Shooting ASTA 400 ?

[Brad]

I hope this is the correct forum?
I have an ASTA 400 that I have been told I can use several different runs in?
Problem is I just tried two of them, 9MM Luger and 380 auto, and neither will work.
I will get some 9MM Largo but I'm wondering if there might be something wrong with my pistol?
Thanks,
Brad Foust

[gwp]

.380 and 9mm are too short to headspace on the cartridge mouth. The 9mm Largo case is 23mm long and using anything shorter requires the extractor to hold the cartridge to the slide. If the extracor is weak the cartridge will not be held back. 9mm Largo ammunition is available if you look for it. The Astra was not designed to use anything but 9mm Largo ammunition. Other ammunition may work is some pistols.

[Alkali]

Nope, there's nothing wrong with your pistol. These were designed to work with the 9mm Largo cartridge only. Some of them will feed and fire other cartridges because the strong extractor will grab the shorter cases and hold them in place against the bolt face. .38 Colt Auto usually works well. Correct (and excellent quality) brass is available from Starline. If you have .38 Super dies and a Luger shell holder you're good to go. Don't use factory loaded .38 Super ammo as it is loaded a tick or two above the original Largo loading. It could be hard on the pistol for extended use. These are reliable, rugged pistols. Current prices seem to fairly reflect their value.

[Brad]

Thanks guys for the info.
I am checking with Sarco for ammo. I heard they had some not ling back.
Are these pistols worth anything. Seem a little out of date.
Thanks again,
Brd

[Tuna]

You might be thinking of the Astra 600. I seem to remember that one of them has a chamber that will fire the standard 9mm as well as the Largo and the old .38 Colt rounds.

[joem]

I have a couple of them and I reload my brass. Always get a few people at the range who want to shoot it. A lot of ammo is corrosive, watch it.

[Beachbumbob]

You might be thinking of the Astra 600. I seem to remember that one of them has a chamber that will fire the standard 9mm as well as the Largo and the old .38 Colt rounds.

Astra 600 was built and chambered specifically for the 9mm Luger round.

[Tuna]

Astra 600 was built and chambered specifically for the 9mm Luger round.

Thanks BBB. I just didn't remember which one it was that many years ago was advertised as being able to shoot the standard 9mm and .38 Colt auto rounds as well as the 9mm Largo it was chambered in.

[Griff Murphey]

An Astra 400 was my first centerfire pistol. I bought it for $12 in 1966, before GCA '68. The gun shop owner checked with my dad who said I could buy it. Still have it. Mine will work with 9mm, .38 ACP, 9mm Steyr, and 9mm Largo. Best ammo is some CCI Blazer 9mm Largo they made some years ago. My gun's barrel and chamber is worn out and sprays sparks on my gun hand but it is reliable. When I first bought it I shot it with some of that WW2 Winchester 9mm Parabellum Sten ammo you could buy for $4 per 100. Relatively speaking new commercial ammo is cheaper at Wal Mart, today, but I would not recommend the 9mm Parabellum in the 400.

The Astra 600 in 9mm Parabelum only, was a secondary martial arm of the 3rd Reich, being used as a sidearm by Luftwaffe personnel including aircrew during WW2, and those guns will be found with Waffenamt markings.

[JB White]

I once owned an Astra 400 w/both commercial markings and German waffenampfts. The barrel at the ejection port was marked 9mm-08 and it was indeed chambered for 9mm Parabellum. So there are some 9mm 400's out there but they should be marked as such.

Hopefully there is still surplus Largo out there on the cheap. This summer a friend purchased one of the surplus Star autoloaders and two cases of surplus Largo ammunition to go with it. So far it's been great ammo with no FtF's or click bangs at all.

[joem]

If you reload you can get 9mm Largo brass from Star or use .38 super brass and reload it.

[Griff Murphey]

Numrich, I think, offers or has offered replacement barrels in 9mm Parabellum and 9mm Largo. There is a "tipping of rounds" issue with the magazine built for the longer 9mm Largo so I would not go for the 9mm barrel.

One of my older brother's friends bought an Astra 400. Since his wife had trouble racking it back, he kept it fully loaded but magazine out, relying on the mag safety, thinking: "The wife can simply insert the mag when defense is needed." He was demonstrating this to a visitor by pointing the gun at his TV, magazine out but live round up the spout. Result: "BANG!" - one dead TV. Lucky it was only a TV. Safeties are never a substitute for safe gun handling.

[Rodd Knox]

One of my older brother's friends bought an Astra 400. Since his wife had trouble racking it back, he kept it fully loaded but magazine out, relying on the mag safety, thinking: "The wife can simply insert the mag when defense is needed." He was demonstrating this to a visitor by pointing the gun at his TV, magazine out but live round up the spout. Result: "BANG!" - one dead TV. Lucky it was only a TV. Safeties are never a substitute for safe gun handling.

I hope Rose O'Donnell was on the idiot box when that happened.

[Griff Murphey]

As a practical matter, the Astra 400 is a sturdy, well built gun, designed to stand hard use. It's simple to field strip and clean.

Disadvantages are: lack of a "drop" safety, single action trigger, odd caliber, low cap mag with slow release, awkward pointing, poor sights. By today's standards, yes, it's obsolete.

One appearance in movies: in MILLER'S CROSSING as a gangster gun, AFAIK.

[JB White]

That awkward pointing often led to a sore wrist after firing numerous rounds. The grip angle is a bit too erect for my liking. Aside from that, I enjoyed mine when I had it and I can't recall it ever having had a stoppage.