Firestar opinions

[DirksterG30]

I am thinking about getting a Firestar M-43. Anyone have any opinions/observations about the M-43?

How does this gun stack up against a CZ Rami (9mm) or a Kel-Tec P-11?

I intend to use it for summer CCW (my current year-round pistol is a Springfield Loaded Champion 1911).

Thanks in advance!

 

[armoredman]

I had a Firestar, years ago, and it was a good solid 9mm. The all steel construction really dampened recoil. Accuracy was OK.
But, Star went out of business many years ago, along with Interarms. No new parts, or magazines. It's SA only, which obviously you are comfortable with.
I say try a RAMI, better gun, IMHO, with 10 and 14 round mags available, grips, holsters, etc. My wifes eats anything and throws those little high speed pilss right where she wants them to go!

 

[tracer]

They are fun,reasonably accurate,and enjoy great ergonomics.Firing pins are brittle,and will break if dry fired.Parts are getting scarcer,but that wouldn't stop me.This is essentially a surplus gun and should be priced as such,as oppsed to the CZ,but I like the M43 trigger (SA only) better-just personal opinion.If it's starvel (stainless) $225 is the top of where I want to own it,simply because Star is defunct.Others,as you will undoubtedly find out feel differently.
As an aside,I enjoyed the Star BM more.
tracer

 

[MICHAEL T]

I had a 40 cal I sold it Because it weighted to much for its size. Wasn't any eaiser to conceal or lighter than my commander. So I decided I just soon carry my 45 .

 

[Bobby Lee]

I have found that most of these are decent little guns. They are heavy for a gun their size but it does help with recoil.

The firing pins are weak on some old Star surplus military guns but that has nothing to do with the firing pins on their Firestar.

They are very safe. The manaul safety blocks both the sear and hammer and it has a firing pin lock.

It is perfectly safe to carry cocked and locked and hammer down on a loaded chamber.

 

[Big Mike]

My Firestar Plus would drop the hammer when the trigger was pulled, with the thumb safety engaged!

Great grip however and relatively light for a 13 shot 9mm. Never felt safe with it...

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Is it the M43 or M43 Plus? (Firestar or Firestar Plus)

I've had several of both. Great guns.

A few parts, like extractors, are getting hard to find. Mags are getting scarce, too. But CDNN had a bunch, recently.

If its the single-stack version with a steel frame, its a good solid, HEAVY gun, that may be too heavy for concealed carry. But a great shooter, and most have very good triggers. (The joke at my range was that if I ever missed the bad guy, I could just drop the gun on his foot, and he'd be out of action.)

I prefer the Star Firestar PLUS, which is an alloy-framed version of the gun with double-stack mags. The PLUS model is much lighter, just as reliable, and its match in all respects, except weight. The trigger on either can be pretty good.

Note: Just checked a reference site -- the Firestar Plus is properly called the model 243 (even though the Blue Book shows it as a M43 Plus.)

But, for about the same money, you can pick up surplus S&W semi autos, and have no concern about reselling, parts, etc.

 

[PCRCCW]

The Firestar is one of the better pistols of its "kind" on the market and its a shame that Star went out of business.
Starvel isn't Stainless.......but hard chrome. My Firestar Plus is one of the guns I miss the most, accurate, reliable and just nice.
Compared to the Rami.....they are both heavy, the FS is a SA trigger and a single stack mag for the non "plus" guns. Very different in everything except they both run the slide inside the frame as opposed to outside of it.
Id say look at both and get the one you want..................Shoot well.

 

[armoredman]

While you're at it, take a peek at the surplus Star BM pistols on the market - quite nice, dirt cheap, probably get two for what the Firestar will cost. Just a thought.
Either that, or buy a nice CZ PCR or PO1.....

 

[Mayo]

Good guns, especially for the price----buuuut a little heavy for a summer carry.

 

[armoredman]

Nah, carried a full size all steel Witness in AZ for 13+ years, concealed for 10. Of course, I needed some rust remover every so often.....

 

[Golddog]

Stars

The Firestar feels great in the hand, and the trigger's very nice, except that it sometimes pinched the pad of my trigger finger. The Firestar Plus, though lighter, felt terrible in the hand because they copied the grip from a 2X4.

I liked the BM and the BKM (alloy version) a bit better because they looked felt like slender 1911's.

All the above were accurate and reliable, unlike the older Super B Stars, which choked a lot.

 

[DirksterG30]

Anyone have dimensions for the FireStar? I am trying to compare it to a Rami (looked at one at Gander Mountain today - sweet gun!), and I'd like to have some idea of the length, height, and most importantly, thickness.

 

[Marko Kloos]

I had one in .40 once. Awesome little gun, shot well, very reliable. Its only drawback was the weight...it's pretty heavy for a gun of its size.

I'd buy another one.

 

[greg531mi]

The Firestar Plus, though lighter, felt terrible in the hand because they copied the grip from a 2X4.

I like my Firestar grip, of course, it being a double stack, it does have a large grip, which fit's my hands....Grips are all personal perferences, but the gun did have a bad trigger, because of the mag safety....a few minutes with a stone, where the mag safety blocks the trigger, problem solved....

 

[afvoo52]

I have one in 40S&W the M43 and love it, it has been 100% reliable with every type of hollowpoint I have fed it and I have used 9 different ones to date. I find the gun to be accurate and yes a little heavy but with an inside the pants holster it is fine for me, its when I use a belt holster the weight then hangs more and is more noticable. I use mine as a summer carry gun when I wear a loose shirt, when I cannot carry the Firestar then its a Keltec P11. The weight of the gun can be a plus when it comes to recoil and followup shots, there is always a tradeoff when it comes to weight and size. I often wonder if we are'nt getting spoiled with all the light guns out there as 20-30 years ago most thought the lightweight commander size guns were the holygrail of answers to weight and size, those werent light in comparision to todays polymer guns.

 

[Old Dog]

I had the .40 S&W Firestar with Starvel finish. Accurate, totally reliable, felt good in the hand, capable of C&L carry, very concealable ... as others have noted, heavy for its size. I traded the pistol off mainly because I felt the safety wasn't quite positive enough for me (it had an alarming tendency to come off when I was carrying cocked'n'locked). Now, I rather miss that pistol and would pick up another if I could find a good deal ... saw a well-worn blued 9mm model at the last gun show up here, the guy wanted $225 for it (seemed a tad high to me) ...

avfoo52 may have a point ... I think we're getting spoiled by all the lightweight pistols available now ... in any event, I think the Firestar was another underrated pistol and a quality piece, especially for the money.

 

[VARifleman]

I've fired a friends, as other's said, accurate, reliable, feels good in your hand, etc. Another friend likes to talk trash about it, but I can't find fault in the gun (granted I never carried it so I wouldn't know if the saftey tends to come off) as it saved my friends life and worked well when I shot it.