Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case

[neilin]

My Star Firestar .40 S&W does not eject the last fired case. The case sets loosely on top of the empty magazine with the slide locked open. Normally, it causes no problems at all and the case can either be shaken out through the ejection port or will follow the magazine when it is removed from the gun. If I happen to drop the slide and the fired case attempts to chamber, it can cause a slow-to-clear jam.
This only happens with jacketed factory rounds or jacketed reloaded rounds. With lead semi-wad cutter reloads the last fired case does eject, but only travels two or three feet, instead of nine or ten feet. Is there a solution to this problem, or should this not be considered a problem?

 

[xr1200]

Good luck on this one, the firestars were well known for broken firing pins, ejection problems and point aim issues, even when they were still made.

Now that star is out of bussiness, forget about getting any parts anywhere most are all gone. GUN PARTS has none ( almost bought a cheap one last week for a $100, but passed after doing research on it). Even clips are hard to find, promag made some.

If I were you I would clean it up and take it to gun shop and trade it.

 

[neilin]

xr1200,
I have owned five, two 9mm's, two .40 S&W's, and a .45 acp, put hundreds of rounds through each, and never experienced any of the problems you have heard about. I found them to be surprisingly accurate, consistently grouping inside a 10" ring at 25 yards off hand.
The .40 I now own makes number five, and the first of any problems I have encountered.

 

[xr1200]

You have to be as old as I am to have followed the problems with these guns since the early 90's. Most ppl who bought them had a lot of problems, one of the reasons Star went of of bussiness.

The earlier star model bm 9mm and pd 45acp were real good guns, its the later models that had problems.

The firestar 9mm breaking firing pins is well known.

 

[NG VI]

What's a point aim problem?

 

[xr1200]

POA problem was that the guns sights did not hit POI and could not be adjusted to hit a standard bulls eye target at 20-25 yrds.

 

[EstPA]

Well, I'm only 59 years old (soon to be 60), and have owned Star pistols and currently own a Firestar .45. All these problems are new to me, at least in the context of Star.
All guns can have problems and the problem guns tend to be the ones written about on the internet.

Now, to the original poster:
The main difference I can see between your ejected rounds and the last round is that there is no round under it in the magazine as it extracts. If the extractor does not hold the casing against the breech face and allows it to drop, it will hit the ejector at a different point on the casing, perhaps causing this problem.
I would start by cleaning under the extractor and extractor spring. I would also examine the extractor and spring for any wear or damage.
That would be my starting point.

If you need parts, they are still generally available and firing pins can be purchased that are made in the USA.

Good luck and post your results.

 

[railroader]

I think this guy still has firestar parts. He is out of spain. His name is Jorge I think. You might need an extractor. [email protected]

 

[The Bushmaster]

Funny...I own a Firestar M43 that I bought in 1992. Still running and used as a carry weapon. The only parts that has been replaced is the recoil spring and the extracter. I chipped it firing steel cased ammunition.

 

[winchester1886]

I bought a Firestar 40 S&W in 92 and never had a problem. I carry 155gr Gold Dots in it.I don't shoot it a lot just run a few through it to make sure it's working.

 

[mic_poo]

My old Firestar .40 has never had a FTF or FTE since new.

I had a spot on the hammer that got rough which caused issues with the safety engagement, but it was able to be smoothed off and runs as good as new.

If you find out that someone has an extractor in stock, let us know... might be a good idea to pick an extra one up.

 

[neilin]

Funny...I own a Firestar M43 that I bought in 1992. Still running and used as a carry weapon. The only parts that has been replaced is the recoil spring and the extracter. I chipped it firing steel cased ammunition.

How difficult would it be to remove the extractor for examination? Did you replace yours or was it done by a gunsmith?

 

[Ray P]

I did have to replace the extractor on my M43 sometime back in 2002 or so; no problems since. Also no problems from my .45ACP Firestar.

I have used this place to obtain new old stock parts such as factory mags, grips, an extractor, misc screws & pins. Visit www.iparguns.com, and follow their "contact us" link for phone, fax &/or e-mail. English is obviously not their first language, but they have been consistently helpful over the last 10 years or so.

But the first thing I'd do is replace your magspring with a new one from Wolff.

Also, the rear sight of a Star M43 (9MM Firestar) typically has a torx locking screw, and the rear sight is drift-able.

Still, I'm beginning to think xr1200 is right. That is a bad Firestar, and needs to be punished. Send it my way. I'd be glad to take it off your hands

Seriously though, if you are near NH, there is a damned good gunsmith up that way who really knows his way around a Star pistol.

Britannia Sporting Arms
895 Sagamore Ave,
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 431-3512
http://britannia-sports.com/index.htm

 

[neilin]

Ray P,
"That is a bad Firestar, and needs to be punished. Send it my way. I'd be glad to take it off your hands "
You are very thoughtful . If it comes to that, you will be the first StarMan I contact!
Neil

 

[Ray P]

If it comes to that, glad to help But I expect you will have no problems getting it up to speed.

Besides, if it successfully extracts every round except the last one, I really doubt you have an extractor problem. How many mags do you have for the Star? Does this occur with each mag?

 

[SpaceFrank]

My sister-in-law carries a Firestar .40; I've never heard of it having any problems.

One of my good friends has a Firestar 9mm that he also carries, and its only issue is a slightly worn safety lever that seems to come off too easily. He doesn't carry it in Condition 1 for this reason. We put a bunch of old secondhand reloads through it a week ago with no issues either. I saw NOS aftermarket mags for the 9mm at a gun show several months ago, but they were >$30 each.

