Star Megastar: Spain's Massive 10mm Autopistol

[@BWEFirearms]

I broke a few of the Megastars. I worked at interarms in the 90's and I was in charge of testing and breaking any new gun Interarms was going to import. I cracked the slide on the first few test guns we got in. Star then changed the steel and heat treating of the slides and fixed that problem. The final version I put 2500 rounds as fast as I could shoot through 2 guns with very few malfunctions.

[@mrkeogh]

Incorrect heat treatment is more common than people realise. It's a tricky thing to get right and you'll only find out when parts start breaking/galling/peening/distorting for consumers putting rounds through the guns (assuming Star's hardness testing didn't indicate anything unusual). Very surprised they'd fail out of the box, though 😬 Didn't Beretta change the treatment they used for the M92 series after SEALS broke a few by shooting hot 9mm all the time?

[@collinbrown5751]

@@mrkeogh early 92fs pistols were famous for their crappy heat treat. As the story goes, a slide ended up shearing off a gun and taking out an American serviceman's eye. But i'm fairly sure that part is just a story as i can never really find anything official about it.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

@@collinbrown5751 Early 92FS pistols suffered from a faulty batch of Winchester-made M882 Ball 9mm ammos that developed pressure in excess of proofloads. It was a wonder the pistols could endure several thousands rounds before breaking in those conditions (it's not clear if the same ammos had been used in the XM9 program tests, but it's a fact that only the Beretta 92 and the H&K P7 reached the 7000 rounds threshold with all three pistols tested for "service life" without cracking a frame or a slide). After Beretta technicians found the real cause of the damages (after the Picatinny Arsenal blamed the "Tellurium" in the steel alloy) Beretta sued the US Government for the delay, the bad press and the unnecessary modifications required to the pistols. The lawsuit was settled off-court with the Government paying to Beretta further 10 million $.

[@collinbrown5751]

@@neutronalchemist3241 man that's a a good story. time to go back and find Ians videos on it lol

[@zendell37]

I should thank you for a few of my toys.

[@Hybris51129]

"Now witness the firepower of this fully loaded and operational Megastar!"

[@apeshitcrazyman]

You'll find it to be Quite Operational. . . . (Sinister laugh)

[@HiroNguy]

Just beware of the Rebels throwing *mud* into the ejection port!

[@KageNoTora74]

"That blast came from the Megastar! That thing's operational!" "IT'S A GAT!!!"

[@STB-jh7od]

😃😃😀

[@BeltFedSelfDefense]

ITS A TRAP! 🐙

[@JackalRelated]

This is the gun Waingro carries during the armored car robbery in HEAT (that he uses to kill one of the guards with)! Interesting gun to finally have a video for, as it seems like there's not a lot of information on it despite being in a Michael Mann flick.

[@tylerwilliams6022]

Didn't he have two of them? One blued and one stainless?

[@JackalRelated]

@@tylerwilliams6022 Yeah. He carries the blued one and used it in the robbery and he has a nickel-plated (?) one when he's at the hotel room.

[@roberttrester4030]

Yeah it looks like he did. People always talk trash about guns from Spain but STAR made some great guns! I use to own a STAR Firestar Plus. It looked very similar to this and had some of the same features except it was smaller, single action and 9mm. It was a great gun for the time and it never really jammed on me. Every once in a while it would fail to feed but a gentle tap on the slide fixed that. Sadly I gave it to a now ex girlfriend and I'm in no way getting it back. It wasn't really anything super special but it worked well and I'm a sucker for anything that does what it's supposed to do especially firearms!!! LOL!

[@tylerwilliams6022]

@@roberttrester4030 Wish I would have got a Star Model B a couple years ago for under $300. I imagine they have increased dramatically in price. Just like all the other surplus guns I stupidly expected would be decently priced when I got back around to them.

[@roberttrester4030]

@@tylerwilliams6022 you maybe suprised at the price for one. Like Ian said because people don't like them and they're always been trash talk the prices on them don't go up nearly as much as other pistols. I don't know that for a fact but I have seen other Star pistols that haven't really increased as much as I thought they would have. Now the Model B is a more well known pistol for collector's so I can't say for sure how and what they are selling. I always liked the model B a buddy of mine has one and it shoots well. It's one of the better 1911 copies out their.

[@parrotraiser6541]

When you've exhausted all 12 rounds, you can beat your adversary to death with the piece.

