In Defense Of Star Handguns

[XavierBreath]

Mr. Gunmeister.......

You stated:

Granted that parts can be hard to come by but if you Google up Star Parts you'll find many parts providers exsist like www.gun-parts.com/star/ he has just about every part that could cause a problem.

I googled it, using the keywords you provided, and I got this. You actually seemed to agree that parts were "hard to come by," but then you state:

you'll find many parts providers exsist

A member disagreed with the veracity of your claim of the existence of "many parts providers." I am looking at the first contentious post, #5. In particular:

PLEASE don't make statements about someones post being not true until you do your homework.

Now you request:

As an administrator, I'm asking you to totally delete and remove this thread. I am seriously sorry that I opened up this bag of worms. It is clear to me that you can only see one side of the discussion.

Sorry sir. I will not close or remove this thread. It has been my experience that Star parts are hard to come by. If you have any links of interest to potential parts sources, please post them. If anyone else has any viable sources for parts, please do the same. A lot of us who enjoy and appreciate these pistols would be appreciative.

Unfortunately, I see several sides of this discussion. One side is that the Star BM and other Star pistols are a good value for the money you spend to acquire them. They are reasonably durable, accurate pistols, and they carry very well. The other side of the discussion is that the interchangability and availability of parts, like many discontinued firearms from defunct companies, is an issue today.

Lastly I don't need lectures from you or anyone else.

Lectures? I'm not here to lecture you. I'm just trying to maintain a civil discussion and help folks find parts they might need.

 

[Caimlas]

That is a beautiful pistol. If I had the money right now (unemployed, mouths to feed, looking for work) I'd make an offer on it. I really like my Star BM (I'm parkerizing it now - the previous owner(s) didn't exactly take care of it and it was all pitted/rusted when I got it), and your specimen is astoundingly nice. (If you'd be willing to hold on to it, I should be able to float the funds for it in a couple months.)

Don't you have family who you could leave it to? An appreciative son or daughter, niece our nephew?

And the skeptics be damned.

 

[Caimlas]

Oh yeah, and there's a guy on this forum (and others) that (last I checked about 6 months ago) has a sizable supply of parts. I don't remember which parts, specifically, but I do recall that he had "new, original from factory" parts including springs, firing pins, barrels, and grips, as well as some additional things, like hex-head screws and wood grips. Think he posted/posts as "STAR".

So while not readily available, if you know where to look, they're available.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I would not mind having a 9mm or .45 Firestar. Nice-looking and feeling little guns. That is the extent of my experience with Stars.

 

[techmike]

I'm a big fan of star pistols. The first autoloader I ever bought was a star PD. I should have never sold it.

Gunmeister - Please PM me a link to the sale. I may be interests....that's a beauty.

 

[skinewmexico]

I have a Star BM, and use it for a BUG in IDPA when I have a stage that needs one. Amazing the nice tight groups it shoots when I do that. Got a couple of Supers too, in 9mm, and 9mm Largo. And if you will go to the Spanish Pistol Forum, there is a member from Spain with the handle "STAR". He has most of the parts, for almost any Star made, that are legal for export. I've ordered from him a couple of times (BM firing pin, PD recoil assembly, grips, springs), and within 2 weeks, the parts show up. I know 2 weeks is a long wait in our world of instant gratification, but I thought it was a cool demonstration of how small our world is now.

 

[Mastiff]

"Star" can not supply barrels. It is illegal for him to do so, per a post that I read by him.

 

[Furncliff]

My Model B has been a pain to keep working but I like the feel and scale of the thing, it's also accurate at 30 ft. were I practice.

I have purchased firing pins from Bob's Gun shop in Az.. He seems to have a good selection of model B, BM and other Stars.

http://www.gun-parts.com/star/

 

[Confederate]

The Star BM is a great autoloader, but it probably should not be billed as a shooter but, rather, as a drawer gun. Interarms, the importer of the gun, abandoned their entire line. I got stuck with three Rossis that aren't supported by Rossi, which has disassociated itself with the earlier offerings. Fortunately, revolvers seem to hang on to dear life better and parts can be readily interchanged from other guns.

