Star model B

[LUCKYDAWG13]

LGS has some Star model B 9mm in told me that they were capturde by the Russians and refinshed and put into storage comes with 1 magazine asking $325. in very good condition is this a good deal are they good shooters

[Virginia John]

The Star B is a Spanish made gun that is currently flooding the surplus market in the $250.00 range. Classic had them for $249.99.

[straightwall]

Buy the gun, not the story. [emoji4]

[cainttype]

The Star line of "B"s saw changes over the years, but the firearm was well-made and nicely finished when made.
The rumor about Russian captures is that the Russians disassembled the guns to refinish them. The Stars triggers/lockwork were hand-fitted originally but the Russians didn't hassle themselves with keeping the parts and frames matched, reassembling the pistols with parts from various weapons.
It is rumored that some of the Russian captures might suffer from dangerously light trigger pulls, as a result of mixing parts. Another rumored issue is that some of the pistol's safeties cannot be engaged normally, but require the hammer to be pulled back slightly to lock the safety... This is unacceptable, and requires a qualified gunsmith to fit the parts properly in order to correct the issue.

About 20 years back the Star "Super" (the improved B) flooded market. They were available in 9MM Largo for less than $100, in great shape... I should have bought a truckload! :)
Star made some very good weapons. I was sorry to see them disappear.

[Tackleberry41]

I got a flyer from J&G other day and they were only $249.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

$100 is a big difference, LGS vs. a distributor like J&G....BUT...unless you have an FFL you can't cash in on the savings. Also, there is something to be said about getting to actually inspect the pistol before buying, and even ever so much better if they'll let you choose among several.

As for the pistol itself, it is one of my absolute favorites and the one that I carry the most frequently. It is pretty close to a 1911 in size, but the grip and balance feel just a bit better to me. And what with all the improvements in 9mm ammo over the last couple of decades I consider the caliber to be adequate. The trigger and lock work are very different from the 1911, but the slide/barrel/swinging link arrangement are the same.

Unfortunately there are very few authoritative books to be had on the Star pistols, but there are two versions commonly encountered. One type has a straight grip frame, and the other has a lump on the front strap about where the little finger grips. The straight grip is the older version, and most of the ones with the lump are the BS version, in which the S stands for safety. They have the feature that prevents firing when the magazine is removed. However, from looking at serial numbers in my collection it seems that perhaps for a period of time they were making both versions at the same time, with the BS version being made for commercial sales. But, some of the commercial sales were to military and police agencies, so one can find them with martial markings also. It's a bit confusing (I don't have all the answers!) and one can build a large collection on the variations. To clarify--if I say Bs it is the B plural, and BS is as described.

On the negative side, should you need a part it can only come from another gun that is being parted out, as Star has been out of business for a lot of years. Fortunately, if not abused in some way nothing seems to break. The grips of the surplus Stars are often chipped, cracked, and/or worn, but several makers produce replacements with beautiful custom woods. One such would be 4S Grips. Another thing to consider is the usual scarcity of extra magazines. I have purchased and used Triple-K Brand mags with great satisfaction, although like any company they have some detractors.

A piece of advice: If you buy one (once you get it you'll probably wish you would have bought another) there is one thing to be careful of when disassembling it. When you remove the left side grip, if you push the safety downward past the safe position, a tiny plunger and it's spring will launch into the furthest corner of the room and will be unlikely to ever be found again. The downward movement of the safety is controlled by a cut out in the grip itself, and works just fine to limit its travel as long as the grip is in place. So, if you remove the grip don't fiddle with the thumb safety lever, or if you do wish to completely detail strip the weapon then put the pistol inside a zip loc bag and when you push the lever past the safe position the plunger and spring will be captured in the bag.

One interesting bit of trivia: The 1911s used in the movie "The Wild Bunch" were actually Star Model Bs, used because they were easier to operate with movie blanks.

Here's a few of mine:164845An average representative piece from the Bulgarian purchase.

164847Disregard the top three, they're Llamas. The bottom 3 are Stars, and the one on the right is a BS model.
164849They also shoot well.

