Opinions/value of this Star?

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txgunsuscg

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Posting this for a friend. He has an opportunity to pick up a Star for approximately $450. Story that he has been told is it was a battlefield pick up during WWII. I apologize for the pics, but they are all he sent, and they don't emphasize the markings, which is what I know everyone wants to see. I told him that in my opinion, it looked awfully flashy and aftermarket, but I'm far from an expert on Stars...
 

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That is a Star Model B. That particular gun has been refinished (in Nickle or Hard Chrome) and had some nicely crafted Nazi tribute style grips added.

This kind of work was commonly performed to war trophies after the war.... It does however destroy any value the gun ever had. $450 is totally out in left field as far as value IMO. Real value is about half of that.

There were a lot of Model B's built for the Nazi's and used in WWII. Without the SN I can't tell you if that particular gun was in the range of guns that Star mfgr'd for them or not.... However I can give you the SN's of the ones that were and your friend can see if it's legit or not.

The following serial numbers are the actual Nazi German Star Model B delivery contracts:

First Variation: 4000 pistols, not Waffenampt marked, delivered to occupied France on May 15 and 28, 1942.

Serials 210951-214950

Second Variation: 7,999 pistols delivered to German headquarters in Hendaye, France on July 26, 1943. Waffenampt WaA251. 4,000 for Army, 3,999 for Navy.

Army: 214953-216200; 216251-217502; 222457-222675; 222701-222750; 223776-225006.

Navy: 217503-218042;218044-218048; 218050-218123; 218125-219400; 219501-219530; 219532-219950; 220026-220942; 220944-221200; 221976-222456,

Third Variation delivered May 29, 1944, 5000 pistols.

Army: 244503-247002

Navy 242003-244502. Patr. 08 added to slide inscription. Waffenampt WaAD20 marked.

Fourth Variation delivered June 6, 1944 to Hendaye. 8000 pistols.

248001-254300, and 254551-256250.

Fifth Variation - never made it to Germans. These were sold after the war to West German Police and many marked "LPN".

Serial No. 256251-258000, and 260001-260250.

Will
 
Lessee, now, we have fancy grips with Mexican eagle and Nazi eagle. That seems an unusual combination for a WWII "battlefield pickup."
We have a "Spain" stamp, which does not seem a WWII marking.
We have satin nickel finish, although the plated Stars I have seen were polished.

We have serial numbering of small parts, typical of German contract guns.
I think we have Spanish proof marks. Some sources say the Germans accepted them and added no markings, some give Waa numbers for Stars. (See above, both ways are known to collectors.)

I think this is a great example of "Buy the gun, not the story." unless there is some very good provenance to prove the WWII origin in this configuration.
Nothing to keep a loyal Nazi relocated to Mexico from dressing up his old pistol, but you probably can't prove that, either.
 
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Kind of hard to tell from the photos but those are some of the strangest looking grip adornments I have ever seen. It looks like a Nazi party emblem along with the Mexico's national symbol of the eagle and the snake. Definitely a weird combination together on a set of grips.

Other than that it looks to be a typical Star Model B that has been nickel or bright chrome plated, most probably after it had been brought back from the war.

Most assuredly not a $450 gun.
 
Looks like a BM to me, not a B.
Shorter barrel, newer gun.
All Spanish guns have a date code on the frame. Google "Spanish pistol date code"
Also, most guns used by the Germans will have the waffenkampf initials stamped on the slide or frame.
 
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