Heads up! my fellow Star BM owners, check your Slide Stop!

H

Hobe Sound Falcon

New member
I recently got one of the Hand Select Star BM 9mm Pistols from Classic Firearms. Today is the first time I fired it. I had the following 3 Situations happen: 1. Slide Stop engaged while Magazine was still Full. 2. Double Feed, 3. Failure to Feed. I had 3 Magazines and it happened with all 3. My Gunsmith check the Mags. The Extractor, The Frame, the Slide, He found the Problem in the Slide Stop! Unlike a Slide Stop on a M-1911-A1, is a Solid Piece of Steel. Unknown to me until my Gunsmith was looking at the Slide Stop, there is a Spring loaded Bead on the Catch of the Slide Stop. He drove out the Punch and discovered there was Dirt behind the Bead or Ball. Plus he did a small amount of Filing on my Left side Grip, as it was brand new, I had bought some new Brown Grips for my BM which is a 1976 made Gun. He told me to drop by tomorrow, He got it back together and all he had to do was Test Fire the Pistol. He really had to work on that tiny Piece. I asked him if I should just by a new Slide Stop, but he felt he could fix the Problem. I had thought the Extractor might have Dirt behind it never thought the Slide Stop could cause this. Other than this Problem. The Pistol Shot Straight and True. I had Head Shots on my Target and center of mass. plus I was amazed how tight the Slide and Frame felt. I hope this solves my Problem, have any of you had Slide Stop Problems? Paul
 
Yep. I had to remove that tiny spring and plunger for a rust bluing procedure. Glad I did because there was some rust in that pocket. This little item is too easily ignored just like the extractor.
 
Unlike a Slide Stop on a M-1911-A1, is a Solid Piece of Steel.
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You mean the Star SS is not. because of the little ball and pin? My FireStar looks like the perpendicular pin may be welded by some proprietary method to the external bar, so in a way that's one piece too, unless you include the detent and pin.
 
Yes, that is what I meant, However as your Pistols SS is different, perhaps they improved it to keep yours from doing what happened to my Pistol. I did not even know that a Small Silver Ball was there, till he found it. According to what my Gunsmith and the other Poster here said, He had to use a very small Punch and drive out that Pin, remove the little Bead, or Ball, and clean it out. as for other Models of Stars, I have no ideal what theirs might look like? This is the First Spanish Pistol I have owned, other than an Astra Constable in 380ACP, long ago. He said to Shoot it again, and let me know how it was doing. He put 3 Magazines of Ammo through it, and said it worked fine now. Paul
 
Did this solve the double feeding issue?

I just bought a Star Bm in beautiful shape, a '79 model that looks virtually new and unissued. Have yet to shoot it, but when I load it from a full mag then drop the mag to top it off, the second round from the mag falls out of the pistol. Rather disconcerting.
 
drop the mag to top it off, the second round from the mag falls out of the pistol.
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A known occurrence with other 9mms, 1911ish and Sig Sauer that I have seen.
The top round going into the chamber drags the next round forward until its nose is on the feed ramp and its rim is barely under the magazine lips. When you pull it out, the contact with the feed ramp just flips the cartridge out of the magazine.
I have seen rounds dislodged by just pulling the magazine out of a pouch. The 9mm is short and there isn't much holding it in the clip.
 
I was so in to the guns in the mid 80s, the PD and BM.... sold both because of them not being made anymore and lack of factory support when it would be needed. great guns though.
 
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