Ian lives in Arizona where a large population of people of Mexican decent have lived for four hundred years. When you combine that with Mexican immigration it's easy to learn Spanish. Once you learn Mexican Spanish, its easy enough to learn Castilian Spanish and saying Basque names properly. My grandmother is from Mexico City and Spanish is my first language. Although I'd forgotten Spanish by the time I was six it surprises Mexicans when I say a Spanish word because I say it with a Mexican accent.
@@mikeblair2594 Sure, but it's also easy to pick up some Mexican Spanish and fail to know or try to change your pronunciation for other dialects and accents. A friend of mine's parents are Mexican but he never learned Spanish as a kid because his parents figured it would hurt his ability to talk like an American. He took Spanish in high school from a Mexican teacher. One night we watched a Spanish movie subtitled in English and a few scenes in he paused it to check that it was using the original audio because he didn't think it was actually Spanish and thought we were watching the Portuguese dub or something.
Star 1911-style pistols are seriously underrated. Great guns for the prices they fetch, although it's been going up recently as the surplus craze that drove up Mosin, SKS, and Makarov prices has now come for them, too.
It's inflation and the lack of surplus rifles left on the market, usually when first introduced to surplus cheap cause there a ton but once it dries up prices go up etc that cause average price to go up usually
A bit of historical background on the Spanish Air Force crest that can be seen in the video: The name of the crest is 'Rokiski'. It was designed in 1913 by the Princess Beatrice of Saxony, wife of Spanish Aviation pioneer Prince Alfonso of Orleans, and she was inspired on ancient Egypt representation of the winged Ra symbol. An apparently ancient symbol, it was chosen instead of a more modern item (like a contemporary airplane that sooner or later It would become obsolete). The name Rokiski came later, in the 1940s, after a goldsmith called Luis Rokiski Gómez who elaborated these emblems (and had his name engraved on their back) for Spanish Air Force officers. Rokiski's ancestry was of Polish origin, thence his unusual family name for a Spaniard.
Had one ,spanish airforce . All paperwork ,issued to a general . Sold it complete to a collector . Holster included . Very well made and finish . Proof papers ,mil acceptance papers and target .
Dude, learn how to properly place punctuation in a sentence. This is where you place a comma, against the leading letter with a single space. Look at my periods. That's where they are placed: against the leading letter with either a single space or double space following the period mark. You're welcome. Have a nice day.
@@Bradzerker-ed2dj The problem in the punctuation that you are observing comes from the fact hes using voice recognition and vocalizing his apostrophes and periods so his problem is failing to proofread before posting. 🧐
I learned to shoot with a Modelo B. Fun Fact: That was the gun Samuel L. Jackson AKA Jules Winfield carried in Pulp Fiction. Shot the S in .380 a couple of times. The frame helped a lot with recoil management. Bear in mind we shot pistols one handed and chicken winged long guns at the time. Star guns made a hardcore 1911 fudd/fan out of me. EDIT: 9x23mm(Nueve Largo) is a very interesting caliber. It would be great if you made a video about it.
The fact that this .380 compact pistol remained in service with Spanish police forces well into the 1990s is a testament to its reliability and effectiveness.
Spain has a storied firearms history. I have 3 or 4 of your Star BMs because they were so cheap as surplus. I figured why not buy more for spare parts and magazines? They're very well-made guns.
The Star S is the softest shooting .380 you will ever shoot because of the weight and the locked breech. And if you have one of those magazines with the fully loaded tab you will only slam the mag into the well with the heel of your palm in the normal manner once. 😂😳😲
@@otterconnor942 I stand corrected, my other micro 1911 380 is an RIA Baby Rock which I have confirmed is blowback via field strip today. However, I stand by my statement regarding the Star S being the softest shooting .380 ever.
Star, Astra and Llama was big in South Africa in the 1970's and 80's the SS was a fine pistol, never failed. Star made great pistols The Super B was a fantastic pistol for its day and the PD was the only pistol I ever met that would feed empty cases.
I was actually a little surprised that he didn't check the chamber after removing the magazine. Like, do you remember that you didn't rack the slide while concentrating on talking and filming?
@@leviwoodring6101 I guess it's based on my Israeli training. The safety procedure was to stick your finger into the magazine well after removing the mag, then lock the slide open and stick your finger into the chamber and in the opposite direction after a visual inspection, and then release the slide and dry fire it in a safe direction 3 times. The idea is when you are distracted or dead tired you still make sure the gun is safe. You also do it any time you hand a gun to somebody else. And that other person does the same thing. Alec Baldwin and Brandon Lee fatal accidents are good examples of why you should always do it.
