It’s always good to be reunited with an old friend — or, in this case, an old acquaintance: the Star Model BM single-action 1911-style 9mm pistol. The Star Model B and the Star Model BM once served as service arms for the Spanish National Guard (La Guardia Civil). Century Arms International recently acquired a quantity of military-issue Star BMs and is making them available to civilian purchasers.

The 9mm Star Model B is a full-sized 1911-style pistol that has had a role in Hollywood on shows such as M*A*S*H*, where it doubled for the Colt .45 1911. The reason? Back then, it was difficult to get the low-pressure 1911 .45 to cycle with the blanks available. However, the higher-pressure 9mm Star Model B would cycle just fine with 9mm blanks. You can easily spot the Star Model B stand-in due to the external extractor and the blued (rather than Parkerized) finish.

To prove that things don’t always translate well from one language to another, note the model name “BM” for the Star pistol reviewed here. The 9mm Star BM is a shortened, medium “Commander”-sized Model B. The word “medio” or “mediano” is Spanish for medium. I’m assuming that “BM” simply means “Model B Medium.” I am sure the Star company (which sadly went out of business in 1997) had no inkling what that model name might sound like in English.