Help Me Pick a New Carry Pistol

[OlongJohnson]

The now defunct Star company made a 9mm lightweight 1911 style compact model called the Starlight. Buy two used ones and pay to make them work.

I had a Star Super B. It went to the range once and became the first gun I sold. Won't buy another Star.

[willie]

I had a Star Super B. It went to the range once and became the first gun I sold. Won't buy another Star.

Quality control varied on these guns which certainly were not premium specimens. I owned two B's bought as new surplus. After my gunsmith tweaked the extractor and ejector polished here and there, they worked ok. Cylinder and Slide could take a pair of Starlights and turn them into nifty carry pieces. The same money could buy better carry pieces. I wish that I still owned the Starlight I had. These pistols are not drop safe.

[RevolverRob]

As a general rule, I won't carry a gun that; has been fully discontinued by a manufacturer, including service and small parts production

So, for example anything from a defunct maker is out. And anything no longer supported actively by the OEM, for instance 3rd Gen Smiths.

My exceptions to this are common gun models. Like a 1911 made by some defunct maker can be kept running, because it's a 1911 and I can order everything I need to build/rebuild one from Brownells. Or if I can't rebuild it, I can replace it with one of a hundred different choices. And I'm not beholden to finding some cosmoline covered stash of Makarov magazines in SARCO's warehouse to keep myself running.

[pangloss]

@RevolverRob, do you have any updates for us?

[RevolverRob]

@RevolverRob, do you have any updates for us?

None right now. Probably August when I make the decision. We're T-Minus 58 days until we leave ChIraqistan and head west. Figure another 30 days to deal with DLs/residency/etc before I can put in an order.

One thought swirling around lately is how high the potential is for me to be involved in an entangled fight. And the benefits of a revolver in those scenarios are high. Which has me looking at Smith 327 PCs. 8-rounds of .357 never makes me feel unarmed. And I have enough .38s and reloading supplies for .38 to last me about two lifetimes.

[WobblyPossum]

None right now. Probably August when I make the decision. We're T-Minus 58 days until we leave ChIraqistan and head west. Figure another 30 days to deal with DLs/residency/etc before I can put in an order.

One thought swirling around lately is how high the potential is for me to be involved in an entangled fight. And the benefits of a revolver in those scenarios are high. Which has me looking at Smith 327 PCs. 8-rounds of .357 never makes me feel unarmed. And I have enough .38s and reloading supplies for .38 to last me about two lifetimes.

I really wish S&W released a 327 with a barrel length in between the long ones of the railed guns and the short one of the snubby. An 8 shot .357 with a 3” barrel would be pretty sweet. The extra inch of barrel would add a couple of ounces but I don’t think that would make it much less convenient to carry since the snubby weighs about 22 oz.