Can we just say, in 1941 this was a really top spec pistol for a normal police side arm. 8 rounds, .380, browning design. Most people are using, at best, .38, six shot, revolvers. On a list of "I want to EDC a historical firearm" this doesn't seem an awful choice.
I have a police turn in BM from ‘79 with most of the same features minus the lanyard loop and government markings. The mags have the same fully loaded tab too.
I've shot one of these. It really is a miniature M1911. It doesn't point well (the M1911 grip angle on a smaller gun makes it point low) but you can dump a mag very quickly on target because there is little recoil impact on the hand. Easily carried in a jeans pocket.
Yup just like so many other surplus firearms which have gotten ridiculously priced these days... I'm glad I bought most of my collection between 2005 and 2015 when prices were still reasonable... I refuse to pay what the current market is demanding. 😡
I got a model SS a couple years ago. The seller had it listed as "Star 9mm" even though you could see the .380 on the chamber. When I got it In I had the same reaction "Wow, it's adorable!" It had a model S magazine that wouldn't lock in until I tweaked it a little. I love the little thing.
I bought a Star Super SM .380 at Target in the early 1970’s. It is like this S pistol except it has an adjustable rear sight, a takedown lever that rotates to release the slide from the frame, and a loaded round indicator at the top of the slide. It is a very nice little pistol. The price then was $84. I enjoyed seeing the history of this type of pistol. Thanks, Ian. 😊 0:05
The Star Model S is one of the few guns on this channel that I knew the full history of because the importer getting arrested made it notable and I ran across an article about it while trying to find out if a Spanish company had started making the Starr double-action muzzle-loader revolver replica yet.
@@harrisonlewis6853 Really? "Star" and "Starr" are different? No! It's not like I spelled them differently in my post or anything! The search engine wasn't as discerning, which is how I stumbled across the article about Star (with one R, since you seem to think I don't know the difference despite using them correctly) while searching for Starr (with two Rs).
Thanks for showcasing this little gem. I've an old surplus Spanish police Star BM in VG+ condition. It's clearly well made and finished. The Spanish Air Force pistol looks interesting I'll be on the lookout for one.
Love those old ww2 era Spanish Star’s , Astra’s and Llama’s. Right now I carry a 49 dated Llama Model 3 .380 cal. It looks almost identical to the Star featured here except it’s got wood checkered grips.
I want one! Reminds me so much of the little Llama that I had in .380 but looks much higher quality. I loved the little Llama, another cop, buddy of mine talked me out of it, along with the military style flap holster I had made out of one of my old combat boots from my days as a soldier. I asked him just before he passed away if he still had the little gun as I wanted to buy it back, but he had sold it to a mutual friend in the town we had been policing back in the 80's, that guy is now sleeping with the worms as well so who knows where my little pistol ended up. A quick search for one online showed one for sale for 340 bucks but had been sold already, damn it! Right now I would surly give that much and more for a nice one like the one you are showing. I love the M1911A1 design, still have one in my very small collection of 3 pistols, down from over a hundred I once had till the fed sued me and I had to sell them all off to buy groceries. Damn fed!
Thanks for the history. I purchased one just like this about 10 years ago at an auction. My sone talked me in to it. I think I paid $350. Serial number is a bit later, but the mags, box, manual, cleaning rod are just like the example you have. Grips are a little fancier on mine. The previous owner, apparently a man of Spanish heritage, signed his name on the box. Tried to google him, but came up with nothing.
I bought a Star BM in the recent batch that came in a couple years back and I absolutely love that gun. Police issued surplus. Had to replace a couple springs and fit a new extractor, but it's a very high quality gun, especially for the ~$180 I paid for it
eatleadcobra - Me too. And it has the full mag indicator that Ian just talked about. I've got three mags and they all have it. I haven't had to replace anything, but I bought a new extracter and firing pin as a just in case I need one. I'd like to find a new barrel too. Mine is fine, but one never knows when one might need to replace a barrel and extracter.
My cousin in South Africa carried the big Star in the 80's, very nice handling pistol it was. That little 380 is really cute, love to see it on the range as a back-up
I inherited a Star SS .380 from my father.Years ago, a coworker was hard up for money and sold it to my father. I once borrowed it to take to a range.I shot about a box of shells without any malfuntions.Even with the fixed sights, it hit the point of aim like a lazer pointer.The gun is pretty much a miniature 1911 without the grip safety. I will likely leave it in storage for sentimental value.
