Any High Standard Experts?

[James K2020]

Recently bought a HS Duramatic and all seems fine except the slide is difficult to pull all the way back to the hold-back position. The slide spring has a slight bow to it, the tighter firing pin spring looks straight. Haven't shot it yet, a little worried it will be all FTFs or more but willing to try. I can get a set of springs pretty inexpensive but just wondering if anyone has experienced a similar situation. Slide moves nicely across the frame but when assembled it's tough to pull it all the way back.

View attachment 1180053

 

[HPJeep]

I'd take it out shooting. Possibly it may be reliable and your worries may be for naught.

 

[bihj]

Shouldn't these types of problems be addressed before you commit to the sale?

 

[LiveLife]

Any High Standard Experts? ... Recently bought a HS Duramatic

This thread may get better responses if moved to "Gunsmithing and Repairs" subcategory - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?forums/gunsmithing-and-repairs.16/

slide is difficult to pull all the way back to the hold-back position ... worried it will be all FTFs or more ... it's tough to pull it all the way back.

Shouldn't these types of problems be addressed before you commit to the sale?

People sell guns for many reasons and most are not good reasons:

• Not accurate
• Does not function reliably
• Does not feed certain ammunition type like HP/SWC
• Broke and repaired
• Poor build/quality
• Not good fit in hand, doesn't shoot right, unpleasant recoil, etc.
• Doesn't point naturally
• Etc.

Before I buy a used gun, I prefer to examine it very closely and range test if possible for reliability and accuracy verification. If I can't range test, purchase price goes down significantly. If gun is not reliable/accurate, I decline the purchase (Unless I could repair/replace parts to make it reliable/accurate but purchase price would reduce to reflect added cost for me).

 

[9mmepiphany]

This thread may get better responses if moved to "Gunsmithing and Repairs" subcategory

I think so too...I'm moving it

 

[243winxb]

The slide spring has a slight bow to

Fire first, report back. Slight is ok. A drop of Break Free CLP with teflon will help cut the friction when spring rubs the slide.

If you think it hard to pull the slide back now, with hammer cocked, dont dry fire it. Near impossible for some old folks (me) to get the slide back.

 

[James K2020]

Member from another forum stated that it's by design on this model HS. Last bit is supposed to be high compression.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Recently bought a HS Duramatic and all seems fine except the slide is difficult to pull all the way back to the hold-back position. The slide spring has a slight bow to it,

I don't know about on a HS, but I've seen bent recoil springs on rimfire rifles. It seems to be a result of years and years of disassembly/reassembly; placing the spring against the receiver and then compressing it with the recoil rod and bolt. I wouldn't consider it a show stopper. Regarding the slide friction, clean and lubricate the heck out of it before you do anything else.

Good luck with that High Standard. I have the same gun. It's junk. Won't feed a single round. Gave up trying to home gunsmith it. Not valuable enough to warrant a costly repair at a gunsmith. Too bad. As a single shot, it shoots super tight groups. Someone here once wrote that the HS and the Woodsman are gone for a reason, and the Ruger Mark series lived on for a reason. So I went out and bought a Mark IV. No regrets.

 

[entropy]

I am in the process of fixing one on a Colt Woodsman, the spring guide head and the first few coils were mangled by the slide stop/ back of the back strap. New parts ordered.

 

[Jim Watson]

If you think it hard to pull the slide back now, with hammer cocked,

If you think a Duramatic has a hammer, you are behind the curve.

 

[243winxb]

hammer

Striker. Good catch thank you. Ya, no expert here.

 

[James K2020]

I don't know about on a HS, but I've seen bent recoil springs on rimfire rifles. It seems to be a result of years and years of disassembly/reassembly; placing the spring against the receiver and then compressing it with the recoil rod and bolt. I wouldn't consider it a show stopper. Regarding the slide friction, clean and lubricate the heck out of it before you do anything else.

Good luck with that High Standard. I have the same gun. It's junk. Won't feed a single round. Gave up trying to home gunsmith it. Not valuable enough to warrant a costly repair at a gunsmith. Too bad. As a single shot, it shoots super tight groups. Someone here once wrote that the HS and the Woodsman are gone for a reason, and the Ruger Mark series lived on for a reason. So I went out and bought a Mark IV. No regrets.

