointing the same way twice. The Sig 365 gives me the same feeling.

I was gutted, because it shot great at the range using +P ammo with an uprated recoil spring. The all steel construction soaks up recoil really well for such a small gun. The original recoil spring was bad, even 115 gr basic range fodder was tossing the empties into the next zipcode.

Does the safety work properly on your example. Star safeties on the Firestar, Model B, Super B, and BM are renowned for wearing such that the hammer has to be pulled back a touch to engage the safety. I forget if it is part of the hammer that wears or another component.

BTW, if you go and handle a S&W CSX, you will find it almost identical in size to the Firestar, but with a better grip shape, at least for me.

ETA: Great price, how many mags came with it? I have a bunch of Stars, from the 32 ACP Model SI to the Megastar in 45 ACP.
__________________
Release the Kraken

Last edited by LVSteve; 02-15-2024 at 06:07 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-15-2024, 06:21 PM
Bald1's Avatar
Bald1 Bald1 is offline
Member
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: NY
Posts: 2,986
Likes: 2,230
Liked 5,483 Times in 1,977 Posts
Default

Bought one in early 90s in .40cal. Very heavy and lots of sharp edges. Better boat anchor than gun. Traded it in on a SP101.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-15-2024, 07:02 PM
mckenney99's Avatar
mckenney99 mckenney99 is online now
Member
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: OH
Posts: 2,114
Likes: 6,237
Liked 6,344 Times in 1,648 Posts
Default

I bought an M40 .40 S&W Firestar in 1991 when my agency first transitioned over to the .40 S&W semi-auto. I shot the daylights out of the little gun and even qualified with and carried it as a backup/off duty gun until the Glock 27 became available. I also had issues with the slide stop metal being a little soft and getting battered. The recoil springs were too weak and that resulted in the head of the guide rod getting battered and mushrooming, causing issues during disassembly. Interarms eventually provided new recoil springs and a new guide rod and I didn't have any additional issues. I did wind up sending my blued gun off to have it hard chromed due to rusting issues from carrying in an ankle holster and inside the waistband off duty. Overall I really liked the little gun, shot it a bunch and I still own mine.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_0324.jpg (109.7 KB, 15 views)

Last edited by mckenney99; 02-15-2024 at 08:56 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-15-2024, 07:24 PM
ISCS Yoda's Avatar
ISCS Yoda ISCS Yoda is offline
US Veteran
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 8,451
Likes: 2,499
Liked 13,212 Times in 4,579 Posts
Default

My only Star pistol is an old Model S and it is a thoroughly well-made and very accurate gun. I'm not a single action fan or I'd carry it.

__________________
Come and take it!!
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Like Post:
  #9  
Old 02-15-2024, 07:33 PM
mk70ss mk70ss is offline
Member
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 647
Likes: 580
Liked 3,456 Times in 460 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by LVSteve View Post
Hope you have better luck with that plan than I did. I found the grip too small for my thin hands and long fingers. Despite weeks of practice in front of a mirror, I couldn't draw from a holster and have the gun settled in my hand, ready to fire, and pointing the same way twice. The Sig 365 gives me the same feeling.

I was gutted, because it shot great at the range using +P ammo with an uprated recoil spring. The all steel construction soaks up recoil really well for such a small gun. The original recoil spring was bad, even 115 gr basic range fodder was tossing the empties into the next zipcode.

Does the safety work properly on your example. Star safeties on the Firestar, Model B, Super B, and BM are renowned for wearing such that the hammer has to be pulled back a touch to engage the safety. I forget if it is part of the hammer that wears or another component.

BTW, if you go and handle a S&W CSX, you will find it almost identical in size to the Firestar, but with a better grip shape, at least for me.

ETA: Great price, how many mags came with it? I have a bunch of Stars, from the 32 ACP Model SI to the Megastar in 45 ACP.
The grip fits my hand perfectly, that was one of the things I really liked about it. The safety on mine engages and disengages as it is supposed to, no issues. Gun came with two factory mags, one in Starvel and one blued.

Last edited by mk70ss; 02-15-2024 at 08:05 PM.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #10  
Old 02-15-2024, 07:42 PM
Ivan the Butcher Ivan the Butcher is offline
Member
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Harlem, Ohio
Posts: 14,467
Likes: 23,573
Liked 26,409 Times in 9,155 Posts
Default

I owned about 7 of the Super B military/Police guns in Largo and 2 BK & 3 BKM 9x19's and 3 PD's in 45. They dropped all production for the Fire Star, but after holding one at the LGS, I passed BIG TIME!

Ivan
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 02-15-2024, 11:38 PM
swagmeister swagmeister is offline
Member
Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine Found A Bargain In Maine  
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 968
Likes: 1,090
Liked 1,186 Times in 616 Posts
Default

I had one just like the OP's many years ago. It appeared to be a very well manufactured and quality firearm. It shot and functioned fine for awhile until the firing pin broke. No firing pin for it to be found anywhere. Finally had a machinist make one for me. Found out later that dry firing that particular gun is a big No No and other parts for it were very hard, if not impossible, to find. I dumped it at a pawn shop as soon as the firing pin was fixed.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
A bargain 39-2 ? bulletslap Smith & Wesson Semi-Auto Pistols 14 02-13-2021 11:22 PM
Moving to Maine, Found a Nice M&P Screwball S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 31 04-03-2019 12:20 AM
Finally found my bargain Model 10 - Grips Added SVT28 S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present 37 05-14-2017 09:20 AM
Bargain M10-6 mod34 S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 12 11-10-2012 10:02 AM
Found a bargain...I think. Glock 'em down S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 31 11-04-2009 02:47 PM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:56 AM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)