J C Higgins Model 88 Update

 

 

 

I have a Higgins Model 88 and a High Standard Sentinel that appear to have been made about the same time.

 According to John Stimson, High Standard put a coating over the anodizing on the aluminum frames to keep the finish from coming off.  The Model 88 appeared to have high gloss paint.  Most of that high gloss is gone from my gun.  The Sentinel appears to have a dull finish, but it is good.

 

 I had a lot of powder build up on the 88 from a previous owner.  I tried many products to remove it without much luck and ended up having to scrape it off. 

When scraping around where the barrel protrudes through the frame I ran into weld at the top of the barrel.  At first I thought it was powder build up, because the Sentinel was smooth in this area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I found out is that you should not use Gun Scrubber or Slip 2000 Carbon Killer on these frames.  They will take the coating off the frames of these guns.  I also wouldn't use these products on some of the High Standard Derringers have a similar coating.

Removal of Slide From H-D Military Pistol That Was Incorrectly Assembled

When a person puts the slide back onto the frame of a pistol without having the driving spring captured on a Type II takedown system, the slide stop will get caught in front of the retracting rod end and hung up in the coils of the driving spring. This results in the slide not moving normally, and not closing the slide fully. The way to fix this is to use a length of coat hanger wire that has a slight bend on the last 3/4 inch of the end (about 15 degrees) as a tool to compress the retracting rod and spring.  I used a pin collet handle to hold the wire.  

 

Pull the slide back and hold the breech face open about 0.9 inch from the barrel with a block so that the tool can be inserted into the small opening on the bottom of the left side of the slide between the hammer and frame.  I used a wooden splint (about 4"X1/2"X1/8") inserted into the magazine well with the top sticking out to block the slide open.  The tool should be inserted with the outside of the curve towards the top of the slide.  Insert the tool so that the end of the wire hits against the back of the retracting rod.  Push the retracting rod towards the barrel about an inch or so. You should feel the spring resistance.  Pushing the rod forward should cause the stop lug to be released from the coils. You should be able to see the takedown lever move down a little. Then you should be able to easily push down on the takedown lever to get the stop lug all the way down. You can remove the tool at this point. Then you can pull the slide off of the frame. After removing the slide, use a punch or other tool to push the retracting rod and spring forward so that the pickup spring button can be pressed, allowing the pickup spring to capture the retracting rod. When this is done, the slide can be reassembled to the frame in the normal manner. Of course, check the driving spring for damage and replace it if necessary.

The above process should work if the slide has not been forced back and forth a lot in attempts to get the slide removed.  If it does not work, it indicates the driving spring has been stretched and deformed to a point that the spring will not go all the way into the hole in the rear of the slide, and the retracting rod cannot be pushed far enough into the hole in the slide to release the stop lug from the spring coils and allow it to tip forward.  You can use the tool to push the stop lug forward to try to get it untangled from the spring coils.  Push down on the takedown lever while doing this until it goes all the way down, and hold it down while pulling the slide off.  Don't use too much force in pushing the lever down to prevent damage to the lever parts.  If that does not work, you can attempt to remove the spring by using a tool with a hook on the end to catch a coil of the spring and pull it out.  This will take a lot of effort to fish out the spring or pieces of spring, but can work.  These methods will take time and patience.  Once apart, the driving spring can be replaced with a new one, and the gun reassembled properly.  Careful work will allow the gun to be repaired without damaging the frame, slide, or other components aside from the driving spring.

 

Note:  Clicking on the photos will allow them to be viewed in larger size.





Retracting Rod Captured Properly.



Retracting Rod Not Captured. Note the position of the
takedown lever with the stop lug fully up.

 

Tool used to press retracting rod forward in slide.

 

This is how the tool should be used.

 

The rod can be moved forward to allow the stop lug to be released.

 

This is where the tool is inserted into the slide.

 

Wood splint used to block the slide open about 0.9 inch. Note the position of the
 takedown lever with the stop lug below the retracting rod.

 

Tool inserted into opening in bottom of slide and pushing rod forward.
Note the position of the takedown lever when the stop lug is fully down.

 

Push the takedown lever fully down and remove the tool.

 



Pull the slide off of the frame while holding down the takedown lever. 

