Star Pistols

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Olympus

Olympus

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I don't know much at all about the Spanish Star pistols, but I've got a chance to pick up a Star Modelo Super in 9mm Largo for a song! It's one of those deals that could be really good. The gun functions perfectly, but the condition is rough. My plan is to make a project out of it. Take it all apart and polish all the metal up and make it into a duracoat project. I've never done anything like it, but I figured for what I'm paying for it, it won't hurt if I screw up and it will be a good learning process.

Are these Star pistols any good? If I decide to keep the gun, will they be fun to shoot at the range? I've found a relatively inexpensive source for corrosive ammo, so I'd like to make it a fun little range gun. Is there anything particular I need to look for on the gun before I hand over the money?
 
Star pistols are nice guns. About the only consideration is that spar parts might be hard to come by, so buy some extra tools so that you can fabricate them if / when you need them and can't find them.
 
I've had two Firestars for about 15 years; one is a single stack, the other is a doublestack. Both are 9mm.

They're a bit heavy and bulky by today's standards, but both of them have been ultra reliable. If you can get one at a good price, go for it - but go easy with the Dremel...:uhoh:
 
Buy it! The Star pistols are well made and reliable. I have the same pistol as you are thinking of buying except mine is in 9mm Luger. I immediately bought a barrel in 9mm Largo and the appropriate magazine so now I have a convertible. Mine is still like new in the box. I have a couple of older Stars that I shoot a lot.

Two possible sources of spare parts are Sarco and Numrich Arms (Gun Parts Corp.)
 
Just a little info:
http://www.9mmlargo.com/cartridge/largovwin.htm
9mm Largo vs. 9x23mm Win
Lets compare the 9mm Largo with Winchester's new 9x23mm Winchester. The 9mm Largo was introduced in 1903. Ninety-three years later in 1996 Winchester introduced the new 9x23mm Winchester. This new cartridge was touted as the new wonder round of IPSC. It combined all of the good points of .38 Super without the troublesome semi-rimmed case of that round.


Load Muzzle
Velocity
Power Factor
Muzzle Energy
Barrel Length
9mm Largo MAX load with WAP
9mm Largo 125g FMJ 1350 fps
168.75
506 ft. lbs. 5.150"

Winchester's data for 9x23mm Win
9x23 Win 125 gr. 1450 fps
181
583 ft. lbs. 5.0"
 
Olympus, yours is a good gun.

Spare parts are available from Iparguns, a small company in the same town where those pistols were made. I guess they are former staff. The have every single spare part you may need for Star, Astra and Llama, and if they don´t they can make it.

I´m one of their loyal customers and know them pretty well. Send me a PM if some help is needed.

I´m so sad hearing so many people speaking so bad about these guns. Nobody is perfect and some mistakes were made.

But OTOH they have developed such nice guns as M43 Firestar, 1911 clones in .45 ACP, 9 mm Luger and 9 Largo, and pretty nice revolvers, as my Llama Comanche. I love it and I get very good results from it at the range. I paid less than 150 bucks for it.

Unfortunately these makers are not anylonger in the market.

Has anyone heard that CZ75 were first made, and maybe still are, using the same machines used by Star? Well, it´s true. And those machines were also made there.
 
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good pistols

As others have mention, Star made fine guns for most of the 20th century.

I currently own 7 Stars, in 6 variations.
I'll buy an A model or Super A sooner or later.

There is a guy on Gunboards who goes by "Star" and sells most any part for Star, as well as other Spanish makes.
He lives in Spain, takes Paypal, and gives great service. Nice, knowledgeable guy too.

Sarco also has most parts for these, as well as parts guns for cheap.
They have about the cheapest 9mm ammo also $150 - $170/1000
 
9mm Largo is available in quantity, and hasn't seen the huge jump in prices that other calibers has. Spare parts, as noted, are readily available with some searching, but that also assumes that the gun will fail quickly, which it has no record of doing. I own a B Super, in 9x19, made in 1947. It is still in excellent shape, and has needed no repairs. I also own a BM, and use it for HD. They are solidly made, and all metal.
 
I just bought a Modelo Super in 9mm Largo. I will be reloading for this pistol. I have read of people using .38 Super dies with 9mm Luger shell plates. I will try to purchase the correct brass because cutting down and sizing other cartridges is a PITA and does not work as well. Does any one here reload for this cartridge and have some advice?
 
I just sold my UltraStar for one reason, and one reason only. It was too thick for me to conceal well. Printed way too much and was uncomfortable. That was the ONLY downside to it.

It pointed nicely, very reliable, and extremely accurate. If I could hide more than one autoloader from my wife it would have stayed.
 
Eaton9999, I can't answer that. If no one here steps up, I'd suggest you try the Spanish pistols forum over on gunboards. Those guys know these guns.
 
This is my only Star...a Firestar M43 (9mm) that I bought used 7 years ago. It's well-made, heavy for its size, accurate and a lot of fun to shoot. It's been a 100% reliable for me.

firestarL.gif

It's a shame Star went out of business.

Tinpig
 
Star Fan

Hi Gunners,

I've owned a PD, a BKS, an M28, a M30PK, a BM, and a couple of BKMs. I lked them all. The 30PK I find to be very accurate, reliable, and handy. Never had a malfunction of any kind...probably 4000 or 4500 rounds.

The PD was a fine little hideout blaster but I found it to be unpleasant to shoot. A full charge .45 in a gun that light needed a better operator than me.

The M28 was similarly reliable and accurate as the 30PK but was bigger than a 9MM needs to be (to my way of thinking). The BM was excellent; well made, reasonably accurate but a little finicky about it's feed ramp.

The BKS and BKMs were great lightweight carry pieces but had big problems with anything but round nosed hardball. The BKM fits well in my XL hands, is reasonably accurate, very flat and concealable. But hollow points gouge the alloy feed ramp and after several rounds the bullet will simply hang up and jam...

I've been trying to find a way to harden and polish the ramp so hollow points will feed. Anybody out there got any ideas? I really don't have the $$ to get the frame hard chromed or anything like that. Some Colts have alloy feed ramps. Do they ave a similar problem and how is it fixed?

I was saddened by Star and Astra going belly up in the 90s. I always felt that they got a bad rap because they were not made in the USA or German, etc. It puzzled me.

AAW
 
How much...I don't really need one but...

Mad Magyar,

That means crazy Hungarian, no?

As I said I have about 4 mags in good condition but if it's really cheap...?!

AAW
 
I have a PD .45, my second. It needed some work like new recoil spring. I had to replace the mag catch and found the part quickly at Numrich.

I plink some with it but not full loads. I use a reduced 4.2 gr of Titegroup under a 200 grain lead RNFP. Accurate with decent recoil.

Tom
 
I have one, good gun. The take down is a bit off, IMO, but hasn't been a problem. Reliability is good, even running 9x19 ammo in the 9mm Largo mag and barrel. I think I paid $100 for it a couple years back.

I have read of people using .38 Super dies with 9mm Luger shell plates
Click to expand...

That's silly. You just use 9x19 dies.
 
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