Star BM 9mm rebuild.

[Darkpriest667]

Shot it today, shoots good.. Safety broke when I was taking it apart to clean it... unfortunate. 25 more dollars unless red can make one.

 

[RedArmy]

Shot it today, shoots good.. Safety broke when I was taking it apart to clean it... unfortunate. 25 more dollars unless red can make one.

The safety lever? Can you show a photo of it?

 

[Darkpriest667]

Apex makes one. here is the broken part. The safety is supposed to have a lip at the top. That lip broke.

 

[RedArmy]

There's been a boatload of factory new Star BM parts on e-Bay. I've snagged quite a few new pieces. You might check there, that's really odd for that piece to have broken. Then again, with surplus you never know what you're going to get. My pistol had been through the ringer for sure, luckily I haven't had any failures yet, I've stocked up on spares though just in case, don't have a thumb safety but I guess I'll add that to the list of spares.

 

[bhsmith352]

Hey RedArmy. I just picked up a Star BM. I love the gun, and want to totally, completely refinish it. I loved what you did with yours. I was just wondering what I need to do to remove the old bluing and sand the gun until polished and ready for new bluing. How did you get the circles off of the side? I also would really love to take the markings off of both sides of the slide and then polish the flats of the slide to a mirror before bluing. The left side "STAR" doesn't seem very deep, nor does the right side importation engraving. Could I sand the slide markings off with a sandpaper and a block or would I have to give it to someone with a machine shop and surface grinder to do it right? I want to remove just barely enough material to get rid of the markings and then polish it up before bluing. Mine also has some tool marks and dings that I'd like to gently sand out.

I have no experience working with metal, is it worth my time to sit there with sandpaper and try to do this myself or should I just give it to someone with a machine shop who does this for a living? I don't even have a wheel to use, so everything would be by hand.

 

[satx78247]

To All,

An "off the wall" question: Given that it's required by BATFE to stamp or engrave the "import markings" on firearms when they are imported, is it LAWFUL to either fill or remove those (at least to me) UGLY markings, when you refinish a pistol??

yours, satx

 

[bhsmith352]

To All,

An "off the wall" question: Given that it's required by BATFE to stamp or engrave the "import markings" on firearms when they are imported, is it LAWFUL to either fill or remove those (at least to me) UGLY markings, when you refinish a pistol??

yours, satx

I would think not, as far as I know the only thing you can't remove as far as markings is the serial number.

 

[Ozzman]

My only advice to you is to contact ATF and ask THEM this question so they can give you a true response. Internet Armchair Commando opinions are a dime a dozen and I don't think you should not risk your livelihood on what a handful of fogies from a gun forum say. I did a google search and found that no one really knows anything about this topic. Some say yes, some say no..

 

[satx78247]

Ozzman,

A wise person does NOT trust what BATFE says over the phone and/or in an "official" letter.

I LONG AGO REALIZED HOW MANY TIMES THAT "OFFICIAL BATFE POLICY" HAS CHANGED & W/O any good reason.
(This is called "government by whim".).

I fully expect that BATF's bureaucrats will "change their tiny minds" & DECREE that the currently legal "firearms" that "look like" sawed-off pump shotguns without stocks & with 14" barrels are "SBS" & will be either confiscated or the current owners will have to pay the 200.oo tax for a NFA weapon. = ImVho, anyone who trusts BATFE is a FOOL of the 1st class.

yours, satx

 

[gshayd]

Nice! Look forward to the finished pistol.

 

[gshayd]

Somewhere in the fine print it usually says that a government agency can furnish your advice. However they bear no responsibility if the advice is bad. I would always write a government agency and get a written reply back. Might help you in court with any charges if they gave you advice.

 

[satx78247]

gshayd,

Does it ever "cross your mind" that that "fine print" is INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED to DECEIVE the unwary members of the general public & to allow the federal bureaucrats to LIE to you orally and/or in writing W/O personal/legal consequences?

Fwiw, I LOVE the CONSTITUTION & the USA but DESPISE the SLIMY liars that infest many of the federal agencies.

yours, satx

 

[Ozzman]

ImVho, anyone who trusts BATFE is a FOOL of the 1st class.
yours, satx

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man does not listen to advice from a forum.

