Star Super with 2 barrels

[Battis]

I bought a Star Super (made in 1948). It came with two barrels - a 9mm Largo and a 9mm Parabellum. Each barrel fits. Dummy rounds work in each (chamber, eject). The 9mm Largo barrel is numbered, but the 9mm isn't.
I can't find any info on Star offering interchangeable barrels. Anyone have any info on these guns?

[rintinglen]

The Star Model Super was a Spanish made firearm that was produced from 1946 until 1983 and was used by the Spanish military as their duty weapon. The Super M was the 9 mm Largo model, though other similar guns were made in 9mm Luger for export.
A company called Federal Ordinance or Federal Arsenal had a bunch of 9 mm Luger barrels made for these, IIRC, in Korea. In the 90's, they were for sale from a number of places. I hesitated until it was too late and they were sold out. An acquaintance of mine bought one and claimed it actually worked better than the original 9 mm Largo.

Mine is a later gun, 1970's production, in 9mm Largo.

[Battis]

So, the 9mm Luger barrel that came with my gun might have been one of the Korean after market barrels. It's identical to the 9mm Largo except for the shorter chamber (and it's not numbered). It takes less than a minute to switch the barrels. I haven't shot it yet but that should be interesting.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Spanish pistols have long been an interest of mine, and to the best of my recollection this is how it works out. The Star Co. first had the Model A, in 9mm Largo. Then they came out with the Model B in 9mm Luger. Later, they came out with the Super Model, and went by the same designations, the Super A for 9mm Largo, and the Super B for 9mm Luger. The main difference is that the Super is a quick disassembly model, having a lever for that purpose. The original A & B disassembled much like a 1911.

Speaking of the A&B now, and not the Super, the pistols were just about identical except for the markings and calibers. The barrels, of course were different, but they didn't bother to design a new magazine for the B models, and the 9mm Luger cartridges fit kind of loosely in them and the top round also slides forward just from the jiggling in being carried to the point that in some of them, when you withdraw a loaded magazine, the top round will pop out. If not withdrawn, however, even if the round has worked its way forward in the magazine the round will usually feed very reliably.

A company named Federal Arms Corp., now long out of business, did in fact have replacement barrels made in S. Korea. I was fortunate enough to purchase several to replace the barrels of pistols that had been shot with Spanish corrosive ammo. It's been a long time, and I can't recall if they offered Model A replacements, but they did offer Model B replacements, and that's what I purchased and used one to replace a badly corroded Model A barrel with a 9mm Luger replacement. I also purchased several replacement barrels for the Astra Model 400, which was made in 9mm Largo, as were the replacement barrels. The Model B barrel worked perfectly in the Model A, but I can not recall if Federal Arms Corp. offered replacement barrels for the Super models. I almost think that they hadn't as yet been imported into the U.S. in any number, but my memory is foggy. I have never tried it, but I'd almost be willing to bet that a Super B barrel would work in a Super A, as well as the magazines.

So, I think that the possibility exists that your 9mm Super barrel is an original from a Super B or a Spanish surplus part, and I'm pretty sure it will work very well in the Super A. You didn't precisely say, but you said the 9mm Largo barrel is numbered, and if it's numbered to the pistol, then you definitely have a Super A. If it is a Korea-made replacement, then I'm still pretty sure it will function without a hitch.

As an aside, I see in the latest SARCO ad in Firearms News that they are once again offering Star BS and Super B pistols. The BS is just a B with a Safety -- won't fire with the magazine removed.

DG

[Battis]

The numbers on the frame and slide match, but the 9mm Largo barrel's number is different. The barrel is also marked 9mm Largo with the Spanish bomb proof. The 9mm Luger barrel has no marks at all.
I have brass, dies and bullets for my Astra and a Destroyer carbine.
In the pic - dummy rounds with the 9mm Luger barrel underneath.

[WinchesterM1]

Man I have always wanted one of those... if you ever get bored of it Let me know lol

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Well, if the Largo barrel is numbered it left the factory in a pistol. If the Luger barrel has no number it is either a spare part for field replacement or a Korean barrel--but like I said, I don't remember FAC offering them for Supers. Might have, though.

DG

[rintinglen]

Actually they did offer them for the Super, my friend, Dale and I bought our Model Supers at the same time. They were on sale at Turner's for 99.99 with 2 mags. I bought another mag at a gun show later. Dale bought one of the 9mm Luger replacement barrels for his, but I dithered around chasing components and CCI factory ammo for the 9mm Largo, instead. Dare I say DUH!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Good to know info. Thanks.