Tip for Removing Sear Bar That is Stuck in Trigger Pivot Hole

High Standard pistols that have been stored for a long time may have dried oil residue and/or form some corrosion in the top hole of the trigger where the sear bar pin goes in.  This can make the trigger action very sluggish or even not be able to move the sear bar much at all.  Applying penetrating oil (i.e., Kroil) in the area may help free the pin so that the sear bar can be removed.  However, sometimes the sear bar needs some help in getting it apart.  The difficulty is that there is not much space between the sear bar and the frame to get a tool under the sear bar to assist in prying it out of the trigger.  One way to do this is to use dental floss under the sear bar as close to the pivot pin as possible and pull up on the sear bar with the floss.  The trigger can be moved back and forth while doing this to help free the pin from the hole in the trigger.  Once removed, the corrosion can be cleaned off the pin and trigger hole, the pin lubricated, and reassembled in the gun.  This should allow the pivot point to work easily.  The trick is to get the floss around the sear bar.  Start at the sear end of the bar, pry up the sear bar just enough to get the floss around the end of the bar.  Work it toward the pin end.  There is a pin boss in the frame where the sear bar has an opening that goes around the boss.  The floss will have to be pulled up over the boss to allow it to be pulled the rest of the way towards the pin end.  When the floss is as close to the pin as possible, pull the floss upwards while wiggling the trigger.  This should allow the pin to come out of the trigger hole.


Trigger and sear bar assembled




Trigger and sear bar



Remove side plate, safety, and U spring.

Start moving floss under sear bar at sear end.




Lift the floss over the pin boss.

Get the floss close to the pin.




Pull the floss upwards to remove the sear bar.

 

V-Suffix Marked Large Push Button Takedown High Standard Trophy Pistol

V-suffix serial numbered guns (V for visually impaired) were shipped in the final months (approximately June to October) of production in 1984 before High Standard ceased operations.  By taking previously rejected parts and putting together functional pistols and also previously rejected guns, they were able to use up many leftover parts and get as many guns out the door as possible.  These guns were sold as functional firearms, but had visual defects.  The V marked pistols were sold to distributors at a substantial discount.   I remember seeing ads in Shotgun News at the time for these V marked guns.  My memory is that they were being sold at about a 20% discount.  

I have a 5.5 inch barreled High Standard Trophy, serial number SH32422V.  It is a large push button framed gun that shipped in late summer of 1984, but it probably went to assembly in August/September, 1983. 

The normal means of attaching the barrel to the frame on the 108/SH series pistols was by the use of a socket head screw rather than the large push button used on the series 102 through 107 pistols.  The SH prefix serial numbered guns were sold in the 1981 to 1984 timeframe.  There are some older serial number types also found to have shipped during this time.

Note: the SH series designation was popularized by Tom Dance in his book, but is also used in the Blue Book of Gun Values, so both 108 series and SH series are used to describe this series. 

There were apparently several push button frames that had been rejected but still retained in inventory.  These frames were used to make serviceable guns and shipped during last months of shipments.  I have seen photos of other push button SH serial number with V suffix marked pistols with similar configuration as this one.  Pistols using these frames were a small number of the total of the V marked guns. 

The attachment method for the rear bridge sight base on this pistol is different than normal.  There are two screws holding the sight base onto the frame rather than the normal method of using a two piece rivet and a small roll pin on each side.  To determine why it was done this way, I removed the rear sight base and found the original roll pin hole on the right rear of the frame was drilled at an angle about 15 degrees from perpendicular to the frame.  This resulted in the drill bit breaking out of the frame on the right side in the wrong location (assuming the hole was drilled from left to right).  The resulting hole on the right side is at the rear corner of the frame.  This would have caused the frame to be rejected, since the hole would not align with the hole in the normal sight base.  The fix used by the gunsmith was to insert a flush-fitting metal plug in the large hole in the frame where the two piece rivet normally would have gone.  Then holes were drilled and tapped (one on each side of the frame) to allow the sight base to be screwed onto the frame with just the two screws.   Corresponding holes were drilled in the sight base.  The holes were offset so the base would not shift position.  There is a hole in the rear of the frame for the roll pin that would have gone through the rivet, but there is no roll pin present.  The result is functional, but different than the original configuration. 

The sight base was also not installed square to the frame.  The gunsmith did not spend the extra time required to elongate the holes in the sides of the base to get it to fit squarely.  Rather, the base sides were bent slightly resulting in a trapezoid shape to allow it to fit to the frame with the drilled holes.  The result is that the rear sight blade was cocked to the right.  When I reassembled the gun, I re-fitted the base to the frame by straightening the sides of the base to fit squarely on the frame, and elongated the holes in the sides of the base with a file so they would line up with the holes in the frame.  After final assembly, the rear sight is sturdily mounted and properly aligned. 

