Star model BM or Helwan 9mm Beretta copy? Need gun for my poor brother in law

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Hellbore

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My brother-in-law has VERY little discretionary money to spend. He has 7 kids, a wife who is sick and trying to work as a writer, and is struggling with 2 jobs just to make ends meet. I don't know anyone who works his ass off more than he does just to keep his head above water.

However, he REALLY wants a handgun. There has been crime in his area and he has no way to protect his home right now (he has no guns). He used to have a Glock 13 that he bought in his days of youth and no family, but he literally had to sell that gun to buy food for his family, they got that broke. He also used to have a shotgun and it was stolen from his home a while back, along with his TV and most of their valuables, in a burglary.

Now he has a little money he saved up over the past couple years, and he would like to buy a gun. He especially would like to have a 9mm. He can't really afford to spend more than about $150.

So far the only guns I have found for around $150 are the Star model BM and the Helwan 9mm. If you know of others that are as good as these or better, in this price range, by all means please tell me!

My question is, which would be better for my brother-in-law?

He wants to use it as a sort of nightstand home-defense gun, a fun plinking gun for target shooting, and MAYBE a CCW gun later.

Which is the better gun, or what are the pros and cons of each?

P.S. - While we are on the subject... Supposedly this Helwan 9mm is a copy of the Beretta 1951. Now, is it an ExACT copy to the point where it takes Beretta replacement parts and Beretta mags and such?

Also, what's this I hear about the Berettas having some kind of accuracy problem because of the way the barrel is connected? Something about a floating barrel, does the Beretta have a floating barrel? Does the Helwan?
 
I have heard about locking lugs breaking on the Helwan and parts are supposed to be hard to get. The Star has good reviews, but again, parts availability is the problem. A Makarov can be had for anywhere from 100-200 dollars and you can get parts from Makarov.com as well as Numrichs. I would probably go with a Mak first in 9x18.......
 
I second the Star BM.
More finish wear but all I have handled have been mechanically sound and they have all came with two magazines.
Gun Parts still has quite a collection of Star parts on hand.
 
Both of the pistols you mentioned have known quality control problems. They are what I call a "sometimes gun" (sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.) As I understand it this is something he wants to have, but not necessarily shoot a lot. I would suggest a Makarov, or CZ 50 or 52. I'd also not pass up a finish-worn S&W revolver that was otherwise sound.

Given that there are 7 kids around (plus all of they're friends) be sure the gun is secured.
 
First things first - does he practice enough to carry/use a Condition one pistol? Both the Helwan and Star are single action pistols, as his Glock wasn't, so he would have to confidant of his abilities to wipe the safety in an emergency, and I doubt he has the time/money to shoot a lot. He sounds a lot like my brother, too - he had to sell guns I gave him for family food, too.
If he cannot use, or is not familiar with a single action pistol, I reccomend either the Smith 38 revolver, (good ammo makes this a good weapon!), or Makarov, even though 9x18 is lighter than 9mm Para.
A good used holster is a must, as with 7 kids in the house, it is safer to keep it on him, than trust any hollowed out book, or any other stashing idea! There the Makarov is better, easier to hide. An old bicycle chain lock can lock the pistol up through the magazine well/frame to the bed frame or something like that, when he's not at home, and wife may be unable to carry/use. Forgot to ask - is it legal to carry a loaded pistol in your own home where he lives? There are places that do not allow that!
Whatever he gets, give him an early Christmas present - about 500 rounds and a range pass....
 
Star or Helwan

I cannot recommend the Helwan.I had two and I don't think they're suitable.One broke the piece under the barrel using standard loads.I've heard good things about Star BM.I do have a Star 30 that I trust completely.The firestars compacts are very nice.A poor man can't afford to buy "cheap" stuff.Good Luck!
 
Indeed. Given his limited budget, I'd get a used S&W revolver. Less likely to have problems, no need for magazines, and +P .38 special will come close to 9mm performance.

If anything goes wrong with the Star or Helwan, getting it fixed might prove time-consuming.
 
I agree with the S&W .38 revolver, plenty of good used ones around, and fairly cheap. This is a great home defense gun, just point and shoot, and no extra ,mags to buy. A good place to find them is at gun shows, and pawn shops.
 
Hellbore--

I gather from previous posts that you are in the Phoenix area.

If so, I have a Makarov, still in the Cosmoline, plus several hundred rounds of practice ammo, plus a few hundred rounds of HP, and probably a set of Pierce grips and a crappy nylon holster. I'll give it all to your BIL for $150.

Not sure why I'm doing this....maybe I'm feeling guilty about my posts on your "Mormon" thread"....maybe this agnostic is having a Sunday morning pang of Christianity...or maybe I just feel like being a good neighbor...whatever, I'm definately having a weak moment.