Romanian WASRs were also created from trade-ins to help finance replacement rifles. Cugir took the original rifles, destroyed the receiver and made a new one without a 3rd hole (often still a military receiver without it being drilled) and then reused pretty much everything except the barrel and fire control group. I had one with a 1982-dated front trunion.
Thanks for this video. I did never know that my country had Stars in our armed forces. It is incredible how Spain grew, and still growing despite their inside problems, etc. It is unbelievable how they always had great know how to make these beauties. I am in Portugal, so right next to them, and there is not much here... (Or as far as I know) 😮. Every time I get more happy that this channel is around!!! ❤❤
What´s incredible it´s the mediocry of portuguese production in almost everything, or absence of it in the industrial case, except wine in the last 400 years. Soy español, a 20 minutos de Portugal por la autopista y os conozco bien.
Those little Star were issued as personal guns for EA Officers and NCO up until the 70's. My father's returned his when he finally retired arround 2000, he could have mantained it because he paid for it, not much, when it was issued but mantaining a gun licence once retired was a difficult issue.
I have a feeling the vintage higher quality .380 pistols are going to start going up in value and collected more. Also super cool timing as this exact gun came up in conversation over on Garand Thumb's area just a few days ago.
My grand father, one of the first Spanish military pilots and then after 1918 an artillery officer who retired as a General in the mid fifties, had, on top of a privately purchased Luger 08, a Star S, with imitation mother of pearl grips and the artillery symbol (a grenade and two crossed cannons) plus his initials engraved in gold on the upper part. It’s magazines do not have the shown indicator despite the fact that the serial number is lower than the shown one.
In fact, my grandfather’s Astra S markings indicate it was made in 1940 (LL), and the magazines do not have the protruding indicators. It probably was a private purchase, as was his Luger 08, from before WWI. As for the grips, it sports pretty battered false mother of pearl Astra grips but you can tell it has been used for quite some time before with the stock Bakelite grips. The mother of pearl (white now turned amber colour) were a latter addition, it seems. A very handy and cute miniature 1911 indeed!
I was looking at a small compact 9mm or .45 Star in the late 90s for a carry gun but always felt the trigger guard was to small for my hands, out of the blue A Browning BDA .380 fell into my lap for a very good price. 13 rnd mag also so bonus for that...only thing I've done to it was take off the garbage smooth wood grips for a rubberized Hogue full coverage grip (makes the gun a bit wider but really helps stop the twisting motion small guns can give me) and never been more happy with it. Still own and carry it to this day with 115 grain corbon hollowpoints...whole gun still looks brand new. Seems they have gone up in price as they are out of production now.
Ruger lcp380 is locked breech,most 380s are blowback, there's another company that sells a locked breech 380 too in a lcp size,I only have the ruger so I never shot any blowback 380s to compare the 2 designs
We need some coverage on the Breda long recoil action shotguns, pretty much entirely forgotten in the states due to them being so pricy. They are unique in that they are able to be completely disassembled without tools (except for buttstock), they have externally threaded chokes, and the safety can be taken out and popped into the other side for lefties (won't help ejection R.I.P). Gotta love them 1950's and 1960's guns! Edit: And they are Italian
The Bakelite grips reminded me of the Star .22 target pistol I bought from T. Stensby & sons in about 1963 for £6. I thought they were pretty cool at the time but not as cool as those on the pre WW2 Walther PPK 7.65mm I bought off them later that year for £12. Probably got crushed and melted down in 1998.
I have Llama .380 from the 60's that looks just like this Star! My wife's father bought new in the 60's and price tag is still in the original box. $69.95
I like star pistols, I own a few. BS, BKS starlite, SIS, and a 30M. Hope to find more in the future to add to the collection. Would like an S model and maybe a few in super
I was with the 2nd Battalion Transvaal Scottish in the late 90's, early 2000's. We were supposed to do a pistol shoot with 5 or 6 Star 9mm pistols, but they kept jamming. We ended up shooting the R1 rifle instead, which saved the day. I don't trust the Star brand after that episode.
I would have to imagine the locked breech makes these more pleasant shooters than the 1903 which wasn’t bad to begin with but was straight blowback in the same size
I bought a Spanish Star model BM back when they came into the country a few years ago. Now that Ian points it out, when the mag is loaded with all eight rounds and put into the into the pistol a little tab sticks out of the bottom of the mag. Its not as large and doesn't hurt when slamming the mag home as someone commented. I'd never noticed it as I usually download my mags on this pistol so my magazines springs don't take a set. I can make springs, but why do that when a little prevention and care will keep that from happening.
