Star Modelo Super 1911-ish style pistol

HAWKEYESATX

Handloader
Aug 15, 2016
1,805
63
Hello all!

I wanted to share with you a rare find I got recently.
I know some of you, when you saw the Title of the Post, probably stuck your nose up like you just smelled a skunk under it, or snorted in derision, or totally scoffed.
But, you know what, that’s totally fine with me. To each his own.
I had one of these “beauties” several years ago, and sold it because I wanted a S&W Model 10-5.
I probably shouldn’t have sold my Star Modelo Super,because I got another one.
As you can see, this isn’t your average 9x19mm, it’s actually a 9x23mm Largo, as the Spanish called it, but the cartridge is the same as a 9x23mm Bergmann-Bayard, just a little more souped up.
On average, the mild side of the cartridge equals the 9x19, but when carefully hand loaded, it steps closely on the heels of the .38 Super. Average muzzle ft.-lbs run 390 ft-lbs all the way up to 500 ft-lbs.
It has the old style figure 8 dot sights, and they can be as accurate as any pistol out there.
Her finish is a little worn, but everything is in excellent working order.
Mine is a commercially made one that was made in 1957.
I know some out there are probably thinking about the much older pistols that we’re made in the late 20’s, that we’re junk.
Well, rest assured, by the time 1957 came around, they were as well made as most pistols could be.
Yes, the cartridge is strictly a hand loader special, but that’s alright with me, because I have the brass from Star Line, and I have a lot of pistol powders, and plenty of regular 9mm bullets.
Yes, that is another saving grace of the cartridge, it’s not a weird metric caliber, thankfully. .355-356 bullets work beautifully in her.
One of the better things about the 9mmLargo is, it can handle 147gr heavy for 9x19 bullets much better, and with more velocity and muzzle energy to boot. Average 147gr velocities run as fast as 124 gr velocities in the 9x19, or a tad more.
Well, if any of you have any questions, I will try and answer them to the best of my abilities.
Without further ado, I am attaching pics of her.
Oh, and some will probably ask if I plan to spruce her up a little, yes I do. I’m going to use Alumahyde II on her, and see how it comes out. Hopefully it will turn out very nice.


HawkIMG_0762.jpg
IMG_0761.jpg


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Looks as if you found what you're looking for. I rather enjoy some of these older handguns and rifles. And obsolete cartridges have never deterred me. Enjoy. Should be fun just making it handsome again.
 
DrMike":17o7fqvz said:
Looks as if you found what you're looking for. I rather enjoy some of these older handguns and rifles. And obsolete cartridges have never deterred me. Enjoy. Should be fun just making it handsome again.
Thank you DrMike!
There isn’t a single thing wrong internally, it’s just external minor wear that you see.
Yes, I do enjoy the older firearms as well.
I would like to get some wooden grips for it, too. Hopefully I can find some.
The cartridge is 3k psi difference from the .38 Super, and brass is still plentiful online, thankfully.
The last one I had, I was figuring out where it was hitting, and finally did. I was able to pop into the air, 20oz water bottles, and that being quite high, about 15-20ft.
I’ll see where this one will hit, and hopefully do the same.


Hawk


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This is pretty awesome. I really like seeing things that are older or different. Honestly it’s pretty cool even just the way it is. I feel like it’s kinda earned it’s wear/patina over the years.


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Mmann":1hkytlsf said:
This is pretty awesome. I really like seeing things that are older or different. Honestly it’s pretty cool even just the way it is. I feel like it’s kinda earned it’s wear/patina over the years.


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Thank you!

I quite agree with you and it’s earned it’s look no doubt.
That looks like holster wear to me.
I sometimes wish these firearms could talk. Could you imagine the stories some of them could tell?


