[Cosmoline]

I recently picked up a Star BM in horse trading (funny how firearms jump into my pockets) and I've done some research on it. I keep running into warnings to stay clear of too many hot loads even though it's an all steel pistol, because the Spanish steel used to make it is weaker than normal steel or somehow not tempered enough. Then I've run into claims that this is an urban myth arising from failures of sat. night specials and the good Spanish makers such as Star used excellent steel.

So what's the skinny on this? Are there any confirmed kabooms of the Stars from firing +P? Is the problem really the steel or the springs?

[Steve C]

I keep running into warnings to stay clear of too many hot loads even though it's an all steel pistol,

This is a good advice regardless of the pistols manufacture or origin, not because the gun is likely to KB, but becasue heavier loads cause faster wear. Now the question is what is a "heavy" load and what is too many. The +P loads in the US generally have velocities equivalent to commonly sold commercial European ammo so IMHO most +P stuff you buy isn't a safety problem shooting in any mechanically sound European pistol. +P+ ammo is something I personally avoid in old Military/Police pistols mostly because they've seen an unknown amount of previous use and deserve to be treated a little gently in their old age.

This is really a moot point though as I see no reason to spend extra money for +P ammo just to practice with. I load my 9mm's with +P and +P+ for defense but target shoot and practice with standard pressure factory or handloads. The extra 100 to 200 fps you get with the high pressure ammo makes little to no difference in point of aim or impact so I don't beat up the guns shooting +P or +P+ more than a couple hundred rounds a year.

[Mad Magyar]

Star had quality steel, nothing out of the ordinary...Now, the BKM model had an airweight aluminum-alloy frame instead of steel. One report I read mentioned that the Star BM was an "excellent smaller understudy of the Colt Govt. model...Nice pistol...:) The same myth was circulated about the Argentine Sistema's, and if you went by weight, they were ever so slightly heavier than the identical U.S. Colt....

[mete]

In the old days spanish pistols were usually made in cottage industry and were made poorly with very soft steel .That was fact not myth.Bad reputations are hard to live down. It didn't help when the Star PD came out because that was designed with a rubber buffer which had a life of no more than 500 rounds .The problem ? they NEVER told anyone .Nothing in the manual, no comment from the manufacturer. So if you fired 500 rounds and didn't change the buffer the gun would be battered apart !!...In any case don't use +P loads in any gun unless the maker specifically says it's OK !

[Cosmoline]

What "old days" are we talking about though? Pre WWII? Any specific brands to avoid?

[Gordon]

For the Astra , Star and maybe LLama that practice of "cottage pistols'" stopped when Franco won. For Star it stopped before that. Not to say they are all bad, just some even today (llama's mostly) are not up to snuff quality wise.

[res1b3uq]

You worry too much. Load that little BM full of standard velocity ammo and shoot the hound out of it. Star made nice pistols.

[schmeky]

Many many years ago I read a detailed report on the 9mm Star 30M. This was an all steel gun and the person evaluating this pistol indicated it was:

Ergonomic
Reliable
Accurate
Priced Right

All steels can be "soft" unless properly heat treated. I had an Astra A-80, 20 years ago I shot the be-jesus out of and it was a really good pistol.

[Erich]

I hope member Sam chimes in on this thread. We were shooting down in Alamogordo, NM today, and he was telling us of the rather impressive number of rounds that he has through his Star BM (he customized another one for another friend of mine - we drove down today to pick it up - photos located here http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=201537 ). Sam told my friend that his new BM should last him a lifetime.

BTW, my friend fired +P+ Winchester Ranger through his BM with no adverse effects, though the gun prefers shorter bullets.

[BevrFevr]

that I think the firing pin steel and the design of the firing pins is weak. Way too easy to break. Others may disagree but DO NOT DRY FIRE A STAR.

Otherwise I would like to have one in my grasp again.

[albanian]

Do not dry fire a Star just to be safe. It may break the pin. The rest of the BM is a pretty sound gun. I would and have shot +P ammo through both of mine with no problems. I am sure that a BM can handle a modest amount of +P and a steady diet of regular ammo. That is all I ask out a pistol anyway. I don't shoot tons of the good stuff anyway. I mostly shoot target FMJs and the Stars seem to love it.

I have never heard of a Kaboom with a Star so I think that it is a urban myth combined with confusion. People will hear one thing about one Spanish gun and all of a sudden it applies to all Spanish guns.

buy them if you want or don't buy them, just more for me.:D

[grendelbane]

I have no experience with a Star, but I have had an Astra 400 for several years. I have never fired anything but factory ammunition through it, but the Spanish 9mm Largo is pretty warm. The Astra 400 is a blowback design, but it still digests the Spanish ammunition quite well.

I don't recommend it but, but urban myth says that you can fire most any 9mm auto cartridge through the 400. Since some people are dense enough to try this, and there is a shortage of stories of the 400 K-Booming, I have to believe that the steel used in these 90 year old guns is pretty decent stuff.

The Spanish 9mm Largo ammunition that I have chronographed is indeed as fast as factory .38 Super from my Gov't model. The bullet is only slightly lighter.

While I would never hot rod one, I would not be afraid of any modern Spanish pistol with conventional ammunition.

[gopguy]

Spanish pistols got a bad reputation from the many copies of Colt and Smith and Wesson revolvers marketed in Europe and in South and Central America in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The "Ruby" contract pistols made for France during WWI did not help either. Some were good quality but quite a few were very poor quality pistols. They were made by a myriad of makers and the French were so desperate for weapons they really did not examine or proof them the way we did ours. You won't find inspection stamps. As mentioned before some junk continued until Franco came to power.

I have never cared for the Llama pistols, the two I had were extremely unreliable, so I avoid them like the plague. The Star, Astra pistols of the period prior to the Spanish Civil War and since have been good quality. But most were made in the era of non +p ammo and were throated for ball ammo as that is pretty much all there was. I have had good luck with Star pistols in particular, but through trading have managed to deplete my collection of them. I would avoid using +p ammo in these guns.....Even the more modern guns like the Star Model 30, heavy as they are, I would be gentle on. The other thing to remember is if you break parts using heavy loads.....locating replacements may be an adventure you don't want.