There’s something to be said for your “first” anything. Most of us can remember our first girlfriend, car, kid, felony arrest. . . er . . . This is a review of my first handgun: a Star Bonifacio Echeverria Model 30M in 9mm Luger. And oh what a memorable lady she is . . .


This pistol was a gift from an ex-girlfriend’s Dad, who owned two. He was willing to part with this one whilst helping me obtain the oft-coveted New York State pistol and concealed weapons permit. I didn’t pay a dime for the Star Mod30-M. Bookwise, it’s not worth more than a dime. To me it’s priceless.

History Lesson:

The Mod30 was an improvement over the Mod28. That gun was famous for failing the first of the early 1980’s JSAAP competition stages for guns aspiring to become the new U.S. armed service standard-issue pistol. Although Star outperformed both the Ruger and Smith & Wesson entries, the military brass eventually awarded the Beretta 92 the contract.) Before the 28, Star had never manufactured a pistol of in-house design. Up to that point, derivations of John Browning’s 1911 had put bread on their table.

The Star Mod30M is the “military” variant of the Star Model 30. It’s an all-steel, long-barrel full-sized package. The company produced the Star 30M from 1983 – 1994. Elements of the Spanish military as well as Gardia Civil issued the weapon. In the late 90’s, Spain’s police and military organizations shifted away from the Star. The doors closed on Star-Firearms; the company went belly-up in 1997. In keeping with the “if it ain’t broke” philosophy, the Spanish Navy still issues the Mod30 series for force-protection duties.

Star’s major innovation with the Mod 28 and subsequent models: their incorporation of totally tool-less disassembly. I’m not talking field stripping; I mean everything. The pistol can be entirely taken to pieces using only the slide-stop and firing pin as punches, the only screws are found on the adjustable sights and magazine release.

Impressions :

This is a no-nonsense pistol. It’s heavy (over 2 ½ pounds empty). It’s tough. It’s ugly. It’s robust. It’s all of the things you’d expect from a pistol born ~1200 miles from the Iron Curtain. Every part of this pistol is either stamped-sheet, cast, or milled-steel. The only non-metallic part on this firearm: the plastic in the grips, and a few elastic retainers. Clearly, this firearm was made for mass production, and standing-up to a beating.

Ergonomically, the Star Mod30-M’s nothing special. It conforms to the basic “shape” of standard pistols of its day. It’s slightly bulkier than a Beretta 92. Put it in MY hand, however, and it just feels right. Akin to the feeling of test driving every used car on the lot then finding that one that just speaks to you (and happens to have the 454 crate under the hood). It’s heavy as a brick, a drawback when it comes to lugging this thing around. The added heft counters muzzle-flip like my high school wardrobe countered my dating prospects – spectacularly.

Features:

The Mod30-M is a SA/DA pistol. Length of pull in single action is .098 inches; that’s right folks, under one-tenth of an inch. It’s a smooth pull, breaking at 4.41 lbs. Emptying the 15 round magazine is simpler than snapping your fingers. Keep the hammer down, and double action pull length is .472 inches and breaks at 7.94 lbs. Overall length is 8.07 inches, with a 4.33 inch barrel and a sighting line length of 6.3 inches. Using standard 115 grain FMJ loads, and stretching the pistol to it’s “effective rage” of 164 feet (50 meters), penetration depth of 3.94 inches was recorded in pine boards. In the interest of safety, the pistol incorporates an ambidextrous thumb safety which requires the shooter to move their hand from a firing position to physically work the safety. Additionally, the Mod30-M has a magazine safety which prevents the pistol from being fired with the magazine removed.

Modifications:

30 years ago, this pistol shipped with contrast sights. Last year, it sported the same faded, muddled sights. Today, it’s rocking a touch-up job accomplished with two of the toughest women’s nail polishes I could find. There’s prettier custom work out there, absolutely. But, how many times does a guy get to walk into a nail salon and explain to the women behind the counter that he’s looking for bright, tough, crack and chip resistant nail polish? I walked out with two bottles of nail polish, satisfied that I had adequately confused the counter-workers.

