High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return - The Firearms Forum

rangeman17 · 07-25-2009, 04:32 PM

Hello,

First post to this site. I have a problem with this pistol the slide will not return when you pull it back. I have never used this gun, it actually belongs to my significant other and after I upgraded to a larger gun safe she just appears with this little 22 auto. I have looked everything over and stripped it down an put it back together but it still doesn't work. Otherwise the gun is in great shape, about 95%, but if it doesn't work it ain't worth much. She claims it always worked before, which is why I took it apart and cleaned and lubed everything, but , not to belabor the point, it still don't work. I went over the parts list and can't seem to find any missing parts and all moving parts work, all springs return but when the gun is assembled--you know the problem. If I can get any help I would greatly appreciate it and if not I'll try to find a gunsmith around here that is familiar with this weapon.

Thanks,
Rangeman17

TOOHSOTKIL · 07-25-2009, 09:14 PM

Is it locked back for good, or can you get it to return by other manipulation.
In that shape, worth more than you think not working.
Does the slide lock on the right side pop up when the slide is pulled back? Gun empty and magazine inserted (empty)

muddober · 07-26-2009, 02:00 AM

The only reason I can think why the slide is not returning to battery is because the recoil spring which is internal is not cocking inside the slide. Lets do this a step at at a time. Can you get the slide off of the gun? Let me know and then we will go from there. I am doubting that you can. Also if you cannot get the slide off not every gunsmith is going to be able to fix it although it is fixable and once done they are one of the best 22 pistols ever built.

Ron

LDBennett · 07-26-2009, 06:41 AM

rangeman17:

If you use the wrong sequence in disassembling the gun it will take a milling machine to get the slide off. That, of course, means a new slide and since the gun is over half a century old and the company is out of business for at least 20 years, good luck in finding a slide.

Take it to a gunsmith that knows early Hi Std guns before doing anything else as you might get the takedown sequence wrong (if you have not already) and the slide will have to be machined to get it off the frame.

It pays to invest in either an AGI video on any gun you wish to take apart or at least an assembly/disassembly book to guide the process. Some guns are nightmares to deal with if you don't do it just right. These early Hi Std's can be if you do it wrong.

LDBennett

Danwin22 · 07-26-2009, 07:14 AM

High Standard made some of the best .22 pistols...ever.

If you can get it working you will be rewarded with a great shooter.

By all means, have it checked out before tossing it.

I only have one High Standard but it is a great shooter and takes any kind of ammo I feed it.

rangeman17 · 07-26-2009, 08:00 AM

Firstly, Thanks for all the replies, I'm gonna have to spend more time on this site and less playin' solitair.

Back to the gun. Toohsotkil and Muddober I can take the slide off and put it back on and take it off... ad nauseum but this gun is a lot different than the .45's and 9's I have played with, as I take the slide off again and look at the slide the retracting rod is in the uncompressed position and I don't see how to keep it compressed while putting the slide back on the frame, but I may be getting ahead of myself.

Rangeman17

muddober · 07-26-2009, 07:00 PM

rangeman, I am simply amassed that you are able to get the slide off frame and yet when you do the recoil spring is not compressed. I am suspect that the slide stop is either broken or missing which is the only reason I can think of at this moment that will allow you to do it. What we are about to do might be best done over the phone and if you want you can PM me and I will give my number but here goes. With the slide in your hand and upside down you can see that the recoil spring (assuming you can see the spring) has guide rod and on its very end if you can compress the spring just a bit you can see there is a small dished area on the end of the guide rod. It is that dished area that a little piece of flat spring steel called the assembly lock spring which is actuated by the little checkered button/plunger on top of the slide and when the recoil spring is compressed there is a little sharp piece of that flat spring that fits into that dished area on the end of the spring guide rod keeping the recoil spring compressed. So with a dental pick or like tool you have to compress the recoil spring to the point you cannot see it anymore (much easier said than done) and all while pushing the little checkerd button on the top of the slide let the end of rod guide rest against the assembly flat lock spring. What LD was saying about the milling machine goes to prove what I said that it is not every gunsmith that can take the slide off an HD type gun once the recoil spring becomes released internally but here is how it is done without ruining the gun and no milling machine is required. If you will notice the recoil spring is retained by a little plug in the front of the slide and that little plug is retained by a pin that is only meant to be driven from the bottom up and there is NO WAY to do that with the slide on the gun, unless you do first do the following. Open the slide to a point you have to play with,(which it will allow you to do) and with a sharp very small triangle file cut a notch on the inside of the mag well in an area that you can line the pin up by moving the slide forward so you can drive it downward from the top. Once the pin is removed you should be able to tease the plug out and gently remove the recoil spring with a pair of needle nose. This usually kills the spring which is easily replaced and the worse thing you have to show for it is a little notch on the inside of the mag well that you will never see unless you knew where to look and only then with the slide open. Again don't hesitate to PM me if you want because I still think you have something broken or missing or it is not a High Standard HD gun we are working on here and the only reason I say that so please do not take offense it would not be the first time that has happened to me and others on this forum. Also you need to know I am not a gunsmith but rather a collector, who works mostly just on his own guns and friends guns for free.

