Found an interesting buy online. Any good?

[Pond, James Pond]

I've found an ad for a Star PK-28, 9x19. It is very cheap as pistols go and it looks very nice. It looks a bit CZ-ish to my untrained eye.

But... are they any good?
Are they accurate? Reliable? Durable?

[edfrompa]

Need more info.

[Pond, James Pond]

Need more info.

Such as...?
I've provided the manufacturer, the model and the calibre it shoots.

Aside from the fact it is second-hand, there is little more I can add...

I just want to know anything people can tell me about this pistol...

[michael t]

Star closed its doors . Might be little pain to find mags or part if it breaks
Star for most part made a nice pistol..

[Gdawgs]

My dad has a couple Stars, but I don't think either are that particular model. The ones he has seem to be very well built and shoot fine. Not sure if that's any help to you though. If you can get it for cheap, I wouldn't be too hesitant to pick it up.

[N.M. Edmands]

Type: Pistol
Produced: 1983 - 1984
Caliber: 9 mm
Action: recoil operated semi-automatic
Trigger: double-action (DA/SA)
Safety: slide mounted ambi safety
Magazine: 15-round
Frame: steel
Grips: black plastic
Sights: blade front, adjustable rear
Notes:
Barrel Length: 4.33 in.
Overall Length: 8.07 in.
Height: No Data
Width: No Data
Weight: 39 oz.
Found this info @ http://www.genitron.com/Handgun/Star...9-mm/Variant-1
Star made decent firearms but parts and accessories will be hard to find. Some models were hard on firing pins W/ dry firing, which will be problematical in IDPA/IPSC. I have no first hand experience with this model, althouugh I still sometimes carry my Star PD. HTH

[LarryFlew]

I have a Star that I really like that is built well etc but is not that model. Quite a few Stars out there but don't see many of that model.

[carguychris]

AFAIK the correct designation for this pistol should be 28PK rather than the PK-28, but I could be mistaken.

I don't own one personally, but the 28/30/31 series Stars are considered the equivalents of a Beretta 92, S&W Model 5903/5906, or SIG P229- built like tanks, reliable as the sunrise, but large and heavy compared to newer tactical plastic of equal capacity. The "K" suffix indicates an aluminum alloy frame, so it's not quite as much of a boat anchor as a standard 28, but it's still not exactly svelte. Like the other pistols I named, it has been criticized for a somewhat large and blocky grip shape that's not friendly to those with small hands. The "P" suffix stands for "Police" and indicates a slightly shorter barrel and slide, but IIRC the difference is only about 1/2", so it's better characterized as "less long" rather than "short".

One potential issue is that the 28 supposedly uses a different extractor design than the later 30 & 31 series, but the 28 was not produced for very long before it was replaced by the 30, so replacement parts may be an issue. IMHO the extractor on this pistol should be carefully inspected before purchase.

One other potential issue is that the 28/30 series have a peculiar safety mechanism- the safety does NOT decock the hammer, but the hammer will drop against the engaged safety when the trigger is pulled. I consider this a BIG NO-NO on a defensive pistol because a shooter could potentially mistake a safety-on hammer drop for a FTF and waste valuable seconds clearing a perfectly good live round, only to have it happen again. I greatly prefer a traditional safety mechanism that either locks the trigger solid or disengages it so the shooter will get instant tactile feedback that the safety is on. OTOH if the pistol will serve only as a range toy, this may not be a big deal.

Personally, if it's a good deal, I would buy it anyway- who knows when you might see another one?

[Saudadeii]

Check out

http://star-firearms.com/firearms/gu...31/index.shtml

[Pond, James Pond]

Thanks all!! great info. I may go and see it, but at the moment, there would be two potential buys: decent guns for a good price by local standards. this Star and a "Parabellum" () Hi-Power, if that means anything...