In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

high standard h-d finish difference?

MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,031 ✭✭✭✭
edited August 2022 in Ask the Experts

I have been watching these 2 High Standard h-d's and question the diffrence in finishes as the ser. #'s are less than 100 apart. any reason for this? btw, I'm buying the second one

Comments

  • Ruger4meRuger4me Member, Moderator Posts: 3,753 ******

    could just be lighting in the pictures?

  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,077 ******

    Call me overly-suspicious, but I believe the front strap in the top picture has been refinished.

  • John J StimsonJohn J Stimson Member Posts: 111 ✭✭✭

    Its not the lighting. They are finished differently.

    225,595 shipped as a catalog number 9050 on 12/17/1947 to a commercial account. 9050 is the 4.50" barrel version

    225,689 shipped as a catalog number 9050 on 12/27/1955 to the sales department account. This suggests something other than a standard commercial order. Sales department account number shipments were generally involved consignment guns, sales samples, employee sales, and other shipments not a part of norman commercial sales. Thumbrest grips were not generally used on the MODEL H-D MILITARY. This may be a factory finish or a sample finish for a special customer.

  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,031 ✭✭✭✭

    thank you John, the 225,595 is indeed a 4.5" barrel (and the 1 I'm buying). interesting that they are only 100 #'s apart but they shipped 8 years apart

  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,064 ✭✭✭✭

    government issue?

  • John J StimsonJohn J Stimson Member Posts: 111 ✭✭✭

    The guns did not ship in serial numer order nor were thsy completed in assemby in serial number order. A fair number of the MODEL H-D MILITARY were set aside for teh reference collection. There are actually several divverent variations of the this model. Coming out of the war they used up frames and grips from the U.S.A. MODEL H-D. They polished the frame and blued it. These frames did not have the trigger overtravel screw. The models right after the war have the same type sear and hammer as the War time training pistol. In all there were four sears and two hammers for the MODEL H-D MILITARY all hammers and sears are not interchangeable. A small lot of MODEL H-D MILITARY pistols were made in the mid 1950's as was a small lot of U.S.A.MODEL H-D MS for the CIA.

    I have an early first Olympic type 1 that first shipped in 1976 26 years afer being built.

  • toad67toad67 Member Posts: 13,009 ✭✭✭✭

    Your knowledge of the High Standards are very impressive John, you are a great asset to this forum. Thanks for sharing your what you know.

  • John J StimsonJohn J Stimson Member Posts: 111 ✭✭✭

    Not impossible but not likely. The government had its own account numbers and this record does not use either.

    In the 1949 Ordnance Department procurement of MODEL G-B as a survival pistol for the Air Force, early samples went to one account number and the actual order that followed to another. At that time there were also some MODEL H-D MILITARY pistols sent to the first account number which might suggest that that model was also in the running for the survival pistol role but that is just speculation at this time.

  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,064 ✭✭✭✭

    I don't suppose anyone wants/needs to hear a story about an HDM with a threaded barrel, some 'internal modifications', and no exterior finish left. Those pistols showed up in some odd places still in functional condition.

  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,031 ✭✭✭✭

    "I don't suppose anyone wants/needs to hear a story about an HDM with a threaded barre"..........bring it on ;-)

  • John J StimsonJohn J Stimson Member Posts: 111 ✭✭✭

    Which model are you talking about?

    HDM is a common abreviation for the MODEL H-D MILITARY which did not have factory silencer.

    The U.S.A. MODEL H-D was made for the Ordnance Department and a some were ordered with the Bell Labs designed suppressor and are noted in the factory records as "MS" - Military Silenced.

    THere have been at least two manufacturers that have modified non suppresses "copies" of the militaty suppressed gun . The first to these modified the MODEL H-D MILITARY and so although it has the suppressor the reat sight and the model name on the slide tell that it is a replica. The second is a person who takes your U.S.A. MODEL H-D and installs a proper copy of the original suppressor.

    I have seen several unregistered original guns for sale over the past 30 years and I have watched a friend fire a registered one in his basement.

    After the war when High Stadnard recieved one for repair and the owner did nto have the papers, the fixed the gun and replaced the suppressed barrel with a MODLE H-D MILITARY barrel.

This discussion has been closed.