Anyway, if you want this stuff, let me know ASAP. I'm leaving town for a week Tuesday AM.

Peter
 
The Stars have brittle firing pins & replacements are difficult to find (which is why I sold my Star BKM many years ago, couldn't get the firing pin fixed after months of effort). Another vote for the Makarov, it's rugged, reliable, accurate, affordable to buy & shoot and spare parts/mags are inexpensive and plentiful. Not as powerful as the 9mm but it will do the job if you do yours. Go with Snake Eye's offer, it's a heck of a deal!
Tomac
 
Snake Eyes' deal is absolutely the way to go.

9x18 may not be as powerful as 9x19, but Makarovs tend to be "always" guns (in that they "always" go boom when you pull the trigger) I used to ccw a Makarov and found that it carried pretty nicely with a good holster. They are accurate, reliable good shooters and won't break the bank.

Probably one of the best values in firearms out there today.

Just get yourself an aluminum pie pan and some mineral spirits, disassemble the Mak and soak it overnight, then give it a thorough scrubbing (the mineral spirits will take off most of the Cosmoline). Lube it up with some RemOil and burn through a couple boxes of ammo (clean it again) and you're good to go.
 
Hellbore, sounds like your Brother in law is a good guy, and an upstanding man for working hard to keep himself and his family afloat.

That said, you make him out to be a trustworthy, hardworking fellow, and so, would it be an option to offer to help him pay for a more reliable/repairable weapon? I mean, could you offer him a small loan so he could have better prospects for getting a better weapon (I think those Taurus Beretta 92/96 (the PT92 and 96) copies are only, like 250 bucks, and I haven't heard much smack talked about them)?

~Slam_Fire
 
That sounds like a good deal Snake Eyes. I talked to my brother in law about it, though, and he thinks the Makarov is too small for his hands (he's a really big guy) and he also is worried about stopping power. Also, he is worried about being able to find ammo.

I wasn't able to answer him about any of these concerns because I don't know anything about Makarovs.

I'm not rich by any means (college student) but maybe I could buy it and try to sell him on it after the fact. Maybe I should buy it and GIVE it to him. I certainly don't need another pistol right now and I would want him to have it.
 
I'm nearly 6'2" and have large hands. The Mak is just large enough for me to get all my fingers on the grip w/o using pinky extensions. Are there any shops locally w/a Mak that he can examine firsthand?
Ammo is cheap, especially at gunshows or if you order online so w/what Snake Eye is starting him with he can save up for another case or half a case before he exhausts his initial supply.
Stopping power? All handguns, regardless of caliber/bullet, are poor "stoppers" (there are no "magic bullets" or "magic calibers/handguns"). Any bullet that can reach the CNS through intervening bone/tissue is adequate and the Mak falls into that category. Against a determined & aggressive attacker there's no such thing as "stopping power" if the CNS isn't hit. Even a solid hit to the heart can leave 10-15 seconds worth of oxygen in the brain, more than enough for the BG to return the favor. As long as the bullet/caliber has sufficient penetration and he can shoot it fast & accurately then it will do the job. I use the Mak for both nightstand use & CCW and don't feel underarmed with it although the 9x18 is the smallest caliber I feel both comfortable with and have confidence in.
Tomac
 
He should not be concerned about ammo or stopping power. The Makarov will be fine. The Pearce rubber grips also make the gun fit better in larger hands. Further, isn't the Star a pretty tiny pistol?

I think you should convince your friend to take the deal for the Makarov.
 
I would go with the Makarov too. My brother has a Bulgarian Mak that is a great little gun and that cost him about $150 altogether. It isn't the most powerful round but it will do. When you don't have money it also means that you don't have money to be able to replace a defective gun like you would if you did have money. From that standpoint, getting it right the first time is more important if you can't afford another gun. I think out of what you are working with the Mak has about the best chance to do what he needs and be trouble free doing it.
Another sleeper is the Ruger Security Six. I just bought one from another THR member and for $265 it was probably the best buy I have ever made in a gun. That is a little more than you specified but still pretty inexpensive compared to what you will pay for other guns.
 
One thing I haven't seen anybody mention yet is that the Star's may be finicky about hollow point ammo. I haven't tried any in mine yet, but I've read quite a few reports. I use the Barnaul HP 9x18 ammo exclusively in my Mak with zero problems.
 
Gotta go with the Mak or a quality used .38.
And keep it in a safe place. Come to think of it, with kids in the house I'd consider an unloaded shotgun behind the bedroom door with shells in the top dresser drawer (if you can find all that in the dark).
-David
 
He could pick up a CZ-52 and you could give him a bunch of ammo for it as a present.

Cheap and plenty of power. Not much of a carry weapon, but its stout enough to handle most intruders. Just advise him of the problems with dry-firing. Makarov.com also sells replacement barrells chambered for 9x19.
 
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