Ron

TOOHSOTKIL · 07-26-2009, 07:28 PM

You have just received the tip of the year, maybe decade. LOL
As LD eluded, there is a set of steps for this classic pistol, (That little button on top of the is a key feature.)

One of my favorite pistols and it can and will shoot HV ammo too, not near as picky feeder as 100 series models. Feed ramps are a plus on these!!

Is yours short or long barreled?

#2 tip.....do not drift the rear sight without unlocking it first(screw lock)

rangeman17 · 07-26-2009, 08:26 PM

Muddober the H-D is fixed I will print your info so as not forget how to do this in the future. I do need to find a manual for this gun if I can. I obviously haven't fired it yet but the gun seems to be functioning just fine.

I will send pictures if I can convince my SO to take a couple, this gun is in excellent condition and the only thing I can find wrong is a small spot on the extreme left end of the barrel where the blueing is rubbed off. All three of the mags are in great shape.

Thanks again for the fix.

rangeman17 (aka Bernie)

rangeman17 · 07-26-2009, 08:30 PM

Toohsotkil,

The H-d is a 4/1/2" barrel, as I told muddober I'll send a couple of pictures when I can get the SO to take a couple.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.

rangeman17

muddober · 07-26-2009, 09:35 PM

rangeman: I got your email but apparently you don't except emails so I was unable to send you a reply except through here. I know how to post pictures from my computer but I would suggest you ask someone smarter than me as a computer guy I fumble a lot. I am glad you have it up and running but I am still at a loss on how you able to get the slide off the frame with the recoil spring not being compressed. Usually what happens is the spring bulges inside the slide and gets stuck on the ejector and without taking the spring from the front of the slide as I said there is no taking the slide off the gun. I am suspect of one reason this might not have happened since you don't seem to have any parts missing or broken is that someone may have taken your gun apart at one point in time and cut the recoil spring making it easier to get it back together which is not a good thing but it did make it so it would not bulge. That spring in order for the gun to function properly is virtually completely compressed when you push the top plunger to remove the slide and is a bear to put back in even under the best of circumstances.

Ron

muddober · 07-27-2009, 09:02 AM

Here are a couple of pictures of rangeman's gun and it is a very nice example of one of the best 22 pistols ever made.

TOOHSOTKIL · 07-28-2009, 08:50 PM

If you have a .22 addiction, you have one of these. Short or long barreled.
Hi Standard is part of any .22 afliction

jondar · 08-03-2009, 02:25 PM

I had forgotten what a frustrating, curse producing chore (for me) replacing that spring was. I've done two of them. That and keeping the hammer pin in place. I loaned my HD-Mil to a man I worked with who was shooting in a state match. He brought it back, the gun in one hand and the hammer in the other. Pin long gone. It had worked out and the hammer lost for an hour or more. I was unable, at that time, to find a replacement so I used a twist drill cut to size until someone turned me on to Numrich.

Crpdeth · 08-04-2009, 04:40 AM

Good stuff, Ron... Thanks for the well thought out post!

Crpdeth

Popgunner · 08-04-2009, 10:20 AM

A very helpful post Ron!

