Troubleshooting the Star Model F .22 LR Pistol

Star Bonifacio Echeverria S. A., of Eibar, Spain, is a well-known trademark in the firearms industry. Founded in 1908 by Jean Echeverria, the Star plant closed in 1997. Star originally produced copies of the Steyr Mannlicher, then made 1911-type pistols along with some of their own designs. While the Spanish firearms industry has a reputation for inferior quality, Echeverria’s company made a quality product. The Star Model F .22 LR semi-automatic pistol was introduced in 1942.

In profile, the Model F resembles the Walther P-38, but is a single-action semi-automatic that loads, fires, and 22 LR semi-automatic pistol came in at least three versions. This one is the Sport Model. The push button activates the slide stop on the Model FR and Model FM. has a safety lock, hammer, and magazine release very much like the Colt 1911. The basic Model Fhas around 4-inch barrel with fixed sights.

The Model F Sport has a 6-inch barrel, while the Model F Target has a 7-1/4 -inch barrel; both of these versions have adjustable sights front and rear. An Olympic Model was produced with a 6-inch barrel, adjustable sights, muzzle brake, and barrel weights. The Model Fpistols were discontinued in 1967. The Star Model FR was introduced in 1967. These pistols have a squared barrel and slide stop. Sport and Target versions were also available.

Produced from 1967 to 1972, the FR was replaced by the Model FM, which has adjustable sights, and a heavier frame with a web in front of the trigger guard. After my father passed on, I inherited a Star Model F Sport .22 LR that I always remember being in the family. He probably purchased it before I was born in 1954. Recalling conversations with my dad, it seems that this pistol always had a problem feeding the ammunition from the magazines, and I remember him telling me that he had reworked one of the magazines.

After many years of shooting this pistol, the firing pin broke. We had a new one made and I installed it for him. About this same time, the pistol started to malfunction on a regular basis. I suppose that after all those years of shooting and trying to get it to work correctly, the recoil spring was worn out. I gave him the name and address of Interarms and

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011365 Slide Blue 4-1/4" 011365-C Slide, Chrome 4-1/4" 011365-6 Slide, Blue 6" and 7" 011365-6C Slide, Chrome 6" and 7" 011261 Barrel, w/Front Sight, Blue 4-1/4" 011261-C Barrel, w/Front Sight, Chrome 4-1/4" 021261 Barrel, w/Front Sight, Blue 6" 021261-C Barrel, w/Front Sight, Chrome 6 " 031261 Barrel, w/Front Sight, Blue 7" 031261-C Barrel, w/Front Sight, Chrome 7" 011483 Recoil Spring 011370 Firing Pin 011371 Firing Pin Retaining Pin 011372 Firing Pin Spring 011366 Extractor 011368 Extractor Plunger 011369 Extractor Spring 011049 Slide Retainer (blue only) 011051 Slide Retainer Spring 010519 Trigger 010520 Trigger Pin 010522 Trigger Plunger 010521 Trigger Plunger Spring 010414 Sear 010415 Sear Spring 010523 Sear Bar 010415 Sear Pin 010203 Ejector 010204 Ejector Pin 010306 Hammer w/Strut and Pin 010309 Hammer Spring 010310 Hammer Spring Plunger 010311 Hammer Pin 010836 Safety Thumb, Blue 010836-C Safety Thumb, Chrome 010839 Safety Spring 010838 Safety Plunger 010628 Magazine Catch, Blue 010628-C Magazine Catch, Chrome Star Model F .22 LR Pistol 010629 Magazine Catch Lock 010630 Magazine Catch Lock Spring 011153/7 Magazine Complete, Blue 011153/7C Magazine Complete, Chrome 011374 Rear Sight, Blue 4-1/4" 021374 Rear Sight Blue 6" and 7" 011374-C Rear Sight Chrome 4-1/4" 021374-C Rear Sight, Chrome 6" and 7" 021587 Front Sight, Blue 6" and 7" 021587-C Front Sight, Chrome 6" and 7" 021588 Screw, Front Sight Blue 6" and 7" 021588-C Screw, Front Sight, Chrome 6" and 7" 021375 Screw, Rear Sight, Blue 6" and 7" 021375-C Screw, Rear Sight, Chrome 6" and 7" 011895/6 Grip, Pair 011895/6-P Grip, Mother of Pearl, Pair 011895/6-W Grip, Wood, Pair 011897 Screw, Grip, Blue 011897-C Screw, Grip, Chrome 10306.1 Hammer Strut 10306.2 Hammer Strut Pin 10524 Sear Bar Pin JF1 Slide Stop the Star factory in Spain, but I don’t believe he ever contacted them.

