[NavyGunner]

I just picked up this WW2 German contract Star model B. According to my Star book it's a 4th variation which was delivered to the Germans at Bordeaux, France on June 14, 1944. This was the last order that made in through to them before the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 which cut them off from Spain. The Waffenamt is hard to read without a magnifier but it's WaAD20. It appears to have an odd cut at the front edge of the slide ejection port as compared to my later West German police issue Star B. Any ideas as to why it was done this way?

 

[cpw]

I have one. I need to take a look at it to see if it is the same as yours.

 

[Poot]

Very cool weapon. What does a German marked example of one of these run?

Pat

 

[NavyGunner]

Poot, I've seen these for sale before for over $500 depending upon condition. I was lucky with this one as the dealer who had it didn't know what it was and thought it was one of the recent imports so I got it for a very good price.

 

[Poot]

Thank you, sir. Sounds like a nice score, well done! These (the German used ones) just recently came up on my radar, so I'm an amateur with these. Congrats, and thanks for the info-
Pat

 

[SD95B]

Nice Star, that cut was put there to allow the ejection of live rounds in addition to empty cases. It is to allow clearance for the seated bullet to exit upon ejection when the unfired weapon is unloaded.

 

[NavyGunner]

SD95B, I posted this pistol in Jan Still Lugers forums and another member mentioned that the unusually cut ejection port may have been due to the slides being originally for the Star model A pistols in 9x23mm Largo caliber. I haven't seen very many WW2 contract Star model B pistols to see if they were all cut like that. By 1944 the Germans were hard pressed to arm their troops and production demands were high so Star may just have used what they had to assemble pistols to meet their contract. My later 1950's West German police contract Star B doesn't have the extended ejection port cutout and ejects unfired 9mm Parabellum cartridges just fine. As do my later Star pistol models in the same caliber.