[@Kildaren]

When a Superstar just isn't enough

[@donshipman8441]

LOL

[@toryumau6798]

... Gregory, what's that you got there? A GUN! NOoOoOooo~! >)X^D

[@gooondie]

Zzzzzzing

[@neutronalchemist3241]

They should have called the next model the "Death Star"

[@verrueckteriwan]

@@neutronalchemist3241 9mm, the star; .45, the superstar; 10mm, the Megastar; .44 Magnum, The Ultrastar; .50 AE, The Death Star :D

[@dotdot9628]

I bought a megastar .45 today for $150! LGS had it for $189, i look down as i asked "Whats the best you can do on this tank?" Im 47 and remember seeing them in the early 90s at 14yo at gun shows. I decided at the time it was my favorite pistol and always held it when i saw it. Ive never seen another since. I have a lot of old and modern pistols but the 14yo in me lit up today.

[@Verdis_deMosays]

Star is seriously underrated. My first centerfire pistol was a 30MI, and the thing was a tank. Never malfunctioned, just kept running. Kinda miss it to be honest.

[@wolfsmith2865]

I've owned BMs, B, Super B, M, both old and new models, and the PD. All fine reliable pistols.

[@richardmeyer418]

I can go with that - My dad owned a BKS and a PD and I owned a BM and later a M43 (Firestar), which was a wonderfully accurate little carry gun.

[@wolfsmith2865]

@@richardmeyer418 oh, I completely forgot the firestars! I had one in 9mm, 45 and 40.

[@shaunross513]

The BM was a nice gun. Albeit with an unfortunate name.

[@coreybenson3122]

As a 10mm reloader, I can confirm making 10mm rounds about as pissin hot as I can make them.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

"absolutely atomic", as ian has said before

[@MalleusSemperVictor]

Ever chrono'd your reloads? We talking approaching 1500 FPS?

[@onkelmicke9670]

Yeah that was great fun in the 90's

[@coreybenson3122]

@@MalleusSemperVictor I have! Using Nosler 135 JHP and 12.5 g blue dot, reached an average after 50 rounds of 1405 fps. I’ve seen some data that used CFE pistol powder and reached past 1500.

[@MalleusSemperVictor]

@@coreybenson3122 Out of what? I'm guessing it wasn't a G20.

[@stephenbarabas6286]

I have a star "firestar" 45 ACP that my now deceased uncle bought new in the late 80's(?) It the 1 gun I will never get rid of and it shoots fantastic, accurate and only works when it's dirty....the recoil spring broke maybe 30 years ago and after contacting Star (pretty much out of business then) they sent all replacement parts for no charge

[@CandidZulu]

Would love an episode on the history and fate of the Star company!

[@kentvesser9484]

Give it about a decade and Othais will get to it hopefully.

[@danschneider9921]

Star pistols to me were like the "Kirkland" brand is to food products (here in the states) . Really just as good- mostly- but they have some stuff that is absolutely delicious for the price.

[@NikoMoraKamu]

hahah now we have like 3 cotscos in Spain too

[@JimboJuice]

@@NikoMoraKamu costco #1

[@jeroendesterke9739]

I picked up my 10mm today in 95% pristine condition. It fits my large hands and I love its looks. Once you remove the trigger group / backstrap, the date of manufacture will be revealed. Mine is L2, making it 1st year production (1992) Although Ian says that you can get it cheaply, prices will reflect the scarcity of them, so be prepared to pay around $600+ for the 45 and at least DOUBLE for the 10. Weight? make that 49.83 oz with empty magazine, so nearly a full 50 oz.

[@davidgates1122]

The 10mm is far from dead. Today it has a very specific purpose. It is a semiautomatic substitute for a 357 magnum revolver for trail carry in bear country, having a higher ammo capacity in the process. It has racked up several successful defensive uses in that role, and continues to be sought for that role.

[@jubuttib]

Fair, but isn't that more of a later resurgence? And by any metric, it didn't catch on as well as people thought it would at the time.

[@davidgates1122]

@@jubuttib You are 100% correct.

[@AshleyPomeroy]

I'd love to see Forgotten Weapons cover the 10mm HK MP5s that the FBI used for a while. They had translucent, straight, polymer magazines. I remember them from the Rainbow Six games. Given the fad for PDWs a few years later it's a shame HK discontinued them.

[@sys3248]

Good hunting rounds.

[@axumisiarecords143]

10mm is good for killing irradiated mutants though

[@trumpetfoote]

I had a .45 Star back in the 80's. It was dubbed "the amazing self-destructing pistol" by my gun club friends. The thing had so many problems. Spray gun cleaner melted the grip panels and washed off the outer coating. We used it as a prop gun in matches after the magazine catch would no longer hold the mag securely and it would fail during firing and just fall out. I eventually sent it back to Star after the slide jammed in the half open position. A few months later I got a check for the retail cost of the gun.

