[John J Stimson II]

So John, you are saying that at some point High Standard maintained two facilities (East Hartford and Hamden) and that some SH guns were marked with either adress? And are you saying some ML (East Hartford 107's) carried SH serial numbers (with or without the SH marking)? In the last days of Connecticut High Standard is it possible that they were using up previously marked or problem parts from Hamden days and in their haste to close up shop mistakes were made in the markings of serial numbers?

All this serial number markings issues is meaningless to shooters. I think the poster is a shooter not a collector and as long as the gun shoots well and is presentable for fit and finish, I suspect he will find the gun to his liking! The accuracy over the years, regardless of the manufacturing at various locations, has always been stellar. Fit and finish may have varied but in most cases over the years these guns have been an excellent choice for a target gun. Just my opinion and other's opinions may vary.

LDBennett

For the large pushbutton guns they only maintained facilities in two cities in 1977 during the transition.
Slant grip guns were basically discontinued in Hamden but some leftover parts were used to complete small numbers in 1978 after HSI took over ownership. The Military grip guns first assembled in East Hartford used up old Hamden marked barrels and this practice was again repeated in early 1978 when the company ownership changed.

It is most likely that they were not mismarking parts but rather using previously marked parts.

You would be surprised by the number of target shooters who have requested the ship date and configuration of their guns. Some do care.

The accuracy while it has always been setllar there was always some variation, but as the manufacuring methods changed so did the accuracy. I have a memo from Gary Wilhelm about that very issue. When they were selecting a barrel for the fluted barrel 104 series Supermatic Trophy to be sent to the NRA for evaluation , they target tested moer than a few barrels. I have the targets. The NRA review was very favorable especially since they got a very good barrel. If there had been no variability they would not have had to use target tested barrels for the much later MODEL 10-X.

I am certainly not going to treat shooters and collectors differently or try to guess what they really want to know. I provide what information I can and they can do with it what the want.

 

[lil_Glock]

Congrats.

 

[LDBennett]

John:
Thank you for the insight. I suspected, based on your previous posts here over the years, that it was using up left over parts. My first impression of your post was that both facilities were open for years and not just in the move time. That is why I questioned you. I got it now.

Any production thing made by man has variation including in gun accuracy. Barrels vary. I would love to have a 10-X just to compare its accuracy in my hands to my other Hi Std guns. But at the prices for them I would not bother to even search for one. Besides my gun skills at 80 years old is not what it use to be (really bad eyesight) and the comparison would be flawed.

I am sorry that I distinguish between collectors and shooter, even though you do not. Shooters are performance oriented (just look at the somewhat crude appearance of the 10-X guns). Meanwhile collectors are after the highly polished models and rarer models. No offense meant to you but collectors elevate pricing for these guns through demand. If these guns were not in demand then the prices would follow other less desirable target guns. But it is what it is and I have just three (Supermatic Field King, a Texas Trophy, and a ML Victor). The later two are regular shooters. The first one was bought off a friend as my first Hi Std and it is not going anywhere while I am still alive. It shows honest carry wear as the owner was a farmer and carried it often in a holster...the price was right at the time.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

LDBennett

 

[Urban_Cowboy]

That's a beautiful pistol, very clean lines and classic elegance. Hope it shoots as good as it looks. I'm jealous.

 

[pistolpower]

My Thanksgiving is be spent 21 miles from the Interarms facility. Friday, today, they were open.
Grabbed my Victor, set the nav system and drug my happy behind down to this nondescript facility. The Victor stayed behind as Alan and his crew will go through it. One of my magazines was definitely suspect. Alan identified an imperfection in the barrel face that will be remedied along new springs.
To my surprise I found out they are still making Victors (and others). He handed me the nearly finished, next off the line unit while touring their work area. Odds are I will take it and it will become a 2022 High Standard Victor in my collection. Gotta break that to my wife later.

 

[LDBennett]

For those of you unaware, the progression of facilities (as well as owners) over the last four decades was Connecticut then new High Standard of Houston TX. Alan was part of the TX effort as the design and production guy for a couple decades. The let him go then they went bankrupt. Some of the directors snatched up some of the asset and took them to Montana or Wyoming (?). That group tried to do business there but I never heard what happened to them. Alan bought Interarms and started up Interarms Texas where today he does Hi Std parts and service. He now rents out the former High Standard Houston Texas facility from the original landlord. Seems in the haste of the former directors to leave Texas (perhaps against the rulings of the Texas bankruptcy court??) they left behind a bunch of “trash” that Alan keeps find goodies in.

His former gunsmiths for the Texas firm started their own business where they now produce a new version of the Hi Std 10-X. Alan is associated with them (somehow?). He acts as a sales agent taking orders for them. I think he also provides them new parts as well (??).

Alan probably is the most knowledgable Hi Std person for repairs and produces some new parts including new magazines. Those magazines are superior to the common Triple K magazines because of hardened feed lips and his factory lip tuning. Alan is always helpful and well invested in the High Standard world for collectors and shooters.

LDBennett

 

[mr alexander]

Kind of like the use of a take down bolt as opposed to push button or lever.
View attachment 344584

pistolpower,

A fellow club member has a Browning Buck Mark Pistol. This model employs a takedown screw to secure the barrel to the frame in a similar fashion as your Victor does. After a period of time, that screw on his pistol tended to loosen a little, allowing the barrel to "wobble" a bit on the frame.

I have no experience with the SH High Standard Pistols, so this loosening problem may or may not happen to you. As a solution, he applied the following to the screw on his Browning:

LOCTITE LOW STRENGTH PURPLE #222 THREAD-LOCKER | Brownells

Retains assembled screws tightly but still allows occasional turning or adjustment. Works especially well on fine-threaded aluminum and very small diameter screws. Screws ...

www.brownells.com

Do click on and read the one review that's there of that LOCTITE Product. If it proved worthwhile for the reviewer, it should be useful for your application as well, if the need should arise.

 

[Gary O’Neal]

Great looking pistol. Congrats!