Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Star BKM 9mm range report of sorts

rkamp wanted a range report so here it is. I finished this project today and am pretty happy with how it finished up. This pistol will not feed my cast RN bullets reliably. I think it will be restricted to jacketed RN. I don't have any so that's an assumption. This group was shot from 10 yards, offhand and standing with my butt against my pickup. Here's the before and after too. This BKM weighs 25oz and has an alloy frame. The BM has a steel frame. There are lots of these on GB. I have $320 in this including shipping and Oregon background check. The BM's typically sell for a little less and may be a better rig over time.

I might comment i have fired a bunch of 124grain round nose cast bullets out of the BM without any issues. And that would make me wonder why the above is not liking them.

Ron you are correct. I just loaded up some fmj and it chokes on them too. I'll get a new mag first.

A magazine spring might be in order if the slide is running over the top of the next round or similar late feed. The recoil spring is the first spring I'd replace.

i found a guy in spain through the gunboards.com forum that was selling original springs and recoil assemblies which i ended up buying.
what one might do is take the slide off the frame and try positioning some of the reloads in the barrel while the other stuff is off and see if they line up properly. Or make a dummy round, no powder, no primer and see how they run throught the gun.
If that worked you got it, next step would be to wonder about the powder load.

Nice looking groups and pistol. I shot a BM model last year. It had an excellent feel to it, but was a little heavy. The BKM should make a heck of a hiking or carry pistol.

Here is the late Stephen Camp's review of the Star BM. He thought highly of the early Star pistols.

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Critical%20Look%20at%20Star%20Model%20BM.htm

Thanks for the update.

Kend...you gun came out very nice... I had two earlier ones I believe called the BKS. Both were mint and one had the box and extra magazine. Never shot anything in them other than Winchester 9mm FMJ ammo.






10 yards...





Just a little smaller and lighter than a Commander... The trigger pulls did need work however...




Bob

Thanks Bob, Did you sell your pistols?

Knowing the reputation of the Star BM & BKM, I would first suspect your reloads; specifically the taper crimp. Try pumping some factory FMJ�s through it and see what happens, my guess is, they�ll work. Next, put a dial caliper on the case mouth of a factory round that works in the gun, then adjust your taper crimp dies on your reloader to match the outside case mouth diameter of the factory round. My bet is, that will fix the problem right quick.

Many years ago, a friend gave me a whole tub of cast 9mm bullets when he swore off 9mm forever (I note he has a large collection of Sig 9mm�s now), an RCBS 125grain round nose gas check. At that time, I had brace of Action Arms AT-84�s, the Swiss Solothurn CZ75 knock off�s (turned out to be a horrible pistol; stick to the Czech made version). I had loaded up a few hundred rounds and experienced the same issue. Readjusted the taper crimp and all was well. I can also remember shooting those cast bullet loads through a friends Star Model B, and BM�s (he had two BM�s) and both Star�s swallowed up the cast bullet loads just fine.

If the taper crimp thing doesn�t work, then you�re on the right track, look for a new mag. BTW � NICE job on the refinish of your Star; very nice gun.

I have some Star pistols in 9mm.

The Star Super B I put on the mill and bored out the recoil spring cowling so I could fit a recoil spring with larger coil diameter. That was for shooting 9x23mm. I also reamed out the chamber.

A good source of springs is Wolff gunsmith kit #14.

http://www.gunsprings.com/General%2...ol%20Recoil%20Springs/cID4/mID132/dID399

You might want a little more recoil spring force.

I measured the coil diameter and the wire diameter of the springs I received.

Wolff #14 right .252x.031x cut 3.3/11.9#
Wolff #14 right .434x.045x cut 5/15.4#
Wolff #14 right .390x.042"
Wolff #14 right .358x.046"
Wolff #14 right .315x.040" 0/9#
Wolff #14 right .277x.034" 3/13.5#
Wolff #14 right .266x.031" 4.2/11#
Wolff #14 right .266x.031" 6.5/14.7#
Wolff #14 right .239x.029" 2/10#
Wolff #14 right .224x.027"

Wolff recoil spring for Star semi

I'll buy a box of ammo after work. The Distributor I bought the pistol from on GB is sending me a new mag for free and paying return shipping on mine. Pretty awesome service considering it's a used $279 pistol. gcoleCole Distributing