Getting a few springs and firing pins shouldn't be difficult, and if the gun is kept to keep the Huns out of your neighborhood, it's probably just the thing. If I recall, mine had a magazine safety, which makes it family friendly.

Heck, I might buy it myself, but I live in Maryland, where it takes two hours just to do the paperwork to buy a gun, plus there's a waiting period and yada yada. I probably won't buy another gun as long as I live.

But if I lived in a free state, I might very well pick it up. It's a nice gun based on the 1911 design, but what the heck, I like it anyway.

"Star" can not supply barrels. It is illegal for him to do so, per a post that I read by him.

Yes, but with a hard chrome job, it's unlikely the barrel will ever wear out.

 

[pingpingping]

I have an Astra A-70...

in 9mm para built in 1992. I absolutely love the thing. It's loosely built like an officer's size 1911...fits the hand well and very reliable. But alas, parts available. If anyone knows a source for Astra parts, please post.

I have heard recently that STAR and Astra have merged and been reborn as ASTAR. Any truth to this?

 

[sixgunner455]

I had a Star Firestar M40 that I liked quite a lot. Parts availability was why I traded it for a S&W M10. That's a gun I'll never wonder if I can get parts for.

 

[Gunmeister]

To correct my original post, if you were to Google "Star Pistol Parts" and not "Star Parts" as indicated in my post, you will find numerous pages that require patience to go through but contrary to what has been stated in this thread, Star parts can be found. Two providers which are most prominate are: www.gun-parts.com/star/ the other site is updated more often and frequently has more parts www.e-gunparts.com.
Another source for parts and information can be found at "The Spanish Pistol Board" at the Gunboards Forum at http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40
This is where a Spanish gentleman whose handle is "Star" hangs out. He has contacts in Spain who can come up with many parts. Also there are lots of members there who are helpful with info, advise and help finding parts for all Spanish pistols.

 

[Moonclip]

I have quite a few Spanish firearms including some Stars. They kind of impress me like Taurus, poor QC but the well made ones are quite good.

I have a factory pimped out BM, a 30M, and I had 2x those B's that were on the market form the mid 1940's but I had problems with both unfortunately. Star generally seems to be considered the best of the Spanish makers.

 

[jdseven1]

Mastift

I have a star modelo super a from sarco. It is a very good gun but I would check before you use super 38 or the new winchester 9x23 in it.

Do a search on this site on the 9mm largo round and this pistol.

 

[Ala Dan]

Whatever Happened To

the old Star Starlight model~?

sold back in the early 70's for cheap (well-inexpensive), at 'bout $115;
and came in a baby blue plastic box with a clear cover? You basically
could not find a Smith model 39-2 9m/m auto; but the Starlight was
everywhere. Heck, I almost bought one myself~!

FWIW: I'm gonna check the "Blue Book" and see what is says.

Here is what the 27th Annual "Blue Book" says:

Model BKS Starlight- 9m/m Parabellum cal, 8-shot, 4-1/4" barrel,
and plastic grips. Mfg: 1970-1981

NIB= $265, 98%= $230, 95%= $210, 90%= $180, 80%= $160
*Add 10% for chrome finish

 

[Moonclip]

I think a lot of those Stars like the Lancer, DK, CU, ect. went bye bye due to size laws regarding import handguns and the GCA 1968.

 

[Mastiff]

jdseven1 wrote:" I have a star modelo super a from sarco. It is a very good gun but I would check before you use super 38 or the new winchester 9x23 in it.

Do a search on this site on the 9mm largo round and this pistol."

Thanks. I actually have researched this. I think the warning about not firing 38 Super or 9x23 Winchester in 9mm Largo pistols is because this round has been used since somewhere around 1900. The pistols back then surely could not handle these rounds. However, the Star Super A is a much more modern firearm, and it is built like a tank. Sarco lists the loads for 9mm Largo to meet or exceed 38 Super. From their website:

Ballistic Comparison
38 Super: Muzzle Vel.= 1200 pps / Muzzle Energy = 368 ft. lbs.
9mm Largo (9x23mm): Muzzle Vel.= 1280 pps / Muzzle Energy = 420 ft. lbs.

