Any High Standard shooters here?

[Dcarey]

I started shooting back in the 60's. back then, everyone around me had a Smith & Wesson Model 41 or a High Standard Supermatic. I had a 41 from '69 to '75 but was never really that impressed. My gun club made arrangements for us youngsters to try out for the Bullseye Team and had High Standard pistols as loaners for us in the late 60's. I always liked them the best. It took a lot of years but I finally got the guns of my youth:

[Ernie]

I had one and it was OK but I went with Colt and Browning 22s of that era. They just felt better to me. You have some very nice pistols, congratulations on finding them.

[Hatchdog]

Used to have one, I believe it was a Trophy. Had a local guy advise me to shoot only standard velocity in it. Foolishly sold it when I was building my Marlin collection. It was pretty old but shot like a dream with a fantastic trigger. Currently have a Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory target pistol and while it’s nice it certainly doesn’t have the classic lines of the old High Standards.

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[North Country Gal]

I've had several over the years, including a Citation and a Trophy. Superb guns. Have also had a 41 and a Woodsman Match, but I MUCH preferred the High Standards. I eventually traded them all off when they were bringing top dollar. I've often been tempted to grab another one, but finding parts is now a challenge, especially magazines and, as I'm sure you know, High Standards can be very fussy about magazines.

Nope, over the years, my fallback semi-auto 22 pistol has been vintage Ruger Mark 1 and Mark IIs. No one ever made a semi-auto rimfire pistol that is more rugged. Can't wear them out. Just replace a couple of cheap and available parts every ten thousand rounds or so. Bought my first one in 1972, a Standard and learned how to take one apart with that very first one. Can still take one apart in my sleep. Here's my current vintage 1965 Mark I. Still shoots as good as the day it was made.

[Rifletom]

Those bull barreled MK 1's were indeed a superb shooter.

[Ernie]

I have a model 995 high point 9mmX19. Does that count?

[Dcarey]

I've had several over the years, including a Citation and a Trophy. Superb guns. Have also had a 41 and a Woodsman Match, but I MUCH preferred the High Standards. I eventually traded them all off when they were bringing top dollar. I've often been tempted to grab another one, but finding parts is now a challenge, especially magazines and, as I'm sure you know, High Standards can be very fussy about magazines.

Nope, over the years, my fallback semi-auto 22 pistol has been vintage Ruger Mark 1 and Mark IIs. No one ever made a semi-auto rimfire pistol that is more rugged. Can't wear them out. Just replace a couple of cheap and available parts every ten thousand rounds or so. Bought my first one in 1972, a Standard and learned how to take one apart with that very first one. Can still take one apart in my sleep. Here's my current vintage 1965 Mark I. Still shoots as good as the day it was made.

Between my wife & I , we have six Ruger Mark series pistols! I have a Mark II Government Competition Target and a Mark IV Target, she has a Stainless Marl IV Target and a Mark IV Lite, and we have a pair of 50th Anniversary Mark II's, one unfired! Little Gems, one and all.

[North Country Gal]

With you all the way on the Ruger Marks. That's a very nice collection.

[Dcarey]

Every one of them a gem! But, I did have to put Volquartsen trigger kits in all of the Mark IV's to get good trigger pulls.

[North Country Gal]

I've lost count of the VQ mods I've done on Marks for me and my friends, but one thing I've noticed is that as Marks have gotten newer in vintage, I've had to do the trigger mods, more and more. Most of the Standard/MK I and IIs I've owned had decent/good triggers right out of the box. When I hit the MK IIIs, though, out of the box triggers were all over the place (and QC, too). Some were barely useable. Never owned a IV, so no idea on those.

Interestingly, way back in the day with the first Marks, you could send your Standard to Ruger to do an upgrade to a Mark I trigger or order a Standard with one before the gun was shipped. The Mark I in my post, above, actually has a bone stock Ruger trigger that is the equal of any High Standard or Smith 41 I've shot. Those early MKs really did get special attention from Ruger on the triggers.

Notice, too, the crazy price to upgrade to walnut grip panels. Those original A54 grip frame walnut with thumb rest grip panels now bring over $100, used.