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Despite being known best in the commercial market for handguns, Star's primary business has been in many ways their military submachine guns. The fall of the SMG in the 1980s to the 5.56 mm carbine may even have been a contributing cause of their eventual demise.
From just before the Civil War, until the 1990s, one Star SMG model has replaced another in Spanish army service, as well numerous export countries. For more, read up on stocked- and machine-pistols or find your stocked SMG in the progression of Spanish service weapons:
Si35, RU35 & TN35 → Z-45 → Z-62 & Z-63 → Z-70 & Z-70/B → Z-75 & Z-84
Experienced gained from Spanish Army service with the Z-45 resulted in Star creating an improved, but still 2nd generation SMG in the late 1950s. This entered service in 1963, as the Z62 in 9 mm Largo. A model for commercial sales only in 9 mm Parabellum is known as the Z63. In Spanish Army service, Z62s largely supplanted Z45s one for one. It was replaced in service in the early 1970s by the mostly similar Z-70/B, below.
The Z-62 is much more compact than the Z-45, largely due to a different layout, where the pistol grip is much closer to the magazine well. The overall tube length, and bolt travel are approximately the same. The buttstock rotates about a point near the pistol grip, so overlaps the rear of the tube as well. An unloaded weapon weighs 2.65kg (5.84 lbs).
The weapon is made entirely of steel, except for plastic grip panels. Many components are machined, with stampings for the stock, tube, trigger assemblies and other exterior components only. The barrel is 20 cm long (7.85") and it can fit 20, 30 or 40-round magazines. Magazines are ejected by pressing a button at the front of the trigger guard from right to left (as on the M-16). The rear sight is a flipover L type within protected wings, with aperatures regulated at 100 and 200 m.
The Z-62 and 63 achieve fire-selection through a somewhat unique two-finger "selecting trigger." Pulling the bottom notch rotates the trigger and fires the gun in fully-automatic mode; pulling the top notch slides the trigger to the rear and fires in semi-automatic mode. Rate of fire in fully-automatic mode is about 550 spm. This is apparently a Spanish Army requirement, as all subsequent Star models have the same rate of fire. The safety is a cross-button in the top, middle of the pistol grip.
These weapons all fire from the open bolt position, but do not have a fixed firing pin. I am unclear as to how exactly this operates.
If you are a real fan of Star SMGs, download this very large image of the muzzle of a Z62 which I have cut out, and stuck a Star logo on. Use it for your desktop, or just stare at it. Thanks to reader Jason Hutchins for the photography of his SMG.
All Star firearms marked 9 mm / 38 are designed to fire .38 ACP and 9 mm Largo ammunition, but NEVER .38 Super. Read more detail on ammunition for older firearms.
The Z-62 and Z-70/B are still in use with second-line troops of all sorts, across Spain. It is especially commonly seen in use by the Navy, by shipboard protection forces, as those seen below. I will note that the finish of these guns seems to be perhaps the best ever made. 30-40 year old guns, expecially those in service aboard ships, should not be in such good condition. Spanish Marines have all upgraded to the Z-84, or use .223 carbines instead.
I do not have manuals for every pistol shown on this site. However, in many cases there is a related manual. Partly to make the series relationships clearer, and partly to assist with speed and accuracy of updating, all manuals can be found in one place, the manuals page. All manuals available are provided as downloadable PDFs, or you may purchase a printed copy of the entire set of handgun manuals.
I have no manuals for this series of SMGs.