DG

[dtknowles]

Actually they did offer them for the Super, my friend, Dale and I bought our Model Supers at the same time. They were on sale at Turner's for 99.99 with 2 mags. I bought another mag at a gun show later. Dale bought one of the 9mm Luger replacement barrels for his, but I dithered around chasing components and CCI factory ammo for the 9mm Largo, instead. Dare I say DUH!

If you load you Largo to Luger plus P pressures you can achieve some awesome performance. I just sold most of my excess Largo brass to a member here but I have a CZ52 that I rechambered an after market 9mm luger barrel to 9mm Largo and throated it so that I can load bullets to the full length of the magazine and I can out perform 9 x 23 Win at lower pressures. Basically what I have is a 9 x 25. Don't sell yourself short. 9mm Largo is a great round.

Tim

[Petrol & Powder]

I can't speak to the 9mm Largo Barrel, my Super B is chambered in 9mm Luger and there's no spare barrel.

I can say that I'm favorably impressed with the quality of this inexpensive pistol. It's an early 1970's gun and it needed a little tweaking when I got it, but it is a good shooter. The gun is now very accurate.

Most of the Star pistols I've run across were good values but often found in abused condition. I believe their low cost resulted in many of them being treated poorly, which is a shame because they are good pistols.

[lar45]

I converted my Modelo Super to 38 Super. I just filed some flats for the semi-rim in the barrel hood and then tweaked the mag feed lips slightly. It will shoot a mixed mag of everything 9mm without any problems. It will feed and fire 380 auto, but it doesn't have enough power to cycle the slide.
In addition to the mods on the barrel hood and the magazine, I added a Wolff extra power recoil spring and also cut down a Shok-Buff recoil buffer from a 1911 to fit the Super.

It has been brought to my attention that many consider this conversion to be questionable at best given the wide spread warnings of not shooting 38 Super in anything chambered for 9mm Largo. The Astra 400 Is one such pistol, but if memory serves me right, this is a weaker pistol design and is probably where the warning originated from.
The Star Super looks to be a well constructed pistol.
When I first did the conversion, I took some surplus 9mm largo and some 38 super and chronographed them. The 38 Super was only going about 25fps faster than the Largo.

As was noted above the Super has been chambered in 9mm Luger also.
The max pressure for the 9mm Luger is 35k
The max pressure for the 38 Super is 36.5k, oops.
I don't think that running some 38 Super's through my pistol will bother it.
However, please don't take my word as gospel on the subject.
The below picture of the modified barrel is for information purposes only

[Texas by God]

I would do the same conversion, lar45.
Stars are excellent pistols. I always wanted one of the Government model size .45 ACP models, but have yet to find one in real life. Ive owned BM, Super, Firestar, and m30 in 9mm Luger and a PD in .45 ACP and all of them were very good guns.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Petrol & Powder]

I had the Firestar in 9mm. It felt like it was a solid block of stainless steel. It was adequately accurate and fairly reliable but the safety had an annoying habit of disengaging by itself. I never trusted that gun and it went down the road.

[lar45]

I have a PD 45 acp also and really like it.
I have found a model P Super on GunBroker one time but it went for something like $1400 so I quit bidding on it.

[rintinglen]

Actually, the SAAMI max pressure for the 38 Super is 36,500 psi, not 33,500 psi.

I am not saying that you cannot convert one, but I would ensure that I had a shok-buff and an extra power spring. Spanish pistols are reputed to have issues with soft steel. Given the availability of the excellent Starline brass and pressure tested data from Speer in their 14th and 15th manuals, I don't think I would go there. I'd just continue to load my LEE 356-120TC boolits over 5.8 grains of Power Pistol or 4.5 grains of Unique and bang away.

[Krag 1901]

I had a Star in .38 Super and it was not comfortable to shoot. Sold it after 100 rounds. Kept my GI .45 though.

[Fishman]

I have a little Star in .380, kind of a 2/3 size 1911. Really fun to shoot and an instant favorite of anyone who tries it out.

[lar45]

I believe that Star used to make the Colt Mustang 380.

[rintinglen]

No, Star did not make the Colt Mustang. They did make a few (reportedlty <100) Colt Pony's, and 1,000s of Iver Johnson Ponys. The Colt Mustang and it's stablemates were made in Hartford, Conneticut.