Star .380 question

[fstdraw]

I'm sorry I don't have a picture. Question is regarding value of a Star .380 Super SM in nickel finish. Condition is nice, one mag and no box. Guessing 60's or 70's manufacture.

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[po18guy]

Stars are slowly increasing in value, the nickel finish and .380 chambering are desirable in that 'mini 1911' size. If you are a GunBroker member with a payment method on file you can check their sales history on given models. At the bottom of their page, click on "Tools for Sellers." Here is another possible source, although the details are rather sparse:

GUNWATCHER.COM

STAR SM New and Used For Sale - There are currently 10 In Stock from 2224 Dealer Stores.

gunwatcher.com

Additionally, you might check www.star-firearms.com as that is the online repository of Star related data.

www.Star-Firearms.com

 

[Lilhigbee]

$350-$400. Any chance you can post pictures??
It should actually be a "Super" SM as there aren't any non-"Super" models. The Super SM was a modification of the existing Super S to make it legal for importation to the United States. The only change was the addition of an adjustable rear sight, worth five points on the BATF system and enough to make the Super SM legal. They did change the slide markings and the LH grip panel slightly. Guns made after 1975 had walnut grips instead of plastic. Star made almost 13,000 Super SM's between 1971-75, plus a couple dozen in 1980-81.
From Star Firearms by Leonardo M. Antaris.

 

[fstdraw]

Damn Sam, you guys are good! Wow, thank you for the information. Belongs to a friend but I do like me some nickel finish! I do and have owned a few Star Mod. "B" Super's in 9mm, I like them.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Is it like the Llama. 380?
Mine never worked so..

 

[po18guy]

Should be a locked breech .380, a rarity.

 

[fstdraw]

No, it's like a Star .380 with a "Super" and a SM on the pistol butt.

 

[po18guy]

Designed and made by Star, but is a compact 1911-style locked breech (rather than blowback).

Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S. A. : Armas : Firearms

Someone got a heck of a deal in 2019. NIB $300.

STAR MODEL SUPER SM SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL .380 | Proxibid

Bid in a Proxibid online auction to acquire a STAR MODEL SUPER SM SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL .380 CALIBER, NICKEL FINISH, CHECKERED WOOD GRIPS, 4” BARR from Wagner Auctioneering and Real Estate.

www.proxibid.com

 

[fstdraw]

Yes, that's the gun! Looks just like that anyway.

 

[po18guy]

Yes, that's the gun! Looks just like that anyway.

If you read the section on the Model S and its variations, you may find the gun in there. "SM" should be a post GCA68 gun, with a windage adjustable rear sight. They are some of the few Browning patent-based locked breech .380s. Llama made the others, plus probably a few garage-based manufacturers in early 20th century Spain. Well, if the $300 version is a guide, then you know a baseline value - certainly more in today's market.

 

[gmerkt]

From Star Firearms by Leonardo M. Antaris.

That is a $150 book now. I don't think there is any other source of information like the minutia that it contains.

 

[gmerkt]

I've owned a couple of Star .380's in the past. One was a Model S with Spanish Air Force markings, nice little pistol. The other was a Model SS, that's the one made for export to the US with a magazine disconnect. I could go on about the various Star pistols that I've owned but it would turn into a text wall post. I've liked Star pistols but no longer own any. The main downside to Star pistols now is that replacement parts can be difficult to find. And when found, sometimes don't fit well because a lot of Star work was done by hand fitting. Not so much the later guns.

 

[sojerguy]

An excellent set of articles in the November WAC news magazine on all the Star pistols (with infomation sources annotated). Your timing is good.