Thoughts about Star Firestar M-43, 9mm

[goinggreyfast]

Ran into one of these for sale yesterday. Looked pretty solid and fit my hand nicely. The solid steel construction made it a bit heavy but I liked the size for concealment.

Has anyone ever owned/shot one? What are your thoughts? How much do you think one in good condition is worth?

Thanks!

 

[shibumiseeker]

I owned one when Interarms first imported them, and sold it to my GF five years ago when I was getting out of 9mm. Mine was the Starvel nickel finish.

Solid, heavy guns, decent shooters. More recoil than you would expect for a gun that heavy. I carried it as my EDC for about 3-4 years until Glock came out with their G29.

There are better options for compact 9mms, and getting parts can be an issue, but I'd buy another one if the price was good, I liked the one I have/had. My GF carries hers regularly. If I saw one in the $250-300 range I'd probably buy it if I had a little extra cash. They may be worth more to some folks, but not me. I'd go a little less for blued, depending on condition.

 

[WebSnyper]

I had a Star Firestar in .45 several years back. It was compact, but very heavy and didn't carry very well, but at the time I didn't have a quality holster either. It had some neat features at the time, but I don't think it had anything that you could not come by in a more current weapon, with less weight. I understand like has been said that parts can be a bit hard to come by now, but have done no extensive research on that. Never had an issue that I remember with mine, but sold it off several years ago to fund another purchase. Mine was Starvel finished.

 

[jbombelli]

I carried one for about 5 years, and would not hesitate to buy another one. My brother has it now. Mine was also Starvel.

It carried well, and was a nice shooter.

It's one of those guns I really regret selling.

 

[Claddagh]

I've owned and carried my Starvel-finished M43 9x19 for nearly twenty years now. When I bought it it was the most compact factory production 9x19 available, and the only one which came OTB with a control layout exactly similar to the 1911 and with an ambidextrous thumb safety. As I'm a southpaw, this was a major selling point for me.

It has run flawlessly. Nothing has broken. Recoil, magazine and FP springs for routine replacement are available from Wolff. It came OTB with the sights perfectly regulated for 124 gr. standard pressure loads at 20 M. It will group five Gold Dots, Remington Golden Sabers or Hornady XTPs into 2 1/2" or so at that range when I do my part.

At around 30 oz., it is quite heavy for its size by current standards. For me, that's pretty much a non-issue. I find that, for me, that weight helps make it very easy to place my hits well and quickly on-target.

The Starvel finish is remarkable. Eighteen + years of regular CCW duty, most of it under conditions where it was constantly exposed to heavy perspiration, and approx. 9,700 rds of various types have left very little in the way of wear signs on it.

Inside, there are minor "polished" areas on the rails, locking lug recesses and sliding contact surfaces of the slide and frame. Ditto on the barrel's hood, the sides of its camming block and near the muzzle where it mates with the slide in-battery. Other than that - nada. The exterior finish shows only the most minor holster wear on a few "high" spots. No signs of rust or other corrosion have ever been seen.

I have no idea of what a current market price might be. I've never seriously contemplated selling or trading mine so I haven't looked around on the auction sites to find out. While it's quite probable that I'll be adding another, more "modern", subcompact 9x19 such as a Ruger LC9 or Kimber Solo Carry to my modest accumulation shortly the little Star won't be going away. It's served me extremely well and I trust it implicitly.

 

[goinggreyfast]

I also noticed it says "Alexandria, Virginia" on the side. Does that change the value/quality/etc?

 

[Claddagh]

Alexandria, VA was where the importer, "Interarms", was based. As they were the exclusive importer for newly manufactured Star pistols (among various other makes) at that time I don't believe that there's any impact on its potential value one way or the other.

 

[goinggreyfast]

Well, the asking price is $275 and before we left, he dropped it to $250. I'm thinking if I took the time to drive back out there that they might even come down a few more $$$. Still debating if I want to do it though. I kinda liked it. Everything was easy to reach and it fit my hand nicely.

 

[drgnrobo]

Ive always liked the Firestars,they are solid & has a loyal following .Im always on the lookout for one ,its one of those that I wish I still had.

 

[jbombelli]

Well, the asking price is $275 and before we left, he dropped it to $250. I'm thinking if I took the time to drive back out there that they might even come down a few more $$$. Still debating if I want to do it though. I kinda liked it. Everything was easy to reach and it fit my hand nicely.

I would pick it up for $250 in a heartbeat, no hesitation, as long as it's in decent shape. In approx. 1992 I paid $310 for mine, used.

 

[451_Detonics]

I shot and carried the 45 version for a number of years, never had any issues with it at all. Only real drawback is the weight .

 

[pute62]

I bought a starvel one when they first came out and loved it. It was accurate,easy to carry (although a bit heavy) and never had any problems with it. I do see where parts are hard to come by nowadays but for $250 it would be a good buy. I saw one recently for $300 that was blue but it was just too far away to buy. You may find some more info on them here;

The Spanish Pistol Board [Archive] - Gunboard's Forums

 

[jbombelli]

I'd just like to add, if you pick that Firestar up for $250 and then don't like it, it will sell quickly if you put it up on the Exchange for $250 as long as it's in good shape. I guarantee it.

 

[goinggreyfast]

I'd just like to add, if you pick that Firestar up for $250 and then don't like it, it will sell quickly if you put it up on the Exchange for $250 as long as it's in good shape. I guarantee it.

OK, thanks for the update. I'm still trying to decide if we can spend the money. It sounds like a good deal though.

 

[Mr. Habib]

I had one in 45ACP, nickel finish. My experience was like the others here, dependable, accurate, and heavy. I think i still have the hat that came with it around somewhere.

 

[NullSyndrome]

I also had one in the Starvel (nickle?) finish. Like others here have said, it was heavy. Mine shot well and was reliable, but I eventually got rid of it because I bought it as a CC gun and didn't like the single-action-only nature of the gun. I just never got comfortable carrying it cocked and locked, without the addition of a grip safety. One time I dropped it at home, and the safety came off when it hit the carpeted floor. Carrying it without one in the chamber wasn't an option as far as I was concerned, I like the gun to be pretty much ready to go. That's why I like DAO or DAO/SA with "decocker only" type pistols. Or, a Glock type action.

Off on a tangent...

It was a decent but heavy gun, it's single action design just didn't fit my wants/needs as a CC piece.

 

[pig957]

I bought 2 of these (M43) in the 80's ( and still ahve them). One for my daughter, who carries) and one for myself. I have never had a problem. Great weapons.