Picked up a 1974 High Standard Flite-King Riot gun last week. Oddly, my dream gun after seeing one in a 1965 Shooter's Bible when I was a kid. Good condition and doesn't appear to have been shot much at all. One thing I need some help with, though. As I got the gun the "left cartridge stop" (the one pushed down by the action bar every time you pump) wouldn't move far enough to release a shell from the mag tube. The action bar isn't bent or worn, the receiver isn't worn, and the cartridge stop isn't worn or dirty. With the geometry in place it wasn't capable of being moved out of the shell's way. Were these stops originally fit to the gun by hand? Mine looked like it could have been a replacement. I ended up getting another replacement (identical) and stoning the end down so a shell would clear it. But I assume these guns were designed to use off-the-line parts and I'm a little confused how this would have worked in that case. The interaction between the action bar and the cartridge stop doesn't have a wide enough range of movement to work as it came to me.
Sometimes a slightly out of spec part may make its way onto a firearm. Had the exact same problem with my Maverick 12ga. About 5 minutes on some sandpaper and I had the cartridge stop fixed to where it wouldn't rip at the hull of a shell coming out of the tube.
The original was the same as the period replacement I bought. They're cast parts anyway. Not sure if they're wrong for this model year or if I'm missing something.
I can't answer your question but If it's like my Victor you should never shoot hi-velocity ammo through it. That will eventually break the frame and you will wind up with an expensive paperweight.
My god is that a beautiful gun!!! I have a very old Stevens shotgun bought from Sears that is made by High Standard and it is honestly one of the smoothest pumps I've ever owned. I'll be on the lookout for one of these for sure!
You can shoot anything that will fit in the chamber in that thing. High Standard made some of the best pumps (12 ga) and worst semi autos ever. The shell stop is stamped, not cast. I replaced a couple of them, and they were drop in perfect fit back then. As long as you got it to function I wouldn't worry about it.
Just a thought: The cartridge stop may have been for a 20 or 16 gauge gun. It may have fit, but may need to be adjusted to work properly.
That gun is in beautiful shape! I believe the Rock Island M-5 is patterned after the High Standard Flight King. In fact I think some of the parts are interchangeable. At least with a little gunsmithing. I picked up a pair of them, one in blue, and the other in Electroless Nickel. I've run about every load there is under the Sun through them, including a bunch of handloads. Both of them ate everything they were fed without a single hiccup. These are beautiful all steel shotguns. (No Aluminum, except for the trigger housing).
I have had my eye on the M5 for awhile. Still might get one as a good budget and compact 12ga. Looks like both of yours had the bolts jeweled as well.
