Star Super From Sarco

[Doble Troble]

Guys,

 

I had so much fun with my little Star BM at the action pistol match that I decided to upgrade to a full-sized pistola. So I bought one of the C&R eligible Star Supers in 9 mm largo that Sarco is selling for $160.

 

It took about two weeks for the snail mail transaction to come through. I was REALLY excited when the package finally arrived. Lo and behold there was a decent Super made in 1950! Upon further inspection it was missing the firing pin which wasn't too disappointing because I didn't have any ammo to shoot anyway. I called Sarco and they were very nice on the phone and shipped-out the firing pin, spring and retaining pin with no questions asked. I know that others have had problems with Sarco, but I've bought quite a few things from them with never a problem until now, and the parts arrived a few days later and so I'm not sure that this was a problem either.

 

A few days later the corrosive ammo (appropriate for the frosted bore in this pistol) showed up. It took three tries for UPS to deliver with noone home for the required signature, and two more tries with me driving out to the pick-up location for them to find the crate. It was Santa Barbara 1962, made three months before I was born.

 

I made it out to the range that afternoon and started shooting. It shoots about 12" high at 15 yds with this ammo. After about 50 flawless rounds I suddenly had a misfire. I cocked the hammer again and it went. About two rounds later, another misfire - recock and it goes. Next round, misfire, recock, misfire. Eject, light strike. What's going on? I take a look at the firing pin hole and its not round - its got something in it! I push on the striker end of the pin with a screw driver and out pops a little fragment of brass. I start picking up brass and half of it is primer pierced and the other half looks like it flowed into the primer hole and was ejected (it was shiney and outward bulged where the primer struck).

 

I packed it up and took it home.

 

Checking-out the firing pin hole I could get the end of a 0.079" drill bit in it. It was big. The firing pin was at 0.070". The Sierra loading manual for Largo says that they had problems with large firing pin holes. I decided I needed to fix it.

 

I drilled it out the slide and tapped it (using a 4.5 mm socket and ratchet extention on the tap through the muzzle of the slide) for a #10 screw. I cut off about 1/4" of a #10 x 32 screw. I drilled and tapped a piece of scrap steel for 10 x 32 and without touching the set-up screwed in the cut-off screw so that it would be perfectly centered in the drill press. I drilled it to 0.065" and then moved it to the vise to cut a screw driver slot with a hack saw.

 

I threaded this into the tapped slide and carefully ground down the pin until it would just fit through the bushing.

 

Then I put everything back together again and waited until the next evening for range time.

 

It worked perfectly! I shot two hundred rounds with only one misfeed - that was due to a case failure. I think this Santa Barbara surplus is only semi-reliable and loaded hot - which is a shame because it seems very accurate when the cases and primers hold.

 

All in all a very satifying C&R handgun sporterization.

 

P.S. the hammer was biting and so I've now modified it. I may need to do something with the sights. The original wood grips are cool, but they're wearing, especially around the safety which may become a function issue and so I may also need to regrip.

 

Mausers aren't the only things that can be sporterized. If I can get the bugs worked-out I'll shoot this in the next pistol match!

[karlunity]

Well done.

 

That was fine work and took some skill.

You really feel that a gun is yours once you have fixed it.

 

Karl

[Clemson]

Way to go, DT!

 

The last C&R pistol I bought was a Systema. I bought two of them, and I wish I had bought two hundred!

 

The last SOG flyer that I got showed a new C&R pistol on their list. All I can remember was that it was a double stack 9mm Makarov. I don't recall the actual pistol designation, and I don't have the flyer. I think it was around $200.

 

Post some pics of that Largo. I would like to see what the Star Super looks like.

 

Clemson

[Doble Troble]

I've got pix taken, guys, but my hosting service's ftp site is down. I've emailed the hosts, but I suspect they're up to uncomfortable in alligators right now.

 

I'll get the pix up ASAP.

 

Clemson, I think that the new double stack 9 x 18s are CZ 83s, and they look like a real deal. All I've heard about them is good. I've been seriously considering ordering one from AIM or SOG. I know I'll kick myself if I don't get one while they're cheap. They'd be a good gun for action pistol matches too.

 

I know it's a bit mean, but I find it very satisfying to be competitive at these matches with cheap guns modified under the shade tree to perform well. It's not a recipe for popularity, but perfect for satisfaction, and seems to gain the respect of those that you want to be respected by.