[@WTFisTingispingis]

Ouch.

[@herrcobblermachen]

Which Star?

[@trumpetfoote]

@@herrcobblermachen After 37 years I really don't recall.

[@herrcobblermachen]

@@trumpetfoote totally fair point

[@xkavarsmith9322]

Mmm, too bad. You couldn't whip up some cheap wood panels to hold it in place?

[@ElainesDomain]

My EDC is a Star M40. Bought used in 1993. It's a heavy all steel compact like the double stack M43 9mm that came out in 1991. The 9mm was Guns and Ammo gun of the year and the NRA gun of the year. Star's problem was weight and a decade late. New polymer guns also hit the market a few years earlier. One big point about the 9mm and the .40 S&W is that the frame has stippling everywhere. My M40 never fails to fire and fairly accurate with it's 3.38'' barrel. The take down is the same as a Hi Power. No tools. Pop the pin out and it comes apart. The Star was used by military and police around the world. As an aside. No one that I show my gun to is impressed. They'll tell me to get a Sig or Smith poly anything to replace it with.

[@SteveWhipp]

Hey now, you're an all megastar, get your game on!

[@ThatAdamIsMild]

...any that fire are gold, those Megastars are hard to hoooold.

[@FL-Kaiman]

Head of Star development: “Its not heavy enough. It needs the same mass as a dying sun.”

[@Nortonduke]

in the immortal words of Borris the blade from movie Snatch. 'heavy is good, Heavy is a sign of reliability, if it doesn't work you can always hit him with it'

[@Cobalt-60]

Being left-handed, I was a huge fan of the Ultrastar in 9mm for 9+1 concealed carry. Mine (before it was stolen) was a tack-driver, was perfect for single-stack concealed carry in the early 1990s, and shot everything that I put through it. I still miss that gun!

[@pauloakwood9208]

The Star BM is still one of my favorite pistols. No nonsense, no gimmicks, just straight up reliability.

[@tommyblackwell3760]

That's why a BM is my EDC.

[@owllymannstein7113]

and probably the worst name in gun history

[@andrewallason4530]

@@owllymannstein7113 it shits on its own reputation 🤪

[@FoxtrotFleet]

@@owllymannstein7113 You have been promoted to moderator of the Walther PP forums.

[@Gearparadummies]

I learned to shoot with one of those.

[@ianray8823]

Gun Jesus just referred to 10mm reloads as "pissin hot" and thus it is now scripture

[@deaconblue949]

It's one of those "hipster" calibers

[@kentvesser9484]

I wonder if that is in the Book of Speer or the Book of Hornady.

[@thejay8963]

They must have a mean UTI...

[@TheRighttoArmBears2022]

I want one, I love the 10mm and love Star pistols, I have a firestar, firestar plus and 2 star BM. Star made great guns and I bet finding a Megastar in 10mm would be as hard as getting a Bren ten.🐻‍❄

[@Clifford-jv7hk]

I have a nice one if you are interested

[@roberttrester4030]

*Most people talk trash about firearms made in Spain but STAR made some great guns. I use to own a Star Firestar Plus (model 243). It was a great little single action 9mm pistol. The Firestar plus looks very similar to this and has some of the same features except in single action obviously.*

[@dem0nchild610]

I never knew that 10mm was such a high pressure case I actually really like that peice

[@peaceoutbruh7085]

Hot 10mm ammo is equivalent to .41 Magnum. It's a potent round, especially with heavy anti-bear loads.

[@ScottKenny1978]

Most 10mm isn't loaded as hot as that, it's loaded to a little more than .40S&W levels. Buffalo Bore is.

[@peaceoutbruh7085]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine A magazine of 15 mild .41 magnum rounds would be enough to kill anything on the North American continent, so 10mm seems ok to me.

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@saltybuttskin there are a few loads that are close per wiki, 10mm does a 175gr bullet at 1290fps, .41mag does a 170gr bullet at 1275fps. But I think that's a fairly heavy load for the 10mm and a light load for the .41.

