High Standard Feedramps and Ammo Feeding over the Years.

In the early years of High Standard pistol production, the engineers used a continuous feedramp from the front of the frame to the chamber face. That was the standard design for .22 semiauto pistols of the time. From the Model B in 1932 through several models until the late 1940s, this was the system used. These pistols all had fixed barrels, and if a shooter wanted a different barrel length or a different weight pistol, a different pistol needed to be used. High Standard engineers found a way to incorporate interchangeable barrel in their pistols. This made it easier to customize a gun to the shooter’s preference by changing barrels. However, this required a change to the feedramp, in order to make changing barrels feasible. The older design required a gunsmith to blend an extension on the back of the barrel to the feed ramp area of the frame to make the bullet slide easily up the ramp. The new barrel system did not use an extension on the back of the barrel. This left a small triangular looking gap between the feed ramp area of the frame and the chamber mouth when viewed from the side. The engineers discovered the gap did not hinder feeding of the round into the chamber, since the driving band area of the bullet pushed the nose of the bullet past the gap and into the chamber as the cartridge was being pushed forward up the feed ramp by the slide. This system worked with both the finger type magazines and the later lip type magazines. This design is not unique to High Standard pistols, as other makers have used the design over the years. Ruger still uses a continuous feedramp and barrel on their Mark I to Mark IV series pistols, but those pistols do not have interchangeable barrels. The S&W Model 41 uses a continuous feedramp in their barrels, however the barrel lug on the bottom of the barrel is more complex and bulky compared to the High Standard design. In my opinion, the number one reason for people having poor feeding in the later High Standard pistols is due to the use of aftermarket magazines of dubious quality. For example, the earliest versions of Triple K magazines were not well made. The metal shells were too thin and soft, and the feed lips were not the correct dimensions for proper feeding. It was not until about 2005 that Triple K produced magazines which could be made to be reliable with some minor tweaking of the feed lips. The original Connecticut made High Standard magazines usually work pretty well in the Connecticut guns. I wrote an HSCA article a few years ago on the topic of magazines for use in Military grip angle guns explaining this topic in more detail. See it here: High Standard Collectors' Association Blog: Military Grip Angle Magazines—Care and Feeding of High Standard Pistols (hscollectorsblog.blogspot.com) I have attached some photos of the feedramp and breechface area of few pistols showing the differences over the years. Note: Click on the photos to enlarge.

Figure 1 H-D Military with the fixed barrel and blended feed ramp and extension.

Figure 2 Lever name Supermatic with interchangeable barrels. This pistol has a shrouded breechface.

Figure 3 Series 101 Supermatic (small push button). The breechface is flat.

Figure 4 Series 107 Citation. Note the factory polished feed ramp and chamfered chamber opening. In addition, I have attached some consecutive frames of video showing the feeding of a cartridge into a big button High Standard pistol. The video was taken at 250 frames per second, and about five frames show the feeding of the cartridge, or about a 50th of a second for the sequence.

Figure 5 The slide is just starting to contact the rim of the cartridge.

Figure 6 The slide is pushing the cartridge forward and the bullet is riding up the feed ramp.

Figure 7 The nose of the cartridge is aimed at the chamber mouth, and the rear feed lips are controlling the angle of the cartridge. The rim and the sides of the case are in contact with the rear feed lips.

Figure 8 The bullet is entering the chamber and the front of the rear feed lips appear to have released the rim.

Figure 9 The cartridge is feeding forward into the chamber while the cartridge below is pushing upwards on the rim of the case due to the spring pressure of the magazine. This is how the feeding of the cartridge should work. It takes a combination of the feedramp and the rear lips of the magazine to get the cartridges to feed smoothly. There is little to be done to the feedramp, but the rear feed lips can be adjusted in small increments to get the ammo to feed properly. Jim Barta had good advice on how to adjust the lips. Start with the rear feed lip gap at 0.185” and adjust tighter to aim the bullet down and wider to aim the bullet up while feeding. Keep the feed lips parallel. My final bit of advice is to obtain HS Connecticut made magazines, since they are still the best available.

 The time is fast arriving for the 2021 HSCA North West Regional Meeting in Portland, Oregon at the Holiday Inn.  The Dates are August 27th for set-up and the 28th & 29th for the SHOW.  This will be a good chance to discuss and plan for the 2021 HSCA Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, which follows our NW Regional by a couple of weeks.  The dates for the Annual Meeting are September 16th for set-up and the 17th, 18th & 19th for the SHOW.

I am writing today to give you a heads up with this information before it comes out in the News Letter.  I would like to get your reservations for tables at the Oregon Arms Collectors Gun Show at the Portland Air Port Holiday Inn which is in late August.  The following people have committed to tables at Portland and do not have to respond:

     Smokey Grant------1   Display Table
     Greg Markel--------1   Display Table
     Gary Hooper--------1   Display Table
     Jerry Watson-------2   Display Tables

We can make room for one or two more if you are interested In displaying, or just meeting with us In Portland.  I will have two Sales Tables across the aisle from our displays that will be shared and used as Club/Sales Tables.  

Let me know if you want a Display Table and have not already committed for one.   Tables are $80 each and I will pay for all of them and you can reimburse me.  I am a member of the OAC we can get a little break on the cost.  You can call me at: Jerry Watson at 503 339 6329 if you want to discuss attending.

We will plan on having a No Host Dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings following the show.

2020 HSCA Annual Meeting Cancelled

The 2020 HSCA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with MVACA July 25-26, 2020, Kansas City, MO HAS BEEN CANCELED. Plan on attending the 2021 HSCA annual meeting in Denver, CO in May, 2021.