That 9 Short is no joke. You get you one of them Star pistols and next time some dude says “Dame la feria,” you’ll be all like “te doy puro AIRE pinche guey” y lo mandas a la chingada luego
That importer really took one for the team. What a hero!
If it was today, I'd donate to his family. 😉
..Herr Baltz was a nice guy...I used'ta see him at all the shows here in So FL
I haven't seen him in YEARS...
Absolute chad
Giving the one-finger salute to the ATF. A man after my own heart.
As a spaniard, I love when Ian pronounces spanish, pretty good I must say! My grandpa had one of these as a member of Ejercito del Aire (Airforce)
Me too! Specially basque last names, it's funny to watch such a brilliant and well exposed man forcing the machinery to pull them out.
Ian lives in Arizona where a large population of people of Mexican decent have lived for four hundred years. When you combine that with Mexican immigration it's easy to learn Spanish. Once you learn Mexican Spanish, its easy enough to learn Castilian Spanish and saying Basque names properly.
My grandmother is from Mexico City and Spanish is my first language. Although I'd forgotten Spanish by the time I was six it surprises Mexicans when I say a Spanish word because I say it with a Mexican accent.
@@mikeblair2594 Sure, but it's also easy to pick up some Mexican Spanish and fail to know or try to change your pronunciation for other dialects and accents.
A friend of mine's parents are Mexican but he never learned Spanish as a kid because his parents figured it would hurt his ability to talk like an American. He took Spanish in high school from a Mexican teacher. One night we watched a Spanish movie subtitled in English and a few scenes in he paused it to check that it was using the original audio because he didn't think it was actually Spanish and thought we were watching the Portuguese dub or something.
Star 1911-style pistols are seriously underrated. Great guns for the prices they fetch, although it's been going up recently as the surplus craze that drove up Mosin, SKS, and Makarov prices has now come for them, too.
It's less a "surplus" craze at this point and more "grab anything that's decent" trend
It's inflation and the lack of surplus rifles left on the market, usually when first introduced to surplus cheap cause there a ton but once it dries up prices go up etc that cause average price to go up usually
why ? how much do these small 380's cost nowdays ?
At 7:14 the crest negative space on the slide looks like a smiley face.
A bit of historical background on the Spanish Air Force crest that can be seen in the video: The name of the crest is 'Rokiski'. It was designed in 1913 by the Princess Beatrice of Saxony, wife of Spanish Aviation pioneer Prince Alfonso of Orleans, and she was inspired on ancient Egypt representation of the winged Ra symbol. An apparently ancient symbol, it was chosen instead of a more modern item (like a contemporary airplane that sooner or later It would become obsolete).
The name Rokiski came later, in the 1940s, after a goldsmith called Luis Rokiski Gómez who elaborated these emblems (and had his name engraved on their back) for Spanish Air Force officers. Rokiski's ancestry was of Polish origin, thence his unusual family name for a Spaniard.
Yeah yeah but you just call us spainards and you arent spanish, you cant use tus nard- word if you re not a nard.
Sorry, n-words made the rule😅
@@slools5003 and your point is?
Sorry but I'm a bit confused with your mumbling.
O tal vez prefieras una respuesta más directa:
¿Qué coño dices?
@@diegoferreiro9478 Que ya no lo golpees con palabras.
I always heard that it had much to do with persian Ahura Mazda rather than egiptian Ra. Pretty interesting, in any case. And pretty neat, tbh.
The importer's sacrifice will not be forgotten!
Thank you for your service!
Had one ,spanish airforce . All paperwork ,issued to a general . Sold it complete to a collector . Holster included . Very well made and finish . Proof papers ,mil acceptance papers and target .
Dude, learn how to properly place punctuation in a sentence. This is where you place a comma, against the leading letter with a single space. Look at my periods. That's where they are placed: against the leading letter with either a single space or double space following the period mark. You're welcome. Have a nice day.
Fun fact: Career Spanish military personnel are allowed to purchase and keep a firearm at home, in .380, for "self-defense".
@@Bradzerker-ed2dj The problem in the punctuation that you are observing comes from the fact hes using voice recognition and vocalizing his apostrophes and periods so his problem is failing to proofread before posting. 🧐
@@Bradzerker-ed2dj 🤓
@Bradzerker-ed2dj did you learn to type on a typewriter? Two spaces after a full stop is obsolete.