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@saltybuttskin hitting the Buffalo Bore website, their hard cast lead load is a 220gr bullet at 1200fps, while their heaviest bullet for the .41 is a 265gr at 1350fps. So yeah, while _some_ 10mm loads duplicate _some_ .41mag loads, the heaviest loads for each are not comparable. But now I want to try that 220gr load in a pistol. Rock Island makes a double stack 10mm, but they put thick single stack grips on it... Would be a lot of firepower with 16+1 or more compared to either 10+1 in a single stack or 14+1 in a double stack for .45!

[@nightshadefern162]

The UltraStar is similar in many ways. Although it is considerably smaller, it also separates the slide release and takedown pin. The saftey also functions as a decocker and, although quite similar to the Megastar, functions in an easier way- the lower of the dun is chunkier (polymer) so the saftey cannot rotate over the lower like on the Megastar. My Ultrastar is in 9mm, but I think they were available in other calibers as well. Single stack.

[@ArcticNemo]

The M43 Firestar is hands-down my favorite carry piece, very pointable and tame for me. I'd only seen the Mega in .45 and had no idea that it was originally designed for the stout 10mm. Thank you for this.

[@Fourthmark]

Stars are pretty underrated

[@dougmulle2627]

I had three of the Firestars two 45s and a 9 in their Starvell finish. loved all of them, with thousands of rounds through them, and we're main carry guns for a good while. Even had tridgicon sights on two of them

[@TexasToast712]

Why do I always discover the cool guns AFTER they have faded in obscurity and been discontinued?

[@darink300zx]

I had one of these in 45 back in the early 2000s, one of the few guns I’ve traded off that I always regretted since I knew even at the time I probably wouldn’t run across another for as little as I paid for it. Thanks for the video!

[@darink300zx]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine possibly, but I’m sure not for the 250 I paid back then for it, lol.

[@Highcatformat]

Finally Spain gets more recognization

[@reliantncc1864]

In case you're wondering how Spain is viewed in American gun culture, I think we tend to view them as middle-tier. On a level with Turkey or Italy. Not as good as America, Germany, or the Czechs, but better than most others.

[@ZeroHxC07]

@@reliantncc1864 I never heard of this guns before finding this channel, but when I ask my father if they sound familiar he told me he shot most of them when he was in the army.

[@josesierraromero8316]

Star is a very good Spanish brand but if SHTF or your neighbour turns too pale and tries to suck some blood of you better choose an also Spanish "Astra 400",that damn thing is a PISTOL ,zero nonsenses,zero shit,all steel,almost no malfunctions,fail proof and can fire Without hamming ALL 9mm : 380.,parabellum,largo...😵 the Spanish loyal girlfriend you always dream on 😙

[@reliantncc1864]

@79Luca79 In terms of their gun industries, Turkey, Spain and Italy are on a level. The Czech Republic is on another level above them. Germany is on another level above the Czechs. What about this confuses you?

[@halfassedfart]

@@reliantncc1864 Beretta? Benelli? Pardini?

[@chapiit08]

Star and Astra made good guns, both are underrated.

[@44hawk28]

I've got a star 45 and it's really really nice shooting pistol. Highly accurate. Barrel just long enough to get enough velocity out of it for the 45 to take effect. A really nice trigger. I've seen the stars that came out before it. They were pretty good guns from everybody I've known that his shot them, I've never seen a problem with them. Not for fan of 9 mm, however I almost purchased the same gun in the 13 shot 40 Smith. Great firearms. Too bad they finally folded. They were really nice guns, I don't know anything about this Megastar. In the mid-eighties when the 10 mm first came out, it was loaded this very respectable velocities. Unlike today's 10 mm which is only loaded to a good hot 40 Smith velocity. The ones in the 80s were truly Magnum class.

[@xmintyx]

What’s the 45s mag capacity?

[@AndrewStevenson316]

I carried a Star 30PK for 15 years both as my EDC and a backup pistol in the SA Police. I would love to see a video on the 30 family of handguns some time.

[@wolfsmith2865]

It's funny that Spanish guns receive such poor press when one of the first companies Postwar Germany bought arms from to supply their police was Star. Star and Astra made great quality guns for decades.

[@009013M3]

Now, I do have a couple of Spanish guns that I very much adore. But at that time Germany was mostly concerned with cost and availability. The shape they were in doesn't lend well to their selections being an endorsement.

[@schinderiapraemeturus6239]

Back in the late 90s these were going for around $450, I almost purchased one but didn't know if the 10mm was going to catch on. Owned a 9mm M30 for many years and regret selling it, it was completely reliable. Very difficult to find spare mags for these though

[@chuckbridgeland6181]

Except for the removable fire control group, that reminds me a lot of my old 9mm Firestar. Which was also a very heavy gun for it's size.

