The Star Firestar is a series of
single-action
A trigger is a mechanism that actuates the function of a ranged weapon such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow, or speargun. The word may also be used to describe a switch that initiates the operation of other non-shooting devices such as a t ...
semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic pistol (also called a self-loading pistol, autopistol, or autoloading pistol) is a repeating firearm, repeating handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridge (firearms), cartridges in its chamber (firearms), chamber afte ...
consisting of four models that received the 1991 Handgun of the Year Award from ''
Guns & Ammo
''Guns & Ammo'' is a magazine dedicated to firearms, hunting, competitive shooting, reloading, and other shooting-related activities in the United States.
Content and Circulation
The magazine offers reviews on firearms, ammunition, optics an ...
'' magazine. The Firestar was available in
9 mm Para (M-43),
.40 S&W (M-40), and
.45 ACP (M-45) calibers, all having a single-stack magazine. A double-stack 9mm version (M-243) was also available and was commonly referred to by the unofficial name "Firestar Plus". The Firestar was produced by the now defunct
Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S.A. in
Eibar
Eibar (, ) is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Euskadi. It is the capital of the '' eskualde / comarca'' of Debabarrena.
Eibar has 27,138 inhabitants ( Eustat, 2018). Its chief industry is ...
, Spain until 1994. The Firestar was imported into the United States by
Interarms of Alexandria, Virginia.
Although its external appearance resembles a compact
M1911
The Colt M1911 (also known as 1911, Colt 1911, Colt .45, or Colt Government in the case of Colt-produced models) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered primarily for the .45 ACP cartridge.
History
Early hist ...
, the Firestar is different in several respects. For example, the Firestar does not have the 1911's
grip safety. The Firestar's safety features include an automatic safety at the firing pin (a feature not included in the 1911's original design but often found in more modern 1911 variants). The Firestar has operating procedures analogous to those of the Colt 1911: it is single action, and meant to be carried in
Condition One (cocked and locked), with a cartridge in the chamber, cocked hammer and locked manual safety.
The Firestar is a compact, reliable and accurate handgun well-suited for backup or concealed carry. Its single-stack design sacrifices the superior magazine capacity of a double-stack, but permits a slim profile prized by many for concealed carry. While heavier than more modern handguns of comparable size made with today's composite materials, many shooters find the added heft provides a more stable shooting platform that improves accuracy.
On 6 May 2002,
Volkert van der Graaf used the M43 to assassinate Dutch politician
Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn (; 19 February 1948 – 6 May 2002), was a Dutch politician, author, civil servant, businessman, sociologist and academic who founded the party Pim Fortuyn List (Lijst Pim Fortuyn or LPF) in ...
. The specific M43 used is currently held by The
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...
, a Dutch national museum in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
.
See also
*
Assassination of Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn, a Dutch politician, was assassinated by Volkert van der Graaf in Hilversum, North Holland on 6 May 2002, nine days before the general election of 2002, in which he was leading the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF).
On a few occasions, Fortu ...
References
External links
{{Commons category, Star Firestar, Star Firestar M43
http://www.star-firearms.com/firearms/guns/firestar/index.shtml
.45 ACP semi-automatic pistols
9mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistols
Star semi-automatic pistols
Semi-automatic pistols of Spain