I'll find out later this week. In my experience with a Sport King, the FTF problem is with the feed lips on the magazine. Bought the special tool that keeps them in proper alignment and no more problems. It is also finicky on what ammo it likes best. Sport King now shoots reliably and very accurate.

 

[9mmepiphany]

In my experience with a Sport King, the FTF problem is with the feed lips on the magazine. Bought the special tool that keeps them in proper alignment and no more problems.

That is due to High Standard choosing to not design in a feed ramp for their chamber and using the lip geometry to control cartridge feeding

 

[D.B. Cooper]

That is due to High Standard choosing to not design in a feed ramp for their chamber and using the lip geometry to control cartridge feeding

Yep. The chamber on mine is a straight wall with an opening in it.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

... the FTF problem is with the feed lips on the magazine...

Yep. But the problem I've found is that there are, of course, no new manufacture magazines available so all I can find are used magaziens from places like Numrich, and they all have the exact same problem.

Bought the special tool that keeps them in proper alignment and no more problems

Interesting. I've never heard of such a tool. Tell me more.

It is also finicky on what ammo it likes best...

As to be expected with pretty much any autoloading rimfire. The two things I've found over the years, at least in general terms, is the higher the velocity the better and the cleaner burning the better.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Interesting. I've never heard of such a tool. Tell me more.

High Standard Magazine Adjustment & Disassemble Tools Hi Slant & Military Grips • $35.99

HIGH STANDARD MAGAZINE Adjustment & Disassemble Tools Hi Slant & Military Grips - $35.99. FOR SALE! HS Mag Tools Magazine Adjustment Tools for Hi-Standard Magazines Magazine adjustment & alignment tool for .22 caliber High Standard and Triple K magazines. It is machined on both sides instead of...

picclick.com

 

[Slamfire]

I have stayed away from High Standards due to reports of difficulties of finding magazines that work. One bud purchased a like new 50's vintage High Standard and it had one magazine. The after market magazines he purchased would not feed, even though they came with some sort of lip adjusting tool. He found one more original HS magazine and it works.

An issue with old magazines is, they are old. If they were used by competitive shooters, they may be worn out. And if you find a like new vintage magazine, maybe it was never used because it was unreliable.

The few shooters I see with High Standards, I joke with them about the value of their magazines being higher, per ounce, than gold. And I don't think I am far off in my estimation.

In their day, the High Standard pistol was a premium target 22lr. It was well liked, well built. I suspect the market for an expensive 22 lr target pistol was not large enough to keep the company going.

 

[Jim Watson]

I bought three magazines from this outfit.

Magazine Assembly- 10rd-Stk #DM-3038 – InterArms Inc.

They feed well but one won’t drop free. But those three and my two originals will get me through a club plinker match or a Steel Challenge stage. Best I can tell, it is my most accurate pistol.

The Duramatic is different from other High Standards. It is striker fired and does not have a grip frame, the plastic butt is held to the receiver by a through bolt. See also Colt “Cadet”.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

...magazines being higher, per ounce, than gold. And I don't think I am far off in my estimation.

I doubt it. Current spot price for gold is almost $2k. I paid $60 for a magazine. (That doesn't work)

 

[D.B. Cooper]

The Duramatic is different from other High Standards. It is striker fired and does not have a grip frame, the plastic butt is held to the receiver by a through bolt. See also Colt “Cadet”.

I think the magazines are different, too. Something about 100 vs 101 in the part or model numbers.

 

[Jim Watson]

I don't know.
You might ask at Rimfire Central, looks like the OP is there.

 

[243winxb]

My orginal High Standard mags, model 107, from the 60s. Fine adjustment to the lips is needed to keep them running. Many 1000 of rounds fired. Still shooting it. Had more then 1 gun.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

My orginal High Standard mags, model 107, from the 60s. Fine adjustment to the lips is needed to keep them running.

That image right there tells me all I need to know. Get rid of this POS.

 

[243winxb]

That image right there tells me all I need to know. Get rid of this POS.

This tells me you know nothing about High Standard.

 

[James K2020]

All of the above is true. You can get replacement mags, parts, and tools from Interarmstx. There are several members on rimfirecentral who are HS collectors, former/current employees, and two co-authored and just released a history book on HS. It's on Amazon but a bit pricey. Waiting for Kindle version.