Gonna sit on this one for a while

[wired]

Sometimes I buy a gun for a specific purpose and then I get it in my hands and have to spend some time thinking about it before I start cutting.

Anyway bought this 1943 vintage Hi Standard USA Model H-D to turn into a suppressed HDM with a period correct suppressor.

Going to wait a few months and see if the urge goes away.

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[CountryGent]

Going to wait a few months and see if the urge goes away.

View attachment 1236601

The immortal words of Mark Twain seem appropriate: "I deal with temptation by yielding to it."

 

[Knobgoblin]

Office of
Strategic
Services??

 

[P7M13]

Schweet urge. I expect the turn around on your waiting it out will be brief....
I have a Field King with a 6" barrel, a 4" barrel, and a 4" threaded for suppressor.

 

[wired]

Not my first rodeo

 

[flydipper]

Sometimes I buy a gun for a specific purpose and then I get it in my hands and have to spend some time thinking about it before I start cutting.

Anyway bought this 1943 vintage Hi Standard USA Model H-D to turn into a suppressed HDM with a period correct suppressor.

Going to wait a few months and see if the urge goes away.

View attachment 1236601

Early all blued version, hard to find. Later models were parkerized. Be a shame to modify it, putting correct grips on it would enhance the value. But you do you!! I have an extra parkerized version if you're feeling froggy! I have a question in to a guy in the HS club that has a few of the originals about whether or not they suppressed any of the gloss blue versions. I'll report back when I hear, just for your information.

 

[wired]

Early all blued version, hard to find. Later models were parkerized. Be a shame to modify it, putting correct grips on it would enhance the value. But you do you!! I have an extra parkerized version if you're feeling froggy! I have a question in to a guy in the HS club that has a few of the originals about whether or not they suppressed any of the gloss blue versions. I'll report back when I hear, just for your information.

It doesn't have value. It's a 500 dollar gun no matter what's on it. Bluing is trashed so it's on to it's next life. I'm not building a clone. Building one that's more of a tribute.

 

[flydipper]

It doesn't have value. It's a 500 dollar gun no matter what's on it. Bluing is trashed so it's on to it's next life. I'm not building a clone. Building one that's more of a tribute.

Gotcha, I think I remember the gun now from GB. Trashed on the opposite side. Post pics

 

[wired]

Gotcha, I think I remember the gun now from GB. Trashed on the opposite side. Post pics

Yeah. Thats the one. Bluing blemish on the right side. Ive built many of the HD Military's and even a HD-A into suppressed guns over the years. Never anything collectible though . This my first USA though . Fun to track the evolution of the model. This one is later than the SN range for real USA HDM's . I have the original rubber grips.

Still looking for an H-E .

 

[flydipper]

Yeah. Thats the one. Bluing blemish on the right side. Ive built many of the HD Military's and even a HD-A into suppressed guns over the years. Never anything collectible though . This my first USA though . Fun to track the evolution of the model. This one is later than the SN range for real USA HDM's . I have the original rubber grips.

Still looking for an H-E .

So the goverment order guns are just a USA-HD. The HD Military is the civilian version. Very confusing when first getting into HS. Are you thinking they switched the slide? If that is the one I'm thinking of in the 123xxx serial range that lines up with a real USA-HD and is correct in the high gloss blue finish. They switched to parkerized around 128K. Pictures looked like someone tried to buff off the acceptance stamp on the right hand side of the frame.

 

[titsonritz]

The immortal words of Mark Twain seem appropriate: "I deal with temptation by yielding to it."

Which he plagiarized from Oscar Wilde.

 

[titsonritz]

Not my first rodeo

View attachment 1236647

Kristi Noem is that you?

 

[wired]

So the goverment order guns are just a USA-HD. The HD Military is the civilian version. Very confusing when first getting into HS. Are you thinking they switched the slide? If that is the one I'm thinking of in the 123xxx serial range that lines up with a real USA-HD and is correct in the high gloss blue finish. They switched to parkerized around 128K. Pictures looked like someone tried to buff off the acceptance stamp on the right hand side of the frame.

All HD Military are post war guns made between 1946 and 1950 with adjustable sights and an adjustable trigger. To my knowledge the military never bought any of the post war HD military guns. USA model H-D are military contract and civilian guns made from 1940 through 1945. The military ones have Property of US and sometimes have the bomb cartouche but not always on the right side and Property of US on the barrel. This is in the 123xxx range which is early 1943 and was a civilian purchase. I do have a later USA HD slide in the junk box and its not parkerized. Matte finish on top and blue on the sides.

HDM's are the Bell labs silenced versions and do not have HDM engraved anywhere on the gun. They used USA Model H-D's and stopped around 120xxx if I remember right.



Theres a lot of really really bad information out there on H-D's serial number ranges . Saw an article the other day where it claimed Gary Powers H-D was an H-D Military in the 120xxx range which was impossible. It was a USA Model H-D. The post war guns were so popular people assume all guns of the type were H-D Military's which isnt true at all. There was a lot of evolution going on from 1937 when the H-A's came out as the first of the type until they discontinued the hammer guns in 1950.

