Interarms Firestar pistols

[gutterman]

I have heard various opinions of the star model semi autos, but I am still looking for more. I have a Star M40--haven't had it long-still need to get it to the range. Picked it up from Gunbroker-came with case,unopened cleaning tools and a holster for $360. Gun is virtually NIB. Heavy little sucker, and it seems well made. Believe the heavier weight will help with the 40SW round. I have heard that they are great little guns all the way down to being referred to as "throw downs". My use is for SD purposes only. Tell me what you know.Thanks

 

[gripper]

I shot a friends M43 Firestar 9mm years ago. He wouldn't part with it. I wish the company was still around.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Good, solid guns, and fairly durable. But parts may be hard to find if something like the extractor breaks. I've had several. My favorite was the Star Firestar Plus (M243), which had an alloy frame and was a compact model. (Interarms was the importer.)

This site will tell you more than you want to know about the Star line:
http://star-firearms.com/firearms/guns/firestar/index.shtml

And this one may help you find parts, if you need them.
http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?40-The-Spanish-Pistol-Board&s=&daysprune=

The joke at the range where I shot was that if I missed the bad guy, all I had to do was drop the gun on his foot. The steel ones are heavy for their size!

 

[Big Shrek]

Dearly loved my Star 30P, would love to find another, and a Firestar in stainless...
and a Megastar in 10mm...

That being said, the Stars & Megastars of that time had some of the best designs ever,
so much so that you will see deep hints of them in the 3rd Gen S&W's...
kinda why I bought a S&W CS45, I was looking for a Star, and found it instead...
and it fits just like my old Star, like a dang glove, with the same control scheme

 

[9mmforMe]

Here are some reviews:

http://www.guns.com/review/2012/03/05/star-firestar-45-m45-review/

http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirear...hful-Star-Firestar-45-acp-w-pics#.U6bnNZUg_IU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag-UTgToPXE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Firestar_M43

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=5786BD3D464033D42F8B5786BD3D464033D42F8B

 

[BSA1]

As you noted they are on the heavy side so a holster is a must.

Since they are single action with a thumb safety that operates the same as the 1911 they make a nice smaller companion piece for 1911 fans.

I had one, sold it, regretted it so I brought another which I still have. I pack it in a Sparks EX holster.

 

[Fleetman]

I have the Firestar 45, 31-P .40 S&W, and a Model B 9mm.

Star pistols are well made and, at least mine, are very reliable.

My .45 has several thousand rounds through it and the Starvel finish still looks like the first time it came out of the box.

 

[LeftyTSGC]

I have two, one is a STAR 30m, the other a STARFIRE 30MI. They are both 9mm and are actually the same thing. I believe the STARFIRE was an Export Model. Very reliable all steel accurate handguns.

 

[snooperman]

My brother has the 30M , which once was the Spanish Army pistol. It is all steel and heavy. All of the Star pistols that I have shot over the years were well-made.

 

[Charlie Horse]

My wife carries an M40 in starvel. The Firestar line was the heir to the Star PD which was the really cool alternative to the Colt's Officer's Model back in the early 80's.

A friend of mine used to work for the Alabama Dept of Environmental Management as essentially an unarmed investigator. One day he realized that if he was in the middle of nowhere and crossed the wrong man, there was a possibility he would just disappear. He picked up a blued M43 which I believe he still carries on occasion.

Both of these guns have been carried much more than shot, seem to feed anything that they have been asked to and shoot to point of aim. While they are heavy by today's standards, they REALLY tame the recoil of the hotter loads. The only weird thing I can remember is that you have to remove the rear sight to remove the firing pin, but that's not something you'll do all that often.

If you like 1911's, you'll love 'em.