[@totizabayle377]

When I was allowed to carry at work, I really enjoyed the starlight bks for couple of years and really regret letting it go when I changed jobs. I have now a firestar .40 S&W as my hide away home defense gun. Very informative video.

[@adamelliott2302]

Owned a Star PD and a Star BM. Bought them mostly because they were different and not terribly expensive. Both were more than adequate pistols. The PD was a really nice size for carrying. Thanks for shining a bit more light on STAR.

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

Did Ian just have a Megatron Moment at the start of the video? The Megastar reminded me of that Boris the Blade quote: "Heavy is good. Heavy is reliable. And if it doesn't work you can always hit them with it".

[@NikeaTiber]

I never thought I'd want a spanish pistol. Now I'm convinced that I can't live without one.

[@Alphagaming55-s2x]

The real 10mm pistol that should have been added to fallout

[@modarkthemauler]

Naah, I still prefer the look that's in the game and hope someone makes one for real.

[@antjeeismann4684]

@@modarkthemauler the version in fo3 looks neet but the 10mm pistol in fo4 is just awful

[@raptor4916]

@@antjeeismann4684 thats why i use the realistic damage mod theres nothing more fun than blowing off the arms of raider with your starting weapon

[@modarkthemauler]

@@antjeeismann4684 I agree

[@molochi]

@@raptor4916 Games just give things too many hit points. So depressing when you shoot a raider in the heart a half dozen times to put him down. but I'm not a fan of blowing limbs off with small arms in games either.

[@ZGryphon]

"Steel frame, steel slide, _oof."_ If they were still selling these, they could use that as the strapline for a new ad campaign. :)

[@littlejohnny47]

Thanks for doing this on the MegaStar! Based on many of the comments there are still some fans of Spanish handguns out there…. Another good Star to look over would be the Star UltraStar in 9mm or .40 S&W. The only polymer Spanish pistol I know of and another very under appreciated pistol. Regards.

[@pb68slab18]

I was a retail dealer when this gun came out. Star had some really good guns in those days. I saw .45 versions, but never could get a 10mm. I did buy a 9mm M-43 Firestar and 9mm M-30.

[@thezieg]

My brother-in-law had a 1980 (?) Firestar and I still have a '76 BM9. Star firearms work well for me.

[@dongray9852]

Star PDs were terrific (not to mention among the earliest ever) .45 compacts back in the 70s... Top shelf quality. In demand at the time. Wish I still had mine. 😟

[@anon_y_mousse]

This is a pretty cool gun. I love the disassembly, especially the captive pin. We need more designs like this, although, yeah, the safety was definitely upside down.

[@harryspeakup8452]

This is something I've never heard of until today, and now it's suddenly a favourite underdog

[@brandons9398]

Well I am one of the 10 mm fanatics, in fact I was happy today with cool weather so I could carry one (carry permit holder) today. I begin shooting my first 10 (Glock 20) six years ago. It is now one of my most expensive guns lol. It’s sports and RMR an aftermarket barrel and much work to the trigger. However I can consistently put 80% of my shots in a pie plate circle at 100 yards. When I first started to shoot it I was shooting primarily PMC and Remington ammunition. Then I discovered Buffalo Bore and others releasing the true potential of the round. I think people sometimes assume that something is going to be truly earth shaking in recoil, I have found that to seldom be case unless you’re dealing with short barreled 44 magnum’s lol

[@Chiller01]

Whoa, back to to fireplace guy. Takes me back to when things weren’t so crazy.

[@george2113]

I hope he has a segment with a wood stove

[@johnpowell2624]

Had my Megastar 10 on my hip while watching. One thing not mentioned was at least on the 10, the safety lever will also de-cock the hammer if pushed father down from the safe position. I definitely appreciate the Star pistol line.

[@andrewgordon235]

I've seen some videos of a guy shooting the EAA Tangfolio in 10mm and I see why it never became a duty round in it's original loading it's got some kick!

[@mikjkmikjk380]

Great review! I have my Megastar in 10mm and it is a chunky handgun. Trigger is not the greatest, but it is combat accurate. I knew there were less 10mm than .45ACP made, but didn't realize there were less than 1000 10mm Megastars. With 2 mags and original packaging, it's a nice piece in my 10mm collection.