The importer went to jail to keep the guns in their original configuration. What a hero.
I learned to shoot with a Modelo B. Fun Fact: That was the gun Samuel L. Jackson AKA Jules Winfield carried in Pulp Fiction.
Shot the S in .380 a couple of times. The frame helped a lot with recoil management. Bear in mind we shot pistols one handed and chicken winged long guns at the time.
Star guns made a hardcore 1911 fudd/fan out of me.
EDIT: 9x23mm(Nueve Largo) is a very interesting caliber. It would be great if you made a video about it.
@@nickaschenbecker9882 Nice bit of info, didn't know that was the reason the modelo B is quite ubiquitous in older movies. Thank you.
The fact that this .380 compact pistol remained in service with Spanish police forces well into the 1990s is a testament to its reliability and effectiveness.
Spain never had much budget for armed forces, that too
Or it’s cost.
That logic is tragically flawed
A lot of Star pistols just work and work
@@antonseoane9092 Well, if it's not reliable and effective, I'm pretty sure they would seek out to find a cheap replacement for all of these Stars
Love to see weapons from my country in this channel, thanks!!
hola de la frontera, amigo! besos de tolosa!
Good stuff, too! It speaks well of your nation. 🇪🇸
Buey
Spain has a storied firearms history. I have 3 or 4 of your Star BMs because they were so cheap as surplus. I figured why not buy more for spare parts and magazines?
They're very well-made guns.
The Star S is the softest shooting .380 you will ever shoot because of the weight and the locked breech. And if you have one of those magazines with the fully loaded tab you will only slam the mag into the well with the heel of your palm in the normal manner once. 😂😳😲
Browning 1911-380 has entered the chat...
@@BrettBaker-uk4te which is a blowback 380 and not a locked breach system and not as soft shooting. I have both.
@@otterconnor942 I stand corrected, my other micro 1911 380 is an RIA Baby Rock which I have confirmed is blowback via field strip today. However, I stand by my statement regarding the Star S being the softest shooting .380 ever.
I don't think locked breech .380s are particularly uncommon.
A sig P238 is in my carry rotation.
I ended up with a .32acp Star SI recently. One of the most comfortable compact guns I have ever fired. 1952 production based on markings.
I live in pain but with an s at the start so happy to see more weapons from my country
i live in pain as well. just pain
i live in spin
I live.
The rain in pain is alway on the plane
I also live in pain no matter how many pain killers I take. But a new ForgottenWeapons upload gives me relief.
Star, Astra and Llama was big in South Africa in the 1970's and 80's the SS was a fine pistol, never failed.
Star made great pistols
The Super B was a fantastic pistol for its day and the PD was the only pistol I ever met that would feed empty cases.
Thats the only time ive seen Ian put (live?) rounds in a gun outside a range!
Great video as always 👍👍👍
You have sharp observational skills!
For a responsible pro like Ian, this is something of an special occasion.
Fireplace guy doesn't have any .380 Snap Caps?
I was actually a little surprised that he didn't check the chamber after removing the magazine. Like, do you remember that you didn't rack the slide while concentrating on talking and filming?
@@sergecashman4822 he had zero reason to rack the slide so it would not be hard to remember. But at the same can't be to careful.
@@leviwoodring6101 I guess it's based on my Israeli training. The safety procedure was to stick your finger into the magazine well after removing the mag, then lock the slide open and stick your finger into the chamber and in the opposite direction after a visual inspection, and then release the slide and dry fire it in a safe direction 3 times. The idea is when you are distracted or dead tired you still make sure the gun is safe. You also do it any time you hand a gun to somebody else. And that other person does the same thing. Alec Baldwin and Brandon Lee fatal accidents are good examples of why you should always do it.
Can we just say, in 1941 this was a really top spec pistol for a normal police side arm. 8 rounds, .380, browning design. Most people are using, at best, .38, six shot, revolvers.
On a list of "I want to EDC a historical firearm" this doesn't seem an awful choice.
I have a police turn in BM from ‘79 with most of the same features minus the lanyard loop and government markings. The mags have the same fully loaded tab too.
I've shot one of these. It really is a miniature M1911. It doesn't point well (the M1911 grip angle on a smaller gun makes it point low) but you can dump a mag very quickly on target because there is little recoil impact on the hand. Easily carried in a jeans pocket.
I remember when imported Spanish stuff was very economical or even cheap to buy. Now I bet something like that is priced like a Colt SAA used to be.
