Since my recent unemployment I've found myself with lots of time on my hands. Anyhow, I've had one of these in 40 S&W for years and years. Used to tote it in the tractor when I was younger. Made a dent in the yote population as they would just sit and watch you drive by about 30 yards out. Lol. Well they wised up but it worked for awhile. Mines been ultra reliable from day one, reasonably accurate and comfy to fire. The only bobbles its had were with some stel cased Wolf ammo. Just wondering how others feel about them.
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Any Star firestar lovers here?
- Thread starter IDAHOMIKE
- Start date
I have a Star Megastar .45. It's a tank of a gun. It's reasonably accurate and exceptionally reliable. Trigger isn't bad for a da/sa, but could probably be worked on to make it smoother. Starvel (chrome) finish is quite durable and scratch resistant.
About the only complaint I have is that the casting marks are not machined/polished out. The finish is a little rough in some places. Not horrible, but it ain't a Hi-Power.
About the only complaint I have is that the casting marks are not machined/polished out. The finish is a little rough in some places. Not horrible, but it ain't a Hi-Power.
Walt Sherrill
New member
Really nice guns. I like the Star Firestar Plus model better. The triggers, if not already nice, can be tuned easily by a competent gunsmith.
Be warned: there are no extractors available for the .40 model anywhere in the US, unless someone got a small number shipped in. If that extractor breaks, you'll spend a lot of time and money trying to find a replacement. The good news: they don't seem to be a weak part.
(I volunteered to find one for a friend a few years ago, and ended up having one sent from Spain, where a student I knew had some contacts... We spent about $50 for that damned extractor.)
I've had both the single-stack and double stack versions of the 9mm, and a .40, like yours. At the range where I shot a lot, back then, the standing joke was that the single-stack Stars were so damned heavy, you could just drop one on the foot of a bad guy, and he'd be out of action for a week.
Be warned: there are no extractors available for the .40 model anywhere in the US, unless someone got a small number shipped in. If that extractor breaks, you'll spend a lot of time and money trying to find a replacement. The good news: they don't seem to be a weak part.
(I volunteered to find one for a friend a few years ago, and ended up having one sent from Spain, where a student I knew had some contacts... We spent about $50 for that damned extractor.)
I've had both the single-stack and double stack versions of the 9mm, and a .40, like yours. At the range where I shot a lot, back then, the standing joke was that the single-stack Stars were so damned heavy, you could just drop one on the foot of a bad guy, and he'd be out of action for a week.
Thanks for the heads up regarding extractors Walt. Not overly worried about it as she doesn't see much use anymore. Its nice to see others that like them as I never hear much about them and never see them around. I'd like to get another 40 someday. Not that I need it but mine has been rode pretty hard so to speak. And one of these days I'd like to get a Megastar in 10mm, however the lack of a job precludes that at this point in time.
Walt Sherrill
New member
Any of the Star enthusiasts here might find this site interesting:
http://star-firearms.com/index.html
http://star-firearms.com/index.html
I bought my Starvel-finished M43 in 1993. The major selling points it had for me personally were:
1. I'm a southpaw and it was one of the vanishingly few (at that time) models which came equipped with an ambi thumb safety.
2. It was the most compact 9x19 'factory' semiauto then produced.
3. The control layout was very similar to that of the 1911A-1, which I was already comfortable and familiar with.
4. It happened to be "on sale" for an extremely attractive price at the local "Big R" store.
It's proven to be extremely reliable, quite accurate and admirably durable. It's still my primary hot weather CCW nearly 16 years later. I installed a set of Meprolite tritium replacement sights, but other than that it has remained essentially "stock". The only parts I've needed were for routine spring replacements every 2500 - 3000 rds. The Starvel finish is very tough and corrosion resistant, just as was advertised. All things considered, it was a heckuva deal for me, IMO.
1. I'm a southpaw and it was one of the vanishingly few (at that time) models which came equipped with an ambi thumb safety.
2. It was the most compact 9x19 'factory' semiauto then produced.
3. The control layout was very similar to that of the 1911A-1, which I was already comfortable and familiar with.
4. It happened to be "on sale" for an extremely attractive price at the local "Big R" store.
It's proven to be extremely reliable, quite accurate and admirably durable. It's still my primary hot weather CCW nearly 16 years later. I installed a set of Meprolite tritium replacement sights, but other than that it has remained essentially "stock". The only parts I've needed were for routine spring replacements every 2500 - 3000 rds. The Starvel finish is very tough and corrosion resistant, just as was advertised. All things considered, it was a heckuva deal for me, IMO.
Bill DeShivs
New member
The Stars are excellent, underappreciated guns.
Routine spring replacement is not necessary.
Routine spring replacement is not necessary.
Old habits die hard, I suppose. That one (replacing recoil and FP springs at the same time) I picked up as a young man from the late George Nonte's magazine articles and columns. FWIW, it's become an ingrained habit to keep at least one new recoil spring and FP spring (and a spare MS), almost always of OEM spec, on hand for any semiauto pistol I use as a primary carry weapon.
I still put a considerable amount of ammo through these on a regular basis, although my deteriorated physical and financial condition dictates that I no longer can afford to engage in the regular competition I once enjoyed.
When cleaning after every practice session I'll compare the length of the recoil spring with the new one. When the difference reaches between 2 - 2 1/2 coils it and the FP spring are replaced and new springs ordered if necessary. Every third cycle, the MS is changed, too.
Thirty-odd years later this may well be redundant, but it certainly hasn't hurt anything that I can see and I guess I've always been sort of a "suspenders and belt" kind of guy where my Personal Favorite Behind might be concerned.
I still put a considerable amount of ammo through these on a regular basis, although my deteriorated physical and financial condition dictates that I no longer can afford to engage in the regular competition I once enjoyed.
When cleaning after every practice session I'll compare the length of the recoil spring with the new one. When the difference reaches between 2 - 2 1/2 coils it and the FP spring are replaced and new springs ordered if necessary. Every third cycle, the MS is changed, too.
Thirty-odd years later this may well be redundant, but it certainly hasn't hurt anything that I can see and I guess I've always been sort of a "suspenders and belt" kind of guy where my Personal Favorite Behind might be concerned.
I had a Firestar in 9mm and it was a beautiful little gun that fit my hand perfectly. Unfortunately, it couldn't fire a single magazine without jamming at least twice. Failure to feed, failure to eject, stovepipes, you name it. I always had to drop the mag to clear it. It made two trips to the gunsmith, replaced the extractor, new mags, fluff and buff, etc, all to no avail. I finally sold it off. Like I said, I just loved the pistol, just couldn't handle the way it cycled. Parts are nearly impossible to find.