Ammo Question...Star Pistol

[napp]

I picked up a couple of Star Model BM 9 mm pistols from Classic Arms this week. Took them to the range for test firing and both went thru FMJ round nose ammo without a hitch. However, each of them had one failure to feed (FTF) with Speer Gold Dot HP. My intent is to use these pistols as car guns in two separate cars; and I would like to load them with HP ammo. The guns were made in '76 and '78 well before manufacturers were concerned with feed ramps that would feed HP.

Ultimately, I will test different types of HP ammo to see if any of them will feed reliably; but I would like to narrow the choices down before spending a ton of money on ammo, if possible. My question is: Does anyone have experience with a particular HP that feeds better than others in older guns that weren't designed specifically to feed HP ammo?

I'm not overly concerned with the normal considerations about bullet penetration and expansion. None of that matters if the round doesn't feed reliably. Would welcome your comments about this.

 

[BDR1]

In for answers.. I've had the same problem myself

 

[Shrek926]

Take it to a real gunsmith... not some YouTube watching Dremel wielding wannabe.

Take the specific Ammo you are going to carry, and explain the failure you had. These guns like old 1911 were not set up to shoot oddly shaped projectiles

Edit: To better explain, your magazine feeding lips, barrel ramp, and throat of chamber all need to be tuned to a geometry for hollow points to properly feed.

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[outlaw1961]

Quick question for the op. Thinking about getting one of these. Did you pay extra for hand picked or just luck of the draw? They look in pretty good shape

 

[Dirty J]

So if you don't care about penetration and expansion... why not just stick with FMJ?

 

[jeep78]

Use expanding fmj. Yes, it exists.

 

[WallsGa]

I bought one from Classic without the hand select. Graded ‘Good.’ It was so beat up I had a cerakote job done. J&G Sales, Centerfire Sytems, Grabagun all have them as well, also in ‘good’ condition.

I ran 124 grain ball ammo through both mine. One with no issues, one failed to return to battery once. If it keeps happening I figured I’d try 147 and see how it works. A few different people have told me these guns like the heavier ammo best.

Still, they’re fun as hell to shoot. A few rounds through my Shield after 100 through these bricks was eye opening.

 

[BattleSausage]

So if you don't care about penetration and expansion... why not just stick with FMJ?

I think he meant expansion and penetration differences between hollow points, as I think most any of them would offer better results than a fmj.

 

[napp]

Take it to a real gunsmith... not some YouTube watching Dremel wielding wannabe.

Take the specific Ammo you are going to carry, and explain the failure you had. These guns like old 1911 were not set up to shoot oddly shaped projectiles

Edit: To better explain, your magazine feeding lips, barrel ramp, and throat of chamber all need to be tuned to a geometry for hollow points to properly feed.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That isn't an option. I paid less than $200 for each of these guns specifically because they will be car guns. I am not going to turn them into $300-400 losses in the unlikely event they should be stolen from my vehicles.

Quick question for the op. Thinking about getting one of these. Did you pay extra for hand picked or just luck of the draw? They look in pretty good shape

I went with the luck of the draw because of their intended use as car guns. I caught the sale which Classic was running last week and got them for $179.99 each. They actually turned out better than I expected. The sale is over; but Classic still has them for $199.99.

So if you don't care about penetration and expansion... why not just stick with FMJ?

I should have said that I wasn't too concerned about differences in penetration and expansion between hollow points. FMJ may still turn out to be my only option.

Use expanding fmj. Yes, it exists.

Another option for sure. I'm just not sure that the flat nose of these rounds would feed as well as FMJ with round nose.

 

[napp]

Overnight update. Well, after a thorough search of the net, it appears that expanding fmj is no longer an option. It seems as if Federal has discontinued production of their Guard Dog product. It is shown as out of stock on all the ammo sites; and the Federal website no longer lists it among their products.