[Glenn Bartley]

If I have the right company in mind, years ago Star had a fairly decent reputation for their 9MMs among those who wanted a fairly inexpensive but reliable handgun. I never owned one but heard they were decent to good guns (not very good or excellent). I also remember reading that a little work, by the home gunsmith, could easily make them very good to excellent. If you can get one inexpensively enough, and if replacement parts are available at a decent price, then it may make a decent gun on which to practice home gunsmith skills.

Who knows, you may even pick up a very good to excellent one that you decide to keep as is, and that one may make an excellent sidearm.

I often ponder buying some of these inexpensive pistols, but to do so I have to go through an FFL like the rest of you - unless it is C&R license elligible. The Star is not as I recall. This would add an expense of about $35 to $45 for a transfer fee through a local FFL holder, and make it not worth the expense if it turns out to be junk. The FFL holders charge a pretty high fee on Long Island, NY (just outside NYC). So I have not bought any of those that require an FFL.

Since I have a C&R License, I am considering a CZ although I do not like the caliber. Well not so much the caliber as I dislike the actual available ammo. My guess is that when you pick up a thousand rounds of it, it would be corrosive, and if not corrosive then it would be reloads in the original brass that had at one time contained corrosive primers. I don't want to be buying reloads - would you trust someone else you did not know to reload safely! So I have not bought one of them.

I would not mind picking up an fairly inexpensivve 9MM or two that is C&R elligible. Anybody know of any of these that are currently readily available at a very good price?

 

[RIKA]

Glenn, you can easily buy a 9mm barrel for the CZ52 and fit it yourself. As for the 7.62x25, its a hoot to shoot. Very accurate and flat trajectory. Corrosive shouldn't bother you, all you do is clean it with Windex with 5% ammonia and then clean it with your regular kit.

RIKA

 

[andy]

think I read that the large frame stars R C&R eligible

and there's lists of what is C&R that you can check out, on the BATFAG site, I think it was. One of the finest smiths in the country, Tim LaFrance offers a LIFETIME warranty on his "chop" of the 9mm Star BM. Maybe you stupidly "think" he's willing to waste his $150 an hour time on "junk"? Do a search for La France Specialties, and tell him so, you know so much about the subject.

 

[RIKA]

Surprise Melvin, I did what you asked. This is all that Google came up with for La France Specialties:

http://nait.com/LAFRANCE/LFtext.html

In the text it says, "La France Specialties Products and services are available exclusively to Law Enforcement Agencies Nationwide." Italics mine.

Nowhere does it mention that he works on the Star.

If you know of another La France site, get your wife to help you post it.

RIKA

 

[Terry G]

Cz52 9mm

About 5 or 6 years ago Shotgun News advertised CZ 52's in 9MM. I think SOG was the distibutor. I bought one and now I understand they are pretty rare. This was not a drop in barrel type, the pistol was imported in 9MM. The slide is a polished deep blue, not the phosphate military finish. The trigger is about 3 1/2 lbs. with no military "staging" to it. My son swears it's the most accurate 9MM he's ever fired. I think I paid a whole $119.00 for it plus shipping. Not a very good picture, but you can see it.

 

[TODD 3465]

Glenn, As far as ammo both S&B and WW/USA market reloadable ammo. The WW/USA is actually S&B with the WW/USA head stamps and labeling.

I too wish someone would make either HP or SP ammo for it. :headbang:

I'd be tempted to get another CZ-52 then.

 

[gripper]

I'm having a cerebral failure to function;is the Sellier&Bellot 7.62X25 corrosive?If not ,than that COULD be an option,especially with a good conversion barrel in 9X19....WTH,you could have your Czeck and shoot it ,too...

 

[RIKA]

From everything I've seen the S&B is NOT corrosive. I've shot it in my CZ52 and had no rust. Just beware of the stuff that is advertised as "slightly corrosive" - it will eat a hole in your barrel. Makarov.com sells (or did sell) quality 9mm barrels. Got one and it works great.

RIKA

 

[Magnum88C]

Commercially loaded ammo is not corrosive, and as far as I know, is boxer primed and reloadable (with the exception of the Russian steel cased ammo)

 

[Glenn Bartley]

Did not realize the ammo was being commercially produced, but that probably rules out buying one of these guns and 1,000 rounds of inexpensive ammo. It does make the gun more desirable though.

As for this:

think I read that the large frame stars R C&R eligible

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and there's lists of what is C&R that you can check out, on the BATFAG site, I think it was. One of the finest smiths in the country, Tim LaFrance offers a LIFETIME warranty on his "chop" of the 9mm Star BM. Maybe you stupidly "think" he's willing to waste his $150 an hour time on "junk"? Do a search for La France Specialties, and tell him so, you know so much about the subject.

What was this thyat all about? Who said that the Star BM was a piece of junk in this thread? Who said I, or anyone else here, thinks anything about Tim LaFrance and which weapons he selects on which to work, let alone that anyone here thought stupidly about anything! Not anyone that I saw! Sometimes, I just can't figure a response like this at all...