 

Quirks:

Shooting the Star, a quirk presented itself which my shooting-buddy Ryan Finn (Mr. Cowboy Assault Rifle) noticed on the close-up video. The weight of the slide and the action of the pistol creates a “double recoil” action. As near as I can figure, the initial recoil is felt recoil from the powder detonation and the round exiting the pistol; the secondary recoil appears to occur as the slide reaches maximum travel and slaps back into place. Check out the clip below illustrating this weird bit of Western Cold-War quirkiness.

Accuracy:

As demonstrated in the video, the pistol is more accurate than I am. Though the videos only show her in action at 7ish yards, she performs like that Crate 383 Stroker I’ve been dying to drop in my car .. dropping the hammer on target every time all the way out to 25 yards. Rushing through a few boxes of ammo to try to make it home in time for dinner, the Star put up groups that I consider to adequately be “minute of bad-guy.” Am I pulling Keanu Reeves “shoot the hostage” stunts to demonstrate the accuracy of 30-year-old technology, no. Could I with the Star, you’re damn right! Rested, this pistol will stack round after round in a very small space. While I can’t call it a “tack-driver,” I will readily admit that this pistol itself will out-shoot my own abilities.

Carry:

When I first moved to the State of Virginia, I carried this pistol in the months before I purchased a Para Ord Slim-Hawg in .45ACP. Carried in a Bianchi paddle-holster, the pistol conceals about as easily as that bumper ding you put on Dad’s car as a teen when you had been specifically forbidden from using the car. In short; it prints much to easily for paddle-style carry. The double-stack magazine and grip width contribute significantly to this. In comparison, my daily carry is a full-size Springfield Armory Mil-Spec(ed) 1911. I carry IWB and have very little issue concealing the Springer. Carrying the Star, I feel like I’m packing thunder-thighs and couldn’t fit through a standard size door frame. Can you carry it? – If you’re accustomed to carrying a full-sized pistol and what extra details it entails, yes.

SPECIFICATIONS: Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S.A. Model 30-M

Caliber: 9mm Luger
Action: Single / Double Action
Capacity: 15 + 1
Barrel Length: 4.33”
Overall Length: 8.07”
Length of Pull: .098” (single action), .472” (double action)
Weight: 40.24oz unloaded (2.5 lbs)
Country of Origin: Spain

Importer: Interarms of Alexandria, VA.
Price: When they come up for sale, usually seen around $200 – $300.

RATINGS (out of five)

Style * *
She’s an ugly mug. Built to work, not to be looked at.

Innovation * * * *
I have to throw a bone to Star Firearms. This pistol can not only be taken down with no tools; it can be completely disassembled using nothing more than pieces of the gun itself. While tool-less take-down is nothing new; tool-lees “to parts” disassembly andassembly is deserving of note.

Ergonomics * * *
One-half star removed for the grip width, which was “extra-wide” even for a double-stack. One-half star removed for the placement of the thumb safety – up and away from the shooters natural hand positioning. A full star deducted for the distance between the heel of the pistol and the trigger in double-action mode – a full ½ inch longer than the distance between a standard 1911 GI trigger and the heel of the grip safety (I have “average” hands, and the trigger is just barely under the pad on my pointer finger in double-action mode).

Reliability * * * * *
No issues. It’s been good enough to be a military service pistol for 30 years. The years I’ve owned mine it’s eaten everything from 115 grain to 158 grain. No FTF, FTE, or problems operating with subsonic ammunition.

Customizable *
One star for the simple fact that painting the sights and switching out the grips are about as far as “customization” goes on this workhorse.

Overall Rating * * *
Three star rating by no means indicates that this is a bad pistol. In fact, I believe it’s a great pistol. I do however, admit the bias that comes from this being my “first” handgun. It shoots every time, when you’re out of ammo, it can be used to bludgeon your foe. The Star Mod30-M is a no frills service pistol that has been relied on for decades.

Special Thanks:

Ryan Finn for acting as my camera man and pointing out the interesting double-recoil feature

Clark Brothers Gun Shop and Range of Warrenton, VA. For providing an enjoyable shooting environment.

Stephen Hoober of www.star-firearms.com for his extensive research and compilation of historical data for Star firearms.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

75 COMMENTS

  1. Great snapshot of a great gun for cheap bastards like me.

    The double recoil impulse suggests that the mainspring has weakened with use. Firing it in this state might be battering the slide and frame pretty badly, so I’d suggest replacing it. Wolff seems to make new springs for every gun ever made, even orphaned military pistols like this one.

