Walli Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 Has anyone used a Lead Star 9mm lower for some time? What was your experience? Did the feed ramp really make a difference? Or would you chose a different lower next time? Link to comment
zzt Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 2 hours ago, Walli said: Has anyone used a Lead Star 9mm lower for some time? What was your experience? Did the feed ramp really make a difference? Or would you chose a different lower next time? Well, as far as I'm concerned the feed ramp is worthless, especially if you want to shoot JHPs with a TC ogive. You'll have no issues if you shoot round nosed bullets. Also the LRBHO on mine broke the first month. I don't know if it was because I short stroked it or what. Other than that the quality is great. I bought a complete Leadstar Prime 9mm PCC because I wanted one in a hurry. I didn't want to experiment to find out which pieces worked well together. A shooting buddy shot on for a season and a half with zero malfunctions. That decided me. If I was going to build one myself with parts from various manufacturers, I'm not sure I would start with a Leadstar. I think I'd pick something that used an AR-15 mag so I could use it with Glock 9mm mags (with adapter) and 22 lr mags. Link to comment
corny Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Seek out a Davinci. They are built to exacting specs. No corners cut. A friend of mine was given a Lead Star PCC. It malfunctioned so much he actually gave it back and bought a Davinci. Link to comment
Walli Posted June 21, 2020 Author Share Posted June 21, 2020 Thank you very much for the responses. I get the feeling that there really is not much enthusiasm for the Lead Star lowers. Link to comment
cbrussell Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Unfamiliar with Davinci. Could you provide a link? Thanks. Link to comment
nso123 Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 I had a Leadstar and it shot very well and seemed to be good quality. I only shot round nose, so I can't say a ton about the feed ramp helping or not. I am now on a team sponsored by JP and switched to a GMR-15. I am extremely happy with the JP. It is smooth and fast, and has been 100% reliable. JP doesn't use a feed ramp if that helps with your question. Link to comment
Diver123 Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Leadstar arms all the way. It is light but not to light. Comes ready out of the box minus optic and a magwell. Thousands of rounds through mine and malfunction free. Feed ramp lets you run flat points problem free though I do RN. The last round bolt hold open is not something I really worry about as I shoot more USPSA than the 1 IDPA match a month. Link to comment
corny Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 8 hours ago, cbrussell said: Unfamiliar with Davinci. Could you provide a link? Thanks. https://www.davincimachining.com/product-category/uspsa-ipsc-sport-competition-products Link to comment
coryf Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 I have a leadstar. It has been 100% reliable and a joy to shoot. I had a PSA before with some upgrades and the leadstar handled much better and shot smoother with less recoil. Link to comment
zzt Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 21 hours ago, Walli said: Thank you very much for the responses. I get the feeling that there really is not much enthusiasm for the Lead Star lowers. The only problem I have with the Leadstar is feeding certain brands of factory JHPs with very wide openings. They hit the feed ramp and jam. It works perfectly with my reloads using PD, Everglades and Montana Gold JHPs. As far as the LRBHO not working, I may be wrong on that. I just remembered that I'm trying out a new JP polished carbine spring. It is considerably longer than the one that came with the gun, so it may be stacking before the hold open can engage. If you intend to build a PCC with components from various manufacturers, my suggestion to consider an AR lower was so you have flexibility. I cannot put a 22LR upper on my gun. I could if it accepted AR-15 mags. Link to comment
wyliearms Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 If you have any questions, let me know. I've shot them for years and have great success with them. They are pretty heavily used in both Steel Challenge and USPSA with a proven track record. Link to comment
cbrussell Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 20 hours ago, corny said: https://www.davincimachining.com/product-category/uspsa-ipsc-sport-competition-products Thanks for the link. Really nice looking stuff. Do you know if the additional charging handle is reciprocating? Link to comment
corny Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 1 hour ago, cbrussell said: Thanks for the link. Really nice looking stuff. Do you know if the additional charging handle is reciprocating? Yes it is reciprocating. I have one of the first ones made. Probably 30K plus rounds through it and it is running strong. I know the owner/engineer who designed the PCC. Pretty smart guy. Link to comment
Steve RA Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Looks a lot like mine - which is an LAR upper. Link to comment
Walli Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 On 6/22/2020 at 6:22 PM, wyliearms said: If you have any questions, let me know. I've shot them for years and have great success with them. They are pretty heavily used in both Steel Challenge and USPSA with a proven track record. Thanks for your kind offer. I was wondering whether Lead Star did a good job designing the magazine well, correct feeding angle and internal dimensions. I am aware that JP and QC 10 did a good job, there lowers just do not have the features and price I am looking for. I feeling more comfortable with Lead Star now. Link to comment
Walli Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 On 6/22/2020 at 3:24 PM, zzt said: The only problem I have with the Leadstar is feeding certain brands of factory JHPs with very wide openings. They hit the feed ramp and jam. It works perfectly with my reloads using PD, Everglades and Montana Gold JHPs. As far as the LRBHO not working, I may be wrong on that. I just remembered that I'm trying out a new JP polished carbine spring. It is considerably longer than the one that came with the gun, so it may be stacking before the hold open can engage. If you intend to build a PCC with components from various manufacturers, my suggestion to consider an AR lower was so you have flexibility. I cannot put a 22LR upper on my gun. I could if it accepted AR-15 mags. Is there a magazine adapter for Glock magazines that you would recommend? Link to comment
zzt Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Walli said: I was wondering whether Lead Star did a good job designing the magazine well, correct feeding angle and internal dimensions. No problem with any of that. I even run the 40 round ETS mags with zero issues. 1 hour ago, Walli said: Is there a magazine adapter for Glock magazines that you would recommend? I have no personal experience with any of them, but Stern Defense comes to mind. https://getstern.com/mag-ad9/ Link to comment
BillChunn Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 (edited) A Lead Star matching upper / lower receiver set was used as the basis of my 9mm build. It has been very reliable and the tolerances are extremely tight. Bullet profile is 147 Truncated Cone from Blue Bullets for USPSA and 105 Bayou for Steel Challenge. It also ran Montana Gold 147's very well. Yes, the ramp is very helpful with the bullet feeding as this particular barrel does not have a pronounced ramp. Smoke Composites provided the furniture and the barrel is from Bobby Keigans at CK Arms. Wanted the barrel to match the backup gun, just a bit shorter. The trigger pins have never moved as the hole to pin tolerance was VERY tight. Sig Romeo4S and Crimson Trace riding on top and a HyperFire gets things moving. The Glock magazines were very tight going up into the bottom of the Tac-Com bolt carrier and each of them had to be slightly shaved until the metal lining was even with the top of the plastic. The MBX steel magazines did not have to be modified at all and with the extension, will run 48+ rounds quite comfortably. BC Edited June 25, 2020 by BillChunn Link to comment
egd5 Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Always wondered about the name? Is it pronounced like "get the lead out" or "take the lead" ??? Link to comment
zzt Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 44 minutes ago, egd5 said: Always wondered about the name? Is it pronounced like "get the lead out" or "take the lead" ??? get the lead out. Link to comment
Tgallimore Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 I have only been running mine for about 6 months now but so far, I have zero complaints Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now