High Standard AR-15

[Walkalong]

Saw a High Standard AR-15 at the gun show today. I was very impressed with the fit and finish compared to the Stags, Bushmasters, Colts, and a couple of others. It looked as good as any, and to be honest, better than many. Anybody know anything about them. I was told they just started bringing them in the country.

All the AR's I saw were over priced, but that is not unusual around here. Stuff has been overpriced here for a long time. :banghead:

I saw a couple of nice ones I would not mind owning, but again, too much money. Used - $800 and up. New - $1000 and up. Saw a couple in the $2000 to $2800 range.

There were a couple priced reasonable for a "buy it and take it home right now" gun show price vs waiting on one, but I'll just wait, thank you very much.

 

[fgr39]

I was told they just started bringing them in the country.

I'm pretty sure that they are built in Texas. Of course I havn't watched the news lately so Texas may be part of Mexico again.

 

[Onmilo]

I use a lot of High Standard parts.
Their bolt carriers are better than Bushmaster and DPMS, their bolts are on par with those two firms.
Their furniture is a little cheaper looking, the small parts appear as good as mil-spec, as do the upper and lower receiver units.
I haven't actually inspected any barrels but have heard good things about them.
I cannot tell you if the barrels are chrome lined or plain chrome moly steel.
The complete rifles are fairly basic versions and retail for quite a bit less than many other manufacturers comparable models.HTH.

 

[MMcfpd]

High Standard is here in Houston and, while I believe they're relatively new to the market, they seem to be getting pretty decent reviews.

I don't have any experience with them myself.

 

[Guy de Loimbard]

I bought one of these as my first gun, brand new shortly after I turned 18. I got it for $775. I think at that point they were still working the kinks out of the production tooling. Mine has a serial number of less than 100. I had to send it back to the factory because the barrel nut loosened up, which not only made the accuracy go to pot but I had lots of stuck cases with their primers missing; I had to beat those out with a cleaning rod. That cost $90 to ship it next day to the factory for repairs. Less than 200 rounds later the barrel nut has loosened up again. I think this time I'm going to buy a punch set and AR multitool and tighten it down myself. It would be cheaper, and then I would have the tools on hand for the next time it goes out of whack.

 

[SpeedAKL]

They seem to be getting solid press. I've poked around a couple and they seem very nice if you're looking for a typical AR.

 

[Cougfan2]

I'll be interested to see how they are doing 6 mos. to a year from now. My only experience with them was in inquiring about a spare mag for my old High Standard Supermatic Tournament Military .22lr target pistol.

Without boring you with the details, the customer service experience was less than satisfactory, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being and assume someone was having a bad day.

 

[rangerruck]

I have talked to the owner a few times, and HIGH STANDARD is mostly just a name now, even though he did buy all their old parts and supplies he could.
So i could see how getting parts for their old pistols would be tough, as he would proly be the only person who knows where they are.
As for their ar stuff, they also have bought as many high end parts as they can , and make and tool the rest. He told me that he hired a bunch of the old timer origional AR/Colt/ Armalite guys, to make sure the parts they made were right, and to origional specs. He has a pretty good rep here in Houston, and I see him at most of the gunshows, and the other dudes would surely be talking bad about him, if he was lousy.
I would have no probs buying from him.

 

[AKM]

CMT/Stag manufactures most of their major parts (Upper and Lower receivers, Carriers, ect.).

 

[Detritus]

[He has a pretty good rep here in Houston, and I see him at most of the gunshows, and the other dudes would surely be talking bad about him, if he was lousy.

don't know about TALKING about him or his products, but it seems none of the shops on the south side of town, will CARRY his products.

If someone has had a positive expereince with a "Houston High Standard" that's cool and i don't wish to denigrate that in any way. And though this does not directly reference the ARs. from my OWN phone discussions, i feel the the owner (or a person claiming to be the owner) is a BS artist, told me outright that ALL HS 1911s were "Made in America" which sounds great until you find "Made in the Phillipines" stamped in an out of the way place on three in a row (yep the "made in" markings were placed like they wanted to hide the facts). compare the HS 1911s to similarly equipped RIA or Charles Daly models, you'll see the family resemblance, they're all three made by Armscorp.

the above makes it difficult for me to trust any current High Standard product. If a company's owner/president/whatever isn't honest with a customer over a simple fact that is stamped right ON the gun why should i trust what his company sells.
that said I must state the following,

1. I do not have a problem with phillipine made guns, in fact a RIA Tactical is still a possible next 1911 for me. my problem was being lied to about it.
2. as AKM states, the major parts are CMT/Stag. Add as well that an AR is basicly an Erector set for grownups, and such a simple erector set that it "takes Effort" to botch it.