Let's discuss The High Standard Victor

[Hanshi]

I bought mine around 1974 or 75. It doesn't get out much nowadays; but it has shown its colors over the decades. Not only does it fit my hand perfectly but is wonderfully balanced with or without the barrel weight attached. Accuracy? Let's just say it's, "Ahem", adequate.

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt74/hanshi_photo/PICT0490-1.jpg (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/hanshi_photo/media/PICT0490-1.jpg.html)

Anyone else, here, admire this fine pistol as much as I do?

[TKG]

I admire all quality arms and this Victor is one of them. Never had the cash to buy one but I did purchase a Military Trophy model. Long story short, I was talking when I should have been listening and my buddy owned it. I did learn a valuable lesson that day. If you don't want to sell something don't price it. Nice pistola

[wv109323]

I own two of them plus a Citation and Trophy. All are older models. Mine are shooters. In a Ransom Rest they are consistent from 1" to 2 1/4" at 50 Yards. These tests were done with a least a dozen different Std. velocity ammos. Mine are very reliable and not ammo sensitive as other .22 Auto's.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I've had the 10X version of the Victor for two years now and it is a very accurate pistol. It is machined and fitted very tightly to he point of being difficult to open the slide. The pistol was expensive, but in my opinion was well worth it. LLS

[Vinne]

You bet Hanshi. That is one thing I miss after Hurricane Katrina took mine. :sad:

[John Allen]

I have one myself and it is my favorite of my autoloaders. It fits my hand perfectly and is accurate as can be.

[RG1911]

Back in college (1970ish), I had a Trophy (I think it was) with both the short bull barrel and the long fluted barrel. I have no memory of why I (very foolishly) sold it. It was a superb pistol and I used it in local bullseye matches.

Some years back, when they started making them in Texas, I ordered one through my local shop. When it finally arrived after many months, the shop's owner told me not to buy it, because it had so many defects. An engineer bought it as a curiosity and gave a report of all the manufacturing defects. Maybe the quality has improved in the last 10 or so years.

I'd love to get an old one, but the prices are remarkable. So I just drool when I see one.

As TKG mentioned, never sell a firearm that fits you perfectly.

Richard

[bobthenailer]

I have been using a Hi Std Victor for BE shooting since i bought it new in 1975 ! over the years i bought two others Victors and currently have two.
Over the years i have also bought several Trophy , Citations and Sharpshooters currently have 5 in all,
What nice is i can switch my custom target grips to all except the Sharpshooter and shoot High Master Scores ! the Sharpshooter is accurate but the trigger is about 3.5 lb not quite as light as the others with 2.0lb triggers.

[Hanshi]

IIRC, High Standard either went out of business sometimes later or dropped the target line or something to that effect. I know that some years ago a foreign replica of the Victor was being sold but without the usual rave reviews. Anyone else know anything about it?

[rking22]

I have a Citation from the early 70s, a gift from my wifey on our first Christmas! It has always shot very well and not picky to ammo either. It has even shot some HV stuff over the years. I don't do bullseye, but I certainly appriciate the fine workmanship and accuracy of the real High Standards (pre Mitchel), allthou the local cottontails don't like it much. Can't speak of the newer ones, never owned one.
Thanks for reminding me , I am going to go shoot it this weekend, been too long.

[merlin101]

I've always admired them but just never had the cash the very FEW times I've found a deal. Aw well some day!

[contender1]

Along with a nice Victor, I have about 1/2 dozen other High Standard 22 pistols. They are all well built, high quality craftsmanship not seen today unless you spend BIG bucks. The cost of making them is what put them out of business. Bill Ruger developed methods of manufacturing a .22 semi much cheaper than Colt or High Standard with good quality. It put a lot more guns in the hands of shooters, and less folks buying Colts & High Standards. His retail was less than the cost of manufacturing a Colt or High Standard, and as such, created the low demand for them.
Only the S&W 41 is still a high quality .22 semi and it costs a lot more than a Ruger.

But the High Standards of yesteryear are wonderful guns. The "new" ones, built in Texas are not quite up to the level of the old ones. They have had issues. You just can not duplicate craftsmanship overnight with assembly line parts installers.

[jsizemore]

You forgot to mention the trigger that's magic.

[Hardcast416taylor]

My brother had a Victor in his pistol box when he shot on an Army pistol team back in the `70`s. His son claimed it after his Dad died, then sold it about 6 months later for pennies on the dollar value of it.Robert

[wv109323]

Hanshi,
The original HS went out of business about 1985. They had moved the business at least twice and the quality fell each time. The .22 auto Target pistol was about the only HS product line that was feasible to try to resurrect.
The copy cats were the Mitchell Arms that were mostly in stainless steel. I don't think they were imported. I think their lack of quality done them under.
The new HS company that is now in Texas bought the rights to the HS name. A effort was made to bring back the .22 pistol to it's original fame. Early pistols from Texas had a manufacturing/material defect. The manufacture of the new frame allowed the angle of the magazine to vary from pistol to pistol. This created reliability problems.
I think they have most of the problems worked out now but the new pistols are not the polished blue of the past.