I had a chance to buy one of these from my good friend gun dealer in the Cleveland suburbs. But I just didn't have the loose cash to buy a high powered safe queen.
The High Standard Crusader
- Thread starter Goony
- Start date
Jon Miller of the High Standard Collectors' Association displayed this very special prototype Crusader (numbered EX123) back in 2018. It served as a pattern for the engraved comemmoratives that were to be produced serially, and as the sample to be shown and photographed for the purposes of promotion and securing deposits on orders.
Attachments
Last edited:
Drawing your attention to one more that sold at auction several years ago, solely on the basis that the grip is far more attractive than was typical (although I wish they'd shown both sides): High Standard Crusader Revolver 44 Magnum | Rock Island Auction
Here's one that sold just last month. It does exhibit some signs of handling and use, which may have contributed to its below average hammer price: High Standard 50th Anniversary Crusader Double Action Revolver | Rock Island Auction
Last edited:
A really neat matched pair in both calibers, sold at auction five years ago. The only thing to dislike (as has been mentioned previously in this thread) is that for presentation pieces, the wood used for the grips could hardly be plainer or less attractive: High Standard Crusader Commemorative Set | Online Gun Auction
Edit: It turns out these same guns sold again just last month, for well over double the price they commanded five years ago (although short of the estimate): Two Factory Engraved High Standard Crusader Revolvers | Rock Island Auction
Edit: It turns out these same guns sold again just last month, for well over double the price they commanded five years ago (although short of the estimate): Two Factory Engraved High Standard Crusader Revolvers | Rock Island Auction
Last edited:
Grayfox
US Veteran
Side note: If you link to the old American Handgunner magazine in the OP. On page 28 there's also a pretty good article on the .44 Special. 
Last edited:
Side note: If you link to the old American Handgunner magazine in the OP. On page 28 there's also a pretty good article on the .44 Special.
I actually have that old issue of American Handgunner! I bought it went I was a kid and poured over every single page. It is a great issue. Besides the Crusader article and the .44 Special article, there’s great stuff on the Star Progressive press, the S&W 645, and rimfire silhouette. The monthly gun giveaway featured an awesome looking customized Dan Wesson 44 magnum with Aimpoint sight.
Overall, it was a great overview of the world of handguns. Even the ads were pretty cool!
No “tactical”, no plastic 9mms!
PS: I wish High Standard had stuck with their original choice and called their big revolver the “Valkyrie” instead of the “Crusader”.
If nothing else, it would’ve made for a WAY better looking engraved revolver!
Here's an interesting example, on three counts. First, the wood is decently figured. Second, note the grip medallion (possibly two of them, but there's no shot of the other side to verify this); in any case that's not usual. Finally, if I'm reading the serial number correctly (44M188), it just happens to be one of the few for which no shipping or invoice information is shown.
I'll add that the Crusader shown on the cover of the May 1976 issue of Guns & Ammo magazine also has a grip medallion. The Crusader's designer, Dick Baker, recollected that for that particular gun, he'd fabricated the grip in his basement. I wonder why, once production started, that decorative touch he'd included ended up being mostly omitted.
I'll add that the Crusader shown on the cover of the May 1976 issue of Guns & Ammo magazine also has a grip medallion. The Crusader's designer, Dick Baker, recollected that for that particular gun, he'd fabricated the grip in his basement. I wonder why, once production started, that decorative touch he'd included ended up being mostly omitted.
Attachments
Last edited:
Another that sold at auction earlier this year, with the price seeming to be pretty representative of their true current value. Once again, the plainness of the wood grip is painful to behold: High Standard 50th Anniversary Crusader Double Action Revolver | Rock Island Auction
LVSteve
Member
Maybe that is just the way they intended to make them. In fact, those grips are so plain I wonder if they are actually machined laminate of some kind instead of actual wood, or if they have been varnished that color.
Regarding the generally mediocre quality of the wood from which Crusader grips were made, my remarks in post #15 above certainly bear on this. I'd further comment that in examining the late ML prefixed serial number semiautomatic .22's (and the even later SH prefixed ones), the grips are beautifully made from an excellent grade of walnut. Whoever High Standard engaged for the production of these did an outstanding job, with no apparent drop off in quality. I have to believe that so far as the Crusader grips were concerned, it must've been a different firm with whom High Standard let a contact.
LVSteve
Member
Seems that if you really want a Crusader, there will be a degree of holding your nose while they swipe your card.
ACORN
Member
Some years back I went on jag of collecting Model 29 .44 Magnum lookalikes. From back to front:
S&W Model 29-2 (with Sile grips)
Llama
Astra
High Standard Crusader
RG Model 57
In reverse order:
Here's the Crusader. The sideplate has turned plum.
An RG in .44 magnum!? Yikes!
Here's the original thread where I posted about those guns. Model 29-2 and its Spanish, American and German cousins Unfortunately the image host that I used at the time has gone belly up so there are no pics.
Here are some of my comments about the RG from that thread:
This magnificent beast is the RG Model 57 in .44 Magnum. (The joke I’ve heard is that RG stands for “Rotten Gun”.) I stumbled across it on Gunbroker while (as you might guess) looking for a S&W Model 57 in .41 Magnum. I’d had no idea such a thing existed but had to have it. It is, as Professor Higgins said of Eliza Doolittle, “...so deliciously low, so horribly dirty!” However I don’t think it’s ever going to pass as royalty, even with the ventilated rib.
The seller on Gunbroker said that he had fired about 60 rounds of factory ammo through it. I will have to say that it's the best-built RG I've ever seen, although that may be damning with faint praise. It isn't the usual pot metal looking thing that their .22s and .38s are and is nicely machined steel.
It's a little hard to read but note that the serial number is 10000!
Attachments
Last edited:
AJ
US Veteran
A long time ago one of the guys I was stationed with in Ca. had an off brand .44 Mag DA revolver. I am thinking either the Llama or the High Standard. At 25 yards it keyholed almost every shot with cast lead bullets. Could have been the RG also. Made me glad I owned a M29 4"!
Here's a matched pair of Crusaders auctioned earlier this month. Interestingly, one's grip is adorned with medallions while the other's isn't: Just a moment...
I was finally able to lay my hands on the May 1976 issue of Guns & Ammo magazine that featured a prototype Crusader on its cover (note the medallion inset into the grip). This early version incorporated a manual safety which was later deleted. Note that High Standard's factory was still in Hamden at this time, while serial production only commenced after the firm's relocation to East Hartford.
Attachments
Similar threads
