1926 – 2018
- 1926 founded in Hamden, Connecticut
- 1932 purchased by Carl Gustav Swebilius
- During World War II supplied .22 pistols for pistol training
- D developed a silent, flashless pistol for use by OSS agents behind enemy lines
- 1962 – 1984 High Standard D-100
hammerless, double-action derringers - 1968 acquired by the Leisure Group
- 1976 relocated to East Hartford, Connecticut
- February 1977 stopped production of long guns
- 1978 Clem Confessore led management buyout from Leisure Group
- December 1984, its assets were auctioned to Gordon Elliott
- 1990 American Derringer obtained the rights to High Standard Derringer design
- 1993 High Standard of Houston, Texas acquired the company assets and trademark Arcadia Machine & Tool (AMT)
- March 1994 first Houston manufactured pistols
- 2000s acquired Interarms
- 2001 Acquired Arcadia Machine & Tool (AMT)
- 2018 went out of business
High Standard Manufacturing Company
About High Standard
The High Standard Manufacturing Company was founded in 1926 in New Haven, Connecticut, by Carl Gustav Swebilius as a supplier to the gun makers of the Connecticut Valley. In 1932 the company bought the Hartford Arms and Equipment Company and began making the .22 caliber pistols that would define its name. It moved to Hamden, Connecticut, after World War II and built firearms there from 1946 through 1977.
High Standard mattered far beyond its size. During World War II it supplied .22 pistols for basic marksmanship training and, at the request of OSS research chief Stanley P. Lovell, developed a silent, flashless pistol for agents working behind enemy lines. Its .22 target pistols became favorites of competitive shooters for decades. The Leisure Group bought the company in 1968, and it moved to East Hartford in 1977. After a December 1984 auction, Gordon Elliott acquired the target pistol lines and the High Standard name, and in 1993 High Standard of Houston, Texas, took over the assets and trademarks, shipping its first Houston-made pistols in March 1994. The company is listed as dissolved in 2018.
Key Facts
- 1926: Founded in New Haven, Connecticut, by Carl Gustav Swebilius
- 1932: Bought Hartford Arms and Equipment Company and began making .22 pistols
- 1946-1977: Manufactured firearms in Hamden, Connecticut
- 1968: Acquired by the Leisure Group
- December 1984: Assets auctioned; Gordon Elliott bought the name and target pistol lines
- March 1994: First pistols shipped from Houston, Texas
Sources
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