  2. A happy co-incidence. The Star 30M was my first pistol as well. I picked it up in 1990, but sadly had to put it in storage a few years later while I was in university (couldn’t afford the ammo). Much to my dismay, Star had closed shop before I finally got a decent enough job to fund my shooting. Somewhere along the line I misplaced the extra magazine and I wasn’t wise enough to buy spare parts when I could.

    Between storage and gentle use my Star is in fantastic shape. It is still my favourite pistol despite its weight and age. There is just something about this gun that keeps drawing me back. Out of all the pistols I own, the Star is the one I can’t bear to leave at home when I head to the range. I too have never had a failure to feed, and only ever a single failure to eject (and that was just last week). Reliable, solid and accurate (more accurate that I am no doubt). The only pistol I enjoy shooting more is my new .40S&W CZ SP-01.

    And for the record, I like its looks. It says “I am a service pistol, I will fire every round you feed me, and I am a total bad ass.” At the range, there is always some one who asks me what the hell I am shooting and I get to tell the storied history of one of the best guns ever made (IMHO). In a world dominated by Glocks (just about everyone at my range is a Glock fanatic) and Beretta 92s (which have always struck me as somehow effeminate), my Star strikes a pose harder than Madonna.

    Thank you for the wonderful review and I hope it helps raise the profile of this wonderful pistol.

    PS: if anyone knows where I can get a couple of factory magazines for this I would be most grateful. Sadly, I cannot import high-capacity magazines into Canada, so I am restricted to Canadian sources.

    • I was able ot acquire the two extra magazine pictured from a source in Spain. I don’t know if any re-sellers in the “Canadia” region, sorry!

      • Lol. I knew I should have bought them back when I purchased the pistol. I would be fine with the two that were supplied, but damned if I don’t know where the second one went. Not that it really matters; it would just be nice to have more than one mag for it!

    • Ramline makes 17 round mags for the S&W 5900 series pistols. If you remove the mag safety from the Star, those mags work perfectly. It takes about 60 seconds to do without any tools.

      • I have a Star M45; previously owned a Star PD.
        Looking for 45 cal magazines at reasonable price.

        Do you have a part number for the “Ramline makes 17 round mags for the S&W 5900 series pistols”?

    • Great review,this is a good gun to pick up during the apocalypse it sounds like , 383strokers lame too by the way ,keep up the great writing friend)

    • I have a 30M in 9mm and a 31P in 40S&W. GunBroker.com has magazines on their site and you can use the 9mm in both the 9mm & 40 S&W. The 9mm, 15 round magazine only holds 11 rounds of 40 S&W, but feeds perfectly.

      • I carry my Star 30M or my 31P in a Bianchi x-15 medium holster.
        It’s a little heavy, but disappears under a Hawaiian shirt or a lite jacket.

    • Pro mag has 10rd mags for $35.00. Go to their website and do a search on Star. Not sure if they can export to Canada.

  3. I used to have a Beretta 96, and in shooting it, I noticed that there were two “stages” of recoil. There was an initial “push” against the palm of my hand from that thick, comfortable grip the 92/96/98 series Berettas are famous for. Then there was the “rise” of the front end coming up, from the weight of that heavy brigadier-style slide’s travel being arrested by the recoil spring. I think it’s just something you get from a heavy slide, more mass means more inertia.

  4. Benjamin, that is one sweet old pistol. FYI, when my sights get worn, I’ve been touching them up with some cheap glow-in-the-dark sight paint. It works great, doesn’t wear off and, unlike the nail polish you used, it comes with matching lipstick.

  5. I own one of these and it serves all the purposes mentioned: cheap, reliable, hi-cap, and accurate.

    Ralph, you are a man of good and practical taste.

    (Ya know, all the stuff a 1911 is supposed to be, but isn’t…)

    @Mouldy Squid – Google is your friend. I have two sources Stateside for extra mags. Worst scenario, you swing down South for a day and bury the mags in the car. Unloaded, they’re just more steel…

    • Thanks for the tip, but it is much more than a day’s travel just to get to the border, let alone anywhere else from there. All of the sources listed in my Google searches for Star mags (specifically for Canada, since at least then I can mail order), are broken, out of date or out of stock indefinitely.