Hawk


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That is a neat and cool pistol. Indeed a 9 x 23 round is amazingly a powerful round compared to the 9mm or the 38 Super. I do own both calibers, and I like a 9 x 23 one day, I would have to sneak to the gun shop and bring that full 5 gallon water jug of quarters ( if I could lift it ) without my wife finding out that I added another gun to my gun collection. :lol:
 
TackDriver284":3sttqhsf said:
That is a neat and cool pistol. Indeed a 9 x 23 round is amazingly a powerful round compared to the 9mm or the 38 Super. I do own both calibers, and I like a 9 x 23 one day, I would have to sneak to the gun shop and bring that full 5 gallon water jug of quarters ( if I could lift it ) without my wife finding out that I added another gun to my gun collection. [emoji38]
Thank you very much!
Yes, it is a neat pistol, to me, and it seems to a few of you on here as well.
To make the distinction, the 9x23 Largo round is quite powerful, but it can be easily confused with the 9x23 Winchester Magnum. The dimensions and everything are the same, unfortunately.

The 9x23 Winchester Magnum ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT be used in the pistols, though.


The chamber pressure is more excessive than the pistols can handle, and will result in catastrophic failures, possibly injuring the shooter, if not killing them.

Otherwise, the 9mm Largo, is about 1500-3000 psi off from the .38 Super loads.
It is still quite a substantial increase in muzzle velocity and muzzle energy from the regular 9x19mm Parebellum round.
It is just a neat round and pistol, in my opinion.
If taken care of, like this one has been, then it will have many, many years of use.
Later in the post, I will do a field strip, and show the hybridization that star did with the classic lines of the of the 1911, along with doing internal hybridization of using 1911 and Browning Hi-Power parts.


Hawk

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HAWKEYESATX":3but2squ said:
TackDriver284":3but2squ said:
That is a neat and cool pistol. Indeed a 9 x 23 round is amazingly a powerful round compared to the 9mm or the 38 Super. I do own both calibers, and I like a 9 x 23 one day, I would have to sneak to the gun shop and bring that full 5 gallon water jug of quarters ( if I could lift it ) without my wife finding out that I added another gun to my gun collection. [emoji38]
Thank you very much!
Yes, it is a neat pistol, to me, and it seems to a few of you on here as well.
To make the distinction, the 9x23 Largo round is quite powerful, but it can be easily confused with the 9x23 Winchester Magnum. The dimensions and everything are the same, unfortunately.

The 9x23 Winchester Magnum ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT be used in the pistols, though.


The chamber pressure is more excessive than the pistols can handle, and will result in catastrophic failures, possibly injuring the shooter, if not killing them.

Otherwise, the 9mm Largo, is about 1500-3000 psi off from the .38 Super loads.
It is still quite a substantial increase in muzzle velocity and muzzle energy from the regular 9x19mm Parebellum round.
It is just a neat round and pistol, in my opinion.
If taken care of, like this one has been, then it will have many, many years of use.
Later in the post, I will do a field strip, and show the hybridization that star did with the classic lines of the of the 1911, along with doing internal hybridization of using 1911 and Browning Hi-Power parts.


Hawk

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I definitely look forward to seeing a breakdown on it. At the risk of sounding foolish, I was astounded when I got my 1911 and stripping it down for the first time in comparison to the glocks and Cz’s I had owned prior. It’s be cool to see yet another twist on it.


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Here is the broken down Star as promised.
Quite the difference from the internals of a normal 1911.

Hawk

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You weren’t kidding. Very 1911 exterior. Very browning high power inside. The cam lock is pretty different.


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Mmann":rf1wtoan said:
You weren’t kidding. Very 1911 exterior. Very browning high power inside. The cam lock is pretty different.


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Yes, it certainly is different.
But it works like a charm. Thankfully.
For a cam lock, it’s a little thin. Probably the reason it can’t be loaded as hot as a 38 Super.


Hawk


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Guy Miner":3v03rwdw said:
Very cool old pistol. I've never used one.

Enjoy!
Thank you Guy!
If you can get one on the cheap side, I would suggest getting one. Just for gee whiz purposes.
They’re pretty cool, if I say so myself.


Hawk


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