The Astra A70 has much in common with the Star Firestar in that it's lacks many of the modern bells and whistles that lots of buyers are searching for in a compact pistol. The A70 is an all steel, single action pistol which uses an 8 round magazine in 9mm, but there was also a .40S&W version available which used a 7 shot magazine. The standard A70 finish was a matt-gray coloring which looked very much like what you would see on an AR-15 type rifle. Nickel finish was available as an option and there was a very short run of stainless steel A70s produced but these are seldom seen. In my experience the fit and finish on the A70, while good, is not quite up to the standards of the Star Firestar, since my A70 shows a few tool marks and the interior of the slide has a few areas which could have used a bit more polishing. Unlike the Firestar the A70 uses a conventional slide which rides on the outside of the frame with only for about half of the frame's length in contact with the slide. On the other hand my pistol locks up tightly with no play detected between the slide and frame and the barrel on the Astra is also slightly belled at the muzzel to allow for a tight fitting without the need for a bushing.
The stocks on the A70 are made from extrmely hard synthetic material but the checkering is well done and affords a good grasp for the hand. The areas at the front of the squared off trigger gaurd, the front of the grip and the back strap are also checkered as well as the round magazine release button on the left side of the pistol. The slide release and safety lever, both of which are also located on the left of the frame, are grooved and this provides a solid feel for the thumb. None of these controls are ambidextrous so lefties may want to consider this issue carefully. The A70's single action trigger breaks nicely at around 6 pounds and has just a small amount of creep. The sights are low profile three-dots with the rear being adjustable for drift and the edges of the rear sight are beveled to be more snag resisitant. This is a nice little detail and one usually overlooked on most pocket pistols. Although the A70 feels a bit heavy at just under 30 ounces it must be remembered that this pistol is the same size as a Walther PP yet it fires either 9mm or .40 S&W so it's extra weight actually helps to make the A70 easier to shoot and keep on target. Although the A70 lacks the Star's extention on the rear of the frame to prevent slide bite. The A70's hammer is not nearly as large as the hammer on the Starfire so there is more danger when lowering the hammer on a loaded chamber with the A70. I have fired just about every type of 9mm ammo in my A70 and it has handled them all without complaint, including Winchester and Remington 115 gr. hollowpoints and 147gr Fiocchi hollowpoints. I like this pistol and while I like the Star a bit better because it has a few nicer features and better attention to detail, this is a minor matter when looking at the bigger picture: The A70 just plain works everytime it's trigger is pulled! It should be noted that Springfield Armory imported a limited number of A70 "type" pistols in the mid-1990s and branded them as the Firecat and I have no first hand information on the Firecat pistols.
And they will still work on them all it costs is shipping, to them oneway...