      If I ever do decide to drive down to the States, sure, I will try to sneak ’em back, but man, that would be a hell of a drive and there is no way I am spending that kind of money just for some antiquated magazines.

  8. Kudos,Benjamin, for a great article! You took me way back to my first-a Star PD .45! I took crap from one friend who read some review about the aluminum frame cracking….yet I put thousands of rounds through it, and that very same friend bought it from me years later! I’ve always been one for the underdog-I still have an Heckler and Koch VP70Z (try and find extra magazines!), I’ve owned a Colt 2000, a Star 9mm Largo, an early Ruger Mini 14-even though Chuck Taylor denounced them as garbage back then-but hey, isn’t that what a passion is all about? We try them, collect them appreciate them and sometime trade them. But enough about girlfriends….

    • My feelings exactly, Cujo –

      Many firearms out there are labelled sub-par, but are in fact excellent for their intended purposes. Should you have any review requests on the firearms you’ve mentioned, I’d be happy to execute for you!

  9. wow what a cool g/f dad.. date my daughter, here take this pistol, go ahead use me as a reference.

  10. For Star mags (probably parts too) try an email to Jorge at iparguns.com I own and dearly love a star Model BM and just bought two factory magazines from them. They are what’s left of the Star company and have all sorts of stuff…maybe even mags for the Star M30–worth a try. BTW, reviewing a BM would be fun some time.

  13. wonderful article! I Purchased my Mod.30 from Walmart way back in 1989. I paid $225.00 for it brand new! It is still my favorite pistol in the bunch. My first firearm was a Marlin Camp 9 and the mags are interchangeable! I have found that you can modify any S&W 59 sieries mags to work in the Star. You just need to add the dimple for the magizine safety catch to make them work.
    This pistol works everytime, the only quirk I have had is the safety dropping the hammer even while engaged. I can’t tell you how many times I tried out a new HOT hand load and the hammer falls and nothing happens. After getting the feeling I have bad shell do I realize I forgot to take it off safe.
    The overall rating is spot on. I tell people the same thing as you did. If 15 rounds isn’t enough I can alway beat them down with the pistol itself and not bother the gun one bit. A truelly underappreciated handgun.

  14. I just got my hands on the model 30MI. I’ve been told that the I indicates service in the Israeli Military. The more I find out about my star the more I like it. I look forward to getting my hands on another one in the near future. By the way, very informative review.

  15. I have some firsthand experience with the 30M myself. A cousin of mine owns one in 9mm.

    Good points: balances well, points naturally, decent SA trigger, decent sights, recoil is minimal, reliable with all ammo tried so far (including lots of cast lead reloads), slide-mounted safety does NOT drop hammer automatically which permits Condition One carry, the knurling cast into the frontstrap was a very nice touch.

    Bad points: can only get 14 rounds into the mags, sharp mag feed lips, safety lever jammed in place immovably in “off” position (came out of the box this way and he doesn’t believe in safeties so he never did anything about it), slide-mounted safety would be awkward to manipulate even if it worked, impossible to obtain spare parts or mags, a bit too large and heavy for CCW, blued finish wears easily.

    It’s a shame Star went out of business. They were the one manufacturer of decent quality firearms in Spain.

  16. I am a gun collector and have a Star 30M, bought new in 1991, with three 15 rds factory mags. The gun is in unfired (yes, I kept it for 20 years), 98% condition with box and manual. Thinking about selling it, does anyone knows how much I could get for the pistol ? Recently I saw one sold by Gun Broker for $499, the gun was very used and only had one mag. Thanks.

    • You will get offers of about $350 from people who don’t know what it is if you ask $400. I just traded a nice example of the rather rare Model 31P .40 S&W that was my first pistol for a rifle because people simply don’t appreciate a 3 lb. all steel high capacity gun by a mfg they’ve never heard of. It’s not a highly sought after line of pistols. I’d like to have one of the B models in 9mm, but that’s way down my list of must-haves.

