Star Model A Spanish Air Force Contract (Ejército del Aire) 9x23mm Largo, 5-inch, 8+1, 1944, Blued, Fixed Sights
This Star Model A is a Spanish Air Force contract service pistol chambered in 9x23mm Largo and manufactured in 1944. It carries Eibar proof-house stamps, a star-over-letter date code, and Spanish Air Force roundels that tie it to military service. Built with a 5-inch carbon-steel barrel, blued steel construction, and checkered hardwood grips, it presents a classic WWII-era configuration. A later C.A.I. St.
Albans, VT import mark documents its passage into the U.S. market.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Fair - Generally clean, some residue or smudges, slight corrosion.
Bore Rifling: Fair Rifling - Worn rifling, slight loss of definition.
Specific Condition Notes: The pistol is in solid shape with scratches and blemishes visible across the blued finish. Small deposits of pitting are present. The rifling remains present but is very blemished. The rear sight has been painted, while the front sight remains unpainted.
What’s Included
- Star Model A pistol (Spanish Air Force contract)
- 1x 8-round steel single-stack magazine (unmarked)
Contract markings define this pistol. Spanish Air Force roundels and a distinct inventory marking are present on the right side, confirming service provenance. Eibar proof-house stamps, including the crowned P and shielded crest, and the star-over-letter date code add factory and date verification.
Chambered in 9x23mm Largo, the Model A feeds from an 8-round single-stack magazine for an 8+1 capacity. The 5-inch carbon-steel barrel and full-size frame deliver the classic Star service layout of the period.
The mechanism follows a Browning-type short-recoil, locked-breech design and operates in single-action. It features left-side controls, a left-side thumb safety, and a spur hammer, with no grip safety in the design.
Original configuration details include a blued carbon-steel frame and slide, fixed front blade and fixed rear notch sights, and checkered hardwood grips with diamond escutcheons. The rear sight has been painted while the front remains in its original unpainted state.
Import history is clearly marked: "C.A.I. ST. ALB. VT. 9MM LARGO SPAIN" indicates later U.S.
importation, which, alongside the Spanish Air Force and Eibar markings, rounds out a well-documented WWII-era service pistol.