High Standard Crusader

B

Bob Wright

New member
Anybody have a High Standard Crusader .44 Magnum? I've only seen one in my time. I was talking to a friend of mine some time back and found out he bought the only one I have seen. But, he parted with it many years ago. If memory serves me correctly, it was made by Dan Wesson.

Bob Wright
 
This one was F/S a few weeks ago, but IDK if it ever sold.

http://portland.wweek.com/SportsEquipForSale/800-high-standard-44-mag/7230872

DSC04245.jpg


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They are pretty rare. I've never saw one. I might be to the point that if I see one, I'm going to buy it, just because. They were also in 45 colt.

The High Standard Sentinel Mark II and III were made by Dan Wesson. The Crusader was an in-house design, and as far as I know, made by HS.
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IIRC Dan Wesson somehow had an influence on the Crusader as well. Whether they designed it, or Dan Wesson produced it as a HS design, or it was a HS version of a DW, something to that effect. I bet they're a good quality gun.
 
The schematic:
HSCrusader_zps09c1da7d.jpg


As you can see, there's something DW related there (quite expected, the crusader being the replacement for the DW made Sentinels), but the actual lockwork is unique, and differs from DW's in most crucial parameters. A rare bird indeed.
 
Excelent info here: http://www.danwessonforum.com/forum/dan-wesson-history/dan-wesson-high-standard/

Quote:
The Crusader and the slightly later Power Plus Revovlers were both High Standard designs. There were four patents as I recall related to the Crusader.
The Crusader patents were issued to Richard Baker and Ralph Kennedy.
High Standard had considered centerfire revolvers from the 1950's and over the years built several different prototypes but the Crusader was the first gun to reach production and then in limited numbers.
Click to expand...
 
I have one in 44mag, havent shot it but looks sweet, I am trying to find a spring that I need for it, if not a good friend is going to make one for me, just have to bring it to him.:D I will post some pics later this week if someone wants to see them.
 
I don't know all the ins and outs but the Crusader shows nothing in common with the Dan Wesson designs except that it is a revolver. It also shares almost nothing with the earlier Sentinel revolvers, but I would assume it is a H-S in house design.

Jim
 
The Crusader was a highly innovative design that wasn't enough to save Hi Standard. Sadly Hi standard went under, many years ago. I'd love to find a crusader but there weren't many made and they're quite expensive if you can find one. The design of the action was VERY advanced and I'm surprised someone hasn't attempted to bring it back.
 
IIRC, the most innovative part of the design was having the hammer on an eccentric so it moved up and down to contact/miss the firing pin instead of using a transfer bar or a hammer block. But that idea was used (in a little different way) in the Hopkins and Allen Safety Police back around 1913.

Hign Standard made the mistake of depending too much on one retailer, Sears. When Sears pulled out of the gun sales business (following the JFK assassination) H-S went down.

Jim
 
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