Star Pistol Model 9, WWII German issue 1942-1944

Found it. Here are the serial number ranges for the Bulgarian contract pistols;

Bulgarian contract pistols fall within particular serial number ranges and were delivered in three groups of 5000 pistols each starting in;

9/10/43
225007-225775
226101-230331

2/12/43
230332-230375
231783-235782

3/3/44
235901-240900


As a note agentcq, Ñ denotes 1943 production, and O 1944.
 
Just spoke to them as well.

Confirmed: Lever is the importer. Not many dealers have inventory, most of the stock is still at Lever.

Confirmed: Russian Capture. All are overhauled.

Confirmed: NO original matching slides. Every pistol has a force-matched slide, either lined out and renumbered or ground and renumbered.

Claimed: German service and not Bulgarian (we shall see).

Claimed: Nice condition despite renumbering. Mechanically nice with nice bores.

Qualitative assessment: A few pistols are nicer than the rest and they seem willing to select a "better than average" example if you ask them to.

That's abotu all I can say until I see one in person.
 
Claven2 said:
Claimed: German service and not Bulgarian (we shall see).
Click to expand...


Given Lever is the only one importing them (that I'm aware of (?) ), I would assume my local shop got them from there. I looked at each one (about 20), and every single one fell in the serial number range I listed above for the Bulgarian contract.

Nice pistols none the less and that fact didn't stop me from buying one. Was really kinda hoping to find one outside those serial ranges with a WaA though.
 
That's why I said "claimed" vs. "confirmed".

Not sure if this is the same batch, but a big batch of Bulgarian contract pistols showed up in the US back in 2003 with faked WaA251 markings. Supposedly put on by a shifty European exporter.
 
Interestingly, I mentioned to my local smith I was picking one up and he told me all Start/Astra/Llama guns are soft-steel pot metal junk ;) I'll reserve judgement until I have mine in-hand ;)
 
Ddidnt this reputation start with the WW1 pistols? There was such a high demand for them, especially by the French that many "garage" companies were making poorly made copies? Also I believe the larger more established firms contracted out a lot of work without much quality control.
 
So if a gun is made in one country under contract by another, where would one classify their origin as? Are they Spanish, Spanish-German, Spanish-Bulgarian or just German or Bulgarian?

Not a debate that would rivet intellectuals, but I's aints ones anysways.
 
Stars are junk? My 1920 Modelo Militar and Model A beg to differ!




I know the A isn't super nice, but it was also made in a war shelter while Eibar was being rebuilt following it's capture by Franco. The 1920 is beatiful, almost Colt-level quality. I don't have the B I ordered yet, but will post pictures as soon as it does.
 
Booyeah! Just ordered one from frontier. I thought only lever arms had them and I refuse to do business with lever ( directly at least, but they apparently are the importers...so I guess I can't win.) Good thing I stumbled on this thread. Thanks y'all.
 
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I have always been interested in one of these....came across this info. I wish I was home to see them in person....

GERMAN MILITARY CONTRACT

1st Variation no WaA. Serial number range 210951-212950; 212951-214950

2nd Variation "rig" WaA251. Serial number range 214953-216200; 216251-217502; 222457-222657; 222701- 222750;223776-225006

3rd Variation "rig" WaAD20. Serial number range 244503-247002

4th Variation WaAD20. Serial number range 248001-254300, 254551-256250; 256251-258000; 26001-260250

BULGARIAN CONTRACT

02/12/1943 - 230,332-230,775; 231,000-235,782
09/01/1943 - 225,007-225,775; 226,101-230,331
03/03/1944 - 235,901-240,900
 
"...German Army Service During the Second World War..." They used every and any pistol they couild get their hands on. The Nazi's were a very status conscious bunch.
"...only foreign arms exempted..." Likely because Stars were made in Spain. Spain being a Facist state and got that way due to Hitler's help.
 
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