 

[satx78247]

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man does not listen to advice from a forum.

Ozzman,

You are welcome to hold/express any opinion BUT I now ask you: DO YOU TRUST the BATFE to TELL THE TRUTH??
(That's a simple YES or NO question?)

The reason that I asked my question on this forum is that we have any number of REAL EXPERTS in firearms, experienced LEO & attorneys among our membership.
Those members, unlike the "swamp-dwellers", do NOT routinely LIE.
(When the vast majority of our longtime members are WRONG, they are HONESTLY mistaken rather than intentionally LYING.)

yours, satx

 

[Ozzman]

I get it Satx... you don't trust the BATFE. Many of us here don't either, but reality is they still run the mill.

The fact remains that if you remove the import mark one of two things can occur.
1. Nothing at all (99.999% of the time)
or
2. Possibly get accused of violating 27 CFR 478.34 or some other BS CFR at some time in the future.

In searching/reading online, no-one has a definitive response.
Some say it's ok, and some say its not ok.

Either way I would not want anyone to be in a position to defend what they did by saying "well your honor, I heard it from so-and-so on a forum and they said it was OK".... Let's see how quickly our "forum experts/ attorneys/LEO's" come to that persons defense.

Simply send a letter to BATFE (yes, you don't trust them), get a response saying "yes it is ok" or "no it is not ok" and follow it.

If the answer is yes, then make the modification, print out the response (file it under B) just in case. At least you have something tangible in your hands before you get fined or put in the Grey-Bar hotel.

 

[satx78247]

ozzman,

I note that you did NOT answer my direct question with a simple YES or NO. = I know what my opinion is but wanted to know YOUR opinion of the honesty/fairness/common decency (or lack thereof) of the bureaucrats at BATFE.

Personally after retiring from a long career in city, state & federal LE, I trust NONE of the federal bureaucrats, as they LIE more than they tell the simple truth. - Btw, the FACTS are the FACTS & are not affected by any person's opinions, biases or prejudices.
The "upper management" of BATFE is just as dishonest, filled with WORTHLESS/LEFTIST drones (& anti-2nd Amendment zealots) as the 7th Floor of FBI HQ was exposed as being over the last 2-3 years.
(That said, I've "worked cases" with several GOOD "field" SA of BATFE & their opinion of "upper management" is as cynical as mine is.)

Those long experiences with the "swamp-dwellers" in DC is why I favor ABOLISHING all but 2 or 3 of the federal LE agencies , keeping the best of the current "field agents" & FIRING the rest.. = Imo, we need 80+ federal police agencies like we all need an aggressive cancer.

yours, satx

 

[Ozzman]

ozzman,

I note that you did NOT answer my direct question with a simple YES or NO. = I know what my opinion is but wanted to know YOUR opinion of the honesty/fairness/common decency (or lack thereof) of the bureaucrats at BATFE.

I thought I did answer: NO, like you I too do not TRUST them.
They have shown enough of their true colors over the last decade (to me) to erode the trust of the American People.

Your question should be: Do you follow the rules outlined by the BATFE?
In that instance: YES, because if I want to stay a free citizen I really do not have a choice.

 

[1911'S 4 Me]

 

[satx78247]

I thought I did answer: NO, like you I too do not TRUST them.
They have shown enough of their true colors over the last decade (to me) to erode the trust of the American People.

Your question should be: Do you follow the rules outlined by the BATFE?
In that instance: YES, because if I want to stay a free citizen I really do not have a choice.

Ozzman,

In that I agree with you, provided that when you/I DO follow the rules/policy & then the @#$%^! bureaucrats "change their mind" about what is ALLOWED/PROHIBITED, as happens quite frequently.
(As I said, that is what is called: GOVERNMENT BY WHIM.)

yours, satx

 

[Gilly11277]

Cool, how many do you need? These are easy to make so I should be able to whip up a couple on Monday.

Did you happen to have more of these lying around? I just came across this thread by way of Google and BOY am I glad I did! I created an account just so I could interact with you. Bought a BM 9mm from a friend and intend to refinish it, I will be needing one of these parts.