07-25-2009, 04:32 PM	#1
rangeman17 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 4	High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return Hello, First post to this site. I have a problem with this pistol the slide will not return when you pull it back. I have never used this gun, it actually belongs to my significant other and after I upgraded to a larger gun safe she just appears with this little 22 auto. I have looked everything over and stripped it down an put it back together but it still doesn't work. Otherwise the gun is in great shape, about 95%, but if it doesn't work it ain't worth much. She claims it always worked before, which is why I took it apart and cleaned and lubed everything, but , not to belabor the point, it still don't work. I went over the parts list and can't seem to find any missing parts and all moving parts work, all springs return but when the gun is assembled--you know the problem. If I can get any help I would greatly appreciate it and if not I'll try to find a gunsmith around here that is familiar with this weapon. Thanks, Rangeman17 -->

07-26-2009, 02:00 AM	#3
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return The only reason I can think why the slide is not returning to battery is because the recoil spring which is internal is not cocking inside the slide. Lets do this a step at at a time. Can you get the slide off of the gun? Let me know and then we will go from there. I am doubting that you can. Also if you cannot get the slide off not every gunsmith is going to be able to fix it although it is fixable and once done they are one of the best 22 pistols ever built. Ron

07-26-2009, 06:41 AM	#4
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,718	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return rangeman17: If you use the wrong sequence in disassembling the gun it will take a milling machine to get the slide off. That, of course, means a new slide and since the gun is over half a century old and the company is out of business for at least 20 years, good luck in finding a slide. Take it to a gunsmith that knows early Hi Std guns before doing anything else as you might get the takedown sequence wrong (if you have not already) and the slide will have to be machined to get it off the frame. It pays to invest in either an AGI video on any gun you wish to take apart or at least an assembly/disassembly book to guide the process. Some guns are nightmares to deal with if you don't do it just right. These early Hi Std's can be if you do it wrong. LDBennett

07-26-2009, 07:14 AM	#5
Danwin22 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Central Florida Posts: 223	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return High Standard made some of the best .22 pistols...ever. If you can get it working you will be rewarded with a great shooter. By all means, have it checked out before tossing it. I only have one High Standard but it is a great shooter and takes any kind of ammo I feed it.

07-26-2009, 08:00 AM	#6
rangeman17 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 4	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return Firstly, Thanks for all the replies, I'm gonna have to spend more time on this site and less playin' solitair. Back to the gun. Toohsotkil and Muddober I can take the slide off and put it back on and take it off... ad nauseum but this gun is a lot different than the .45's and 9's I have played with, as I take the slide off again and look at the slide the retracting rod is in the uncompressed position and I don't see how to keep it compressed while putting the slide back on the frame, but I may be getting ahead of myself. Rangeman17

07-25-2009, 09:14 PM	#2
TOOHSOTKIL V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Curracus Posts: 318	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return Is it locked back for good, or can you get it to return by other manipulation. In that shape, worth more than you think not working. Does the slide lock on the right side pop up when the slide is pulled back? Gun empty and magazine inserted (empty)

07-26-2009, 07:00 PM	#7
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return rangeman, I am simply amassed that you are able to get the slide off frame and yet when you do the recoil spring is not compressed. I am suspect that the slide stop is either broken or missing which is the only reason I can think of at this moment that will allow you to do it. What we are about to do might be best done over the phone and if you want you can PM me and I will give my number but here goes. With the slide in your hand and upside down you can see that the recoil spring (assuming you can see the spring) has guide rod and on its very end if you can compress the spring just a bit you can see there is a small dished area on the end of the guide rod. It is that dished area that a little piece of flat spring steel called the assembly lock spring which is actuated by the little checkered button/plunger on top of the slide and when the recoil spring is compressed there is a little sharp piece of that flat spring that fits into that dished area on the end of the spring guide rod keeping the recoil spring compressed. So with a dental pick or like tool you have to compress the recoil spring to the point you cannot see it anymore (much easier said than done) and all while pushing the little checkerd button on the top of the slide let the end of rod guide rest against the assembly flat lock spring. What LD was saying about the milling machine goes to prove what I said that it is not every gunsmith that can take the slide off an HD type gun once the recoil spring becomes released internally but here is how it is done without ruining the gun and no milling machine is required. If you will notice the recoil spring is retained by a little plug in the front of the slide and that little plug is retained by a pin that is only meant to be driven from the bottom up and there is NO WAY to do that with the slide on the gun, unless you do first do the following. Open the slide to a point you have to play with,(which it will allow you to do) and with a sharp very small triangle file cut a notch on the inside of the mag well in an area that you can line the pin up by moving the slide forward so you can drive it downward from the top. Once the pin is removed you should be able to tease the plug out and gently remove the recoil spring with a pair of needle nose. This usually kills the spring which is easily replaced and the worse thing you have to show for it is a little notch on the inside of the mag well that you will never see unless you knew where to look and only then with the slide open. Again don't hesitate to PM me if you want because I still think you have something broken or missing or it is not a High Standard HD gun we are working on here and the only reason I say that so please do not take offense it would not be the first time that has happened to me and others on this forum. Also you need to know I am not a gunsmith but rather a collector, who works mostly just on his own guns and friends guns for free. Ron Last edited by muddober; 07-26-2009 at 07:30 PM..