Years later, while working on an AMT Back-Up, I noticed that the recoil spring was almost identical to that of the Star Model F. The spring seemed to be about the right length, the same diameter, and the wire was only just slightly heavier. I decided to give it a try in the old Star, and ordered one from Gun Parts Corporation.

Takedown And Field Stripping To disassemble the Star Model F for cleaning (or to replace the recoil spring), remove the magazine, retract the slide, and visually inspect the chamber to ensure the pistol is not loaded and has an empty chamber. On the left side of the receiver in front of the safety lock is a square button. Depress this button, move the slide slightly to the rear, lift the slide off of the frame and above the barrel to allow the slide to be removed forward off of the pistol.

Be careful not to drag the slide across the top of the barrel. The recoil spring is located in a tunnel that is bored in the front of the frame below the barrel. Assembly, of course, is in the reverse order. The Range Test After installing the recoil spring for the AMT Back- Up, it was time to head to the range. The Star’s slide did seem a little stiff, and upon the initial testing, failed to eject. I very carefully removed about

a half of one of the spring coils. At this time, I realized that the ammo I was using was .22-caliber LR hollowpoint. These cartridges are only 36 grains, not 40 like standard .22 LR. Test number two was fired using 40-grain standard and high-velocity .22 Long Rifle ammunition and produced a big improvement. I shortened the new spring some more, being careful only to remove a half a spring coil at a time, and the pistol shot like anew gun, but would not feed without jamming.

The Model Fand FR Magazines There must have been a problem with these early Star Model F .22s. I also owned a couple of other Star .22 pistols, one an early Model Fbut newer than Dad’s, as well as a Model FM which is a later version that’s heavier and equipped with a slide stop. The Star Model Fmagazines had cartridge followers made out of cast aluminum, and this pistol Below top: With the early-type magazine disassembled, you can see that the spring tension is all in the front of the follower.

Of course they jammed. The parts diagram that came with this pistol shows a different type of follower. Below bottom: This is the later-type Star Model FR magazine, shown disassembled. This mag works well in the author’s older Star Model F. The upper spring is the original and is stretched out, while the lower spring is for the AMT .380 Back- Up. worked flawlessly. The magazines for the Model F Sport had steel cartridge followers, and try as I might I could not get them to work. Gun Parts Corp. to the rescue again.

GPC advertises Star Model Fmaga zines in their catalog—used, but in good shape. After purchasing another magazine from GPC, it was back to the range. Although advertised as a Model Fmagazine, I think they are actually Model FR magazines. The older style magazines have a coil spring for the cartridge follower that fits in the front of the magazine body. The later style magazines use the more common type of follower spring, and use a plastic magazine follower.

These newer Star .22 magazines have a sliding push button on the right slide that helps when loading the magazine, and also engages the slide stop on the newer style pistols. That old Star works absolutely wonderfully with the new magazine. Magazine disassembly is easy because they have a removable base plate, and the procedure is similar for both mags. In the base plate is a hole that has a protrusion in it from the inside. Push up on this with a small punch and slide the base forward off of the magazine body.

Remember there is a spring inside; catch this with the palm of your hand. The follower on the Model Fmagazine will come out with the spring. On the Model FR magazine, slide the follower to the bottom of the magazine body and lift out the magazine push button. The follower will fall out the bottom. Conclusions If you happen to be faced with an early Star Model F .22 pistol that just will not work, try a newer type magazine.

If you need a recoil spring, I am sure that somebody has some on hand somewhere, but, if not, the .380 AMT spring seems to work quite well. My "Old Man" is gone, but I’m sure he would be pleased to know that his number two son finally fixed his beloved Star. ■