I Have This Old Gun: Hi-Standard Model B

by
posted on July 31, 2024
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

At the start of the 1930s, the Colt Woodsman was one of the most popular semi-automatic .22s available. But an upstart company called Hi-Standard began gaining ground quickly, and by the start of World War II, its Model B was one of the most popular rimfire handguns ever made, and it even saw service in World War II and beyond. Watch our "American Rifleman Television" I Have This Old Gun segment above to hear the history of the Hi-Standard Model B.

"In 1932, Hi-Sandard took over the Hartford Arms and Equipment Company and started producing .22 pistols," American Rifleman Field Editor Garry James said. "Actually, the first one was basically a gun that was produced by the Hartford. That was the Model A, and then they came out with a Model B. A lovely little gun. Blowback, 10-shot magazine, came in a couple different varieties of 6.5" barrel and a 4.5" barrel. They were sold commercially and did reasonably well, even during the Depression era."

U.S. Property markings on the right side of the Hi-Standard Model B.

After the United States entered World War II, the military suddenly found themselves confronted with the reality of having to train millions of men for military service. To accomplish basic marksmanship training, the Ordnance Dept. contracted for rimfire rifles and handguns, and the Hi-Standard Model B was its choice for a rimfire handgun trainer.

"That way, they didn't have to expend a lot of .45 ACP ammo, and so they made a deal with with Hi-Standard to purchase a number of Model Bs and to have them continue to produce Model Bs for them for training purposes," James said. "As a matter of fact, Hi-Standard was the only company that produced .22 training pistols for the United States military during World War II."

A man loading a magazine into a Hi-Standard Model B.

Using a simple straight-blowback operating system, the Hi-Standard Model B employed a fixed barrel and a reciprocating slide, and it was fed by a 10-round magazine held in place by a latch in the heel of the magazine well. The gun's distinctive, angular grip was due to the fact that the rimmed .22 Long Rifle cartridges used in the magazine had to be oriented at such an angle in order to promote reliable feeding.

"The Hi-Standard Model B in .22 is a gun that the United States military purchased 14,000 of beginning in 1942 to train soldiers in the use of side arms, small arms, throughout World War II," National Firearms Museum Director Phil Schreier said. "It was eventually replaced by the Hi-Standard HD, but at 14,000 guns that were purchased by the Ordnance Department, it played a significant role in the early days of training our soldiers in combat small arms during the Second World War."

A man aims a Hi-Standard Model B pistol on an outdoor range.

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1
Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Taurus Expedition

Taurus entered the bolt-action rifle market with its Expedition, a Remington 700-pattern design that's built to be versatile and affordable.

New For 2025: Charter Arms Pathfinder II

Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.