Honestly, this sounds more like a problem with the ejector than the extractor. If the case is being removed from the chamber, the extractor is doing its job. The ejector on the Firestar appears to be of the type that's attached to the frame, so it just pushes past the breech face on the left side of the firing pin once the slide comes back far enough. Perhaps yours is worn down?

 

[Ray P]

I saw NOS aftermarket mags for the 9mm at a gun show several months ago, but they were >$30 each.

If I'm going to pay that much for a NOS mag, it may as well be factory. Check with Ipar; they are a re-organized effort by former Star employees. They know their stuff. More on them here. Also a lot of good Star info on that site.

 

[GLOOB]

The main difference I can see between your ejected rounds and the last round is that there is no round under it in the magazine as it extracts. If the extractor does not hold the casing against the breech face and allows it to drop, it will hit the ejector at a different point on the casing, perhaps causing this problem.
I would start by cleaning under the extractor and extractor spring. I would also examine the extractor and spring for any wear or damage.
That would be my starting point.

The signal to noise ratio on this post is so low, I thought I'd copy and paste the only response that actually answers the question.

Actually, it's not necessarily a problem to have a loose extractor. Glocks, particularly in 9mm, have the same "problem." If you limpwrist a Glock on the last round, the shell will sometimes not eject, for the same reason. They usually get by because the extractor pushes the rim against the side of the breech cutout, rather than holding the rim tightly against the breech face. So perhaps increasing the extractor tension will help, even if it doesn't grip, tightly. Also, using hotter ammo or lightening the recoil spring might fix the issue. Also, as someone else mentioned, a new mag spring might fix the problem by lifting the follower up to push on the round, faster.

But now I feel left out. Ok, then: Firestars are great! Mine has never had a malfunction! OP has a problem? Who cares? Firestars rock!

 

[12Bravo20]

I own to Firestar pistols, a M43 and M40. The only problems I have had with them was either magazine related or ammo related. I bought the M43 from a guy who had problems with it (he was using reloads that wouldn't extract/eject). I cleaned it really good and used different ammo and haven't had any problems with the pistol. To the OP, clean the pistol really good and check your magazines. I do know that my M40 does not like Remington/UMC ammo, it will stove pipe/ fail to eject with that stuff. Both of my pistols work fine with other factory ammo and my own reloads. I had to tweak the aftermarket magazine for my M40 to get it to work, never had a problem with factory magazines.

 

[Ray P]

More info on getting parts from overseas from 2006 thread at THR...

27 CFR § 447.41 Permit requirement.
...
(c) A permit is not required for the importation of—
...
(2) Minor components and parts for Category I(a) and I(b) firearms, except barrels, cylinders, receivers (frames) or complete breech mechanisms, when the total value does not exceed $100 wholesale in any single transaction.

27 CFR § 447.21 The U.S. Munitions Import List.
...
THE U.S. MUNITIONS IMPORT LIST
CATEGORY I—FIREARMS
(a) Nonautomatic and semiautomatic firearms, to caliber .50 inclusive, combat shotguns, and shotguns with barrels less than 18 inches in length, and all components and parts for such firearms.
...

A new check today of the applicable Code of Federal Regulations shows no change in text from 5 years ago.

 

[neilin]

Two mags, and it happens with each one.

 

[neilin]

The signal to noise ratio on this post is so low, I thought I'd copy and paste the only response that actually answers the question.

Actually, it's not necessarily a problem to have a loose extractor. Glocks, particularly in 9mm, have the same "problem." If you limpwrist a Glock on the last round, the shell will sometimes not eject, for the same reason. They usually get by because the extractor pushes the rim against the side of the breech cutout, rather than holding the rim tightly against the breech face. So perhaps increasing the extractor tension will help, even if it doesn't grip, tightly. Also, using hotter ammo or lightening the recoil spring might fix the issue. Also, as someone else mentioned, a new mag spring might fix the problem by lifting the follower up to push on the round, faster.

But now I feel left out. Ok, then: Firestars are great! Mine has never had a malfunction! OP has a problem? Who cares? Firestars rock!

I have two mags, and the problem occurs with each one. The extractor tension seems quite strong. Could the extractor tension be too strong?

 

[Ray P]

Would it help if I sent photos of the extractor removal process? Haven't pulled mine in a while, so it might be time for me to clean & lube under the extractor.

Still, to me it just doesn't sound like an extractor problem if it extracts every round, but fails to eject the last round when firing jacketed ammo.

 

[neilin]

Would it help if I sent photos of the extractor removal process? Haven't pulled mine in a while, so it might be time for me to clean & lube under the extractor.

Still, to me it just doesn't sound like an extractor problem if it extracts every round, but fails to eject the last round when firing jacketed ammo.

Ray P,
Sorry for a slow reply, I have been away from my computer for a few days.
Yes, it would be helpful if you can send pictures of the extractor removal process.
Thanks!
Neil

 

[Single Action Six]

FireStar M40.. The Pistol of the Gods..!!

Ahhhh..

FireStar! Especially the M40. I bought one of the very first M40's available. I liked it so much I had it Combat Customized. Trijicon night sights. Auto-port the muzzle by Mag-Na-Port. Space age Nitex finish. Reverse cone the muzzle. Trigger, slide and frame job. Opened the mag well more than it was. etc., etc. After hundreds and hundreds of rounds I have yet to have any problems with it. I've been CCing with it for over the past 20 years. Wouldn't trade it in for anything.. well maybe another M40.

Single Action Six