Other differences noted on the gun are as follows:

1.     The gold plating on the trigger, safety, and magazine release is a duller, more yellow, finish than on earlier push button guns, probably due to a different plating shop process or vendor.

2.     The metal polishing of the barrel and the sides of the frame and slide has a coarser finish than earlier push button guns.  The slide finger serrations have the top edges flattened by the polishing process.

3.     The roll stampings were applied to the frame and slide after the metal sides were sanded.  This resulted in raised edges of the letters above the surrounding metal compared to earlier models.

4.     There is no golden colored filling in the roll stamps. 

I performed a function test of the pistol on the firing range.  I loaded and fired a total of five strings of ten shots each using the magazine that came with the gun.  There were no malfunctions for feeding, firing, or ejecting the cases.  There was no need to adjust the feed lips.  The accuracy was as good as other High Standard pistols.  In conclusion, the pistol functioned well, but the appearance is of a lesser quality than earlier push button series 107 pistols.

 

 Left side of pistol:  Note the large screw holding the sight base to the frame.  Also, note the raised edges of the metal around the lettering on the frame and slide compared to the barrel markings. The grips are ambidextrous.

Right side of pistol:  The V suffix not in alignment with the rest of the serial number.  The screw holding the sight base to the frame is offset from the position of the screw on the other side.

 

Right photo:  Prior to reassembly,

I straightened the base and elongated

 the holes to allow proper fit.  Much better!

Left Photo:  The sight base was originally installed with the

 blade canted to the right.  The sides of the base were bent to allow

the holes in the base to align with the frame holes.

 

 Disassembled pistol with rear sight base removed.  The original rivet hole was plugged with a metal cylinder.  Holes were drilled and tapped for the screws to hold the base to the frame.  The sight base does not have the normal holes for the rivet and roll pins, but has one large hole on each side.

 

 Note the roll pin hole was drilled out of alignment with the frame.  This was the apparent reason for the frame being rejected during production of the series 107 pistols.

 

 

 

 

J C Higgins Model 88

Link to our Blog Master's Model 88 Blog

The Model 88 is a version of the Aluminum Frame High Standard Sentinel.

I was getting ready to sell my Higgins Model 88 and while cleaning it up, I noticed what I thought was powder build up on the cylinder and the cylinder housing on the aluminum frame.  I tried cleaning it up in my parts washer and the kerosene I use wasn't cutting it.  The only way I could get to come off was to scrape it.  When I scraped it on the inside of the housing, it flaked off almost like paint.  I did a web search and saw some 88s with a dull finish on the frame.  Mine is dull in some places and shiny in other places.

Does anyone know if High Standard painted or clear coated the frames?  Also, what is a good solvent to cut the powder without taking off the finish?


 
 
 

HSCA Blog Team -- T H A N K Y O U !

Just a short note to say "Thanks" for everyone on the HSCA blog team for their contributions to the HSCA blog this past year.

We only got it up and running in October, and we have now exceeded 2,000 page views. For an active blog that's not a whole lot, but it's a good start, and I predict we are going to be surprised at just how many folks stop by on a regular basis,

Hartford Arms Display HSCA Annual Meeting

Anyone Going to the SHOT Show?

Are any of the HSCA members planning on attending the SHOT Show in Las Vegas in January? I will be there in the High Standard booth at times, but I'm sure any HS Collectors at the show will have the HS booth at the top of their list!

January 2016 Newsletter

The January, 2016 issue of the HSCA Newsletter was mailed Wednesday, Dec. 30 to the current 2016 HSCA members.  If you are not paid up for 2016, the newsletter was not mailed to you.

Thanks to the contributors to this issue:
jon Miller, Stan Chapman, Tom Horner, Scott Archer, Jerry Watson, Brian Rebuzzini, Jim Gray, Wayne Davis, Steve Schrott, Dick Baker, Alan Aronstein, John Stimson, Steve Stafford, Marcia Mighell and Ralph Boineau.

Records and Rumors

 

Records and rumors.

 

In my interviews with many sources, I've heard some interesting stories about Gus Swebilius.  Carl Gustave Swebilius emigrated from Sweden as a young man. He was one of the founding members and later President of what become High Standard.

        I cannot confirm any authenticity, but here they are:

 

Gus was  a hands on type of guy.  He made a model of the firearm and then sent the model to the engineers to make drawings.

 

He would go out with the crew for late night bowling and drinking.  (High Standard supported several athletic clubs including baseball, golf, archery, bowling, basketball and others.)  Late one night/early morning Gus had was making his way home after being over-served at a bowling league.  He reportedly commandeered a milk wagon to get home without permission.