[@HootOwl513]

In '94 I bought a brand new STAR Firestar Plus in 9x19mm. ,,Starvel'' finish. Steel slide, Aluminum lower. Browning HP type barrel/recoil spring assembly. Fat knob at the muzzle end. 13 + 1 in the chamber. Only 1 mag in a green plastic box. At a gunshow, I bought a converted S&W Ladysmith mag [12 + 1] that had an extra notch cut into the mag side to work in the Star. The S&W mag also had a ''cute'' pinky finger retainer at the butt. It also fit my Marlin Camp Nine Carbine [designed to run on S&W 59 magazines.] While the ballistic properties of a pistol with a 1-7/8'' barrel are debatable, it was [or would have been] efficient at clearing phone booths and closets of drug-crazed dwarves and maniacal midgets armed with razor sharp kris daggers. I never encountered such a threat. Never had any jamming or other malfunctions. I regret that I sold it to a friend, who chivvied me below retail because Star was defunct. I've offered to buy it back but he refused. He since fell off the Edge of the Known World by moving to Michigan.

[@ironwolfF1]

If I were hoping for a 'what-if' pistol, I'd rub the magic lamp for (revived) Spanish C96 variant in the new .30 SC cartridge. OTOH, a pre-ban Megastar in 10mm would be pretty sweet as well.

[@user-yd9rm4ds8c]

The Beistegui Hermanos, or the Astra 900?

[@ironwolfF1]

@@user-yd9rm4ds8c The Astra 900, of course...though I wouldn't say no to a repro of the Bergmann M1910/21 😉

[@user-yd9rm4ds8c]

That’s stylish. STAR made a nice MP40 version, the STAR Z45. I believe Ian has videos on both the Beistegui Hermanos and the Z45. There is a beautifully engraved Astra 900 around, damasquinada.

[@stanislavczebinski994]

I think a 10mm Megastar is more reasonable than other plus-size guns, Desert Eagle in particular. I think it is well suited for long-range pistol shooting due to the flatter balistic curve. The cruddy trigger can be fixed quickly with a nail file.

[@darkwangel26]

That safety is an acident waiting to happend... At least it looks that way... I do like that firing control group feature

[@peepsbates]

Wow, the sequel to Kirby Superstar really got serious.

[@herrcobblermachen]

Thank you! Been asking for this one. I think you didn't mention the different finishes 0:). Beautiful vid

[@hanktorrance6855]

I have a 40 firestar and its a heavy duty gun. all steel, comfortable to hold and shoot.

[@huntersrauwolf]

The Wildey Survivor has a very similar safety. Takes a lot of getting used to!

[@jonathanjollimore4794]

Hey man glad you found your thing

[@upperroomtoo]

With the removeable fire control group it would be neat to see someone make a polymer grip assembly.

[@dinkledord7026]

@@j.robertsergertson4513 yeah, 4.5 inches is for big boys only

[@pewpewTN]

@@j.robertsergertson4513 What makes this more powerful than my 10mm Glock? Nothing. The Glock just has better capacity & dosen't weigh 60 lbs.

[@pewpewTN]

@@j.robertsergertson4513 Are you a Fed or a Fudd?

[@measl]

*Do you really want to shoot this from a light polymer? No thanks.*

[@pewpewTN]

@@measl It's truly not that bad.

[@RCZM64]

As for the end of the Star Company (Llama and Astra too), the US import ban cut to almost nothing their civilian sales. Then, a little later, the Spanish government cut their military sales and contracts, losing the maintenance contratcs with the Army when they decided to go H&K, and limiting (almost totally forbidding) sales of military weapons to other countries (not only pistols, but SMGs too). Police contracts were the last to fall, but too little to maintein that many companies.

[@Angrymuscles]

Bless you for pronouncing it properly sir, we are all duly impressed.

[@jolan_tru]

This was one of my favourite firearms for a long time. I don't really know why. I love it and I will hear no argument.

[@andrewgee241]

I lived in Alexandria 30 years ago and remember the old Interarms warehouse was on the Potomac River. I would go to Potomac Armory a ramshackle gunshop which was two blocks away.

[@ericemmons4541]

I owned one of these guns . Loved it, could not break it. Also a heavy club if you ran out of ammo

[@pocketsand4404]

Saw a Star Model 28 in 9mm awhile back. It was a VERY HEAVY pistol weighing almost 3 pounds unloaded. Kinda wish I got it, but oh well...I do have another Spanish pistol, the Astra A-70 in 9mm. Love that pistol! All steel compact 9mm that's been very reliable.

[@Hassassini]

12 seconds in and you got my upvote. New record.

