A note on the Astra 400. Despite what some people will tell you, it is chambered for 9mm Largo and is unsafe with other 9mm cartriges. 9mm Parabellum is too short and is held in the chamber only by the extractor. Definately unsafe to fire. both .38 ACP and .38 Super have a semi-rim that prevents the slide from closing completely. Besides, the .38 Super is much stronger that the pistol is designed to handle.

9mm Steyr and 9mm Bergman might be safe. I have not seen the pressure charts for them but why take the chance?

These other cartridges will chamber and fire but are not safe.

Steve

I got 100 rounds of 9m/m Largo, made in Spain in 1960s, but have no guns to consume them. Maybe after some years, those ammo and ammo boxes will become collectible.

Astra made some good stuff. For example, this so called "Made in Japan" model :) If they wanted, they could do super good job.

I noticed this yesterday while looking at 4000 parts...I can't find it online, but if anyone with a 400/600 is really interested, give them a call...there may be one or two left...(or they may have changed the part number)...

Steve -

You reminded me of an article I read years ago...Luckily, I still have the book...

"Converting Spanish Pistols to 9mm P" is the name of the article; in George C. Nonte's 1974 book, "Pistolsmithing"...

Here's a brief excerpt -

http://www.wzrd.com/u/rbrennan/misc3/nonte.jpg

I've never tried anything like this, but I understand from my Garand friends that there is a "kit" of sorts for converting the M1 Garand to 7.62 x 51mm (.308 Win), consisting of a bushing similar to the one in the above article in principle, and two 20% overloaded cartridges to seat it...Nonte doesn't mention explosive seating, so I would imagine that his bushings are pressed in/interference fits...

Returning to STAR. Saw Antaris' STAR book on gun shows. Around $100 per copy. Have not got a chance to acquire one yet. Back a while ago, he's selling signed copies on gunbroker.com. Similar price, probably buying one from GB is better.

I picked up that Astra 4000 "Falcon" today; looks in good shape, but I do need to clean it...

Edit: OK, got it field stripped & cleaned. I found a takedown procedure for the Astra 300; it was close enough to get 'er done... :D

The oddity that had me stumped - the Astra's use a 2-piece barrel bushing... :rolleyes:

"P N ----> State police .. nicknamed in the epoch " the gray ones " by the color of his uniform.

The shield of the águla, it belongs to the epoch of the dictatorship of Franco.
Certainly, the pistol Astra 400 ... "it shoots everything"






Regards

Antonio

Would like to use this oppertunity to ask a question on STAR.

Is the gun in the following link a legitimate animal in the STAR family?

Link: STAR with Shoulder Stock

I had a lot of respect for retired Army Major George C. Nonte growing up in the 50's and 60's, but I am a lot older now, and know some things about about metalworking and metallurgy.

I would not be very comfortable, nor would I recommend, putting a chamber sleeve in front of a 9mm Luger cartridge that was only 0.022 (twenty-two thousandths) of an inch in thickness for the cartridge to headspace on and then consistently firing that pistol... tool steel or not, this does not seem a safe practice to me...

[B]I would like to hear the opinions of the other gunsmiths on the forum about this practice... whether you are a pro or an amateur.[/B]

I also never remember seeing these sleeves for sale during the period mentioned by Nonte in the article that was posted at the link above...

displayed again here for those who wish to read it:

http://www.wzrd.com/u/rbrennan/misc3/nonte.jpg

I am not familiar with either, but it looks to me to be a Browning/Inglis HP stock...which the Star MMS should fit...I wonder if the "7.63mm" stated in the ad is actually 7.65mm Luger?...

STAR did have 7,63m/m version. If we consider Mauser created C96 targeting on winning a major western power's military contract, then, Spanish gunmakers created their 7,63m/m pistols on target of gaining Oriental market in 1920s. STAR was one of them but they missed the point. According to Gun Report, STAR's 7,63 was initially driven by that.

Simpson has another STAR with extended barrel listed(Link: STAR with extended barrel). I saw that gun a few years back selling for the same price at the same site. It was sold. Current one is probably the same one, back to market again, and asking the same price.

First time seeing a STAR with stock though.