Standard Manufacturing was established in 2014 as a sister company of Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing—both headquartered in New Britain, Conn. Since 1975, the latter has built an enviable reputation for its head-turning Galazan and Fox models. It also produces budget-friendly and equally reliable shotguns that are more utilitarian in design. It’s accumulated a wealth of gunmaking knowledge in those years, and that skill is shared as staff goes to work in the 425,000-square-foot facility the firm’s share.
When it comes to diversity in the lineup, Standard Manufacturing is one of the acknowledged leaders in the industry. Standard offers handguns—everything from classic 1911s to single-action revolvers. The company also produces rifles and shotguns and, in keeping with the family heritage, all are manufactured in the United States.
It was Standard’s 2015 introduction of the pump-action DP-12 shotgun, though, that really made the company name a familiar one for enthusiasts. The 12 gauge wore two barrels in a side-by-side configuration and delivered two shots to chamber with every stroke of the slide. Two tube magazines capacities under the barrels held seven shotshells each and, if that wasn’t enough to draw attention, it was a bullpup design. The innovative gun later won a coveted Golden Bullseye from NRA publications and continues to sell well.
The company entered the revolver business not long ago, and it didn’t take long for one of its earliest versions to catch the attention of American Rifleman’s staff. Chambered in .45 Colt, wearing scroll engraving and walnut grips and featuring a charcoal color case-hardened frame, it’s little wonder editors were drooling. The screws are even timed.
One of Standard Manufacturing’s most recent introductions is the S333 Thunderstruck—a .22 WMR-chambered double-action revolver with side-by-side, 1 1/4" barrels. Again, it’s different, but its success and subsequent release of a Gen II version make it obvious demand is there. The company still offers more standard firearms, including its STD-15—a 5.56 NATO-chambered AR-15—and much more.
There’s a lot for everyone in Standard Manufacturing's guns. The fact that they’re made in a region of the nation many consider the cradle of American gunmaking—where the skills and attention to detail are still family tradition—is icing on the cake.