Ive seen star model Bs under 400 at gun shows. Still reasonable.
Yup just like so many other surplus firearms which have gotten ridiculously priced these days... I'm glad I bought most of my collection between 2005 and 2015 when prices were still reasonable... I refuse to pay what the current market is demanding. 😡
Well yes, but it's a Spanish Air force pistol. Not a civilian star 380. So yeah, there's value there
I got a model SS a couple years ago. The seller had it listed as "Star 9mm" even though you could see the .380 on the chamber. When I got it In I had the same reaction "Wow, it's adorable!" It had a model S magazine that wouldn't lock in until I tweaked it a little. I love the little thing.
I bought a Star Super SM .380 at Target in the early 1970’s. It is like this S pistol except it has an adjustable rear sight, a takedown lever that rotates to release the slide from the frame, and a loaded round indicator at the top of the slide. It is a very nice little pistol. The price then was $84. I enjoyed seeing the history of this type of pistol. Thanks, Ian.
😊 0:05
mwaynedavis9382- was your 380 have a locked breech?
@@mikeblair2594 yes, the pistol has a locked breech.
@3:47 when the light hits the emblem on the slide just right, it looks like a smiley face! 🙂
Very nice. I had a PD in 45ACP that I probably should have kept
That deserves a backup match showing!
The Star Model S is one of the few guns on this channel that I knew the full history of because the importer getting arrested made it notable and I ran across an article about it while trying to find out if a Spanish company had started making the Starr double-action muzzle-loader revolver replica yet.
Pietta of Italy is going to make DA/ Starr pistols this year, supposedly. Star isn't the same as Starr.
@@harrisonlewis6853 Really? "Star" and "Starr" are different? No! It's not like I spelled them differently in my post or anything!
The search engine wasn't as discerning, which is how I stumbled across the article about Star (with one R, since you seem to think I don't know the difference despite using them correctly) while searching for Starr (with two Rs).
Thanks for showcasing this little gem. I've an old surplus Spanish police Star BM in VG+ condition. It's clearly well made and finished. The Spanish Air Force pistol looks interesting I'll be on the lookout for one.
Love those old ww2 era Spanish Star’s , Astra’s and Llama’s. Right now I carry a 49 dated Llama Model 3 .380 cal. It looks almost identical to the Star featured here except it’s got wood checkered grips.
Years ago I had a Llama .380 that was pretty much a dead ringer for this gun. It worked just fine and never gave me any trouble
I want one! Reminds me so much of the little Llama that I had in .380 but looks much higher quality. I loved the little Llama, another cop, buddy of mine talked me out of it, along with the military style flap holster I had made out of one of my old combat boots from my days as a soldier. I asked him just before he passed away if he still had the little gun as I wanted to buy it back, but he had sold it to a mutual friend in the town we had been policing back in the 80's, that guy is now sleeping with the worms as well so who knows where my little pistol ended up. A quick search for one online showed one for sale for 340 bucks but had been sold already, damn it! Right now I would surly give that much and more for a nice one like the one you are showing. I love the M1911A1 design, still have one in my very small collection of 3 pistols, down from over a hundred I once had till the fed sued me and I had to sell them all off to buy groceries. Damn fed!
Thanks for the history. I purchased one just like this about 10 years ago at an auction. My sone talked me in to it. I think I paid $350. Serial number is a bit later, but the mags, box, manual, cleaning rod are just like the example you have. Grips are a little fancier on mine. The previous owner, apparently a man of Spanish heritage, signed his name on the box. Tried to google him, but came up with nothing.
I really like Spanish handguns. They're affordable as surplus and usually have something novel about their design.
I bought a Star BM in the recent batch that came in a couple years back and I absolutely love that gun. Police issued surplus. Had to replace a couple springs and fit a new extractor, but it's a very high quality gun, especially for the ~$180 I paid for it
eatleadcobra - Me too. And it has the full mag indicator that Ian just talked about. I've got three mags and they all have it. I haven't had to replace anything, but I bought a new extracter and firing pin as a just in case I need one. I'd like to find a new barrel too. Mine is fine, but one never knows when one might need to replace a barrel and extracter.
Ian, the Star S is very similar to the Star BM. Yes there are differences, but they are close to each other. I really like my BM.
I had a Star Model BM, dumbest thing I ever did was trade it away.
