High Standard

oink · #1 04-07-2022, 07:14 PM

I stopped by the LGS yesterday just to see what new stuff they had in their used section. There was nothing I felt compelled to buy. Bud they did have an interesting revolver I've never seen before. It was High Standard .357. It looked 95% with a nice blue. It had obviously been fired very little and never carried. It had what appeared to be a 4" two piece barrel and looked to have slots for a wrench on the muzzle for removal. The cylinder had a front lock like a Dan Wesson. Actually the whole thing looked a lot like a Dan Wesson. I asked the guy if I could try the trigger. He said "once". The finish looked so nice I was surprised he even offered that. A very smooth double action trigger. It seemed a little heavy and a bit like a colt but then broke very cleanly and suddenly. Not what I'm used to but I'm sure I could learn to shoot it well.

Anybody ever seen one of those? Is it a High Standard branded Dan Wesson?

I didn't even notice the price.

mauser9 · #2 04-07-2022, 08:09 PM

Checked my book. High Standard made a Sentinel Mark 2 double action in 357 with 2 1/2 4 and 6 inch barrels with wood grips from 74-76. Also a Mark 3 with adj. sights. Also see a Crusader with double action Employing gear assembly, swing out cylinder with unique action. Was limited mfg. 1976 because of expensive fabrication

mtgianni · #3 04-08-2022, 12:32 AM

Yes the forerunner to the DW. IIRC they were supposed to market these but something went south and DW went out on their own.

2152hq · #4 04-08-2022, 12:37 PM

There's still a disgreement betw collectors and those interested in the HS & DW connection as to who actually made the HS marked DW revolvers.

Some say that the HS (DW appearing) revolvers were made by DW at DW's factory.
Being ordered by HS, and marked as a HS , retailed by HS.
The large order from HS helped DW pull itself out of a near crash and burn from bankruptcy as the fledging company was going down at the time.

Others say that the HS/DW revolvers were made by HS and at the HS plant (Hamden ,Ct) under a lic agreement w/ DW.

Lots of back and forth on both sides if you search the story out.

So many sharply opposed stories of what is the 'absolute truth' from what you would expect to be the same story from people, records , recollections etc that were all there at the same time.

The HS Crusader revolver gets brought into the conversation at times but that seems to be a complete HS design with HS empl patents.
IIRC the orig name of the 357 Crusader revolver was to be named the Valkyrie.(sp?)

Never a DW revolver fan myself. They just never interested me.
I owned a total of one in the past. It came along with 15 or so other handguns in a group buy.
It got resold with most of the others.

max · #5 04-08-2022, 01:53 PM

I had one of those, bought it in 73-74. It was a copy of the DW. I have never heard that HS made them. I have always heard DW made them for HS under a contract.

It was a very nice revolver and accurate. I traded it for a stainless Security Six. I still have the Ruger, but wish I also had the HS.

Duckfood · #6 04-08-2022, 02:08 PM

I have always heard that DW made the Sentinel Mark II for High Standard as explained by a couple of members above me...

I own several of the older DW revolvers and several of the newer production 1911s... I am hoping to find one of the High Standards to add to the herd one day... As of now, I've only seen 1 for sale... It looked it was part of a collection that was lost in a boating accident and recovered 17 years later...

John Stimson · #7 04-08-2022, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2152hq

There's still a disgreement betw collectors and those interested in the HS & DW connection as to who actually made the HS marked DW revolvers.

Some say that the HS (DW appearing) revolvers were made by DW at DW's factory.
Being ordered by HS, and marked as a HS , retailed by HS.
The large order from HS helped DW pull itself out of a near crash and burn from bankruptcy as the fledging company was going down at the time.

The High Standard MK II and MK III Sentinels wre made by Dan Wesson private labeled for High Standard. The deal with Dan Wesson was arranged by Don Mitchell ex Colt VP of sales and now President of High Standard. Mithcell wanted more product to sell and to that end he intorduced the Black Powder revolvers designed by Uberti - he had an arrangement with Uberti while at Colt. He arranged for a deal with AutoMag. He arranged a deal with Nikko for shotguns and all of these deales ended when he jumped ship to become president of Ithaca.

At that time High Standard did not have the capital to build tooling for manufacturing any new guns. Leisure Group who owned High Standard was not investing in new product but just keeping High Stadanrd in operation.

If High Stadanrd had manufactired the frame for Dan Wesson there would be in the serial number logs shipments to Dan Wesson - There are none - I have a copy of the records.

Others say that the HS/DW revolvers were made by HS and at the HS plant (Hamden ,Ct) under a lic agreement w/ DW. THis

Lots of back and forth on both sides if you search the story out.

So many sharply opposed stories of what is the 'absolute truth' from what you would expect to be the same story from people, records , recollections etc that were all there at the same time.

The HS Crusader revolver gets brought into the conversation at times but that seems to be a complete HS design with HS empl patents. [COLOR="yellow"] The Crusader is a design by Dick Baker and Ralph Kennedy and there are if I recall correctly four patents by these tow men and assigned to High Standard. Baker left High Stadanrd and became chief engineer at Smith & Wesson.
IIRC the orig name of the 357 Crusader revolver was to be named the Valkyrie.(sp?) There is a .357 Valkyrie prototype or two out there. IN Louisville if I recall correctly.

Never a DW revolver fan myself. They just never interested me.
I owned a total of one in the past. It came along with 15 or so other handguns in a group buy.
It got resold with most of the others.

I have one of these Dan Wesson made Sentinels from the Rex Applegate estate auction.