I have also read Clark's posts on his converting a Star Super B and a Tok to the 9x23 Winchester. He is apparently loading his with enough powder to send the bullets into orbit. I figure I'll keep my loads down to the .357 Magnum level. He apparently isn't having any problems with his loading twice the powder for a max .357 load in his Tok, and 2 grains more than max .357 in his Star Super B, so I figure I'll be OK if I do not exceed max for the .357. Actually, I don't intend to reach the 357 maximum. I plan to use the Corbon 9x23 Winchester Powerball as my self defense round.
FWIW.

 

[Moonclip]

Most modern .38super generic loads are somewhat loaded down so you would probably be ok with those if necessary.

 

[1911Tuner]

Don't know about other parts, but this may help with the recoil springs...for about 3 bucks. I ordered one yesterday. Should be here by Friday. I'll post the results then.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=4259840&postcount=1

 

[jdseven1]

Mastiff

I have used my star 9mm largo with the round and it gives exellent performance. I dont see any advantage to use 38 super or 9 x 23 winchester
in a gun over 50 years old. Check out some of the reloading books.
My thing is why take a chance if you are not sure. Lets keeping shooting a safe sport.

 

[WoofersInc]

I have a Star MegaStar 45 ACP. Double action and 12 round capacity. It is heavy but has been a reliable gun. Getting the 12 round maazines has been a problem though. Other than that I like the gun. Combat accurate and shoots anything I feed it.

 

[Mastiff]

jdseven1 wrote:
Mastiff
I have used my star 9mm largo with the round and it gives exellent performance. I dont see any advantage to use 38 super or 9 x 23 winchester
in a gun over 50 years old. Check out some of the reloading books.
My thing is why take a chance if you are not sure. Lets keeping shooting a safe sport.

Thanks again for your concern, jdseven1. I appreciate it. However, I do not have a single doubt about the suitability of a Star Super A to handle 38 Super or the Corbon Powerball in 9x23 Winchester.
I just like the more powerful rounds. I had gotten a 10mm conversion kit for my 1911, and was giving serious consideration to getting a 460 Rowland conversion kit for it. Then I found out about the Star Super A and that it was chambered for the 9x23 Largo which is dimensionally the same as the 9x23 Winchester. I read a post by Clark where he stated that he overloaded the 9x23 Winchester to more than the max level of a 357 Magnum and shot it off in his Star with no problems at all. I decided that that was something I could live with. That is why I bought my Star Super A in the first place.
I am sure that I wouldn't be under-gunned if I bought 9mm Largo rounds in a Star to a gunfight, since it will ballistically meet or exceed some 38 Super loads. I may in fact do just that. I like the option of turning the pistol into a match for a 357 Magnum if I so wish. A 357 Magnum with reduced recoil, 8 plus 1 rounds, and in a package that I can actually shoot (I have very small hands, my 1911 is just about at the limit of what I can reach). But that is just me. I think the Star Super A is an excellent pistol. If it shoots as well as I'm told, I intend to buy 2 more from Sarco.

 

[skinewmexico]

Wow. Talk about living dangerously.

 

[1911Tuner]

I read a post by Clark where he stated that he overloaded the 9x23 Winchester to more than the max level of a 357 Magnum and shot it off in his Star with no problems at all.

At least..no problems that were immediately apparent.

There's a wise quip that's been circulating recently. Don't know who to credit it to:

"There's nothing that you can prove with a handload that hasn't already been proven, and the pressure required to drive a (sic) 125-grain bullet to 1400 fps in a 5-inch barrel is more than sufficient to blow your eyeballs through the back of your head."

 

[12Bravo20]

I own a Firestar M40 and a Modelo Super in 9mm Largo. I have no problems trusting my life with the Firestar. I haven't had any malfunctions with it (other than after market magazines). I haven't had any problems out of my Super either, whether shooting surplus ammo or reloads.