Very casual Range Report - the Star Modelo Militare 1920, 9mm Bergmann-Bayard Pistol

[Oyeboten]

No doubt inspired by the general outlay of the Colt-Browning m1911 and Government Model .45 Automatic, and very similar to them in primary slide and frame ways, the Spanish "Star" 9mm Bergmann-Bayard Cartridge Pistol of 1920 none the less has quite different internals and in this instance, no Grip Safety, and in this example, an unusual rotating Fireing Pin 'bloc' Safety mounted in the rear of the Slide.





Course of Fire - 10 Yards, Windy, Setting Sun right in my Eyes, and getting cold out.


The Target -





In a word? "Wow!"

What a delightful, comfortable, sweet old Pistol this is.


Fits my Hand perfect, and while very m1911 or early Government Model-like, feels smaller and lighter somehow.


I think next Range Trip I will have them more where they belong, I felt just all wavering and wobbley and kept getting dust in my Eyes and the front Sight was hard to see with the setting Sun coming right at me over the Sights, and the Target was blowing sideways and up and so on from the Wind...and I was trying for the usual one shot every second or less, waiting for the Target to lay down again, and, blah blah blah, Lol...


If memory serve - the standard 9mm Bergmann-Bayard ( aka 9mm Largo ) Cartridge Loading was about 1/3rd or maybe on toward 1/2 of the way up from .38 ACP, between .38 ACP and .38 Super, far as it's Ballistics...so, no slouch anyway.

Recoil was pleasant and easy-enough, Ammunition used is some old 1960s 9mm Largo stuff from Spain.



.38 Super should not be used in any of these old Star Pistols, since it is too much of a step 'up' for them to oblige without strain.


Anyway, I had parked about five feet behind and to the right of where I was standing to Shoot, and, left my Trunk Lid open, and, the Pistol ejected the Brass right into my open Car Trunk. I was not planning on this, and did not even realize it for a while, though I had noticed I was not seeing any Brass anywhere laying on the ground, in the few cassual glances looking for it...so, kind of nice how that worked out.

I have always heard good things about the Star 9mm Largo Pistols, and, this example is where they began, and evolved from.


I would say I am very happy with this one.

[WIL TERRY]

The Spanish made STAR pistols were world class pistols all the way !!! I have owned 'em in calibers from 22LR to 45ACP and there was not a clinker in the bunch. The STAR pistols designed/copied from the COLT 1911 style guns evolved much more quickly that did the COLT and quickly became a much more advanced 1911 than did those from the originator, COLT.
And so it goes...

[bang]

Another excellent shooter in the same caliber was the Astra 400, and back in the mid 50's, they could be had for $3.00 each, provided you bought a barrel full, singly, they were considerably higher at $4 -- their 9 X 19 cousin, the 600, was also an excellent shooter and priced at $6, and like its larger and cheaper relative, the 400, was about as ugly as a mud fence . . .

[Oyeboten]

Hi Bang,


I also have an Astra 400 and an Astra 600 and both are just superbly made and a joy to shoot.

I hope to acquire an Astra 300 one of these days ( in .380 ) since it is part of that 'Family' and is built the same way as the 400 and 600.


If I could go back in time a few, or many decades, even if I had to start off with absolutely nothing, I would do it in a Heartbeat!

Not only for opportunities of acquiring old Guns, but, for everything else which was part of the ambience of the times.



Ohhh...sigh...

My original and continueing aspirations as regard the 'Star' Pistols, have been to someday have a few examples to represent the succession of earliest 9mm Bergmann-Bayard ones ( where I now have made some important progress in acauiring a first Model of the series, so, so far so good!) and also to someday have an early Model P or two, which as you know, was their .45 ACP Model.

I began looking for Magazines for these quite a while back, while having zero success in finding any of the pistols themselves, and, as fate would have it, a Magazine I just got recently on ebay which was not shown well in the listing, happened to be right for the Model Militare 1920 Pistol I got last week, which lacked it's Magazine.

The Magazine I got a few weeks ago has the Civil Guard Crest on the base, and, a serial Number stamped in it which is ony a few hundred higher than the Pistol I got, so, that was pretty amazing that it worked out so well.

I have two Magazines for the Model P, which Magazines probably date to the 1920s or early '30s, and I have had those for some years now, as I wait to find a Model P to use them in.

[Oyeboten]

The Spanish made STAR pistols were world class pistols all the way !!! I have owned 'em in calibers from 22LR to 45ACP and there was not a clinker in the bunch. The STAR pistols designed/copied from the COLT 1911 style guns evolved much more quickly that did the COLT and quickly became a much more advanced 1911 than did those from the originator, COLT.
And so it goes...

