HELP WITH HIGHWAY PATROLMAN STAMPINGS

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I recently purchased a Highway Patrolman. Between the cylinder and the trigger it is stamped PROPERTY OF HIGH STD MFG CORP R & D. R &D is also on the barrel and one more place. Just wondering what the relationship is with High Standard? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[DWalt]

Hard to say. Possibly H-S may have been supplying certain parts or tooling to S&W. Perhaps someone knows more.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Looks like the R&D department wanted a testing gun for analysis and comparison to their products.

I think it is absolutely "cool" but I hate that term. I am quite envious!

 

[-db-]

I would letter that one. There's a good chance it was sent directly to High Standard from S&W.

 

[Art Doc]

Could there be another "High Standard Corporation" other than the gun maker?

PS: The gun maker doesn't call itself by this name. It's "High Standard Manufacturing."

 

[weatherby]

How early is that HP ?
I do notice it has a right hand extractor rod still

 

[DWalt]

Could there be another "High Standard Corporation" other than the gun maker?

PS: The gun maker doesn't call itself by this name. It's "High Standard Manufacturing."

It does say MFG.

 

[Old TexMex]

High Standard Mfg Corp was sold to High Standard inc. In '78.
Googled.

 

[2152hq]

Maybe a hardness test mark on the breech end of the bbl.

H/S did bring out their own c/f revolver (Crusader?) at some point. Not unusual for one mfg to have examples of competitors products in their brain room to pick apart.

It's (was) also fairly common for one mfg to make parts for another.
Marlin for example made Rugers bbls for the first years of Ruger production.

 

[Watchdog]

Just wondering what the relationship is with High Standard? Any input would be appreciated.

It could have been used by security guards at the High Standard factory, and stamped just as other S&Ws were stamped for various law enforcement agencies and security firms. To the best of my knowledge, High Standard didn't make large caliber revolvers, as their .22 revolvers and pistols seemed to provide them plenty of revenue.

Or perhaps High Standard had considered getting into the large-caliber revolver market, but after doing R&D using other manufacturers' revolvers (like S&W) for comparision and testing, their management just decided they couldn't compete in that market and be cost effective, and gave up on the idea. I mean, by the time the Model 28 came into production, the law enforcement and military markets were totally dominated by S&W and Colt...and face it, to get into that market, High Standard would have had to do a lot of retooling and a lot of hiring of competent craftsmen. It would have taken them years, probably, to have become competitive in those markets.

All this is conjecture on my part, of course.

It would definitely be worth the time and money to get this one lettered.

EDIT: I stand corrected on High Standard not making large caliber revolvers. I've found references to and photos of their Crusader revolver in .45 Colt and .44 Magnum.

In fact, there's a 50th Anniversary (1927-1977) Crusader in .44 Magnum up for auction right now with an original box dated August 15, 1979. It has a 6.5-inch barrel, and is Revolver #96 out of 500. It was apparently also offered with an 8 3/8-inch barrel. I had no idea these guns ever existed. Amazing what you can stumble across. It's a beautiful and interesting-looking revolver. It has a cylinder release that appears to move up and down. The rear sight is adjustable and the front sight looks to be a Baughman.

I wouldn't mind having the gun, myself.

 

[JP@AK]

The fact that it is stamped R&D would argue against its use by security guards. I suspect it was used for comparison purposes in the development of High Standard revolvers. I too would definitely be requesting a letter on this one.
Fascinating!

 

[Watchdog]

H/S did bring out their own c/f revolver (Crusader?) at some point.

I found out that the Crusader was actually made for High Standard by Dan Wesson.

 

[Watchdog]

The fact that it is stamped R&D would argue against its use by security guards.

Yeah, I've pretty much discounted that idea the deeper I look into this. It was just an idea.

 

[Watchdog]

I recently purchased a Highway Patrolman. Between the cylinder and the trigger it is stamped PROPERTY OF HIGH STD MFG CORP R & D. R &D is also on the barrel and one more place. Just wondering what the relationship is with High Standard? Any input would be appreciated.

