Star Model 1920 

So what you're saying is that this is an alternate-reality 1911 where Spain kept America. It was invented by one Juan Moisés Marrón.

Thank you very much. I always felt that the Star pistols were very much underappreciated.

I own a Star Model Super B (9mm) and i absolutely love the handgun. I wouldn't of guessed a milsurp pistol could feel so damn good to shoot and handle.

Unlike many of my fellow officers on the PD, I came to respect and love the Spanish pistols. I had a Star PD for off duty carry and an Astra A100 in .45ACP for duty. I carried these firearms for many years while on the PD (small PD we were forced to furnish our own handguns) and never had a failure to fire, or jam on the range. Thankfully I never had to fire either in angre over my 24 years on the PD. I still own the Astra, and have it in the closet, I sold the Star PD and have replaced it with a Citadel compact .45. It looks about the same in size but weighs in at about half again the weight, probably due to the cast frame instead of the Star's aluminum frame. I also had a small Llama .380 M1911 clone that I used when I was in more formal clothing, and lumps were not in fashion. I wish I had kept the Llama and Star, but like hundreds of other firearms that I bought and sold over my years, I traded them for something else I wanted on someone's table at a gun show.

That safety is rather ingenous.

Most 1911's you see in the movies are actually Star Model B's, a later evolution of this gun. That's because .45ACP blanks were terribly unreliable, and the Star uses 9mm blanks, which were excellent.

That 1920 has some really alluring features.

Due to the arms embargo, South Africa had pretty limited access to foreign arms, but apparently Star pistols were one of the things they managed to import. My dad and uncle mentioned that many officers were issued Star pistols, but they weren't that popular. I know one guy from 32 battalion who preferred to use a Walther p38.

Over my days as a gun guy, I owned 3 Stars, a BK and a BKM as well as their cute little PD model in of course .45 ACP, my favorite caliber pistol ever. I never experienced any problems with any of the three guns so long as I kept them clean and lubed, well that is to say I never had any problems, but I always keep my firearms clean and lubed as a matter of pride and common sense.

I'm so jealous of those beautiful wood grips. So much nicer than the plastic ones on my Super B.

I really like the little piece of blued steel on the slide of the Star.

My dad has always spoken highly about the Star pistols. I agree, their good guns.

So good watching again

My grandfather's friend (who was a gunsmith) had a Star and a Ruby that both shot beautifully, so without ever really looking into it, I always thought the Spanish made decent guns. Then I went looking for one for myself... Still going.

It's a well finished, good looking pistol. The safety while a good system (To Me) is designed backwards as it's a more natural motion to push the safety down for fire rather than pulling it up.

There's a lot of star surplus 1911s up here in Canada . The later versions..

I just inherited a Star from my grandfather. I think it’s the model 1921 because it has a grip safety along with the thumb safety. Idk for sure but I think he got it while traveling during WWII.

srsly, id never have thought that videos like these could be so straight up addictive. theres something really soothing about having someone explain firearm mechanics to you :D

I have an original 1955 Star, that still shoots amazing and is very easy to disassemble and clean that uses 9x23 largo, seems like it still kept some of the earlier models stuff in it too

Remember the Star Firestar pistols. Always liked those.

Star firearms were more often than not much underrated, I always found them serviceable and pretty much as durable as FN products

I like this style of safety

great to see the star. i carried a star BKS in 9m as a ccw for years

Very cool design! Wonder why it didn't become more famous back in the day...

This and the Obregon are the most interesting copies of the 1911, mostly because they _aren't_ really copies of the 1911, but are adaptations instead. I'd totally bid on this lot if it was only the Star

Great video. Interesting design. Externally to me it resembles a Colt 1905. Interesting to see how the Spanish went their own way. I wondered if they had been made in 38 ACP; the video answered that. The disconnector system is interesting, but i wonder a bit about durability. The safety is nice and positive too. When i sold guns in a shop,i would use an S&W as a demo for decocker safeties. It too has a piece that rotates, in this case over the pin. When ppl see that it helps them get a better intuitive understanding of it. Much more obvious than many other designs. As always, thanks for all the great info

I love Spanish pistols.

Oh hey, a Star pistol. Was waiting for the longest.

The argentine Ballester Molina has exactlyl the same trigger mechanism. They took inspiration from STAR pistols.

The finish on the small parts is very attractive.

my px4's have that safety type basically. awesome and ultra safe.

i can attest to star pistols, i have a .380ss and it is a very well made pistol on my opinion...

new camera? vote up for the better resolution and camera work

Hi, i really enjoy your videos, i've learned a lot about firearms since i started watching you a couple of years ago, and i really like how you explain the guns and how they where manufactured and where/when etc, but i really wanted you could make a firing position with the gun, since you can't fire with the RIA Guns i wish i could see how it looked when beign fired by someone, not actual firing it, because i live in brazil and its very very hard to se these guns and only when you fire them i can have an example of how it would be used or how it looked like when beign use. Thanks for the awesome video and excuse me if you don't understand anything i said, my english isn't that good.