I am also a big fan of the 'HAFDASA' or Ballester Rigaud and Ballester Molina ( which for any who may not know, were Argentine, made by the Hispano-Suizza Manufacturing Plant located there, which became something of an Arms Manufacturer in the latter 1930s and on for a while there-after ) .45 Automatics, which I have read are thought to have derived much of their inspiration from the 'STAR' Model P.


( In fact I brought one of those to the Range yesterday, but was too tired last night to post the very casual Range Report on it, so, will do that later on today sometime...)

[ShootingMaster]

I am also a big fan of the 'HAFDASA' or Ballester Rigaud and Ballester Molina ( which for any who may not know, were Argentine, made by the Hispano-Suizza Manufacturing Plant located there, which became something of an Arms Manufacturer in the latter 1930s and on for a while there-after ) .45 Automatics, which I have read are thought to have derived much of their inspiration from the 'STAR' Model P.


( In fact I brought one of those to the Range yesterday, but was too tired last night to post the very casual Range Report on it, so, will do that later on today sometime...)

I would love to see a range report on that one.
I´m a big enthusiast of our argentinean Ballester Molina pistols that were produced by HAFDASA (as you may know HAFDASA stands for the initials of Hispano-Argentina Fabrica De Automoviles Sociedad Anónima).
The BM pistols were provided as sidearm for military and police use and remained in service during several decades. They were later replaced by 9mm. pistols (mostly Browning Hi-Powers) which are still in service today.

Those pistols (as well as DGFM "Sistema Colt") were sold in great quantities to the argentinean civilian market as military & police surplus. As kid I remember going with my dad to our local gun shop where lots of those Ballester Molinas and DGFM Sistema Colt were sold by almost nothing.

Unfortunately I only own a Ballester Molina in .22 lr. Is almost the same pistol that the .45 except for the firing pin, magazine, extractor and barrel (which has a particular chamber design). I took it to the range last sunday. Despite of the heavy trigger pull and tiny sights it is deadly accurate. A real pleasure to shoot.

Regards.-

[CWO4USCGRET]

Astra 400? A great shooting pistol...at the time I shot the 10 round target I only had 20 rounds of 9mm Largo now I have a crate of non-corrosive SB ammo. While really funky looking the 400 is a great shooting gun.

[imghttp://iwantthatknife.com/Gallery/albums/last-ditch-arisaka/astra_2.jpg][/img]


Another "surprise" gun in the 9mm (9x23) family is this Steyr Hahn 1911; mine was made in 1916:

[Oyeboten]

I would love to see a range report on that one.
I´m a big enthusiast of our argentinean Ballester Molina pistols that were produced by HAFDASA (as you may know HAFDASA stands for the initials of Hispano-Argentina Fabrica De Automoviles Sociedad Anónima).
The BM pistols were provided as sidearm for military and police use and remained in service during several decades. They were later replaced by 9mm. pistols (mostly Browning Hi-Powers) which are still in service today.

Those pistols (as well as DGFM "Sistema Colt") were sold in great quantities to the argentinean civilian market as military & police surplus. As kid I remember going with my dad to our local gun shop where lots of those Ballester Molinas and DGFM Sistema Colt were sold by almost nothing.

Unfortunately I only own a Ballester Molina in .22 lr. Is almost the same pistol that the .45 except for the firing pin, magazine, extractor and barrel (which has a particular chamber design). I took it to the range last sunday. Despite of the heavy trigger pull and tiny sights it is deadly accurate. A real pleasure to shoot.

Regards.-

i will do my little Range Report later tnhis evening in it's own Thread.


How cool! You have one of .22 Calibre ones then!


Sometimes called 'Trainers' I think?

Those are very interesting and I have never seen one.

I have seen images of them on the web, but, that's it.

You should definitely do a 'Range Report' with it.
So we can all see it and learn more about it.


Far as the .45 ACP Pistols made by 'HAFDASA', it is still possible to find them in very good mechanical condition, if usually mellow and somewhat worn original finish, so, signs of honest carry and use and so on of course, for pretty darned reasonable cost ( say, $400.00 plus or minus ) if one is patient, lucky, and stays on it far as looking.

There are also quite a few re-finished or 'customised' ones out there also of course.


Barrels and Magazines interchange with those of the Colt ( or Sistema License or the Norwegian License ) Pistols ( probably Barrel Bushing does also, but I never checked to see and I do not recall reading if it did either ).


So...you really should get one for yourself I think.

Someday they will have become 'discovered' and will then be too expensive, like so much else is now!