Do the weapon and item stars in battlefield bad company 2 do anything?

I vaugely remember the game mentioning something about improved handling, but searching forums has come up with nothing on the topic.Do the weapon and item stars in battlefield bad company 2 do anything?
i dont believe it does anything... its more there for show, saying "Hey, look at me! I've been using this gun alot and am really good!!"Do the weapon and item stars in battlefield bad company 2 do anything?
You get stars for a certain amount of kills with gadgets, weapons and vehicles. There is a bronze star, silver star, gold star and platinum star. Each star you earn gives you points. Every star needs a different amount of kills to get and gadgets, weapons and vehicles each need different kills.Do the weapon and item stars in battlefield bad company 2 do anything?
they are to show your skill level with each gun, They also are required for certain challenges.