[@microcolonel]

Guessing 10mm died out primarily because of +P 9mm, which has even more SAAMI pressure at 38,500psi, and also "+P+" which, although not standardized, often amounts to 42,000psi, and of course which has way cheaper and more plentiful practice ammunition.

[@crownroyal2248]

I was going to ask why no review of this specific gun. I guess patience _is_ a virtue. I owned and fired this gun in 45 ACP and loved it. The one I owned shot everything from reloads to SD ammo. I purchased a couple of magtech (?) magazines that didn't work. Even though I only had one factory magazine that worked; this is my number 2 choice as my all-time favorite gun.

[@johnsnodgrass7232]

Hey a video about the Ruger XGI .308 would be cool. I remember seeing advertised in American Hunter in the mid 80’s when I was in grade school. Never seen one in the wild.

[@ronreyes9910]

I'm one of the ten people who bought a Colt Double Eagle in 10mm and it sat in the safe because of the price of 10mm ammo (When you could find it). I still own a M45 Firestar which I like very much.

[@ik04]

My Megastar is all shiny stainless and polished steel and I love it. My wife shot it at the range when I ran out of 9mm ammo and she said it shot very comfortably and the recoil was relatively light. Cool chunky gun for sure.

[@kikichevy]

I saw the video title, yelled "MEGASTAR". I laughed my ass off when Ian did it too. This is why FW is one of my favorite channels.

[@davefinfrock3324]

A friend of mine had a real jones for this pistol when it was announced. He'd had a Star M30 and this gun fired his imagination. High capacity, major caliber, doesn't (sorta/kinda) cost too much, yeah, it was the heat. I still remember the look on his face when he finally had a chance to pick one up--classic WTF? moment. Most of use ended up with G21s and he eventually ended up with a G20, but that's another story.

[@STB-jh7od]

I've wanted one of these for years. All star pistols, I've handled were all chunky metal beasts, even the "small" concealed 9mm they made in 80s.

[@nucleargrizzly1776]

I have one in the Starvel finish. It's pimptastic.

[@scabcrawler632]

One is going up for auction today in Missouri Prebid hit $1100

[@molochi]

re: 10mmAuto in general and handloading. I got a glock20 pretty much on release and talked with a buddies brother that worked in the office of glock in atl about handloading it. he said that it was good for anything in a handbook. I used pulled and reloaded winchester blacktalons that came downloaded to 200gr @

[@ThatAdamIsMild]

Great comment, thank you.

[@44hawk28]

10 round magazine was held up precisely so that they get prequalify thousands of magazines that they have yet to make that way they would be able to continue making magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Apparently somebody at star, didn't realize that.

[@majorpwner241]

It's a shame Star no longer exists. I would be very interested in their products if they were still going. I'm pretty sure this one in particular is one of the awesome guns featured in "Heat".

[@alwyngulzar522]

I agree, its a shame and a tragedy that they no longer exist. One of the best firearm manufactures in Europe. I heard that a few of their old staff had collected most of the manufactured parts and spares. IPARGUNS MANUFACTURA DE ARMAS SL is said to have some spares lying around, but trying to get hold of them is difficult.

[@on2wheels378]

STS model was in the film Heat. Waingrow's character weirded if in armored heist.

[@fruitbat4429]

Definitely a forgotten weapon. Sounds like it was an interesting gun.

[@sartainja]

It looks like the offspring of the big frame S&W automatic from the 1980’s and a Browning Hi-Power.

[@Glurgi]

We had a 9mm Star in the shooting club. It was a compact modell, and if I'm being generous I would say it was a gun everyone wanted to like, but... Due to local laws we couldn't keep it since no one wanted to use it, so I had to take it to the police station on the farm upstate. Of course I took it apart to have a look see before that, and I have to say it was very sturdily built, one might even cal it a chunker. Huge locking lugs for a nine, IMHO. During different circumstances that gun could really have been a Star (sorry) but precision wasn't really its strong suit, and precision shooting is what we do in the club.