  17. Nice review, very accurate description of the Star 30M. This past July, my Stepfather gave me my Star 30MI, it’s also my first handgun. The Star had only fired about 50 rounds total, then been put away, it’s otherwise like a new gun. At first, I had mixed feelings about the gun. It’s heavy! How am I going to carry this? The handle made me feel like I have small hands. I was thinking the safety was just out of reach for me, and so is the mag release, “This gun is made for a giant!” I’ve not had any problems with this gun, I’ve fired several hundred rounds through it, it’s great. No problems at all, except my lack of experience with handguns. Some practice and sight adjustment, and it’s very accurate.
    I do like this gun, maybe love is a strong word. I’ll never get rid of it, and I plan to use and enjoy it for many many years. It has inspired me to get into handguns, and would like a more modern version, in .45acp. Not a 1911, something inbetween the two, like a Sig Sauer P220 Elite Dark. But that’s a $1200 gun, and I can enjoy my free Star 30MI for a long time.

  18. Triple-K makes magazines for this model of Star pistol. I just checked online and they are $38.00.

    • I bought two Triple K magazines a week ago and neither one will work…the slide would lock up and not release to the firing position…I sent em back…I believe the magazine release slot must have been cut slightly off position differing from the original placement cut…Has anyone else had any problems with Triple K magazines locking up the slide?

  19. Great write up on what was also my first pistol, purchased new at a gun shop in L.A. twenty-five years ago. I love this pistol and still take it to the range on a regular basis. I agree with the posters who said that they like the way that it looks, and I definitely agree with the comment that if 15 rounds doesn’t stop a BG you can use the empty pistol to beat t he cr@p out of them! These things were built like tanks.

    I have medium-sized hands and the grip on this is quite wide, but like first learning to drive with a POS clunker with manual transmission and no power steering, my indoctrination with the 30M just made all other guns seem that much easier to operate.

    Twenty-five years of use and my Star 30M is still in great shape. Just this week I had a custom kydex holster made for mine for inside the waistband appendix carry, but I have found that, due to its size and weight, the best way to conceal it is under a jacket in either a small-of-the-back holster or a shoulder holster.

    The link to ipargun.com seems to be broken, but I have bookmarked a few other sites that sell aftermarket mags, and of course there are always the S&W 5900 series mags if need be. The three mags that came with my 30M still function flawlessly, tight springs, sharp feed lips and all.

    Like Chris L. I also have an issue with the manual safety, and twice I have scratched my head after running FTF drills with no success only to see that I had failed to disengage the safety during the drawstroke. Oh well, better to make a mistake on the range than in an Oh Sh!t situation. Practice, practice, practice.

    Thanks for a great review of an outstanding and seemingly forgotten pistol.

  20. You know, the model 30 was test fired over 75000 , yes, 75K.. without a failure of the gun?
    I dont know about the I being Israeli. But I can see where they’d like them.

  21. The M30 was not my first pistol. My first was a colt model 70. For a full size 9mm I cosider it vastly underrated. I shot against Spainish police in ipsc matched in the early 80’s shoting m28. I consider mine to be one of the best 9 I’ve handled.

  22. I inherited a Star 28PK from my late dad 5 years ago. Its basically a Star 30m compact version with a billet aluminum frame, which makes its slightly less heavier and shorter slide and barrel for self-defense carry. It still retains its 15 round magazine capacity.

    I have used mine for Self-defense and IDPA and I have not had any problems. Cleaning it is a task. However, taking it apart with no extra tools is a plus and I can agree with why military and law enforcement back then would have chosen the 30m.

    This 28PK version seems to only be available in South Africa stamped as a 28PK while internationally it is stamped 30PK. I have not found any info that can clearly verify this. I must say its an ugly firearm, still bulky and a problem to find accessories for, like holsters. But there is no denying its reliability and accuracy. I believe those reverse rails may have something to do with it like what you would find on a Sig P210 or CZ75. It has a very smooth trigger break in single action mode. Not stagey at all.

    A down side is finding parts. Since the company went bust, things like grips are hard to find. I’m currently in the market for a pair. This was one of the things that crossed my mind when contemplating to selling it, but with the fact that I got it for nothing, found out its military pedigree and seemingly attractive mysticism, I chose to keep it! There are still some gunsmiths and suppliers in Spain where you can get parts. I believe the 30m is still being used as a sidearm by the Spanish Armada. They must surely have a contact or supplier somewhere.

    It really is a great gun, even though greatly under-rated. If you find one in any of its guises, buy it! Its an investment you would not regret!

