My recently purchased stainless Star BM has been cleaned and lubed. I have read about many problems with this gun on line. However, I have not encountered this one: live rounds are being ejected. Sometimes the result is an empty chamber. Sometimes the following round is picked up and chambered. I am but a novice, but the magazine looks like it is not holding things very tightly. Aside from getting a new mag, is there any other cause anyone can think of (and therefore a possible solution)? Thanks.

That does have weak magazine spring written all over it. Maybe you can get just a spring from Wolff, Brownells or somebody like that. Triple K (no, not the KKK) shows complete magazines. https://www.triplek.com/produc...-bk-bm-bkm-9mm-8-rd/

I also don't believe this gun is actually stainless steel.

Thanks for the advice. I guess it is chrome coated. For my education, why would a weak recoil spring eject a live cartridge and then also chamber a different live cartridge with one cycle of the slide?

I've had several of those Star BkM/BM/BKS series pistols.

Use standard velocity ammo, no + P. Also, if you plan to carry the Star, be aware it is not drop safe. By this , If you have a round chambered, safety on, and the pistol is dropped,there is a possibilty it could fire , due to the inertia firing pin. There is no firing pin block as on more modern pistols

You just have to be extra vigilant with your gun handling.

Also, your pistol could be nickel plated. If so, avoid most bore cleaners standing on the nickel, it will discolor.

But I am confused, how could a live round be ejected? Do you mean from the magazine?

Do you mean when you fire a round, it also ejects a live round ?

Yes to your last statement.

Thanks for the information. I would never carry this new purchase as it is totally unreliable. I think that the top of the magazine is just old and worn down. Yes, I rack the slide and a round is chambered. I pull the trigger. Bang!, spent case ejects AND a live cartridge also ejects and lands at my feet. Half the time another live cartridge actually chambers allowing me to fire. Half the time the chamber remains empty. I have ordered a new magazine. I think that I will try to bend the top edges of the magazine inward a little to see if I can get the thing to hold the rounds (fully realizing that this mag is likely dead weight no matter what I do). Thanks again for the advice.

I’ve not had a Triple K magazine for the Star BM, but I have tried their mags for a couple of other pistols and found that they sucked. Hope you have better luck.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I’ve not had a Triple K magazine for the Star BM, but I have tried their mags for a couple of other pistols and found that they sucked. Hope you have better luck.

To be sure, I rechecked the link I gave the OP. They are OEM Star mags, but used, in "'very good' condition." That could mean anything, of course. But if the OP's mag feed lips are bent out of shape, it might be worth a … shot.

J & G Sales has used Star BM magazines.
Pricey, but available

https://www.jgsales.com/star-b...-used.-p-102990.html

I appreciate the mag advice. I ordered a promag from Gun Mag Warehouse. We will see. I attempted to modify the top of my magazine. First I made it so tight that the gun would not feed the first round. I bent it back a little and the original problem occurred. Can anyone come up with an alternative explanation...maybe a part of the gun knocking a live cartridge out of the magazine? I need one of those slo mo cameras they use on Guns and Ammo tv.

The ejections process has nothing to do with the magazine that is the bolt and ejector... but the spring has to force the next round up and into the proper position to allow it to be chambered.... I think that Egregore tagged it... but I'm not an expert.... replace spring and try a different magazine....

i also have a strong dislike for Triple K magazines.
The two that I got for a Zastava m57 had the feed lips wear out quickly.
I thought about just salvaging the springs, but considering the quality of the metal in the body, I think that would lead to more trouble than it is worth.

I will report back when I get my new magazine. I agree with Blume9mm that the ejection of the spent case has nothing to do with the magazine. However, my bizarre problem involves ejection of a live cartridge from the magazine in addition to ejection of the spent case. Therefore, logic serves that the magazine is either letting a live cartridge loose when it shouldn't or that some part of the gun is knocking the round about to be chambered out of the gun. Remember, I have fired a round and had the spent case ejected...a live round ejected...and then another live round chambered (ready to fire). I feel like a weak hold by the magazine on the rounds could be the problem, but I do not understand the logic that a weak mag spring is ejecting a live round and then also allowing another round to be chambered. I really do appreciate the discussion.

I have success. My over-feeding problems with the Star BM 9mm have been solved by a brand new ProMag 8 round magazine from gunmagwarehouse.com. Shipping was fast and overall cost about $30.

https://gunmagwarehouse.com/pr...nto_default_products

The Star BM just ate up a couple magazines of WWB 9mm with no problems. I will post photos of magazines side by side later.

quote:

Originally posted by wscrst:
I have success. My over-feeding problems with the Star BM 9mm have been solved by a brand new ProMag 8 round magazine from gunmagwarehouse.com. Shipping was fast and overall cost about $30.

https://gunmagwarehouse.com/pr...nto_default_products

The Star BM just ate up a couple magazines of WWB 9mm with no problems. I will post photos of magazines side by side later.

Good to hear. I've never heard of anyone having good luck with Promags, but guess they're better than what you had.