Should I carry this gun?

Sam Lovelace

I have a STAR .380 ss that I purchased a while back and am hesitant to carry it because it will jam on occasion. It "stovepipes" as I call it, where the shell doesn't clear the action upon ejection and the base of the shell gets closed in the action, so the shell looks like a "stovepipe" sticking up. It will normally do this at least once for every box of plinking ammo that I run through the gun.

Has anyone owned this gun and had similar problems? Any solutions that has worked for anyone? or is it maybe just a characteristic of the gun?

I realize high dollar ammo may prevent this, but experimenting with ammo can get expensive. Want to carry it because of its compact size, but the principal behind it jamming on occasion is keeping me from doing so....

Please Help,
Thanks, Sam

PS. I also have a glock 19... but it's not as compact

rsnyder55

Unless 100% reliable with the ammunition you plan to carry, I would never consider carrying that weapon for self defense.

The cost of ammunition is expensive, but the cost of a self defense weapon that does not function can be much more costly.

Any semiauto can jam or fail to fire. Typically the components at fault are either the magazine or ammunitions. Sometimes the guns are not finished as well as they should and there are rough spots that need polishing. Another possibility is cleaning or lubrication. Is it possible you limp wrist occassionally? I've sold hundreds and personally carry a Walther PPK/s or PPK and have never had a jam, but others have. Typically limp wristing is what I have found to be the problem when I've gone with them to the range.

If the ammunition you are plinking with is factory FMJ, which is typically the most reliable of the ammunition for semiautos, then chances are any decent self defense ammunition will also give you problems.

You can take it to a smith to work on, but it could be a long trial and error process.

RCrosby

Might be worth trying a new Wolfe mainspring. Inexpensive compared to ammo and if stovepiping is your only problem the slide may just not be going all the way back all of the time.

Pauper

Sir,

Another possibility for "stove piping" besides the good possibilities mentioned above is that the extractor is not always grabbing the shell casing properly so the ejector can hit the empty casing correctly to kick the empty case out.

I've had this type thing happen with a 1911 I have, and the problem I discovered was that the extractor was becoming worn out (going bad). It would fire multiple rounds then all of a sudden it would "stove pipe" one.

Once I replace the extractor it worked fine every time since then. If one is available and fairly close, you might want to take it to a qualified local gunsmith and let him check it out to make sure it consistently and be constantly reliable.

This is just my past personal experience with a "stove piping" problem.

Sam Lovelace

Great input so far everyone. Much appreciated

givette

Your post:
"I realize high dollar ammo may prevent this, but experimenting with ammo can get expensive. Want to carry it because of its compact size, but the principal behind it jamming on occasion is keeping me from doing so"....

Realistically, it's a no brainer. Let's say you didn't have the stovepipe problem. You would still have to "bite the bullet" (pun intended) and buy the high-dollar stuff to see if it functioned good enough for carry purposes. No other way to check the reliability.

Don't fix anything 'till you run a box of premium defense ammo through your pistol. Eliminate the ammo as the problem first, then go from there. Best, Joe

rdc5

Not to be a smartazz but, ummmm NO! You don't want to depend your life on whether or not your gun is gonna jam.

TooBig

Is your life worth that little,Move on up to something you can depend on.

Beeramid

To answer the question on the title.


Absolutely not

Carry the G19 and deal with it.

Sam Lovelace

To clear up some confusion:
I'm looking more for advise on possible solutions to the stove piping problem so I CAN consider carying it... that's why i'm inquiring, so I can fix the problem before carying. As I mentioned originally, "Want to carry it ... but the principal behind it jamming on occasion is keeping me from doing so" Stronger oppinions from others have assured me not to risk even the slightest chance of it jamming by carrying it. I figured chances are it would perform when I needed it to, but again the principal of fluke jams is enough to say no.

Thanks to those with your constructive advise on solutions.
To everyone else... the Glock will do just fine for now:)

tsr1965

The stove pipe could be due to limp wristing the gun and not holding it firmly. That is a blowback gun, and needs to be held firmly to operate properly.

Try cleaning under the back side of the extractor really well too, aws there might be crud built up, not allowing it to grab the rim securily. My bet is the LWS...Limp Wrist Syndrome...