Star Model 30M
- Graham Baates
- Sep 11
- 5 min read
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This is a bit of a different one as this gun has been out of production for nearly 30 years. When GBGuns started it was reviewing the affordable oddities that I could get my hands on and appreciated for being different. Recently another lot of Star Model 30M pistols made their way on the US consumer market. I was intrigued, and the price was right, so I took a chance and ordered one.
What Is It? According to the internet, the 30M by now-defunct Star of Spain was intended to be a contender against the Beretta 92 in that it is an all-metal, hammer-fired, double stack DA/SA service pistol. Star produced the 30M from the mid 1980s until mid 1990s. The unique feature that attracted me was that the safety does not block the trigger or hammer and instead retracts the firing pin to a point at which the hammer can not strike it. This means the pistol can be easily decocked for a double action first shot, and that the gun can be dry fired without putting unnecessary wear on the firing pin. There is word on the internet that the 30M uses S&W 5906 magazines, but I do not have any of those to verify.
Star? Spain once had an arms industry including companies like now-defunct CETME and the great compeition pistol maker S.P.S. (S.P.S. lived on through Metro Arms). I've only had one other experience with a Star pistol which unfortunately made its way to my hands long after its usable service life. You can learn more about Star's history and models through the fan site star-firearms.com .
Who's it For? Originally intended as an 80's-era service pistol, the 30M is definitely dated in terms of features. Today it's difficult to find a modern gun that doesn't outclass the 30M in one way or another, but that doesn't mean the 30M has no value. I was attracted to the uncommon safety design (almost a simpler version of the Walther P5's safety), the fun of collecting, and the anticipated range joy of a 40oz pistol with a crisp single-action trigger.
It is imnportant to understand when buying any used gun, especially a surplus gun, that the condition of one sample may not represent the condition of the next. When I bought the gun online I had no idea if it had spent 20+ years on the range, in a drawer, or somewhere inbetween.
Take a look at my roll of the dice purchase and what all I got for my money in the tabletop video below. Rumble Link
Specifications (limited)
Type: Double Action/Single Action
Chamber: 9x19mm Luger/Parabellum
Weight unloaded: 40oz
Length: 8.07"
Barrel length: 4.7"
Capacity: 15 rounds
Pricing as of 11SEP25
Check links for current pricing and availability
My sample (purchased, and not sent by a retailer) looked to be in great condition, and I don't know if the trigger is so nice because of wear or original design, but either way I was excited to get to the range with it. As always, the standard GBGuns Range Protocol would be used:
Cold Shots: Truly my first shots through the gun.
Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger. With aged magazines there is no promise.
What's For Dinnerâ„¢: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun the following ammunition was used:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
95gr Magtech JSP $21.85 / 50 at Widener's
100gr Sellier & Bellot XRG $13.34 / 25 at Target Sports USAÂ (see review HERE)
100gr Blazer Reduced Recoil $17.89 / 50 at Palmetto State Armory
115gr Sig 365 JHP $19.99 / 20 direct from Sig
124gr Hornady American Gunner $22.85 / 25 from Widener's
124gr PMC SFX JHP $24.85 / 50 from Widener's
124gr Federal Premium HST $39.95 / 50 from Widener's
135gr Hornady Critical Duty $29.85 / 25 from Widener's
147gr Winchester Defense JHP $25.85 / 50 at Widener's
165gr AMMO, Inc. /stelTH/ $21.25 / 50 at Target Sports
Standard range ammunition was Norma 124gr $12.82 / 50 at SportsmansGuide
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12-ish yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of the shooting experience and time for to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
See the Process from the very first shot fired through the Star 30M in the Shooting Impressions video below. Rumble Link
On the range that ramped and faded front sight post gave me the challenge I was expecting, but fortunately is easy enough to fix with some paint. Everything else about the Star 30M was a great experience. A slide longer than current trends combined with the mass of a steel frame made for a smooth-shooting gun and the trigger was excellent for a "service" pistol. Perhaps part of that trigger joy is the relative difference between trigger pull weight and pistol weight. The greater the difference is, the easier it is to pull the trigger without moving the gun.
Normally I complain about a lack of good front strap texture, but the heavy gun combined with rubber (?) grips meant that front strap traction was not as necessary as I've come to expect on most guns. In the WFD segment the gun ate everything I fed it, though some projectile weights appear to have not stabilized well; suggesting the rifling may either be worn or not of the common 1:10 twist rate used by most companies these days for 9mm.
I bought the Star 30M as a curious impulse, but am glad I did. For about the price of a case of ammo I've now got a piece of history that is enjoyable and reliable on the range.
