Star BM 9mm rebuild.
- Thread starter RedArmy
- Start date
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Well, I am going to start my BM rebuild. It fits my hand well and I shoot it well, It has been my favorite LTC pistol. Today at the range I had 3 FTE, 2FTF and a stove pipe, so to the rebuild it goes. I am going to have a lot of questions!
Darkus Mingler,
Inasmuch as the Guardia Civil of Spain & the National Police of at least 3 Latin American nations used the BM for about 2 decades, that says a lot about how well that the little 9mm pistol will run, if in good condition.
(IF they made a LH safety for the Model B or the BM, one of those 2 would likely be my EDC.)
yours, satx
Inasmuch as the Guardia Civil of Spain & the National Police of at least 3 Latin American nations used the BM for about 2 decades, that says a lot about how well that the little 9mm pistol will run, if in good condition.
(IF they made a LH safety for the Model B or the BM, one of those 2 would likely be my EDC.)
yours, satx
spcwolf,
Fwiw, BM handguns are currently available for sale from 149-229.oo each.
(I was told by a vendor's rep, in an email on SAT that MORE from a Latin American nation are being imported w/i 180days. = Prices just MIGHT come down some more.)
SOME but far from all of the higher -price handguns are in NRA VG or better condition. = I've seen a pair of 249.oo each BM handguns here in SA that LOOKED "near new".
ImVho, it would cost little or NO more to buy one of the 149.oo "specials" IF your intent is to do a complete remodel/professional refinishing a BM as at least one forum member has OR your plan is to do a "low-cost" job on the handgun.
(I'm considering one of the FAIR-GOOD examples at 149.oo + S&H, to do a "shade-tree refinish" job upon with a surface grinder & appliance paint. = I'm looking for
100% FUNCTION with 115 & 124 grain JHP, rather than appearance.)
yours, satx
So it’s not unrealistic to spend 250 and get a 100% functional gun with no more then carry marks.
Do you have a source for this? I can afford this, can’t afford a new nice gun at the moment.
I used 3M automotive sandpaper in 150, 600, 800 and 1200 grit to remove all of the dings scrapes and markings. The 150 was used to remove the circles, this was the toughest job, and then I went with 600 to remove the scratches the 150 left behind and then on down to the finer grits to polish it out. It takes a lot of work but you can get it done without the need of a a machine shop, no special tools were used on this project. Small wood scraps were used as sanding blocks, the key is to keep everything square when sanding. I prefer not use any machine sanding like a Dremel as you can end up removing too much material and leave behind deep tool marks that will be tough to remove. If you start on page one of the thread you can see most of the steps involved in the process including disassembly, there are some schematics too.
I did everything by hand so it would be up to you to decide if it's worth it, for me it was as I enjoy restoring things. Make no mistake though, this will be a tough job, you'll get back only what you put into it. I worked a little at a time every weekend until it was finished. If you have no metal working experience then you will by the time you're done with this project, lol. One of the reasons for posting this whole thread was to get you guys interested in doing this kind of work yourselves, trust me, you can do it, it's not as hard as you might think and you'll be the wiser for it. It just takes some dedication and planning.
You can get a new Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm for $289.00 at Academy Sports. Not putting you off on the Star but, you're going to have to do some work to get one of these in reliable working order. If you can only afford one gun at the moment then go for the Shield.
For those having failures to feed and stove pipes, the first thing I would do is tear the gun all the way down to the bare frame. Be advised, these pistols are more tricky to completely strip than a standard 1911 due to all of the small pins that need to be removed. The Spanish armorers didn't appear to have ever stripped my pistol down, I probably removed a half pound of sludge and gunk from the inside of the frame. At the very least I would fill a bucket with cleaner or degreaser and leave the gun soaking in it. Also check your magazines, especially at the feed lips for deformation, you may also need to smooth and polish the followers. Good magazines are a must for this pistol. Replace the springs with new ones while you're at it.
Here is a magazine that gave me trouble. Note the dent at the top of the feed lip, the shell casings were catching on this dent and getting kicked upward during the cycle resulting in either a jam or a double feed. I taped out the dent and polished the lip and that cured the feed issue with this mag.
Polish the follower where it makes contact with the slide and be sure that it moves freely.
Wolff makes standard and extra power mag springs.
Here is a magazine that gave me trouble. Note the dent at the top of the feed lip, the shell casings were catching on this dent and getting kicked upward during the cycle resulting in either a jam or a double feed. I taped out the dent and polished the lip and that cured the feed issue with this mag.
Polish the follower where it makes contact with the slide and be sure that it moves freely.
Wolff makes standard and extra power mag springs.
Attachments
Couple of other things to note.
Hammer bite! I'm not sure how, but it gets me after about fifty rounds. You might want to bob the hammer just a bit. I didn't want to as I like the the way the hammer looks so I just put a band aid over the web of my hand when I shoot it.
After about 450-600 rounds I noticed the action felt sloppy. The new 12lb recoil spring was trashed, I'm guessing 12lbs was only good for the standard ball ammo of the day and not for the hotter modern ammo we shoot now. I'm running a 14lb spring now but may move up to a 16lb.
While the pistol was designed for ball ammo you can use hollow points. I've found some of the more aggressive hollow points will sometimes get stuck when loading up a mag and releasing the slide using the slide stop. Manually racking the slide will get it to feed and I won't have any issues during firing. Feathering the feed ramp like a modern pistol will cure this small hiccup.
Since there was an entire debate over the import markings: Let the record show that I left mine on.
The bluing is still looking good, I'm very happy I went this route.
Hammer bite! I'm not sure how, but it gets me after about fifty rounds. You might want to bob the hammer just a bit. I didn't want to as I like the the way the hammer looks so I just put a band aid over the web of my hand when I shoot it.
After about 450-600 rounds I noticed the action felt sloppy. The new 12lb recoil spring was trashed, I'm guessing 12lbs was only good for the standard ball ammo of the day and not for the hotter modern ammo we shoot now. I'm running a 14lb spring now but may move up to a 16lb.
While the pistol was designed for ball ammo you can use hollow points. I've found some of the more aggressive hollow points will sometimes get stuck when loading up a mag and releasing the slide using the slide stop. Manually racking the slide will get it to feed and I won't have any issues during firing. Feathering the feed ramp like a modern pistol will cure this small hiccup.
Since there was an entire debate over the import markings: Let the record show that I left mine on.
The bluing is still looking good, I'm very happy I went this route.
Attachments
I am good with my hands, I do electrical work for a living and I am a milsurp buyer for about 13 years now. I like tinkering with old war horses, ex military myself I get a real thrill out of working on old guns. Just wondering how many soldiers carried those pieces and what their lives were like. I really enjoy history and guns. I have a Spanish Mauser made in 1906, I wish it could talk. I hope it killed a lot of communist.
Excellent, this would be a great project for you then. I'm thinking about building another myself, they're fun to shoot and remarkably accurate for such a short barrel.
Here's a little war story involving the Star BM: Battle of Bridge 14 https://www.swatmag.com/article/battle-proven-bargain-star-bm-pistol/
RedArmy, just found this thread while searching up Star BM grips to see whats out there. VERY nice rebuild! I have 4 of these great little pistols and they all function perfectly. Wondering how yours has held up since the rebuild was finished?
BeatTheTunaUp
Fux with the best, Die like the rest
No worries. I was just blaming you for me spending money.
I really like mine. I paid a few hundred to get it blued and I love it.
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