High Standard Sport King Special, Model A1041

03/17/2024 – A new neighbor stopped by to introduce himself the other day. He had purchased the abutting property to the south. Seemed like a nice enough guy although, I have to say, new neighbors stopping by is usually accompanied with a request… “Mind if I cut down your trees for firewood?”, “Mind if I run an access road over your property?”. “Mind if I tap your maple trees for my maple syrup business?”.

He was pretty entertaining. He prefaced each question with “The word is…” which in itself is interesting as I live in the boonies and never speak with anyone. He had heard that I was interested in selling off some of my property. I have no such interest. He heard I appraised old firearms. I do not. But he was a gun guy, so we chatted a bit.

He said he traveled all over the world on construction projects. I have traveled a great deal outside of the U.S., military and business, but I saw no need to share with the “Word is…” community. What struck me, odd was that we got onto concealed carry, and he said he did not get a concealed carry permit because he did not want to get on any government database. I guess he forgot he had a passport application and all of those country stamps and entry and departure records.

Maine has constitutional carry, but I have a concealed carry permit to qualify where CC reciprocity in other states applies when I travel. I do not worry about government databases and I refuse to live in fear of government. I carried a top security clearance in the military. I have a driver’s  license. I have an FFL license with Class III stamp, I have a credit history, I have paid into social security, paid taxes… Anyone who thinks not getting a CC permit somehow minimizes their government information footprint is kidding themselves.

If there is a fight to stop law abiding citizens from getting a concealed carry permit, Maine has not received that message. It took 8 days from the day I mailed my application and necessary documents to the office within the Maine State Police that issues, to receive my permit…. with my name misspelled. It took one call, and three days, to receive a card with the correct spelling. They are a very organized and polite group of Mainers.

With or without provenance, they are just inexpensive firearms…

One of the other things my new neighbor told me was that he was an antique/modern firearms collector. The reason he was asking about appraisal. I offered no insight into my firearms ownership. There is a lot more potential liability in feeding the “Word is…” community, than there is to feeding a government database.

I know all of my firearms by name, I know their low resale value and I know their origins and history of use. If you point to a blemish, scratch or modification, I can tell you the source and date. Like my wife’s 22LR rifle.

An early South Dakota fall day, newly married and on a very tight budget, found my wife and I in front of the gun counter at Gibson’s Discount Center in Rapid City. SD. I would guess, around September of ’67.

We did a good deal of combined purpose trips to the Black Hills in those days, fishing and small game hunting… maybe some plinking. I used a well worn Remington Nylon 66 rifle purchased in 1959. We shared shooting time with a Ruger Single Six Convertible purchased in 1967. On this occasion, we were looking for a rimfire rifle for Di.

Diane looked through everything in the rack, shouldered most and settled on a High Standard Sport King Special, Model A1041. As I recall, the sale price was $46, and the price included a Gibson’s branded 4x scope that grabbed onto the rifle’s grooved top receiver.

Doesn’t sound like much  in cost, but it was $10 more than the separate rations part of my paycheck, the military monthly allocation for food and shelter for my family living off base.

When we got home, Di took the scope off and never put it back on. She was an incredible shot, and favored metallic sights of one type or another over optical sights. The scope disappeared some time ago, probably during one of our family moves, but it wasn’t missed.

When there was a High Standard Company

The High Standard Sport King Special, Model A1041 was produced when High Standard was a company, rather than just a purchased brand.

At the time, High Standard manufactured a popular range of firearms in Hamden, CT.: pump and autoloading shotguns, rimfire autoloading and pump rifles, centerfire bolt action rifles, sportsman and target autoloading 22 rimfire pistols, and snub nose and western style 9 shot 22 rimfire double action pistols.

A simple blow back action, with a tubular magazine, the A1041 is marked for use with 22 long rifle, 22 long and high speed 22 short ammunition. For all of my long lived life, I have never seen a cost benefit for shooting longs or shorts, and I have not heard enough in the way of noise reduction to shoot anything but long rifle ammunition.

Factory Specs

The High Standard Marketing Department Did Not Lack Imagination

High Standard referred to this sight set as a Rocky Mountain patridge type. The front and rear are dovetail mounted. The front sight is undercut, the rear elevator increments are raised one step for each 25 yards.

The fact did not escape me that the steps are uniform in separation, and that there are 8 steps. There is also no differentiation for cartridge type, so a 200 yard range of adjustment for 22 shorts.

The Rapid-Load Exclusive. Really?

OK. Here’s the High Standard feature pitch. By placing the loading port on the side of the magazine tube, rather than underneath, as is the case with competitors, multiple rounds can be lined up along the horizontal “well” between the barrel and magazine tube, and “simply slid into the loading port with finger tip pressure”. Sure. Why not?

The subject gun has received a hit or two of cold blue as evidenced by the slight rainbow at the muzzle end of the barrel. Considering that touch up was done 50+ years ago, I have to give credit to Birchwood Casey Perma Blue for a good product.

The stock is pretty clean, despite its age and pressed checkering. The receiver is tubular and streamlined. The bolt handle locks open by pulling it back and pushing into the recess in the bolt handle track. The safety is a simple on/off affair, positive in actuation. The grooves are for attaching associated scope base/ring combinations. The trigger guard is stamped steel. The trigger pull is heavy and lonnnnnng.

This particular version of the High Standard Sport King Special, Model A1041 is stock fit with a raised Monte Carlo comb for use with a scope. Field grade, it is still not lacking the deluxe white line spacer between the stock and recoil pad.

Does it still shoot? I don’t know. Give me a minute, and I’ll check

33°F, springtime in Maine, and 3 5 shot groups is all you’re going to get. I believe the last time this rifle was shot was 25 years ago. 15 rounds of Winchester Wildcat bulk ammo was loaded, and the three groups were shot over a span of a minute and one half.

Those are 2″ stick on targets, shot at 25 yards with open sights and my antique eyeballs. They were shot left to right with the rifle and myself progressively settling in. They measure 3/4″, 1/2″ and 3/8″ respectively. I would say Di’s rifle hasn’t lost a step, and the previous shooter was a better marksman. Now I’ll clean it and put it up again.

The Quandary…

I do not know what to do with these old personal firearms, or machines, or mechanic’s and machinist’s tools, or library, or anything of a personal nature. Our kids and grand kids grew up around all of those things and experienced those things. Shooting, hunting, hot rodding… but times change and interests change, and priority activities change with each generation.

A hundred years ago, it was children growing up and moving from agricultural centers to urban and suburban settings. From labor to white collar pursuits, then manufacturing environments to technology based careers.

Firearms, machines, tools, etc. only have meaning, have value, if a person knows how to use them, has a need for them, and/or enjoys using them. I have been the caretaker, but I can’t take them with me, and this rifle, like all the other things, will no doubt be sold off for 2 cents on a dollar, at an estate sale after a handful of nostalgic family moments.

I am good with that. Until then, I will shoot up as much ammo as possible, run machines just for the noise and the joy of making things.