Astra A-75

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eddiejoe333

New member
I saw one at the Gun Show, but didn't buy because I had a question the seller couldn't answer. How does the same magazine feed 9mm and .40s&w? He was asking $285 and I didn't think it was worth the gamble. Am I missing something really obvious?
 
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9x19

New member
All factory mags for the Astra A75 were the same for both calibers and marked .40 on one side and 9mm on the other.

There is only a 0.031" difference in diameter of the two cases at the base (0.394" vs 0.425"). I expect it wasn't hard to find a compromise dimension for the feed-lip width that worked well with both.
 
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James K

Member In Memoriam
The .40 will sit a bit lower in the magazine than the 9mm, but as long as the breech face will contact the base of both cases, both will feed.

Jim
 
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larryh1108

New member
I love mine. I bought it as a 9mm and then found a complete upper on Gunbroker in 40S&W. I have shot both from it and the mags and both worked perfectly. The weight soaks up the recoil in the 40S&W where it is my favorite gun to shoot the 40S&W out of. Super accurate as well. I like it so much I even got custom wood grips from Tulskii for it. The price is also right. It is heavy but is all steel and has good lines. It is a nice gun!






picture before the wood grips.

 
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balance

New member
I've liked mine since I bought it about a month ago. Mine came with an ambidextrous decocker, which as far as I'm concerned, is a necessity for me, since I'm a lefty. The mag release is reversible, and I reversed mine after these pictures were taken.







Recoil is soft for a pistol this size. The DA trigger is heavy, but smooth. The SA trigger is pretty good, and the reset is short. That lever is a decocking lever only. There is no manual safety.

The pistol is smaller than it looks on pictures. I've noticed that some pictures seem to depict this as a full sized pistol, when it really isn't. I have small hands, and my third finger hangs about halfway off the bottom of the grip without the mag inserted. The length is about half an inch longer than a Walther PPK.

I like mine so far.
 
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lee n. field

New member
How does the same magazine feed 9mm and .40s&w? He was asking $285 and I didn't think it was worth the gamble. Am I missing something really obvious?
Click to expand...

I have a .40 magazine that came with my 9mm Firestar. The dimensions are the same, and it feeds 9mm fine.
 
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57K

Moderator
Years ago when my shooting partner bought his first pistol chambered in .40 S&W, it was an A-75 and the pistol he used to qualify with for his CCL. It was an excellent compact even before compacts became all the rage. We still talk about that particular pistol and how well it performed. He sold it later and not for much less than he paid for it new. If he were to run across one in 9mm I have very little doubt that he'd own another one. ;)
 
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dgludwig

New member
Sounds like I should have made the leap.
Click to expand...

Yep, for the $285.00 "asking" price (it's possible the seller might have taken even less) I would have jumped right in. The Astra Model A-75 was a well-made, nice-looking pistol for the price, even when new.
 
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hemiram

New member
I would have jumped for $285. I've had three of them, and still have the black 9mm. The .40 was pretty painful to shoot, but was a great gun, otherwise. I made a pretty decent profit when I sold the other two. I was at a gun store that was closing, and I found three new mags for a total of $15 plus tax. I had the .40 and a 9mm at the time, both nickel, so it was a steal. I really can't find a single fault in the A-75, except that Astra is out of business.
 
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Borigeeks

New member
Great Grips!

I own a Astra A74 .40SW and must agree with all of you... Is a great gun! Is my primary carrying gun (Even over my S&W MP Shield). I love those wood grips, I'm contacting the seller to order a pair. for that price is a no brainer. I found 4 clips on ebay for 40 BUCKS!!!!! :cool:
 
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HawkeyeNRAlifer

New member
I lusted after the A75/A100 Astra back in the day, but never bought one. Liked the look of it. I think I got sidetracked on buying a Llama Omni in 45 because 45's are the only real caliber for men. ;) Or so I thought back then.

Still have that Omni.
 
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kerreckt

New member
I love Astras. I own a number of them and they are all great shooters...just really excellent all the way around.
 
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hemiram

New member
And you can really tell the difference. I was at a LGS and I was picking up my A-75, and a guy there had the A-75L and it felt loaded like my gun felt empty. I prefer my guns on the heavy side, and the A-75 is a gun I really like.
 
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