I don't know about the Russian connection, but it is possible. Look at all the German K98k rifles that they refinished and stored away. The Spanish were tacit allies of the Axis during WW II, supplied them with many pistols, and fielded a division of Spanish Civil War veterans known as the Division Azul which fought on the Eastern Front. They were pretty well chewed up by the Soviet army, and no doubt many weapons were captured. I do not know for a fact though, that the pistols they carried were Star Bs. But the Bulgarians did purchase a large order of these pistols from the Spanish. They changed sides near the end of the war so that could have also been another source for the Russians to acquire them; but a large number were reblued and sold here in the U.S. about 15 years ago, some bearing fake German acceptance marks. The Germans did buy several shipments of Bs from Star, but the serial number ranges of the shipments are pretty well known to collectors. After the war the West German Border Police used them, both from the wartime shipments and newly purchased. They are often stamped LPN.

Go for it!

DG

[Blackwater]

I've got the smaller BM for my wife. Fits her smaller hands better, and she seems to shoot it well. Mine has a cracked frame where the slide stop goes through. Still functions, but not sure how long that'll be true.

All milsurps vary greatly, and getting to examine the LGS guns makes them worth more than buying a pig in a poke. I think mags are available for them at a decent price, too. With an auto, they're THE slowest to reload UNLESS you have spare mags available. I like to have a bare minimum of four, but that's just me. At least two seems an absolute minimum, at least IMO. All in all, though, if you're not looking for target accuracy, but good reliability, they seem to be a very reasonable choice. And it's always kind'a interesting to have milsurps, and wonder what kind of stories they might tell if only they could talk. In summary, there's no reason I know of to NOT get one. Good function, reasonable price, probably adequate accuracy for most purposes. Not a bad deal these days at all, really.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

thanks for all the information I went to LGS today on my way home from work no i didn't put down on one as of yet but i'm going too they look good need a good cleaning to get all of the cosmoline out / off of them they have quit a few of them to choose from
also extra magazines are $25

[Ricochet]

I have one of the Russian refurb Star Model Bs. I bought it quite a few years ago from one of the milsurp importers that hung a bogus blurb on it about a "Blue Condor Legion" I think of Spanish volunteers who fought with the Germans in Russia. But Germany bought many Model Bs and issued them to their own officers. The story about them that I do believe is that the Germans didn't require any further proof testing or markings on the Stars. As with all of the Russian refurb weapons I know about, they disassembled them, threw the parts in bins of like parts, and after rebluing and whatever else they did, they pulled out random parts and put them together. Mine is a nice looking piece and shoots well. Its only glitch is that the hammer has to be pulled back slightly past the cocked position to put the safety on. I shoot normal pressure 9mm Luger ball ammo and standard level cast handloads in it. TL-356-125-TCs shoot well in it, as they do in my other 9s.

[Ricochet]

Oh, CZ75 recoil springs work in a Model B. That's what I have in mine, the original was pretty soft.

[Airman Basic]

Off topic, but I have a scaled down 1911 clone made by Llama in 22 long rifle. Only one I've seen. Worth anything?

[Dutchman]

From the batch about 15+ yrs ago..

Bulgarian contract mfg 1944. The magazine and ejection port length are designed
for 9x23 Berman-Bayard aka Largo.

http://media.fotki.com/1_p,wdtrsrtfdgktrsxwfqbfsgtwfb,vi/tdtrwsqqfxwtdrgbktk/2/28344/157842/starb1-vi.jpg

[Texantothecore]

I have always wondered why Star went out of business. I have a model P in 45 acp and it is a very nice gun.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Airman Basic: Yes, the little Llama .22s are always in demand. In nice condition they bring an average of $300 on the internet auctions. They were made in .22, .32, and .380. Since Llama also went out of business years ago the price can only go up; but as with all gun values condition is the determining factor. Here's a .380 with custom grips.
164920

[Der Gebirgsjager]

From the batch about 15+ yrs ago..

Bulgarian contract mfg 1944. The magazine and ejection port length are designed
for 9x23 Berman-Bayard aka Largo.

http://media.fotki.com/1_p,wdtrsrtfdgktrsxwfqbfsgtwfb,vi/tdtrwsqqfxwtdrgbktk/2/28344/157842/starb1-vi.jpg

Very nice specimen, Dutchman--looks in just about new condition. Unusual to find them with the lanyard ring present. :awesome:

[rintinglen]

165065
I bought one of the supers when they were all over the place for 99.00 bucks and other than the lack of factory ammunition, (mine is a 9mm Largo), I have had no problems. They seem to be solid, service grade auto pistols. Starline makes brass occasionally and I pick up some up whenever it's available and I need something to fill in an order at Midway.

I used mine as a truck gun for a while, but no longer keep guns in my vehicle--no sense arming a thief who steals my vehicle.

[Texantothecore]

My model P is stamped "Argentine National Police". Apparently service grade.