Price Check: Star Firestar Plus 9mm

[axeman_g]

All,

I have found 2 Star Firestar Plus ... one in the Starvel finish, both come with one 13rnd magazine.

Dealer is asking for $350, but the salesman said " .. ya know ... these have been here a long time."

So, would a $250 offer be off track?

Opinions? I usually like Blued guns, so why should I get the Starvel finish?


Axe

 

[tracer]

What caliber? I would pay $250 for a new in box Starvel 9mm.They need to be "tuned" (trigger) but for the price of a Bersa you get a pretty darn reliable and accurate gun,albeit a little heavy.(They will feel like a boat anchor fully loaded,if you plan to carry it.)I wouldn't pay any more than that however.
tracer

 

[PCRCCW]

If they are clean, beat them down as much as you can and get one. They are a great little gun and one of those I regret selling.

They are only a 9mm in the Firestar Plus.....Ive heard of 40's but have yet to see one........anywhere.

Kahr K40 holsters work for them quite.....well.

Shoot well.

 

[axeman_g]

more info

These are new in box, unfired. The PLUS models are the alloy framed models, so weight is negligible. Thanks for the tip on the Kahr K40 holsters ...

I also hard that the PLUS .40 10 rds magazines made by MecGar are the exact same as the 9mm hicaps. Do you all know anything about that? The mags exists, yet nobody has ever seen a Firestar Plus in .40.

 

[PCRCCW]

The 40 plus" mags are like the CZ Compact 40 mags...they made the mags but Ive yet to hear about or see the gun.
They WILL work in the Plus as a Hicap 9mm mags...."hint" "hint"....

The alloy frame is much lighter than the Firestar but Ive gotta admit the shape of the grip is much different than yould think....its very big and square...like a Beretta 92 and damn near as big.........Tiny gun, lots of bullets and a huge grip...oh well.

I can tell you how to make the trigger the best SA trigger you can have on the gun in about two seconds....get rid of the mag safety.

If you get this gun......and Ill repeat this "DO NOT TOUCH THE SAFETY WITH THE GRIPS OFF OF THE GUN!" You will loose the little spring ball that clicks the safety in place......If you loose it...YOURE SCREWED!"

Repeat. "DO NOT TOUCH THE SAFETY WITH THE GRIPS OFF OF THE GUN!"

Oh ya.....the Starvel is a Nickel plating and is very tough

PT Night Sights makes sights for the gun........just a tip.

Shoot well..........

 

[axeman_g]

email please...

PCCRW

Can you please PM me the instructions to remove the mag safety?

Thanks in advance and for all your great hints

It seems like this gun will be a classic if it was made by any other company, one that had more of a following and presence. There are numerous compacts out there , CZ, Beretta, Browning, Glock, 1911, but I have heard more positive comments about the Firestar Plus concerning its accuracy, strength and ergonomics then any other compact EXCEPT a Commander or Officer model.

 

[greg531mi]

It's pretty easy, as I remember, take off the slide, after lining up the lines, and pull out the slide lock, and take off the grips, you will see the mag safety connector on the right side of the gun, don't remember how to take it out, but it was easy. I stoned and beveled the connecter, and that's all I did, I like to keep it orginal, and it has a great trigger now. I bought mine for $300, with one 13 round mag, surprising the 13 round USA mags work great in it. They were cleaning them out at $250 when Star was going out of Business, with 10 round mags. CDNN has 10 round factory ones for $19, but parts are hard to come by..There was a thread in here on a gunsmith having parts. I have a Uncle Mikes holster, but am looking for a nice leather one, does anybody knows who makes them for the Firestar Plus? Stars were way underrated, were in business for years, too bad they are gone now. They were a little rough inside, but an hour with a stone, that can be fixed. A nice gun that likes full power loads, I had off-hand failures with my reloads, but I never load to max with them, and my left hand is weak from breaking it in a auto accident. Otherwise, they don't jam and fire as long as you have ammo in it, and 14 rounds, you can shoot it a lot!! BM's are $139, all steel though and single stack, but a great deal....

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Mag Safety? Don't need no stinkin' mag safety!

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't really think removing the mag safety has much effect on trigger pull in the Firestar Plus model. (With most other guns, that's NOT the case. Most BHPs, for example, can be greatly improved by removing the mag safety.)

I had two Firestar Pluses at one time -- one with the mag safety removed (I did it) and one with the mag safety installed -- and they felt the same. I sold the one with safety removed, and kept the other.

Removing the mag safety simply allows you to fire the gun when the mag isn't in the gun. You can remove the safety with a punch or a Dremel. (Take the grips off and you'll see how it works; its very simple.)

The triggers can be made "custom 1911" crisp with just a little work by any competent gunsmith.

I have one that was my carry gun for a long time, and one of the 14-round mags. I'll probably sell it one of these days, as its been replaced by a CZ-75B Compact.

Its a surprisingly light gun, and similar in size to the Kel-Tec P-11, but with a better trigger. (That's why I sold my P-11: I found the Firestar Plus. I even won a local, small IDPA match with the Firestar Plus, once -- never came close with my P-11.)

The downside of the modern Star guns (including the Firestar Plus) is that some parts are hard to come by -- extractors for the .40 model, for example.

PCRCCW: I have seen ONE .40 model Firestar Plus. I wish I had bought it when I had the chance (at a gun show.) All the rest -- which are still pretty rare -- were 9mms.

 

[PCRCCW]

Walt,
Take great care in this next part "You saw a 40? "
wow......the animals do exist.

The trigger on my Firestar Plus was horrible until the mag safety went by by.....but Ill admit mine wasnt as it was from the factory...it looked as though someone had tried to backyard smith it to disconnect it....

Man...it sounds like me.......hmmmmmm

Shoot well