مسدسات.اسبانيا.ممتازه.وعريقه.وجيده.ومتينه

Nice looking

please please please make an educated review om the modern star 30M . It is a joy to shot.

"Ma', can we get a 1911?" "No, we got a 1911 at home" 1911 at home:

you talked about 3 different models but you did not mention the model SA 9m/m are there also other differences such as magazines or barrel lengths. Just want to give you a thumbs UP as I really enjoy watching what you post.

The fire control group is simple and has very few moving parts. This helps in reliability and is smart to do it that way. Very well done on their part.

es una lastima que ya no las fabriken en españa las pistolas star echeverria acero español

I have always admired Star pistols, Especially the ones without grip safeties. I find grip safeties distracting

New gunner here, about a few months in but was wondering if anyone noticed that this gun fort of looks like a mutated 1911 & PO8, like they were fused into one? With the two notches in the back behind the exit chamber. maybe even vaguely?

That safety and disconnector look like primitive versions of what's in a Beretta 92. I wonder where those ideas originated. They also solved the "problem" with the Beretta safety lever by having it shrouded toward the front by the cocking scallops, so no accidentally engaging it while racking.

Beretta M92 uses an almost identical safety to that.

I inherited a Star Model A in 9 X 23 Largo. I have not fired it, haven’t found the ammo, but it seems like a quality firearm.

Hey Ian could you do a review of a Winchester 1907 SL :) ?

Would you be willing to do one for the Star BM? It's my first pistol(had it for about 7 years) and other than it is a spanish service pistol, i dont know much about it.

Ian, can you start boosting your volume levels a little bit in your videos. -Thanks.

Any chance we could get a look at some of those pistols in cabinet behind you?

Another great video, thanks! I am a little unclear on one point. The grip safety "didn't last very long", does this mean that it malfunctioned on individual guns quickly, or that it was quickly removed from production? (I suspect the latter...)

there's nothing wrong with a simple system if it works!!personally i'd prefer a simple action, less to go wrong!!!!

Personally that copy looks better than the original

I’ll have to have one. You need to do a video of a Llama model V / IV and clear up which one is what and how to tell them apart. Also the linkless and linked stars are pretty confusing A and B and B Super etc. Also they’re ain’t jack on the different model M and P’s

is windage adjustment really that important on a non target pistol or rifle? like with police or military you wouldn't fiddle with the sights unless you are a "marksman" right?

I love all of Star's pistols. At least to look at, I'm not sure I love shooting them.

Hi Ian, if you ever get the chance can you look at a Ballister Molina from Argentina? I think they are a really nice variation of the 1911. Also heard rumors that some of them were made using steel salvaged from the wreck of the Admiral Graff Spree? Thanks for the videos too!

nice looking gun considering its age .

this looks more like something in between Colt`s 1907 and 1909 trials pistols

Do you work at the auction house or do they just let you record videos there?

Ian, howcome a lot of collectors wear cloth gloves, but you seem to casually handle these guns. Do they just get wiped down after every handling?

cool. I wonder what these firearms could say if they could talk

I have a model bm 9mm and a pd 45

kinda like a beretta 92 safety it rotates inward

Do a video of the Star Firestar... Please. I'll loan you the .45 ACP and 9 mm models if i can. I live in CA! 😢

Off topic, but I find it pretty funny that most of the suggested videos are for "1920's Flapper makeup." You've got to love googles "contextual" suggestions.

he didnt say .com! Ian’s been replaced!!

How do you remove the barrel?

Isn't this the only 9mm made in the 20th century with a half-cock safety mechanism?

I have a Star 1920 9mm largo . It has the grip safety and a frame mounted thumb safety . Wasn't this the forerunner of the revised pistol with no grip safety as requested by the army ? My pistol is in almost unfired pristine condition whats a approx value ?

I have a question I have been researching for a while. What was the first ever true machine pistol?

Hi how are things , what would be the price of one of these but 9mm / 38

Looks like a cartoon 1911.

What is the purpose of that roll pin through the side of the hammer?

Hey my father used one of these during military service, he always told me that most of the guns that he used were total garbage, they weren't maintained at all and most of them were way too used, he specially hated the star pistol and the CETME rifle, which was a variant of the g3.

4 pistols for less than 1500 bucks ! seems like a deal to me

Is there a story behind the "Star" brand name? It doesn't sound particularly Spanish.

hmm I think beretta may have gotten ahold of one of these

I remember this gun from Far Cry 2. Why I always thought it's just 1911 with changed name... ;-;

what is the purpose of the hole in the hammer? (makes it look like a horses head BTW)

What would happen if you used 9mm Lugar?

The grip looks kinda goofy lol

just bot one today.

So the safety is also kind of a primitive decocker?

Why does it have that hole through the hammer?

I honestly thought this was one of those cheap, knockoff 1911s the Vietcong made.

Lousy audio. Can't hear a thing.

That is so much prettier than a 1911.

The finish/machining below the safety is bloody awful!

If that safety were to break it would be my guess it would be a bitch to fix. Not a good design for a war gun. 😕

I never understood why 1920s pistols had such terrible sights