It's an S-series serial number? Have you run the number to see when it may have been manufactured?

 

[jjbrewst1]

Im with the rest of the Crowd...You have a VERY neat revolver there...

please get a Letter on it...Sounds like a Cool Piece...

Congrats

 

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HIGHWAY PATROLMAN SERIAL NUMBER

The serial number is S 119004. It still has the sideplate screw. My guess, it was made in 1954 or 1955.

 

[Art Doc]

I have S116413 shipped 9/3/54.

Yeah, I missed the MFG on the gun and only saw CORP.

 

[A10]

Neat! It would be interesting to get lettered to get lettered to see if it was shipped directly to High Standard. I wonder if Colt bought any?

 

[dotdsd334]

How early is that HP ?

I do notice it has a right hand extractor rod still

Ok I'll be the forum idiot tonight.....how can you tell the extractor rod has RH threads from those 3 photos. Someone please educate me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DWalt]

I have S116413 shipped 9/3/54.

Yeah, I missed the MFG on the gun and only saw CORP.

I have a few nearby SNs in my listing that indicate it was probably shipped in later 1954 (October-November).

 

[beagleye]

Ok I'll be the forum idiot tonight.....how can you tell the extractor rod has RH threads from those 3 photos. Someone please educate me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1 on that.

 

[JP@AK]

Ok I'll be the forum idiot tonight.....how can you tell the extractor rod has RH threads from those 3 photos. Someone please educate me

Look at the knurled end of the extractor rod. There is no gap between the knurling and the rest of the rod. When S&W reversed the threads on K and N frame revolvers (around 1959) they put a little smooth area that is slightly smaller diameter than the rod, just aft of the knurled area. This identifies a rod with the new left hand threads.
So it really takes only a glance to know what direction the extractor threads go.

And you are not an "idiot." We all had to learn these things at some point. And this is the beauty of studying and collecting S&W revolvers. There is so darn much to learn!

 

[JP@AK]

Here's a photo, showing the rod tip after the threads were reversed to left hand. This example is on a Model 14-2.

Now here is another K frame - a Combat Masterpiece from 1952. This gun has right hand threads.

 

[dotdsd334]

As they say.... You learn something new every day. Thanks for the explanation and pics.

 

[JSR III]

I too wondered how you could tell that from 3 photos and I have been playing this game since 1972. Sooooo much to learn and remember.

I own S129113 that shipped in April of 1955 so late 54 or early 55 is probably a safe WAG.

One of the main reasons that S&W did not care about shipping in serial number sequence was to keep competitors on their toes. It made it difficult to guesstimate exactly how many guns S&W was selling when serial numbers were all over the place.

I hope that you do letter the gun and let us know however, I also hope that when you bought the gun you did not pay extra for the stamping. My 28 is only a metal stamp kit away from being owned by Colt's R&D department.

Always buy the gun and not the story.

 

[olskool]

dotdsd334 i am glad you had the guts to ask, it was killin me.

 

[weatherby]

dotdsd334 i am glad you had the guts to ask, it was killin me.

only reason I know is from learning it here on the forum from those who care enough to pass it on

 

[Jim Watson]

Re Post #12: The Crusader was a High Standard product. They pre-sold a number of them, I think 500 each .44 and .45 and it took years for them to build them.

There were some centerfire Sentinel revolvers that were made for HS by Dan Wesson. Not the same thing.

 

[DWalt]

I vaguely remember that there was once some speculation about High Standard taking over production of the Auto Mag, but I don't think that happened.
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I guess they did. Here's an expired auction for a H-S Auto Mag: http://www.gunauction.com/buy/12029...rd-manufacturing-corporation-auto-mag-.44-amp

 

[Peter M. Eick]

That is a nice looking Automag. I have an original Pasadena A in the same box but with more paperwork.