  23. I bought my Star 30M in 1981. In 1992 I had to change the barrel after it had fired 129,000 rounds due to a hairline crack. There is a possibility that I had fed just too many +P+ ammo through it. The second barrel, visibly re-inforced at the lug compared to the old one, now has fired 120,000 rounds and as I no longer have the time on hand I used to have, it could have been more by now. All other parts on the pistol are still original, though I had it plated to prevent rust.

    I am further in the fortunate position that I have 2 x 21 round magazines made and due to the small amount of trigger travel can get 22 rounds (1 in barrel and full mag) out of the barrel in 3.2 seconds and hit where I intended it to hit. Every time I handle it it feels as if it was custom made for me. It fits my hand perfectly and after having fired so many rounds with it, I no longer have to aim, it hits where I look when pulling the trigger.

    I also have a 9mm Bernadelli VB Practical with all the bells and whistles but shot for shot I prefer my 30M.

  25. Hej buddy good review. My first handgun also. Bought in 92 and still got it. Fired more than 4000 rounds already. There was an article somewhere long ago about a punish test of the weapon. Would like to read it. Do you have knowledge of it?

  26. The GunSite South Africa discussion forum

    http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/showthread.php?21872-Star-30M-Torture-Test-Handguns-92

    has a acouple of threads with the subject line “Star 30M Torture Test Handguns ’92,” but you hve to register with that forum to view them.

    I did purchase of few gun magazines that had the Star 30M as their cover stories back in 1987 or so, and each of those of course had full reviews inside. I probably still have those in a box somewhere in the garage.

  27. “It shoots every time….”

    And that’s all that really matters when a criminal is threatening my life. Thanks for the review.

  28. I’ve owned and carried a Star Mod 30M1 9mm for many years. Found it to be a rugged and reliable duty weapon. The only glitch I ever had was the magazines failed to feed properly when they got sand or grit in them. When I cleaned them out and used a dry lubricant, the weapon functioned perfectly. FYI anyone looking for high capacity magazines. I found two, factory new from “Cheaper Than Dirt” about 15 years ago. What I am currently looking for is the manual for it.

  29. Great review on the Star 30M. I found one today in a local gun shop unfired and as new with 2 mags. I didn’t know much about Star pistols but this gun looked well built and had a good pull for a new gun out of the box. Has no paperwork with it but I’m sure it must be available on the net somewhere. The price seemed right. I’ve been looking for a 9mm for a little combat shooting and this gun should fill the bill. Can’t wait to get to the range.

  30. i just got this weapon as a gift and it is my first pistol. it is very fun too shoot and i cant wait to take the wife to the range and teach her to shoot. i just dont know where to get any parts for this gun ie clips? can anyone help me? thanks

  33. They don’t make guns like the model 30 anymore. That is for sure. Talk about rugged and built like a tank!! I can vividly remember the torture tests done on this gun with all the thousands and thousands of rounds & hot rounds for that matter poured through the gun with no problems at all, and with NO recoil either. Watch someone shoot a M30 and notice how little muzzle jump you see. Solid. Don’t even try to tell me how a plastic gun of today can do that!!! No way. I love my model 30, period, and when I compare it to a couple of my more modern plastic guns…….sure the Star is a lot more heavier……sure the plastics are kind of weightless…….to me that translates to this…….if it don’t weigh that much, then there isn’t much there!!!

  35. I have a 30MI that runs like a striped Ape. It has literally never jammed or failed to feed. Although, like you said, it is heavy, but reliable. Besides, if you run out of ammo, you can hit them with the gun.

  36. I have had a Star 30M for about 15 years or so. This has been a very reliable and fairly accurate 9mm.
    A friend of mine (a deputy sheriff) calls it a BOAT ANCHOR…..I’m assuming because of the weight!!!
    LOL….ya, he is so used to the plastic Glocks.

