High Standard Model B Range Report

[glenncal1]

As I stated in my other thread, I went to the LGS for some cleaning supplies and spotted this nice High Standard Model B in the case. Went home and did a little price research and thought the price ($300) was fair. So I went back for a more thorough inspection and ended up buying the gun. Some bluing wear around the muzzle but overall the finish is in great shape. Internals show very little wear.

What a handy gun to shoot, very slim profile but the grips are rounded so it is very comfortable in the hand. Someone suggested to use only SV ammo so I took 100 rounds of CCI SV with me and the gun performed really well with these. It did not like some Federal bulk ammo I had with almost every round a FTE. Don't know if the rounds didn't have enough pressure to fully cycle the action, or maybe not enough rim to catch the extractor.

Not a big deal as I have lots of CCI. If you find one of these guns reasonably you can have a good hiking companion, plinker, beer cas assassin. The slim profile will make the gun very easy to carry.

P.S. per web search gun was 1941 production.

The actual gun:

 

[rockquarry]

I inherited a Model B with a US Gov't. stamp on it. It was my dad's gun and the first pistol I ever fired in the late '50s, maybe early '60s. About ten or so years ago, I fired it fairly extensively with a variety of ammo. While I really like the size and feel of the gun, I've been disappointed with the mediocre accuracy. My dad always used HV ammo; I tried HV and SV, including CCI SV like I use in all my .22 rifles and handguns.

These old HS guns are very well made - grips may be plastic, but everything else is steel and the blue finish looks far better than what we see on most pistols today.

 

[Rpg]

Congratulations!!

You got a superior 22.

I can’t think of a contemporary 22 that comes close to the old High Standard B.

 

[glenncal1]

Mine seems pretty accurate, with my old eyes it is hard to shoot good groups anymore. If I want to shoot a handgun real accurately I can take my Model 41 with the 7" barrel and a scope

 

[Drm50]

I wouldn’t shoot HV in the B. The B is a field pistol not a target gun. Most of these old HI-STDs will shoot like a target gun if they had the sights to do so. Sandbag these old pistols and if they haven’t been abused they will surprise you. When inspecting the older auto 22 pistols the springs and the slide stop are the main concerns. HV in some of these old guns will be causing metal to metal recoil stroke.

 

[4barrel]

I would shoot sv ammo if it will eject. Nice gun.

 

[Mrnurse]

Got a B and a Supermatic both DOM in late 1950's... flawless action fit and finish.