I have always been a fan of large bore sixguns. For many many years my favorite choice was the .45 Colt and I still have a place in my heart for it. When it comes to autoloaders I prefer the big old fat slow .45 ACP. That's my first choice if I am carrying one. I have read how the 9mm has been improved over the years with better bullets and I understand that a lot of research has been done. And while I will admit that I do own a 9mm, I have to say I have never carried it as a CCW gun. It just doesn't feel right. It's not a physical feeling, it's a mental one! The gun is a Star BM and is accurate, runs without a stutter, has good sights and a good trigger. It's me. I do not feel comfortable carrying it. If it was the only gun I had available I would use it. But as long as I have a choice I will choose a larger caliber if I am carrying an autoloader.

It has a beveled magazine well from the factory.

And Star made the magazines correctly so the follower plate cannot tip.

However I prefer the larger caliber. I like the .357 Magnum and use one a lot. However, when carrying a sixgun I still like the larger calibers. It's one of those weird personal disorders that afflicts humans. Personal Preference. Sometimes it makes no sense but it is the way we feel, individually.

And let me state here, I am not trying to convince anyone that my personal preference is better than someone else's! NO! I firmly believe that for a self-defense weapon a person should carry what they have confidence in and are completely comfortable mentally and physically with. I am totally serious about that.

Whatever you carry .. PLEASE be sure and practice with it enough that you can use it without having to think about it. (just a friendly reminder)

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Ele era velho.
Ele era corajoso.
Ele era feio.

My first choice and go to CCW is my 5" 1911 in 45 acp. with 230 gr Gold Dot. Never feel not armed enough carrying it, gives you that confident feeling as you go out the door at midnight. Few years back when all the craziness was going on with people hording toilet paper etc and just acting nutty, I took my grand daughters trick or treating. A 45 acp 1911 in a IWB holster with Gold Dots, high lumen flashlite in my jacket pocket and out the door I went. Would not have felt as secure with a lesser caliber. Would have liked to have carried my Marlin 1894 in 41 Magnum as well but would have gotten strange looks and caused a scene.

Gunner

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https://www.instagram.com/41gunner/
41 Mags rule, Baers rock!

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Ele era velho.
Ele era corajoso.
Ele era feio.

I had a couple of early hiccups with feeding and ejecting but a new recoil spring from Wolff fixed things up. I gave it to one of my sons for his 30th birthday and, while I don't exactly 'regret' it, I kind of regret it.

Carry these days is a Ruger LC9S. It goes on with my pants. In the past, it "had to be" a .45 of one form or another. The 9mm's have certainly evolved and I sure like the flat, light, 'no-hurt-em' frames available today.

Woods bummin'? It usually starts with a '4' and usually has a round part in the middle.

Comforting not comfortable BUT at my age comfortable trumps comforting.

better choices that a Star 9mm. A S&W Shield or SIG 365 would be great places to start in that size and weight class. Or a good old 1911 Commander in 45 ACP if you prefer the larger bore. Ruger's version is a best buy on the market right now. The S&W SC Titanium framed Commanders are also a great gun and very affordable for what they have to offer.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Jim, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of wood is that on your Star BM? Two of my BMs have cocobolo and Brazilian ironwood, but I have a set that looks exactly like that on a Ruger .22. The guy I bought them from at a gun show didn't know what they were, but they were cheap and looked a darnsight better than the black plastic the gun came with so I bought them anyway. I like them but have always wondered what they were made of.

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Ele era velho.
Ele era corajoso.
Ele era feio.

This is my current Star BM ... Personalized...

I especially like the PD.

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Ele era velho.
Ele era corajoso.
Ele era feio.

Before Jon The Curmudgeonly Gunsmith retired, he opined that Star and Astra made really good, underrated guns, for the most part.

His opinion of Llama was poor.

the Star PD successor, the Starfire M45, was not too impressed with it. Decent enough trigger pull, but a long long takeup.

Thumb safety just used the top of the left grip as its mechanical stop.

Magazine safety.

It had the CZ75 style slide-in-the-frame, which made it less svelte amidships than the PD.

Memory (never that safe) tells me came out around '89-'91, and by that time, the Big 3 Spanish gunmakers were all gasping for breath. I believe they were all dead by 2000.

Glad to find out after several years of wondering......