Star Model 30 MI Starfire – 9mm – w/ Mag – Made in Spain – Rugged Pistol

This is a no reserve penny auction for a Star Mod. 30 MI Starfire semi-auto pistol in 9mm. Serial number- 1838352. This pistol is in great condition overall condition with some wear. The bore is bright and shiny and it includes a 15-round magazine.

The Mod30 was an improvement over the Mod28. That gun was famous for failing the first of the early 1980s JSAAP competition stages for guns aspiring to become the new U.S. armed service standard-issue pistol. Although Star outperformed both the Ruger and Smith & Wesson entries, the military brass eventually awarded the Beretta 92 the contract.) Before the 28, Star had never manufactured a pistol of in-house design. Up to that point, derivations of John Browning’s 1911 had put bread on their table. Though Star did not generally give customer-specific suffixes, it is common in the defense industry, and in this case, they did.

RCMP's Firearms Reference Table indicates the pistols are for the Indian market, and a 1997 Star factory letter to Glen Rostron states that the M30MI is "exactly the same" as the 30M, and was "was going to be destined" for a contract in India, presumably indicating that it was not filled. Several of the 30 MI variants are also stamped "Starfire," which was a commercial label used to sell the M30 series off and on. This pistol features the "Starfire" label stamped on the left side of the frame.