07-26-2009, 07:28 PM	#8
TOOHSOTKIL V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Curracus Posts: 318	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return You have just received the tip of the year, maybe decade. LOL As LD eluded, there is a set of steps for this classic pistol, (That little button on top of the is a key feature.) One of my favorite pistols and it can and will shoot HV ammo too, not near as picky feeder as 100 series models. Feed ramps are a plus on these!! Is yours short or long barreled? #2 tip.....do not drift the rear sight without unlocking it first(screw lock)

07-26-2009, 08:26 PM	#9
rangeman17 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 4	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return Muddober the H-D is fixed I will print your info so as not forget how to do this in the future. I do need to find a manual for this gun if I can. I obviously haven't fired it yet but the gun seems to be functioning just fine. I will send pictures if I can convince my SO to take a couple, this gun is in excellent condition and the only thing I can find wrong is a small spot on the extreme left end of the barrel where the blueing is rubbed off. All three of the mags are in great shape. Thanks again for the fix. rangeman17 (aka Bernie)

07-26-2009, 08:30 PM	#10
rangeman17 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 4	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return Toohsotkil, The H-d is a 4/1/2" barrel, as I told muddober I'll send a couple of pictures when I can get the SO to take a couple. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. rangeman17

07-26-2009, 09:35 PM	#11
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return rangeman: I got your email but apparently you don't except emails so I was unable to send you a reply except through here. I know how to post pictures from my computer but I would suggest you ask someone smarter than me as a computer guy I fumble a lot. I am glad you have it up and running but I am still at a loss on how you able to get the slide off the frame with the recoil spring not being compressed. Usually what happens is the spring bulges inside the slide and gets stuck on the ejector and without taking the spring from the front of the slide as I said there is no taking the slide off the gun. I am suspect of one reason this might not have happened since you don't seem to have any parts missing or broken is that someone may have taken your gun apart at one point in time and cut the recoil spring making it easier to get it back together which is not a good thing but it did make it so it would not bulge. That spring in order for the gun to function properly is virtually completely compressed when you push the top plunger to remove the slide and is a bear to put back in even under the best of circumstances. Ron

07-27-2009, 09:02 AM	#12
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return Here are a couple of pictures of rangeman's gun and it is a very nice example of one of the best 22 pistols ever made. Attached Images

07-28-2009, 08:50 PM	#13
TOOHSOTKIL V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Curracus Posts: 318	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return If you have a .22 addiction, you have one of these. Short or long barreled. Hi Standard is part of any .22 afliction

08-03-2009, 02:25 PM	#14
jondar V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 458	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return I had forgotten what a frustrating, curse producing chore (for me) replacing that spring was. I've done two of them. That and keeping the hammer pin in place. I loaned my HD-Mil to a man I worked with who was shooting in a state match. He brought it back, the gun in one hand and the hammer in the other. Pin long gone. It had worked out and the hammer lost for an hour or more. I was unable, at that time, to find a replacement so I used a twist drill cut to size until someone turned me on to Numrich.

08-04-2009, 04:40 AM	#15
Crpdeth Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Location: Location Contributor Posts: 8,247	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return Good stuff, Ron... Thanks for the well thought out post! Crpdeth __________________ Our greatest pretenses are built up not to hide the evil and the ugly in us, but our emptiness. The hardest thing to hide is something that is not there. ~Eric Hoffer

08-04-2009, 10:20 AM	#16
Popgunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Contributor Posts: 1,764	Re: High Standard H-D Military Slide dows not return A very helpful post Ron!