High Standard HD Military

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Dan Forrester

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I have come into possession of a High Standard HD Military model serial number157XXX. With the gun came the original box which appears to have been stepped on as well as the instructions which have come apart at one seem.

The muzzle crown to me looks like it has been messed up due to improper cleaning but the bore and rifling looks good. I really don’t have much use for this gun so am looking to sell it. A local gun shop said it was worth between $50-75 which I know is BS.

Does anyone know the value of the gun with box and instructions. If it’s not worth that much I will just shorten and thread the barrel and put a silencer on it.

Attached are some pictures.

Thanks, Dan
 

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$50-$75?? Those thieves.:cuss: My older Blue Book shows that HD Military at $125 in 60% up to $450 in 98%. If it's marked "Property of USA" on the barrel, you can about double those prices.

Dean
 
The box is not original to the gun. High Stadanrd did not use that style box with teh HD-Military.

The serial number is in the range of an early post war gun so it is not likely that it is the model made for military training which would be marked "U.S.A. MODEL HD" There were no government contracts for the HD- Military model.

The screwed up muzzle is a huge loss of value in my opinion.

The current Blue Book, 27th edition, values 100% - $575, 98% - $475, 95% - $400, 90% - $330, 80% - $230, 70% - $150, 60% - $125 A new Blue Book is due out in a couple of weeks and will show little change.
 
Any idea what the box might be to.

What are those instructions worth?

Thanks for your time.

Dan
 
Since the box is not a High Staandard box, a knowledgeable person would not add any value for teh box..

In untorn condition these instructions will bring $20-$30. Torn as it is I have no idea. There are several versions of the instruction sheet/parts list for the hammer lettter series pistols and most are posted on teh web for viewing or dowloading so if a personb just needs information it is free.
 
I think John's about right on the pistol's price. I find at times
the Blue book is sometimes a little low on handgun prices. Usually
try to use the Gun List, and a book they put out to get a guesstimate.
I also have an HD with a 4" barrel in excellent condition, but missing
a slide stop and the little flat spring under it. Believe it only to hold
the slide back after the last round is fired. :)
 
I paid

$350 for mine 3 years ago.
It shoots great.
Aftermarket magazines are a prob.
There are great HS web sights and the guns have a cult following.
Good luck.
 
Don't know about that...

I just paid 330.00 for my 6 3/4 inch model last week. Great condition, just a little blue wear on the muzzle from use.:D
 
Forgot about

the silencer idea.
HS did make some suppressed .22lr autos for the OSS (forerunner of the CIA).
Wonder what they were for?
 
Francis Gary Powers was carrying one in his U-2 when it was shot down over the U.S.S.R. I guess it wasn't designed to take out anti-aircraft missles.

Jim
 
The Powers pistol is still in a Russian museum. Just after the break-up of the Soviet union, the Russians were strapped for cash and a friend of mine tried to buy the Powers pistol and had a deal with the Russians but the U. S. Government would not allow it to be imported. Several years later, the U.S. Government relented but the Russion economy was in much better shape and the pistol was nolonger for sale.

High Standard made over 2,500 USA MODEL HD MS pistols during the war. They also experimented woth a .25 silenced pistol and had an order for a .380 cal silenced pistol when the war ended. The .380 cal silenced pistol eventually evolved into the High Standard Model .380 several years after the war.

There was another batch of the .22 silenced pistols made after the war in the 500,000 serial number range but they are not in the factory records.

http://www.histandard.info/Histd/Hammer Letter.pdf
 
I purchased a USA HD Military today and I am very curious about it. I joined this forum after finding this thread as one of the few discussions on this pistol. The US property markings were ground off (not very neatly, I might add) but it would appear to have been done as part of surplusing this gun as it is rather obvious what markings were removed (on the frame and barrel) and the serial number on the frame's grip and ordinance marking above the trigger guard were left in tact. The pistol is in otherwise pretty decent shape (save for a buggered safety screw head)

The pistol came in a felt lined box, with cleaning rod, instruction sheet and two spare magazines (for a total of three). The box may have been homemade, but it was very nicely done.

I looked up the serial number and the pistol was manufactured in 1943. I assume the ground off US Property markings will detract from the value of the pistol. I am curious to know if that was a common practice and I would appreciate anyone's comments regarding my new pistol. I bought it to shoot so the cosmetic issues were of no consequence...so my pride of ownership will not be hurt by any frank comments on the pistol (I didn't pay very much for it).

Thanks in advance for your thoughts-

Doug

HSUSAHD1.jpg

HSUSAHD.jpg
 
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I have four of these pistols and have seen hundreds more. None had property marks ground off. I don't believe that the government ground off the marks before selling them as surplus.

