Texas Made High Standard Supermatic Trophy

Recently I purchased a High Standard Supermatic Trophy made in Houston Texas. The High Standard pistols have a reputation of having two big "issues". One is that the magazines have to be tuned in order to have reliable function. This is true for the most part. The other is a warning to not shoot high velocity ammunition in the gun for fear of causing the frame to crack. I have seen pictures and heard of experiences where this is true.

Like with the older Connecticut built guns, the Texas made gun isn't exempt to the magazine issues. In my experience I purchased three magazines separate from the gun which came with one magazine of its own. The one magazine that came with the gun works flawlessly. Of the other three only one has a follower button that locks the slide back and I had to adjust the feed lips to get it to work with the gun. I haven't bothered tuning the other two magazines because they don't lock the slide back. I may not keep those two. Not sure yet. I don't have much need for more than two magazines these days.

About the frame cracking from the stress of high velocity ammunition; I'm not sure if this is a problem with the Texas made guns or not. I was trying to track down the year of manufacture of my particular gun and in doing so I was able to learn about a company called Interarms. They make parts for a lot of guns including a series of High Standard pistols. I called and spoke with a Allen, who apparently had a big hand in the running of the High Standard company in the Texas chapter of it's life. He told me of the early production models had some frame issues but to solve things the frames choice of metal was changed to a stainless steel type. He was of the belief that the frame should withstand the use of high velocity ammunition with the new steel. He even thought a break in regiment should be 300 rounds of high velocity ammunition when the gun would have been purchased new. 

The gun according to Wolff Gun Springs comes with a 5.5 pound recoil spring. Wolff sells 6, 6.5, and 7 pound recoil springs. Would a heavier recoil spring coupled with a new steel in the frame prevent the cracking? I don't know. 

The Texas guns are not finished like the older Connecticut guns. The bluing is nicer in the vintage guns. Most of the Texas guns I've seen are parkerized finished. Mine is more blued than parkerized but some areas are definatly parkerized. Much like the sides of a 1911 are blued but the front and back straps and top is dulled in color. 

The factory barrel seems to shoot very well. No complaints. I wanted to use the gun for CMP 22 Distinguished matches and it seems more than capable for such a thing. But what a neat trick the design of this gun has with the disassembly of it. The barrel comes off with a push of a button. From Brownells you can order a Match Barrel for a High Standard Pistol by LSP. Match barrels can cost quite a lot depending on the gun but from Brownells these barrels can be had for $130 or $175 depending on which barrel you choose. I was able to purchase a used aluminum sleeved LSP barrel and mount for a red dot and it shoots very, very well. I'm going to use this gun as a backup dot sighted 22 and a CMP rimfire gun. 

I think that if a used High Standard pistol could be found for a decent price, with a magazine or two, add in the purchase of the LSP barrel, the scope mount, and a red dot with rings, you'll probably be spending something like $1,000 give or take $100 and realistically you should be able to do a little better maybe if you hunt for the good deals on the pistol. It would be a good option for a shooter looking to limit the purchase of multiple guns - it'll cover a dot sighted and iron sighted 22. And it'll be accurate. At some point I'd like to get some bench rest test results posted up but for now I can tell you that from the hand I was able to 96 and 97 with the dot sighted barrel and 94 and 95 with the iron sighted barrel. Ammunition was Aguila Super Extra, 40 grain lead, standard velocity. 

New shooters or experienced shooters interested in the High Standard Option, here's my take.

I doubt if the finish is a mix of Parkerizing and regular bluing as the pieces would need a lot of masking and I’m not sure what would mask the chemicals used in the process.  What is more likely is the duller portions are blasted with something, glass beads perhaps.  This can look like “parkerizing”.  I know some mid 20th century riflesmiths used media blasting to imitate the finish of a fine rust blue.

Tim:H11 wrote:Recently I purchased a High Standard Supermatic Trophy made in Houston Texas. The High Standard pistols have a reputation of having two big "issues". One is that the magazines have to be tuned in order to have reliable function. This is true for the most part. The other is a warning to not shoot high velocity ammunition in the gun for fear of causing the frame to crack. I have seen pictures and heard of experiences where this is true.

Like with the older Connecticut built guns, the Texas made gun isn't exempt to the magazine issues. In my experience I purchased three magazines separate from the gun which came with one magazine of its own. The one magazine that came with the gun works flawlessly. Of the other three only one has a follower button that locks the slide back and I had to adjust the feed lips to get it to work with the gun. I haven't bothered tuning the other two magazines because they don't lock the slide back. I may not keep those two. Not sure yet. I don't have much need for more than two magazines these days.