My cousin in South Africa carried the big Star in the 80's, very nice handling pistol it was. That little 380 is really cute, love to see it on the range as a back-up
My uncle has a Star 9mm. Solid little gun. He said he would give it to me for helping him work on his old project trucks.
It was a great story. Your presentations are always informative and interesting.
Thanks once again!
Thanks Len!
I have a star full size. Was 9 largo. Great gun. Accurate as can be and super reliable. Was my carry for years.
Aquí llamada Super Star,y de dotación en el ejército! Poderoso calibre,parecido a 357 mag....
Cómo me gustan estás armas, son un fierro! Tengo una Star cal.22 modelo Target. Realmente armas hechas por artesanos que apostaban a la exelencia.
I inherited a Star SS .380 from my father.Years ago, a coworker was hard up for money and sold it to my father.
I once borrowed it to take to a range.I shot about a box of shells without any malfuntions.Even with the fixed sights, it hit the point of aim like a lazer pointer.The gun is pretty much a miniature 1911 without the grip safety.
I will likely leave it in storage for sentimental value.
Romanian WASRs were also created from trade-ins to help finance replacement rifles. Cugir took the original rifles, destroyed the receiver and made a new one without a 3rd hole (often still a military receiver without it being drilled) and then reused pretty much everything except the barrel and fire control group. I had one with a 1982-dated front trunion.
This one I don't need to see, can just listen.. great little gun, great at the range too and easy to clean.
Thanks for this video. I did never know that my country had Stars in our armed forces. It is incredible how Spain grew, and still growing despite their inside problems, etc. It is unbelievable how they always had great know how to make these beauties. I am in Portugal, so right next to them, and there is not much here... (Or as far as I know) 😮. Every time I get more happy that this channel is around!!! ❤❤
What´s incredible it´s the mediocry of portuguese production in almost everything, or absence of it in the industrial case, except wine in the last 400 years. Soy español, a 20 minutos de Portugal por la autopista y os conozco bien.
Cute little critter. Looks a lot like the Colt 1911. I vaguely seem to remember seeing a 45 ACP magazine with a loaded tab on the bottom like the 380.
Yes the Star PD had that tab.
The Detonics also used a slot in the mag baseplate for the follower to stick out of which allowed 6 rounds to fit in the shortened magazine
I have a Model SS and it is a very ergonomic and pleasant pistol to shoot. Being all steel and locked breech makes it a very soft shooting .380.
I really enjoyed this. I have an S and a BM currently. Years ago I had an and a B. Love Stars.
Those little Star were issued as personal guns for EA Officers and NCO up until the 70's. My father's returned his when he finally retired arround 2000, he could have mantained it because he paid for it, not much, when it was issued but mantaining a gun licence once retired was a difficult issue.
Love my Star SI in .32
Beautiful gun. I have a model BM that is a joy to shoot. I'd love to collect more Stars.
I just bought one of these... awesome
I want it so bad. This pistol is beautiful!
I have a feeling the vintage higher quality .380 pistols are going to start going up in value and collected more. Also super cool timing as this exact gun came up in conversation over on Garand Thumb's area just a few days ago.
Awesome information, thank you!
I bought a brand new star S in stainless in the 90's I still have. Still shoots well when I take her out.
A thing of beauty.
If I remember well a number of new in the box of these little guns made for the Ecuadorian air force were imported into the US back in the 90's
Thank you , Ian .
🐺
My grand father, one of the first Spanish military pilots and then after 1918 an artillery officer who retired as a General in the mid fifties, had, on top of a privately purchased Luger 08, a Star S, with imitation mother of pearl grips and the artillery symbol (a grenade and two crossed cannons) plus his initials engraved in gold on the upper part. It’s magazines do not have the shown indicator despite the fact that the serial number is lower than the shown one.
In fact, my grandfather’s Astra S markings indicate it was made in 1940 (LL), and the magazines do not have the protruding indicators. It probably was a private purchase, as was his Luger 08, from before WWI. As for the grips, it sports pretty battered false mother of pearl Astra grips but you can tell it has been used for quite some time before with the stock Bakelite grips. The mother of pearl (white now turned amber colour) were a latter addition, it seems. A very handy and cute miniature 1911 indeed!
Very good and complete upload. Thanks
Thanx Fireplace Guy.
& Of course, thank You Mr Ian. Excellence as always.