 

The HSCA Western Regional High Standard Collectors Gun Show August 22-23, 2020 held in conjunction with the Oregon Arms Collectors annual two day show in Portland HAS BEEN CANCELED.

High Standard Ship Dates

Steven Schrott says he will look up ship dates for High Standard Pistols from the factory records for HSCA members.

Send an email with the full serial  # , full description and Series (Letter, 101,102,106) and he will respond anytime. 

The email address will be sshistand65@gmail.com.

2019 HSCA Annual Meeting, Billings, Montana

 

On September 6-8, 2019, The Montana Antique and Collectible Firearms Show was held in Billings, Montana. 
 
There were 9 displays judged by Jon Miller and Tom Bolander.
 
Members displaying:   Bill Reibe, Smokey Grant, Jerry Watson, Tom Horner, Jim Gray, Ken Rabeneck, Dave Lehman, Russ Gray, Bob Snider, and Doran Houk.  Members present at show:  Greg Markel, Gary Hooper, Marcia Mighell, Jon Miller, Bert Merkel, John Carter, Rex Poggenpohl, Warren Joyce, Bill Elliott, John Jamison, Tom Bolander, Brian Rebanzini and Jack Paulson.Guests and spouses present at show:  Cindy Carter, Laura Watson, Larry Vallad, Evelyn Maynard, Liz Lehman, Laura Horner, Trish Gray, Vickie Houk, Cathy Elliott, and Julia Joyce.

The Annual Meeting was held after the gun show closed on Saturday evening.  A number of important items were discussed and some new measures were enacted.  Minutes of the meeting will be published at a later date. 
Members ate dinner at a German Restaurant Friday evening and Steak Fry
Saturday evening (by Jim Gray). Steak fry involved putting steak on a
pitchfork and putting the steak into a kettle of hot oil for 2 to 3.5
minutes to cook it. We had fried mushrooms too. All delicious.  Good food and great fellowship were experienced by all. 

It was one of the largest members turnouts that HSCA has had in recent years.  The quantity and quality of displays at the show was superior to past years.

  

Click on the photos for larger size.

Jim Gray and his extensive HS display.

Dave Lehman and his display World War II High Standards (2nd place)

Marcia Mighell and Ken Rabeneck and his (KR) display HS Gold/Silver
Derringers



Bill Riebe and his display Slant Grip Pistols (3rd place)



Judge scoring form



HSCA cake for steak fry dessert

Tom "Smokey" Grant and his display HS Revolvers/Derringers/Pistols

Doran Houk and his display HS Top of the Line (4th place)

Russ Gray at his table

Marcia Mighell at her table



Group Photo

 

Tom Bolander

Tom Horner and his display HS Presentation Guns



Jerry Watson and his display Early HS (1st place)

Rex Poggenpohl at table, Tom Horner and Jim Gray in background

 

 

HSCA Kansas City Show 2019

The HSCA participated in the Missouri Valley Arms Collectors Association Show, July 27-28, 2019, at the KCI Expo Center, KC, MO.   The show was well attended and several association members had displays for the enjoyment of the show attendees.  Dan Rathgeber, and Dave Lehman each won a Judge's Award, and Jon Miller won 2 Judge's Awards for his 2 displays. 

Click on the photos for larger size.

 

  High Standard Trophy and Victor Pistols, by Bill Brown.

 

 

 

 

High Standard Pistols by DaveLehman, Judges Award Winner.

The Early Pistols  and the Post War Pistols, by Doran Houk.

  

 

 

Derringers by Ken Rabeneck. 
 

 

Olympic Pistols by Dan Rathgeber, Judges Award Winner. 

 

 

 

High Standard OSS Pistols by Jon Miller, Judges Award Winner.

Crusader Revolvers by Jon, Miller, Judges Award Winner. 

 

 

 

 

.22 Rifles made by High Standard for Sears, by Steve Schrott.






John Carter and Steve Schrott looking up details on firearms.

2019 Northwest Regional Meeting

The Northwest Regional Meeting of the High Standard Collectors Association was held in conjunction with the Oregon Arms Collectors Annual two day Show at the Airport Holiday Inn in Portland, Oregon on Saturday August 24 and Sunday August 25.  This was the sixty-fifth Year for the Oregon Arms Collectors Show.

Members who attended the show were Jerry Watson, Smokey Grant, Gary Hooper, Bill Riebe Burt Merkel and Marcia Mighell. Guests with members were Tom Richards, Pat Batten and Larry Vallad, Will Kearney, and Dick Klocko.  Members who displayed were Smokey Grant, Jerry Watson, Gary Hooper and Bill Riebe.  There were as many members and guests at the Northwestern Regional meeting as attended the National Annual Meeting in 2018.

There was a good crowd both days and lots of camaraderie among the members and guests as well as trading High Standard information.  We had a surprise visit from a WWII Japanese soldier as shown in the accompanying photo.

Our annual Northwest Regional Business Meeting was held Saturday evening after the show closed.  We gathered in the meeting room at  Elmer’s Restaurant, to discuss several topics.

          

Double click the photos to view in larger size.

 

 

Bill Riebe displayed early Automatics describing take down types and models by color background.  

Gary Hooper displayed early Automatics models through all the Military Grip models.

 

Smokey Grant displayed Revolvers and Derringers along with his numerous High Standard related items.

Jerry Watson displayed Standard grip and Lettered models through 1950, along with their boxes and original paper on this table.

Jerry Watson displayed Pre High Standard and the “B” models along with their boxes and original paper on this table.

 

 

 

A visitor to the High Standard Sales Table.  A World War II Japanese Soldier in authentic military uniform, rifle and flag.