 

During WWII Gus hired a "colored" engineer for the plant.  This upset the other engineers to the point that they went to his office with an ultimatum.  "Either you fire him or we all quit."

Gus responded "Sorry to hear that, I will sure miss you fellows."

 

Here is a story not related to Gus.

 

High Standard produced silenced .22 caliber pistols for the OSS in WWII.  That is fact.

The head of OSS was Medal of Honor recipient Wild Bill Donovan. (This Donovan was never a High Standard employee.)  The story circulated is that Donovan took one of the USA Model HD M/S pistols and a sand bag into the Oval Office where President Roosevelt was dictating a letter to a typist.  Reportedly Donovan was able to fire a magazine of bullets into the sand bag in a trash can without the President noticing.  Donovan withdrew the magazine and presented the pistol the Commander in Chief.  Roosevelt said "Bill, you are the only ******Republican I know who I would trust to do something like that." 

 

One of the M/S pistols went to Roosevelt's home for some time until it was discovered that it was still a classified military weapon.  It was subsequently returned to OSS.

 

Good tales.  Possibly based in truth.

 

 

 

 

How much restoration is appropriate?

Well, I recently bought a well used Sport-King.  It was poorly stored and developed some rust pitting at the rear top of the slide.  So after some discussion with friends, I was wondering how much "restoration" should a collector do in this sort of situation?

I felt that honest wear such as the patina on the grip should remain, but damage such as rusting from careless handling could be improved upon since the collector value has already been impacted.   It seems to me that cleaning, only the rusty area of the slide with steel wool and re-blueing the area might be a reasonable thing to do.

So, any thoughts?

High Standard 12" Steel Competition Pistol

That cool 10" Hartford Arms in the post just below got me thinking (dangerous, that!) maybe I have a picture of my original 12" custom carbon fiber barreled High Standard.

This is the pistol I shot the first time I entered the Steel Challenge world championships eight or ten years ago.

I realized that the level of competition was going to be beyond anything I had ever seen before, and my goal was to shoot the match and just not be dead last in Rimfire Open Division. Although I didn't exactly set the world on fire with blazing speed, the long barrel and the fact that it was a High Standard, a marque seldom seem in speed steel shooting events, definitely got some attention.

....... and yes, I wasn't dead last! WOO HOO!

Hartford Arms pictures

Below 10" barreled Hartford single shot #4,  Photo of (2) 22 SHORT Mdl 1925's inc. box, period advertisement listing 22 SHORT Mdl 1925 for retail sale.

A Counterfeit High Standard is Found Out

I had no idea that there were people counterfeiting High Standard Pistols by converting a less expensive model to look like a rare and valuable one.

In case you missed it in the Comments to a previous post regarding counterfeit High Standard Slant Grip Victors, check this out:

COMMENTS:

1. Wayne DavisNovember 10, 2015 at 6:50 PM

   One correction: the highest serial number for a slant grip Victor is 2,460,614 according to John Stimson.

   Reply
2. 
   John StimsonNovember 11, 2015 at 10:58 AM

   There is another fraudulent slant grip Victor that visually is close to perfect from the photo I have seen. However the serial number is for a catalog number 9205. Not only the serial number log but the invoice confirms the fraud.

   Reply
3. 
   Wayne DavisNovember 12, 2015 at 7:39 PM

   So the final selling price for this pistol was $2275. Yikes!

   Reply
4. 
   UnknownNovember 28, 2015 at 2:59 AM

   Hello guys:
   
   I'm the guy who purchased the gun...Here is the good part of the story; had I not located this collector group web site yesterday, I would have been stuck with the gun. However, the seller has agreed to take the gun back from me and we're working on that now.
   
   So, all I can say gents is; THANK YOU for being out there keeping an eye on things like this.
   
   And, I plan on sending back the 102 I purchased just recently which I haven't received yet..
   
   Fred Olsen
   fredolsen59@gmail.com

   Reply
5. 
   AnonymousNovember 28, 2015 at 8:01 AM

   Thank you for posting these pictures side-by-side for comparison. Worth way more than a thousand words.
   This is the type over valuable information that makes it worth the money to join!

   Reply
6. 
   Wayne DavisDecember 3, 2015 at 6:07 AM

   Fred, I appreciate your reply concerning this pistol and the 102 pistol you also purchased. I am glad you are getting your refunds. This new weblog and John Stimson's www.histandard.info site are good places for High Standard aficionados to obtain valuable information concerning these guns.
   
   We hope this weblog will be a resource for collectors in the future.