👍🦀🇦🇺
I was looking at a small compact 9mm or .45 Star in the late 90s for a carry gun but always felt the trigger guard was to small for my hands, out of the blue A Browning BDA .380 fell into my lap for a very good price. 13 rnd mag also so bonus for that...only thing I've done to it was take off the garbage smooth wood grips for a rubberized Hogue full coverage grip (makes the gun a bit wider but really helps stop the twisting motion small guns can give me) and never been more happy with it. Still own and carry it to this day with 115 grain corbon hollowpoints...whole gun still looks brand new. Seems they have gone up in price as they are out of production now.
Thank you fireplace guy!
What I miss the most is the Star firestar, smooth accurate and reliable. Model S was what got me to want more compact model.
I have a very similar Llama pistol. There were locked-breech and blowback models; mine is blowback.
I like Stars. Good guns. I have a StarPD .45 compact. Reliable and more accurate than me. Too bad they went out of business.
I know it's probably not very practical, but I just have a love of locked breach .380s.
Ruger lcp380 is locked breech,most 380s are blowback, there's another company that sells a locked breech 380 too in a lcp size,I only have the ruger so I never shot any blowback 380s to compare the 2 designs
We need some coverage on the Breda long recoil action shotguns, pretty much entirely forgotten in the states due to them being so pricy. They are unique in that they are able to be completely disassembled without tools (except for buttstock), they have externally threaded chokes, and the safety can be taken out and popped into the other side for lefties (won't help ejection R.I.P). Gotta love them 1950's and 1960's guns!
Edit: And they are Italian
Still in portuguese police holsters in 7.65 x17 up until 2000's and most likely still in use with some municipal police.
I watched the full video on Playeur (formerly Utrion).
Ian, you are an international treasure. I also happen to live in AZ and would love to run into you at the range, or even let me buy you lunch.
Nothing makes me happier than Spanish steel.
The Bakelite grips reminded me of the Star .22 target pistol I bought from T. Stensby & sons in about 1963 for £6. I thought they were pretty cool at the time but not as cool as those on the pre WW2 Walther PPK 7.65mm I bought off them later that year for £12. Probably got crushed and melted down in 1998.
I have Llama .380 from the 60's that looks just like this Star! My wife's father bought new in the 60's and price tag is still in the original box. $69.95
Blast me! i thought star pistol is just a game parody of colt 1911 to avoid a copyright
The llama especial is my favourite 1911, this looks like it’s daddy.
Oh good lord. It's way to early to wake up to another gun I didn't know I needed. Thanks Ian
I like star pistols, I own a few. BS, BKS starlite, SIS, and a 30M. Hope to find more in the future to add to the collection. Would like an S model and maybe a few in super
This is one is on my want list.
Fireplace checks out.
I dont know what it is about Star pistols but they are some of my favorites 😊
I just got a model SS and love it
Love star pistols 👍
What an awesome video. Thank you for the great insight!!such great guns!!!
My grandfather was a cop in the 70s and the Star S was its service pistol. He fought against E.T.A terrorists when he was on the Policía Nacional.
A neat little thing, I like the design!
I was with the 2nd Battalion Transvaal Scottish in the late 90's, early 2000's.
We were supposed to do a pistol shoot with 5 or 6 Star 9mm pistols, but they kept jamming.
We ended up shooting the R1 rifle instead, which saved the day.
I don't trust the Star brand after that episode.
I have a Star BM 9 and i love it
I would have to imagine the locked breech makes these more pleasant shooters than the 1903 which wasn’t bad to begin with but was straight blowback in the same size
Fireplace guy brings another banger
Another entertaining and informative video as always. 👍👍
I bought a Spanish Star model BM back when they came into the country a few years ago. Now that Ian points it out, when the mag is loaded with all eight rounds and put into the into the pistol a little tab sticks out of the bottom of the mag. Its not as large and doesn't hurt when slamming the mag home as someone commented. I'd never noticed it as I usually download my mags on this pistol so my magazines springs don't take a set. I can make springs, but why do that when a little prevention and care will keep that from happening.
ahhaha the way you said Ejercito sound super funny
Thanks for sharing this pieces of spanish firearm history
Great story.
What is old is new again. That loaded magazine tab can be seen today in the Kel-Tec P17 magazines.
I like star arms made pretty good.
That 9 Short is no joke. You get you one of them Star pistols and next time some dude says “Dame la feria,”
you’ll be all like “te doy puro AIRE pinche guey” y lo mandas a la chingada luego
Very cool little gun.
The Star model B and BM pistols I have a well made and reliable. I would love to have a Model S.
Excellent video, I don't know of any other weapon that has the full magazine indicator. Is there another? Greetings from Argentine Patagonia.