  38. Ugly? I don’t think so! It’s not a bad looking gun at all. I wish I hadn’t had to sell my 30MI, it was a great gun.

  39. Had a Star 30P for almost a decade, and sold it when I hit some hard times…
    still miss that pistol…still have two mags waiting for when I find another one 😉

    While looking for a Star 28/30/31, ran across a 3rd Gen S&W, a CS45…
    feels the same, has the same control scheme, and looks quite similar…
    shoots just as well too!! So if you are having trouble finding a Star,
    might as well snag a S&W four-digit copy if you can find one 🙂
    Like the 5906 or other 59xx pistols…often wondered if S&W was so impressed at the JSAAP that they just couldn’t help making a copy…so much of a copy that they literally use the same mags…

  40. love the read on the m30 my first hand gun, and love it. I look like i have shot forever. and thanks for the great info for parts and other stuff. I will be back to your site.
    Cheers
    Stan

  41. I had a Star 28 DA many moons ago. I would buy another in a heartbeat if I could only find one.

    Have to agree that the safety is in the wrong place, but otherwise I found the gun perfect. I do like recoil reducing weight and with big hands I have no issues with this piece at all.

    Great review. Thanks, it took me back !

  42. Great article Benjamin. I too own a Star that I will not part with. M31 PK that shoots great, and will be passed to my daughter, or her husband one day. I bought mine in the early nineties and she been a favorite in my collection ever since. I’m with some of the others here, and love the way she looks.

    Keep writing! JM

  43. Nice article Ben! It is a machine. Bought mine in 1991 if I recall. Chews everything including homeloads and home cast bullets. I satin chromed mine due 24 hour shift work concealed carry and rust on the frame from sweat. It’s been a daily carry since. Getting a bit heavy for the old back though 🙂 I feel naked without it.
    Need to get new grips for it now. New, used or after market. Any ideas where I could find some? I have Google’d and hunted shops.

  45. You did not mention how accurate the 30M is. THE most accurate DA/SA 9mm I have ever shot, beat out my old 3rd Gen Smith and several others. Heavy, big, and a MILITARY pistol…rugged and reliable, 16 rounds.

    And not plastic.

  46. Calling this gun ugly is way off base. There are a lot of ugly guns out there but this is not one of them. Got mine as a poor man’s P210. The weight and slide-in-frame contribute to the accuracy I like. All guns have recoil (contrary to one poster’s opinion) but more weight reduces the impact on your hand, making for a better shooter. You can carry this as a defense pistol – no problem. Just get a proper holster and belt. This is really true with any full size and most compact guns. Try a “Simply Rugged” rig and you will find that the weight will be a non-issue. I have had a half dozen different Star pistols – this one is the newest in my stable. SOG has them for $299 right now. One of the best deals in surplus guns available.

  47. Very nice article. I really like the trigger on this gun too. Few high priced “modern” pistols come close. It has a very crisp release and really short reset. Double taps are effortless.

    Well ok…not completely effortless. The barrel axis is pretty high so recoil is more pronounced vertically than most plastic guns but it’s weight helps some. Yes…this gun is heavy. Also the trigger guard is pretty long and the reach to the very pronounced “hook” is a little long for my offhand but with practice this is no longer an issue as with the very long double action pull. The DA pull is very light though (a little lighter than my Sig at around 7.5 lbs). SA is a crisp 4.

    This has been my “truck gun” for a number of years now and has NEVER failed to chamber, fire, or cycle, with everything I’ve fed into it including +P stuff, fmj, and hollow point.

    Recently cerakoted it dark grey and should serve me well for another couple of decades.

  48. I acquired a Star Model 30 MI a couple of months ago and have found it to be the best pistol I own.I am a collector and I do shoot every firearm I own on a regular basis. This is the heaviest pistol I own and it has less re-coil than the .32’s I own. It is now my carry pistol. It did take a month to get used to the weight but now I hardly notice it. It is a shame the Star company went out of business. I have two other Star pistols and like them both but this is now my favorite pistol.

    • Hi Ron

      Maybe you can help me, I need to replace the grips of my father’s Star Mod30-M. Any suggestions?

      Thank you,

  49. Great review! My father owns a Star Mod30-M and I’m looking for the grips to replace them and add it to my gun collection. Can someone point me to the right direction?

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  53. 30mI means imported for India, not Israel. Would like to know how to remove mag safety. Have not been able to find out how on any website. Several people say it is simple, but do not offer any how to do it info….

  55. Best pistol I have ever owned. I have Glocks, Rugers, Colts, S/W, Springfield Armorys, Brownings, Sigs, but the Model 30M has never failed once. It will shoot nails if you can chamber them. If my life was on the line, I would choose the Model 30 M over any gun in the world—period.

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