About the frame cracking from the stress of high velocity ammunition; I'm not sure if this is a problem with the Texas made guns or not. I was trying to track down the year of manufacture of my particular gun and in doing so I was able to learn about a company called Interarms. They make parts for a lot of guns including a series of High Standard pistols. I called and spoke with a Allen, who apparently had a big hand in the running of the High Standard company in the Texas chapter of it's life. He told me of the early production models had some frame issues but to solve things the frames choice of metal was changed to a stainless steel type. He was of the belief that the frame should withstand the use of high velocity ammunition with the new steel. He even thought a break in regiment should be 300 rounds of high velocity ammunition when the gun would have been purchased new. 

The gun according to Wolff Gun Springs comes with a 5.5 pound recoil spring. Wolff sells 6, 6.5, and 7 pound recoil springs. Would a heavier recoil spring coupled with a new steel in the frame prevent the cracking? I don't know. 

The Texas guns are not finished like the older Connecticut guns. The bluing is nicer in the vintage guns. Most of the Texas guns I've seen are parkerized finished. Mine is more blued than parkerized but some areas are definatly parkerized. Much like the sides of a 1911 are blued but the front and back straps and top is dulled in color. 

The factory barrel seems to shoot very well. No complaints. I wanted to use the gun for CMP 22 Distinguished matches and it seems more than capable for such a thing. But what a neat trick the design of this gun has with the disassembly of it. The barrel comes off with a push of a button. From Brownells you can order a Match Barrel for a High Standard Pistol by LSP. Match barrels can cost quite a lot depending on the gun but from Brownells these barrels can be had for $130 or $175 depending on which barrel you choose. I was able to purchase a used aluminum sleeved LSP barrel and mount for a red dot and it shoots very, very well. I'm going to use this gun as a backup dot sighted 22 and a CMP rimfire gun. 

I think that if a used High Standard pistol could be found for a decent price, with a magazine or two, add in the purchase of the LSP barrel, the scope mount, and a red dot with rings, you'll probably be spending something like $1,000 give or take $100 and realistically you should be able to do a little better maybe if you hunt for the good deals on the pistol. It would be a good option for a shooter looking to limit the purchase of multiple guns - it'll cover a dot sighted and iron sighted 22. And it'll be accurate. At some point I'd like to get some bench rest test results posted up but for now I can tell you that from the hand I was able to 96 and 97 with the dot sighted barrel and 94 and 95 with the iron sighted barrel. Ammunition was Aguila Super Extra, 40 grain lead, standard velocity. 

New shooters or experienced shooters interested in the High Standard Option, here's my take.

I have the two lsp variations, aluma with UD and bull barrel with primary arms md-ads. Both are excellent. I use Geco and aguila sv,but my hs run and cycle better with aguila and of course,in a past with cci sv.

So aluminum sleeved meaning the bore is aluminum? Seems like a bad idea.

Steel surrounded by aluminim

zanemoseley wrote:So aluminum sleeved meaning the bore is aluminum? Seems like a bad idea.

No it’s a steel barrel and bore. The barrel looks like a bull barrel but the outside of the barrel was turned down and replaced with an aluminum sleeve to give it the same size and shape but reduce the overall weight of the barrel.

Perhaps you’re confusing sleeved with lined. A barrel liner would be a replacement of the bore within the barrel. A sleeve is the outside.

That sounds better. An aluminum bore would be... interesting for a few shots anyway.

zanemoseley wrote:That sounds better. An aluminum bore would be... interesting for a few shots anyway.

Would be good for a throw away gun! 

HighStandards were used by many top shooters and still are. I'm not that experienced with different makes and models of .22 pistols, but for a factory trigger I like mine over the 41s, ruger mk/volquartsen, buckmarks, and 1911 conversion. Alan advised me on a HS Sharpshooter I put together, nice shooter. Alan has a website www.interarmstx.com I now have an older Victor I shoot that I can shoot on occasional mid to upper 90s sustained with on a good day and a 90 slow if the planets are aligned and I have steady hand.
 Stan

I concur with most of Tim's comments on the Houston High Standards.  I think they are a great value for a bullseye gun.  I bought a Citation directly from them at Perry back in 2003 or so on a whim.  It sat in my safe for quite a few years before I shot it and when I did I was quite impressed. The trigger is great and I shoot it better than most of my other guns.  The finish is rough when compared to the original High Standard company's products but accuracy and shoot-ability are just as good. 
I talked to Allen when I was at Perry a few weeks ago.  He told me High Standard has closed its doors so no more new ones from them but I'm sure there are used guns to be had.  Allan's company is (or will be) manufacturing a High Standard design that looks like a Victor.  He said he can't use the High Standard trademarks but it looked like an exact copy.  He's a good guy and has been around the gun world forever so he's very interesting to talk to.

John