Need Help!! Star BM

[graycrait]

If you go through the pics you will see three (3) 9mm Stars I own: a black BM, an OD Green BM and a "blued" BKM (aluminum frame) Star. I put aftermarket springs and firing pins in these guns and they are great shooting guns.

Just for giggles: with no mag the BKM weighs 22.5oz and the BMs weigh 31.5oz. A 1st Gen Glock 17 weighs 21.9oz w/o mag. If you want a review of the Star BM by a respected and known gun writer/critic then here you go: A Critical Look at the Star Model BM

If you look at the pics of the Black BM you will see that its rear and front sights are much "nicer" than either of the other Stars' "GI" sights. However and unbeknownst to me and the guy I got the Black BM from, the guy who dovetailed the slide for the front and rear sights and installed the sights didn't ensure that the sights fit tight within the dovetail. Superglue and 2,000lb 2-part epoxy won't make these sights sit tight.

My question: Is there a way at my kitchen table I can make these sights tight? For instance: will JB Weld freeze these sights in place? Will Black Loctite work? Do I need to get a punch and crimp the dovetail to the sight?

The front sight will actually slide out when the pistol is tipped, while the back slide has to be slightly tapped out. Both sights fall out when the pistol is being fired. There is no going back the dovetails are cut. What is the best way to make sure these sights do not move?

Why didn't I find this out before I got the pistol? The new black paint kept the sights tight without firing the pistol.

I think this style of Star pistol is the bomb, right behind the Glock 19. The Star BM is a little easier to conceal than the Glock as it is narrower by nearly a 1/4" in slide, and the BKM is nice and light, but against the Glock either the BKM or BM are a second tier weapons in capacity (single stack 8) and in theoretical reliability. Although the pistol looks like a 1911 without the grip safety the trigger is a single bar affair and requires a little work to make decent. However, the trigger geometry is great - no pinching and pulls straight back. Barrel lock up is 1911-like. Would I carry one to save my ass? You bet - but not the black one with its sight issues.

Some would ask - why fool around with these Stars when you already have a 1911 range gun and 6 Glock 9mms? Because, IMHO, the Star BM design is the best concealed carry design I have ever come across. You can carry cocked and locked safely, the manual safety is very positive and completely blocks the hammer when it is "On." It fires arguably the best modern self defense round (9mm) accurately and can easily be handled by women, men, people with large hands or small hands. It has no peer in ergonomics: it is the Walther PPK/Glock/1911 all in one but in a package that is nearly as easy to fix/clean and manipulate as the 1911 (without tools!).

I would love S&W to put this pistol back into production. They are the only ones capable but I fear the Star BM is doomed to history.

[1gewehr]

I had this issue with a Star BKS many years ago. The only thing that worked was to remove the rear sight, carefully crimp the dovetail, the slide the rear sight into place with many small, gentle taps of the lead hammer. Then another crimping to lock the sight in. After that, your rear sight won't move any more, but can still be adjusted for windage by gentle tapping with the lead hammmer.

I still carry a Star PD .45. IMHO it is the best CCW pistol ever made. Small and light enough to easily conceal and carry, but large enough to handle the .45acp without being uncomfortable to shoot.