another high standard? model 'B'

MIKE WISKEY

I also picked this M-B up, the interesting part is the "U.S." markings. a former owner stippeled the from grip strap  :-(.           I suspect the 'holster' is from Yugoslavia. 

rufe-snow

Very desirable, to a collector of U.S. military handguns. I believe only 14,000, were made for the U.S., early in the war years? Much less common, than the "HD USA". 

Mine is in the 102,xxx serial number range. What is your SN range? 

rufe-snow

MIKE WISKEY said:

I also picked this M-B up, the interesting part is the "U.S." markings. a former owner stippeled the from grip strap  :-(.           I suspect the 'holster' is from Yugoslavia. 

Just had a thought. Serial number is located on the front grip strap. If previous owner has removed it with the stippling, not a positive thing. Feds tend to frown on foks, who have said guns in their possession.

John J Stimson

rufe-snow said:

Very desirable, to a collector of U.S. military handguns. I believe only 14,000, were made for the U.S., early in the war years? Much less common, than the "HD USA". 

Mine is in the 102,xxx serial number range. What is your SN range? 

This Model B is the earlier Model B-GOV.    Rufe, your Model B with a serial number in that range would be the Model B-US with a frame contour as requested by Ordnance.   Neither the B-GOV nor the B-US were  what the Government  ut the Model H-D had no safety and the government wanted a safety on the training pistol.     How early in the War years is is depends on your point of view.  We got into the War in December 1941.  The British in September 1939.  High Standard Model B's began shipping  in September 1942.    The U.S.A. MODEL H-D didn't ship until September 1943 and last shipped in May 1945 Early guns were blued and after about October 1944 they were parkerized.

The stippled fore strap is likely a problem.
The grips are not original to the pistol. 

rufe-snow

John J Stimson said:

rufe-snow said:

Very desirable, to a collector of U.S. military handguns. I believe only 14,000, were made for the U.S., early in the war years? Much less common, than the "HD USA". 

Mine is in the 102,xxx serial number range. What is your SN range? 

   Neither the B-GOV nor the B-US were  what the Government  ut the Model H-D had no safety and the government wanted a safety on the training pistol.     

I believe you're referring to the hold-open/slide lock, rather than safety.

John J Stimson

The Ordnance Department wanted an external hammer gun with a safety..  The Model H-D had the slide lock but no safety.  The Model B had the safety which was thought more important than using the Model H-D without the safety. Had they only wanted a slide lock they could have used the design and parts from the Models A, D, and E.  In fact the Ordnance Department allowed some new old stock Model A and Model E  They ordered the Model B under the condition that High Standard modify the Model B frame until they could design and manufacture the Model H-D with a safety.   High Standard introduced the Model B-US in November 1942.   Actually they wanted the Colt ACE but Colt was too busy to take on more pistols.

MIKE WISKEY

"This Model B is the earlier Model B-GOV."................what ser. # range were these ?, also the grips are marked "franzite" inside so I know they aren't original. now to get a new slide spring. 

rufe-snow

MIKE WISKEY said:

"This Model B is the earlier Model B-GOV."................what ser. # range were these ?, also the grips are marked "franzite" inside so I know they aren't original. now to get a new slide spring. 

Per my reference, <92,000.

John J Stimson

The beginning serial number for the range for the Model B-GOV is difficult to specify without qualifications.
High Standard was not obsessive about inventory control  They did not finish gun assembly in serial number order and they did not ship in serial number order.  The lowest serial numbers shipped to the government are in this case stock that had been manufactured and put into stock earlier but not yet pulled for shipment.   92,000,  actually  92,344 per Charles W. Pate, is a good approximation of the majority of the outliers.  I have found a few earlier serial numbers shipped to the government on the dates of the training pistols shipping lots.  My current estimate of the earliest Model B-Gov is 52,208 which shipped 9/8/1942 but whose surrounding serial numbers shipped in February 1940.  86,871 is another early outlier.  After exhausting most of the extant stock,  the government serial number shipments became the majority of the shipments in a serial number range is in the late 95,800 range but there were still civilian shipments.  By 96,000 almost all shipments were Model B-GOV.  The transition from the Model B-GOV to Model B-US fell between 100,074 and 100,589 based on my field observations to date.  111,631 was the highest Model B-US.

MIKE WISKEY

John, after disassembly (and replacing the slide spring) I found the # 99942 stamped in the bottom of the slide, any help for shipment date?
 thanks for all your help here on g.b.  

John J Stimson

10/22/1942 to the War Department.  It is unusual to find the full serial number stamped on the bottom of the slide.  One would expect the last three or four digits.