[@1989gibbi]

I have a star fire star in 9 mm that I actually dug up and was able to restore it to working order. For a mid-90s pistol I believe that it was ahead of its time when it comes to the CCW race. And I believe that had star not gone out of business they could have been leaders in the world market as far as CCW weapons are concerned. Can't really say much or any other kind of pistol design of theirs but all in all looking at all the pistols that they had designed for the nearly 100 years they were in business they came out with some really good designs. For this particular gun I think that if they had redesigned the safety and put it in the frame of the gun like pretty much every single other gun that star has ever made that has a manual safety then it would have taken off regardless of its size and weight. Looking at the barrel design they literally just scaled up the barrel design in their firestar line. Especially with military contracts. I imagine that Spain would have preferred a domestic pistol for its armed forces. Not to mention because it is aesthetically very very similar to a cig in fact when I first started working with my pistol trying to restore it I thought for sure it was a cig because I couldn't read anything on it at the time. But cigs are very expensive. To have a similar pistol for half the price available they could have really made a killing

[@jonathonschram3429]

My old man still has one of these. He was a 10mm nut, all the way up until the last 10 years or so. Starting to have some hand problems, so he doesn't shoot any of his hand cannons much anymore. Want to say interarms imported these for a short while. Can't say I've put more than a few mags through the Megastar, myself. I think he shot a few bowling pin matches with it, and moved onto another, more intuitive platform back in the day. Might need to break it out of the safe next time we get together for a shoot. PS: I'm pretty sure 10mm p220 mags can be made to fit by cutting another mag catch notch.

[@jonathonschram3429]

Edit: now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it's not sig mags. Maybe it's tangfolio 10mm mags? I remember modifying 2 or 3 mags maybe 15 years ago for him. I'll have to give him a call and see what we used.

[@lilwyvern4]

A beautiful little piece of machinery. I've got a soft spot for the superchunk pistols like this and the Mk 23. Also I love the pageantry of the name. It's sort of refreshing to not just have something named after a few letters and numbers, but to give it a proper title.

[@TheWalterKurtz]

I passed on a couple of these in 10mm years ago. It was kind of a joke how heavy they were. I have two Firestar .40 S&Ws that I consider "retired" but intend to keep. On the other end of the scale was the Star PD aluminum frame mini .45acp. Had one of those. Most un-pleasant handgun I ever fired. One magazine thru it and the grooved trigger would make my finger bleed.

[@guymansonjr4780]

Resprung to a heavier recoil spring the PD is a pussycat.

[@rowangallagher4579]

I’m glad to see 10mm coming back, it’s cool to learn about the first time it was popular.

[@thefattertheratter45]

First we got naked Ian doing a shooting course now we have the word 'Chonky' being used in earnest. A new age is dawning for Forgotten Weapons.

[@Helltanz98]

All I can think, is that it needs Death Star themed grips.

[@mikebillman8089]

They Star PD was the star of Star's line and was a very nice compact .45.

[@jessestreet2549]

my PD was my first major caliber pistol. still have it and waiting for recoil buffers. couldn't find them for a while but looking forward to shooting it again. light, reasonable recoil, accurate and reliable.

[@mikebillman8089]

@@jessestreet2549 I remember making some new buffers for mine from 1911 buffer technology buffers. It was a great gun and one of the few pieces I regret selling.

[@jessestreet2549]

@@mikebillman8089 i was going to try that. i actually made one from an old leather belt recently but haven't tried it yet. then i found some oem looking units. might take a few shots with my homemade one anyway. high capacity isn't an issue with me since most unpleasant situations are ended in 3 to 5 rounds being fired.

[@mikebillman8089]

@@jessestreet2549 Leather will work fine I'm sure. I acquired a Colt defender back then and foolishly sold the star thinking I'd upgraded with the new Colt. I was wrong.

[@jessestreet2549]

@@mikebillman8089 if i had a nickel for every time i've been wrong.....

[@scotth4713]

I had a .45 version and loved it.

[@TheMediocreMountainBiker]

I had a Star Firestar in the relatively new 40 S&W at the time. That thing was so uncomfortable to shoot and I think it turned me off of centerfire pistols for a few years.

[@ianscottmcd]

I cannot imagine a Firestar in 40 S&W! The 9mm version is an excellent pistol however.

[@co1950]

I enjoy my firestar 9mm

[@tndutchman3137]

My EDC is a Firestar .40. It does take a little getting used too, but it does a good job.

[@richardmeyer418]

@@ianscottmcd I had one in 9mm, but they were certainly available in .40 S&W.

[@jonrolfson1686]

Bought a Firestar in .40S&W in the mid 90s; wish that I had bought two of them, and maybe a third in 9mm as well. All steel, and heavy for its size, it is quite comfortable to shoot and has never shown any reluctance to shoot well with the relatively few different .40S&W ammunition choices that I have tried.

[@jsiegel5234]

I am the proud owner of 12 star pistols 3 are megastar 2 in .45 1 in 10mm I find them to be well made . I never had any problems with any of my stars

[@dropkickedmurphy6463]

The most Transformer name I have ever heard of for a firearm. I'll take 10.