Star model B question

[LUCKYDAWG13]

what calibers did they come in a friend just picked one up it was sold to him as a 9mm 9x19 he shot a couple of magazines of 9mm out of it a a few weeks ago and he said the it worked ok
for a few rounds the it would not cycle I looked at the barrel and it's has 9x21 stamped on it i have tried to look up
if it was chambered in the 9x21 with no luck so anyway any thoughts

[Pistolero49]

It is likely the 9×21mm pistol cartridge (also known as the 9×21mm IMI or 9 mm IMI) designed by Israel Military Industries for those markets where military service cartridges, like the 9×19mm Parabellum, are banned by law for civilian use.

[2152hq]

Star made the Model B in 9mmLuger (9x19mm)
(I think a few were made in 30Luger as well).
I don't recall them being factory chambered in 9x21 but it's possible.

The same pistol as the Model A was made in 9mmLargo (9x23mm)
They did catalog a couple of their semiauto pistols in 9mmBrowning caliber (Model C),,but they don't seem to exist anywhere!


Star went out of business in the 90's,,I don't know when the 9X21 came to be.

Star did chamber some of their semiautos in 30Luger for commercial sales in countrys where the 9mmLuger chambering was illegal to own by civilians (Italy for one).

If the caliber marking on the Model B Slide is 9x21 and looks factory applied (roll marked, original to the pistol) then it's probably how it left Spain.
If it looks hand stamped w/ individual stamps, off center, crooked, ect,,then I'd suspect an aftermarket alteration.
If the bbl only is marked 9x21,,then I'd suspect a replacement bbl fitted at some point.
A factory Star bbl would normally have the Spanish Auto Pistol proof mark on it over the chamber (visible in the ejection port).
An aftermarket bbl probably would not.
Lot's of aftermarket bbls were available for the Model A & B in the 90's when a flood of these pistols came from Spain & Bulgaria as surplus.
The Model A was in 9mmLargo and aftermarket bbls to convert to 9mmLuger were sold including stainless steel ones. I remember seeing some in other calibers too like the 30Luger but don't recall the 9x21.
Some of the bbl's were real junk,,some were very nice quality.

The conversion from 9mmLuger to 9x21 is a very simple chambering opperation w/minimal material removal. It is done very easily but it circumvents the 'no 9mmLuger caliber' rules in those certain countrys. Plus it was a very popular competition cartridge for a time.

Starline still makes brass for the caliber I believe.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Thanks I will pass the information on to my friend

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Look at the butt of the pistol and see how it is marked. If it is a B model it will be stamped with the letter B above the serial number. Other possibilities are A AS BS. So, be certain that it is a B. Another possibility is that it's a Super B which has a different system of operation. Does it disassemble like a Colt 1911, or does it have a quick take down lever on the side? Photos always help.

The difference between the 9x19 (Luger) and 9x21 is kind of insignificant except for 2mm in length. If the pistol operated properly for a while and then quit cycling it sounds more like a mechanical problem to me. It might benefit just from a complete disassembly and a good cleaning, but a part may be broken. Most likely would be the extractor, barrel link, needs a new recoil spring.

I own a number of A and B models, but have never encountered one in 9x21. However, technically, the 9 mm Largo is a 9x23. It's a bad practice, but some folks shoot the 9x19 in the Largo successfully. Like noted by 2152hq (above) after market barrels were produced, and I bought several from Federal Arms Corp. (out of business) years ago and converted an A with a bad bore to a B just with a barrel swap and it works fine. The barrels were made in S. Korea. If the barrel is actually stamped 9x21 then that is likely what it is. Were it mine, I'd be on the lookout for preferably a 9x19 barrel, or a 9mm Largo barrel, and then shoot the appropriate ammo in it. Parts are getting increasingly difficult to find for these pistols.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I will pass all of this along thanks

[bouncer50]

If it really 9x21 you can trim down largo brass to have the right size brass to reload.

[Artful]

http://star-firearms.com/firearms/caliber.shtml


and


http://star-firearms.com/firearms/guns/b/index.shtml

[LUCKYDAWG13]

If it really 9x21 you can trim down largo brass to have the right size brass to reload.

It has 9x21 on the Ejection port

[Texas by God]

I think Fiocchi makes 9x21mm ammo.

[Pistolero49]

I think Fiocchi makes 9x21mm ammo.

Lucky Gunner has some Fiocchi 9x21mm IMI in stock.
Manufacturer Fiocchi
Condition New
Bullet Weight 123 Grain
Bullet Type Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
Use Type Range Training
Ammo Casing Brass
Quantity 50
Ammo Caliber 9x21mm IMI
Manufacturer SKU 9x21
Primer Type Boxer
Muzzle Velocity (fps) 1220
Cost Per Round 40.0¢ per round