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STAR
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STAR 10MM FIREARMS |
| Model |
Description |
Status |
Rating |
| Megastar 10 |
4.56" barrel with fixed sights. Magazine capacity of
14 rounds, and available only in blue or "Starvel" finish. |
Discontinued |
 |
|
Additional Notes: Like the Glock 20, the Megastar 10 was
built from the ground up as a 10mm pistol with the .45 version following. This gun is built like a veritable tank and should
handle any 10mm load easily. |
|
| STAR Megastar 10 in "Starvel" finish with original box and paperwork. |
OVERVIEW
The Spanish firearms firm of STAR Bonifacio Echeverria SA produced one of the few high capacity 10mms made. The all-steel
STAR Megastar 10 was a brute of a gun and boasted a 14-round magazine capacity. The pistol uses a DA trigger system and a
slide-mounted safety/decocker.
STAR went out of business sometime in the 1990's. I have heard the rumor that the entire Spanish firearms industry suffered
some financial problems following the first Gulf War in 1991. Supposedly this is what forced STAR into bankruptcy, causing
it to close its doors, but I cannot confirm this.
DETAILS / OBSERVATIONS / SHOOTING CHARACTERISTICS
Details
Unlike most firearm manufacturers that simply adapted existing .45 caliber guns for the 10mm, STAR designed its Megastar as
a dedicated 10mm pistol. In a story similar to Glock, the 10mm Megastar came first with the .45 ACP Megastar following afterwards.
The first thing one notices about the Megastar is its weight. It's plain to see that it's a big gun, but when you pick it
up it feels massive. With an unloaded magazine the gun weighs in at just over three pounds!
Megastar 10 - The Megastar employs a standard double action/single action trigger, and the
grip houses a 14-round double column magazine. (The magazine follower appears to be cast aluminum rather than plastic, adding
even more weight!) Sights on the Megastar are of the fixed, low-profile variety and are easy to pick up quickly. The slide
release sits farther back than on most guns and is easy to manipulate. The Megastar 10 uses an ambidextrous slide mounted
safety/decocker lever, but it's operation is reversed compared to most other pistols (Beretta, S&W, etc.) and so it takes
some getting used to.
Observations
The STAR Megastar 10 has a lot going for it, but there are still a number of issues that must be considered.
First off is its weight. The Megastar is a big, heavy gun, and while this makes for a durable, easy shooting gun it also
makes packing it a bit of a pain. Good leather will go a long ways towards solving this problem, but it's still something
that needs to be considered.
Another hurdle is the Megastar's safety/decocker. The lever is mounted towards the rear of the slide, like S&Ws and Berettas,
but is backwards with the lever pointing towards the rear. With the lever up the gun is in the "fire" position, and when
the lever is rotated down the gun is "safe." Additionally, when the lever is in the "safe" position both the trigger and
hammer still opperate and so when you pull the trigger the hammer falls. The safety keeps the hammer from striking the firing
pin, but it's still a bit disconcerting to hear the hammer drop when you pull the trigger with the safety engaged! In essence
this is a training issue and not a gun issue, but it takes some getting used to when you're used to Colts, S&Ws, etc.
The final issue concerns the Megastar's trigger. The trigger pull, in both single and double action, are "service pistol"
quality, but the actual shape of the trigger has a definate impact on the gun's shootability. (See "Shooting Characteristics"
for more info.) I don't know if this is a common complaint, or if it's just me, but this single issue relagates the Megastar
10 to "fun-gun" status.
Shooting Characteristics
Due to its mass, the Megastar 10 does an excellent job of handling recoil, even with the hottest loads. The grip is very
comfortable, the gun points naturally, and the sights are well designed and easy to acquire. My one main complaint about
the Megastar is its trigger. The trigger itself doesn't seem to have quite enough curve to it, and when shooting my finger
tends to slide down the trigger's smooth face until it's riding against the inside of the bottom of the trigger guard. After
firing a round you need to allow the trigger to reset, but I find that my index finger gets slightly pinched between the bottom
of the trigger and the inside of the trigger guard as the trigger moves back forward. Some texturing on the trigger's face
would definately help with this, but I don't know if it would solve the problem entirely.
LITERATURE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Factory STAR Megastar Brochure
Here's a very rare 4-page factory brochure on the STAR Megastar pistols in both 10mm and .45 ACP. Though there's not
any new information, it's interesting how STAR was targeting the American market with it's Megastar pistols.
STAR Megastar 10 Owner's Manual
While one of the rarer 10mms, there are still a number of Megastars floating around out there on the used gun market.
Unfortunately most of these come without box or papers. Being a unique design, the Megastar is not the most obvious when
it comes to breaking it down for cleaning. Because of this I thought it might be helpful for fellow Megastar owners to include
a scanned copy of the owner's manual.
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