The box is home made and a nice touch. The original boxes were two piece boxboard with a black paper covering and had a red label that covered nearly the whole lid od the box.

There is a better copy of that instruction sheet on my website. There is also a large instruction sheet and parts list posted there along with several military documents referencing this model.

They began shipemnts of this model pistol in December 1943. Not many were shipped in 1943. Some f the older date shipped vs serial number charts are not quite right and since the guns were not all shipped in serial number order there can be variances.

http://www.histandard.info/manuals/
 
John-

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I have a Colt 1911 with US Property markings and over the years I too have seen the markings more often than not on the 1911 pistols. I have also seen some (few) 1911s with the markings ground off. I was never really sure why that was. It might have been illegal at one time to own US Property marked items (kind of like we couldn't own gold for some reason). It might be an indication of the time the pistol was released from US inventory (or most likely an indication of the circumtances of the release...if you get my meaning...I think the statute of limitations would have run a long time ago on that) :)

I am both old and new to the High Standard. The very first handgun I ever shot was my father's HD Military and the last time I fired it was 30 years ago. As I imagine with most young shooters new to the handgun, I found it nearly impossible to hold the pistol steady and to keep the front sight in the rear notch and even when I appeared to be doing everything right...I would be rewarded with hits far of the mark. Now that I am older and my eyes not so good, I find the same thing happening to me (only now for different reasons!)

I have owned and fired several .22 handguns since and with the exception of a very nice Smith and Wesson pistol (property of ROTC) that I fired in college not a one of them compared favorably to my dad's HD Military, so Saturday, I decided that life is too short.

I got rid of my only 22 handgun a Ruger Govt. Target .22 to make room for this High Standard. I have been shooting the Ruger on and off for the last 15 years and I just could not make myself like the Ruger (I didn't care for the grip feel of the Ruger and the trigger pull while not bad, just didn't seem right to me). Also, I was always troubled by the difficulty Rugers present when it comes time to give them a good clean...in fact I will admit that I never took the Ruger down to clean it. When I wrap my hand around my USA HD, it just feels right. I can't wait to take it out this weekend and see how it shoots!

Any tips for the care and feeding of this pistol would be most welcome. Is this a pistol that likes to be cleaned after every outing or is it best to shoot it until it acts like it needs to be cleaned?

Doug
 
HI-STANDARD MODEL HB

Hello,
This is my first post , so please excuse any Faux Pas. I bought a Hi-Standard target pistol at a Flea Market today. It was procured from a friend of a friend who is a WWII Veteran. This old guy had it since new. (Pre War).
I thought I was buying a HD model but when I got home and put on my glasses, I discovered it was a "MODEL HB" (Serial #286XXX) that was made in New Haven Conn.
So far the internet has been of no help, so any information you folks may have will be greatly appreciated with regard to date of manufactor, rarity, value ,(or lack there of). Given it's age , I think it's in good shape and perfectly operational. This one looks like an early "HD" with an exposed hammer, as it sure fooled me. If anyone would like , I can post a few pics.
Thanks,
Dave
 
From your description, it appears that you have type II Model HB.

286,xxx suggests that it probably shipped from the factory in late 1948 so it is not as old as you were told. It is not pre war.

Petty's book lists production at about 25,000.

Although marked New Haven, around this time they moved the pistol assembly to an East Haven plant on Dodge Avenue over by the airport. At this time they had three plants; the old Foote street plant where they had made pistols, the corporate offices and a manufacturing plant on Dixwell ave in Hamden and the East Haven plant. Although pistols and other parts were made in East Haven, I don't believe that any guns are marked East Haven.

THe early HD did not have the safety you have on your HB

I have posted a fair amount of High Standard information on the web but many search engines do not list it. www.histandard.info
 
Hi Standard HD

Does any one know where I can get a take down lever assembly for a civilian HD. This is the lever on the right side used to rotate the slide stops down so the slide can be removed. Some one must have over torqued it without knowing how to disassemble the pistol twisting it off.

Jerry
 
Hi Standard HD

My error. After reading John's reply to Rufus I checked my pistol. It is an HB version, Serial # 286999. Still need the same part

Thanks

Jerry
 
holster

hello all, new guy here, and thanks for your help in advance.
I have a model H-D and from all the comments I have read their a lot outthere. Mine was inherited from my grandfather no box just a leather holster with U.S. on the flap. worn but in decient and very usable shape. just wondering if there was any value to the holster?
 
Well rc thanks and yes looks exactly like that. not sure of the maker will have to look into that....thanks a million
 
Watch the Rear Sight

If you need to adjust the rear sight, there is a locking screw on both the underside (loosen first) and the rear of the slide. Don"y try to drift the sight without loosening both or it will SCREW IT UP.
 
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