HISTORY
Founded in the 1930s by Gus Swebilius, High Standard Manufacturing started making .22-caliber pistols at a lower price to compete with the famous Colt Woodsman pistol. The Model A was designed to be competitive in the sport of bullseye target shooting. It has adjustable sights, a long thin barrel, and rakish grips styled after the famous Luger pistol.
Impressed by the design, the U.S. military ordered thousands to train new troops in pistol marksmanship in the early 1940s. Its low cost and simplicity made it easy to maintain. The Hi-Standard HDM model was like the Model A but was designed with a suppressor for clandestine work. It was demonstrated to President Franklin Roosevelt in the Oval Office by William J. Donovan (who later founded the CIA).
MY IMPRESSIONS
When I pick up the Model A, I notice its weight. Looking closely, I see that there are no plastic parts on this little pistol. It is solid steel with beautifully checkered walnut grips. Look at those grips and their angle. It reminds me of a Luger pistol, as it should. The checkering is still sharp, and the base of the grips swell to hold my hand in place securely.
This gun was meant to be accurate and competitive in its time. With a serial number in the 61,000 range, it was probably manufactured in the early 1940s. Shooting paper targets in an indoor 50-foot range was and still is popular in many places, and this pistol could hold its own on the firing line.
Something about the Model A makes it pointable. The grips combine with the low receiver and long thin barrel to make it aim as if I am pointing my index finger at the target. I like that. The adjustable rear sights appear as a simple square notch that frames the front blade sight. There were no red dot or tritium glow sights in the 1940s, so this arrangement was common for the time.
The serrated, curved trigger differs from the flat-face triggers I am accustomed to on my pistols, but it grips my fingertip nicely and assures me of control. It is single-stage and has very little take-up before breaking. The sight radius is 9 inches and aids in accuracy.
More Features
Like the rest of the gun, the magazine is steel, with a stiff spring pushing the follower up. It locks into the grip and is held there by a catch on the bottom of the grip. I find this a bit awkward, and it was not designed for fast reloading.
Retract the slide and lock it back with the hold-open button on the right side of the frame. I notice that the breech is completely exposed, with no top strap or ejection port. This will ensure good extraction and ejection with proper ammunition.
This is an old pistol with a lot of history. I wish it could talk to me about matches it competed in and high scores that it shot long ago. It is collectible, but can it still shoot? Stick with me as I take it to the Arizona desert for test firing.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Caliber: .22 LR
- Capacity: 10+1
- Weight: 2 pounds
- Overall length: 10.5 inches
- Height: 5 inches
- Width: 5 inches
- Barrel: 6.75 inches
- Trigger: 3 pounds, 5 ounces
- Action: Blowback semi-auto
- Sights: Adjustable square notch rear and front blade
- Magazine: Steel
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Material: Blued steel with checkered walnut grips
RANGE TIME
Area 52 is bright under the summer sun and ready for some slow-fire target shooting. This slim little pistol was designed to be fired with one hand at paper targets at 50 feet. I will be shooting steel, 2-liter soda bottles, and pop cans instead.
Ammunition will be CCI Standard Velocity 40-grain lead bullets rated at 1,070 FPS. These cartridges function well and are accurate in my other .22 pistols and target rifles. Pointing the pistol with one hand, I can keep all eight rounds in the head of my steel target 9 yards downrange. The trigger is crisp and predictable, and the simple sights are easy to see and zero well at this distance. The slide hold-open feature works well.
Reloading the magazine is a bit tricky. The unique design has a three-part feed lip that ensures smooth delivery of each round to the open breech, but it is difficult to load and requires patience. The magazine release is not intuitive and a bit awkward, but it does its job.
Time for some fun with root beer! Using a two-hand hold, I put a solid 40-grain slug through a 2-liter bottle and watch it spurt from both sides. The root beer cans explode more violently with the same ammo. My steel bottle-shaped target at 22 yards is hit and rings nicely – not bad for an 80-year-old handgun! The slide held open each time the gun was emptied, and there were no jams or malfunctions with this ammo.
PROS & CONS
