Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Thoughts on Hi Standard Sport-King (long and short barrels)

Local FFL has a Hi Standard Sport-King with a short and long barrel, it looks in really good condition. Not quite mint. serial 1,262,619. (1960-61ish?)

They are asking $399 (and probably wont negotiate.)

37th Blue Book (not latest) shows the Sport King at $425 in 100% condition, add $200 for factory combo (two barrels).

So if near perfect condition, probably a good buy. Even at 98%, $375 plus the $200. 95% is $295 plus $200.

DF

anyone got some accuracy anecdotes?

Will undoubtedly shoot better than you can. Very few HS don't shoot well..mb

I’ve owned two Sport Kings. The first was a later model with a 6” barrel and slide release button. It shot great but had feeding issues. I think this may have been due to the aftermarket magazines more than the gun itself.

The second I still own is a much earlier 1951 model with no slide release button and a 4” barrel. It shoots just as good as the first and no feeding issues. I only have one original magazine and a nice Triple K leather flap holster. I carry it a lot!

For the price you mentioned I would buy it!

You probably right about the mag, which is gonna be the #1 issue with feeding issues in those guns.

DF

Aether-tech: Walk in there tomorrow with cash in hand - and announce you will pay $375.00 TOTAL for that 2 barrel pistol set
PERIOD!
I own a 6 3/4" Sport King and REALLY enjoy it - admittedly it is on the low end of all the High Standard Models I own but it is still a VERY nifty pistol.
Best of luck in your dealings with it!
And if MY method is not successful then burp up the $399.00 and pay it but demand a pistol rug to take your prize home in.
PERIOD, again.
And do make certain the magazine is original factory.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

For sure what Varmint Guy said about the magazine.

I like his strategy. That gun as described is a fair deal at ask. But less is best.

DF

How do i determine it is an original magazine?

Not a simple answer. Lots of info on line. Bottom line, they good if they work. Even factory mags sometime need tweaking.

DF

understood.

picked it up, traded in marlin 81 and a mossberg 183 plus some cash for it.

The Sport King is a good gun, but have you checked Marlin 81 prices lately?? The Mossberg 183 is about a $100 gun.

Would depend on the Marlin 81. There a number in the Blue Book, from $55-110, under promotional models.

So, maybe OP did pretty good. Not sure about current market on those. Blue Book can be a bit behind a dynamic, growing market.

DF

Best offer I got on the Marlin otherwise was $30, and no one has been interested in the Mossberg for the last year down in the $120 range. So getting $200 for both was nice. And $200 cash added on to the two ... so, yea. Wish I never bought the Marlin or the Mossberg to begin with, but eh, it happens.


I just need to get either an adjustable rear sight, or a barrel with an optics mount on it.

You done good.

You could get one barrel drilled and tapped for a picatinny rail, mount a red dot, etc. I’d probably use the longer one.

Can’t you drift existing rear sight for windage? May not need adjustable sights. See how it shoots.

DF

[img]https://imgur.com/699qkcC[/img]

I decided to order a 7 1/4" barrel, and the optics rail from LSP. Keep the barrels that came with it un-molested.

Probably a better idea.

That’s a nice looking Hi Standard, looks about mint.

DF

its got a little bit of use inside for sure, but i dont think more than a few dozen rounds (at most.)

What optic are you considering for the LSP rail?

DF

Not sure. Probably a low profile red dot to keep it simple. Maybe a cheap pistol scope.

Let us know what you end up with.

Pictures.

DF

be back with them in a month or three when i've ocd' my options down to what I want and spend 2 months shopping.

I am pretty sure the magazine IS the feeding issue with High Standard pistols. They don't have a feeding ramp and depend on the mag lips to position the top cartridge to enter the chamber as the slide strips it from the top of the stack. I have worked with my dad's Dura Matic with feeding issues. The original mag is an aluminum color and somebody pinched it (stepped on it?) about an inch below the top, so it will hold and feed maybe 3 rounds but binds any rounds below that. It has Hi Standard stamped into the floor plate, by the way. I bought several (Triple K?) aftermarket mags in a batch and somebody directed me to an online site that has correct mag lip width dimensions, so I experimented with one of those mags, using calipers and a small pair of long-nose "ViseGrip" type locking pliers (adjustable with the big screw on one leg of the pliers). Sure enough, those lips measured wider than the specs called for, so I carefully squeezed the top of the mag body and then the lips until they were the correct distances apart. I was able to improve the feeding but not to perfection. One of these days, I may see if I can get an original Hi Standard mag to see if that works any better. I have heard that somebody makes a tool that will expand a magazine body to maybe fix a narrowed mag, but I don't know where to find that tool or someone who has such a tool.

My gun isn't a really valuable item, so not worth spending lots of gunsmithing money on, but it was one of my Dad's guns and in maybe 98% condition. If I can get it sorted, it may be worth passing along to a son/grandson some day.

There’s info on line about those mags. Mine all work fine and are OEM.

There were some names mentioned, experts on the subject.

Google it.

DF

The HS Sport King are very accurate I had the front pushbutton 4" High Standard great pistol and accurate!

Thanks, Dirtfarmer. I am finding lots of aftermarket mags online today, but no OEM. I'll keep looking.

Superb pistols..

Sadly, the barrel I ordered from numrich did not fit, despite saying it would. It seems like the stem and ball are to large and wont engage with the slotted plunger. So, I guess I have to return it and try another one and see if it works?

Or, from what info I read online, find a machinist to turn down the ball?

I checked over it with a digital micrometer, there's a significant measurement difference between the two barrels that came with it, and the one i ordered from numrich. it's about 0.01~ taller, and my measurements are saying the ball and shaft are both smaller on the new one - it does not at all want to engage with the plunger mechanism.

I'll leave a note for my gunsmith and see what he's worked on them and might know what's up - but I'm not to hopeful on getting this barrel to work.

Im still at a loss on to what red dot to put on this.

Everything worth a damn costs more than the pistol.

Also, there's all of like 2 red dots that are 1MOA.

I have a couple of cheap ADE dots on rimfires. The more I use them, the more I like them.....

The Sport King was a lower end of the Hi Standard line, but not the lowest. Any Sport King in nice shape will out shoot a lot of the current .22 semiauto pistols offered, and do so long after newer ones are worn out. Extremely well made, and accurate pistols.

and sharp

Got it back from the gunsmith getting threaded and fitted.

put on a high gloss japanese simmons, and a Sparrows