Okay I started shooting in the summer of 1980. I was twelve and my dad got me started. He didn't have a large collection back then. I started on his S&W 65 loaded with 38 special full wad cutters (remember those?), his S&W Model 36 Chiefs Special and his Browning Nomad.
After I had showed that I was at least somewhat capable he let me shoot his department issued Hi-Standard riot gun and the Savage 99 in 308. He was an Idaho State Trooper (1972-1994) and yes the Hi-Standard and Savage were issued to him.
The Hi-Standards were purchased by ISP in the sixties. The shotguns were issued to each district in the state and they then sat in each district headquarters respective gun vault. They were never issued. Why?
Well it was the late sixties and the shotguns were only to be issued in case of a large scale civil insurrection like Detroit. Los Angeles, Newark, and other cities were experiencing at the time. Like this was was a real concern for Idaho in the sixties.
The troopers were issued some type of Steven (that's what I've been told at least. It's been almost 30 years since they went away) semi-automatic 12 gauge with a massive polychoke on the end of the barrel. I remember those suckers. My childhood memory was of a shotgun that was big and heavy. They were also pretty beat up. So while the troopers carried those things in the cars perfectly good and new pump shotguns sat in safes gathering dust. :banghead:
In 1978 ISP finally got a new commander. He came from (I believe) Los Angeles County SO. He reviewed what the troopers were carrying and promptly got rid of the Model 28 Highway Patrolman revolvers for the Model 65. He then learned about the Hi-Standard shotguns sitting in the vaults around the state. He ordered those shotguns to be pulled and issued. Dad's shotgun was still in the box. Never fired. The Savage rifles stuck around until 83 whne Ruger Mini-14's were issued. Just in case you are curious.
Well the Hi-Standards were replaced with Remington 870's in 1984. Dad and other troopers admitted that the Remington was a good shotgun, but many of them wanted to keep the Hi-Standards. In just six years that model had gotten a fan club in the Idaho State Police.
Okay fast forward to December 8th, 2007. Whew. I shot a Hi-Standard riot shotgun for the first time in approximately 23 years. I've been a cop for over seven years now myself and I've always used the Remington 870. The Hi-Standard was just a dim memory. Well the memory got refreshed.
That sucker is solid and has a real slick action. I'm not a shotgunner. I like handguns. Especially revolvers and that's where my interest lies. The shotgun is a tool for me. Slugs and 00 buck for work and No. 7 birdshot for plinking becasue it's cheap. That's the extent of my knowledge. Well I do really like the Winchester Model 12 in the takedown configuration, but I digress.
I have alwasy though of Hi-Standard as an okay, but cheap gunmaker. Yesterday I had a chance to walk down memory lane and I was impressed. To bad I can't seem to find any on the second hand market here in the greater Boise area. I know because yesterday I went looking after leaving the range.
If I got any of the dates wrong please let me know.
After I had showed that I was at least somewhat capable he let me shoot his department issued Hi-Standard riot gun and the Savage 99 in 308. He was an Idaho State Trooper (1972-1994) and yes the Hi-Standard and Savage were issued to him.
The Hi-Standards were purchased by ISP in the sixties. The shotguns were issued to each district in the state and they then sat in each district headquarters respective gun vault. They were never issued. Why?
Well it was the late sixties and the shotguns were only to be issued in case of a large scale civil insurrection like Detroit. Los Angeles, Newark, and other cities were experiencing at the time. Like this was was a real concern for Idaho in the sixties.
The troopers were issued some type of Steven (that's what I've been told at least. It's been almost 30 years since they went away) semi-automatic 12 gauge with a massive polychoke on the end of the barrel. I remember those suckers. My childhood memory was of a shotgun that was big and heavy. They were also pretty beat up. So while the troopers carried those things in the cars perfectly good and new pump shotguns sat in safes gathering dust. :banghead:
In 1978 ISP finally got a new commander. He came from (I believe) Los Angeles County SO. He reviewed what the troopers were carrying and promptly got rid of the Model 28 Highway Patrolman revolvers for the Model 65. He then learned about the Hi-Standard shotguns sitting in the vaults around the state. He ordered those shotguns to be pulled and issued. Dad's shotgun was still in the box. Never fired. The Savage rifles stuck around until 83 whne Ruger Mini-14's were issued. Just in case you are curious.
Well the Hi-Standards were replaced with Remington 870's in 1984. Dad and other troopers admitted that the Remington was a good shotgun, but many of them wanted to keep the Hi-Standards. In just six years that model had gotten a fan club in the Idaho State Police.
Okay fast forward to December 8th, 2007. Whew. I shot a Hi-Standard riot shotgun for the first time in approximately 23 years. I've been a cop for over seven years now myself and I've always used the Remington 870. The Hi-Standard was just a dim memory. Well the memory got refreshed.
That sucker is solid and has a real slick action. I'm not a shotgunner. I like handguns. Especially revolvers and that's where my interest lies. The shotgun is a tool for me. Slugs and 00 buck for work and No. 7 birdshot for plinking becasue it's cheap. That's the extent of my knowledge. Well I do really like the Winchester Model 12 in the takedown configuration, but I digress.
I have alwasy though of Hi-Standard as an okay, but cheap gunmaker. Yesterday I had a chance to walk down memory lane and I was impressed. To bad I can't seem to find any on the second hand market here in the greater Boise area. I know because yesterday I went looking after leaving the range.
If I got any of the dates wrong please let me know.