Like I said I trade one or more of my kids for an H-E heavy barrel fancy target grip model. Rare as hens teeth.

 

[flydipper]

All HD Military are post war guns made between 1946 and 1950 with adjustable sights and an adjustable trigger. To my knowledge the military never bought any of the post war HD military guns. USA model H-D are military contract and civilian guns made from 1940 through 1945. The military ones have Property of US and sometimes have the bomb cartouche but not always on the right side and Property of US on the barrel. This is in the 123xxx range which is early 1943 and was a civilian purchase. I do have a later USA HD slide in the junk box and its not parkerized. Matte finish on top and blue on the sides.

HDM's are the Bell labs silenced versions and do not have HDM engraved anywhere on the gun. They used USA Model H-D's and stopped around 120xxx if I remember right.



Theres a lot of really really bad information out there on H-D's serial number ranges . Saw an article the other day where it claimed Gary Powers H-D was an H-D Military in the 120xxx range which was impossible. It was a USA Model H-D. The post war guns were so popular people assume all guns of the type were H-D Military's which isnt true at all. There was a lot of evolution going on from 1937 when the H-A's came out as the first of the type until they discontinued the hammer guns in 1950.

Like I said I trade one or more of my kids for an H-E heavy barrel fancy target grip model. Rare as hens teeth.

View attachment 1244271

I will have the info in the morning whether your piece shipped to the government or not from the factory records. The OSS/CIA did purchase HD Military guns from High Standard for clandestine operations after the war and are still in use or at least still in government hands. I have an email into a friend who flew to Russia and held the powers pistol and had it purchased but was denied import back into the US. He will put to rest the USA-HD vs HD Military conversation.

There are approx. 1006 HE Model guns listed in the factory records of both models. Cat. # 9026 and #9027. I say approx. because the 2 gals hand counting all the models from the records missed some from time to time.
The parkarized model is a 128K serial and the gloss blue is 124K gloss blue has no acceptance stamp and parkerized does. HE models are showing oil they are both 99% guns.

 

[wired]

I will have the info in the morning whether your piece shipped to the government or not from the factory records. The OSS/CIA did purchase HD Military guns from High Standard for clandestine operations after the war and are still in use or at least still in government hands. I have an email into a friend who flew to Russia and held the powers pistol and had it purchased but was denied import back into the US. He will put to rest the USA-HD vs HD Military conversation.

There are approx. 1006 HE Model guns listed in the factory records of both models. Cat. # 9026 and #9027. I say approx. because the 2 gals hand counting all the models from the records missed some from time to time.
The parkarized model is a 128K serial and the gloss blue is 124K gloss blue has no acceptance stamp and parkerized does. HE models are showing oil they are both 99% guns.

View attachment 1244366 View attachment 1244367 View attachment 1244368 View attachment 1244369 View attachment 1244370 View attachment 1244371 View attachment 1244372

If the powers gun is indeed in the 120xxxx range then it's going to be a USA gun. If nothing else Hi Standard was good at sequential serial numbers and would be a early 1943 USA

 

[flydipper]

If the powers gun is indeed in the 120xxxx range then it's going to be a USA gun. If nothing else Hi Standard was good at sequential serial numbers and would be a early 1943 USA

Powers was shot down in 1960. It may have originally been a USA-HD gun but the slide may have been changed to a HD Military slide. That is why the CIA purchased more after the war because they did not want to have USA on the slide.

 

[flydipper]

There are so many blank records it's kind of astonishing actually. The later in HS life the sloppier it got. With the model S, HS was in a pissing match with the ATF about the smooth bore and left the record lines blank in the middle of the Model B's.

 

[flydipper]

USA-HD serial # 123109 shipped to the war dept in 6/1944. The record is clear except for the day. It should have US markings on it. Without having it in my hand it is difficult to try and determine what happened if anything. Perfect candidate for your magic!

 

[wired]

USA-HD serial # 123109 shipped to the war dept in 6/1944. The record is clear except for the day. It should have US markings on it. Without having it in my hand it is difficult to try and determine what happened if anything. Perfect candidate for your magic!

Close. Its 123108.

Im rebluing it anyway. I can do the nitirc acid check to see if it has been polished out and reblued .Stampings show up in compressed metal whether the surface has been wiped clean or not. Ive seen that before with 1911's. Back in fuddlore days there was a belief that once a US property always a US property gun and guys would grind the US off. .It would be hard to polish out that deep though .

 

[flydipper]

Close. Its 123108.

Im rebluing it anyway. I can do the nitirc acid check to see if it has been polished out and reblued .Stampings show up in compressed metal whether the surface has been wiped clean or not. Ive seen that before with 1911's. Back in fuddlore days there was a belief that once a US property always a US property gun and guys would grind the US off. .It would be hard to polish out that deep though .

Looked like a 9 in the pics. I'll check the actual # for you! Stampings got missed, light stamps made it easier to grind off. Barrels get replaced. Do you turn down the original barrels or replace them with a model B barrel and start there. That is what most guys that do these to sell use.
I have military bought guns that were surplused and sold through the PX. Still have the labels on the boxes.

Powers gun is a USA-HD marked slide.