Garthwaite Custom Combat Commander

     Notes: This pistol began life as a Colt Combat Commander Officers’ Model.  It was modified to fire the 9x23mm Winchester cartridge.  This meant changing barrels, bolt, magazines, etc.  The barrels are made by Ed Brown.  The frame is of lightweight aluminum alloy.  The trigger is a skeletonized match trigger.  All edges and corners have been smoothed or rounded. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Goncz Assault Pistol

     Notes: This is a large pistol that looks very much like a submachinegun, the Goncz Assault Pistol was designed for urban combat and counterterrorist teams, but found acceptance only among survivalist groups. The weapon comes in four calibers and with two barrel lengths. The long-barreled version can be fitted with a suppresser. 

Grendel P-12/P-10

     Notes: This small pistol was carried by many US women in their purses as a self-defense weapon.  In the hands of police, they were common backup weapons.  The P-12 has a two-finger trigger guard for the off hand to steady the weapon.  The pistol is made of Zytel polymer with a steel sub-frame, barrel, and slide.  The trigger guard is large enough for a finger wearing ski gloves.  There is no manual safety; instead, the weapon can be fired only by a deliberate pull of the trigger.  An unusual feature of the P-12 is that the magazine can also be filled from the top of the weapon, by stripper clips.

     To comply with the 1994 Gun Control Act, the magazine capacity of the P-12 was reduced to ten rounds, resulting in the P-10.  It is otherwise identical to the P-12, and those 10-round magazines can also be used in the P-12 (but not vice versa).

Grendel P-30

     Notes: This Grendel pistol is easily distinguished from other Grendels by the length of its barrel – a full 5 inches.  Like other Grendel pistols, the P-30 is made of Zytel polymer with a steel sub-frame, barrel, and slide.  The P-30 fires .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, and has an astounding magazine capacity.  It was manufactured only from 1990-1994, killed off by the Brady Gun Ban.  The P-30L is a variant of the P-30 with an 8-inch barrel; the P-30M, manufactured only in 1992, is a P-30 with a muzzle compensator, which was detachable.  The P-31 is a carbine version of the P-30, with an 11-inch barrel, muzzle brake, and detachable stock.

Guncrafter Industries Model 1

     Notes: This is a huge handgun designed to fire a new cartridge, .50 GI.  The idea is to make a .50 caliber round fit in a pistol the size of the average .45 ACP pistol, therefore the new round.  The Model 1 looks very much like a modernized M-1911-type pistol, but the hammer and sights are different, and there is a skeletonized trigger.  The bigger round requires a wider grip, as well as a new barrel and chamber.  Because of startup costs and a few financial difficulties, this weapon is still rare, as is the ammunition.

     A Model 2 also exists; while the Model 1 is Parkerized steel, the finish of the Model 2 is matte Black Nitrate.  In addition, the Model 2 has a MIL-STD-1913 rail under the dust cover and is able to accept a specially-designed .45 ACP conversion unit.  It is otherwise identical for game purposes.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Harrington & Richardson .25

     Notes: Originally designed by Webley & Scott of Britain in 1909, Harrington & Richardson entered into an agreement with that company and began to produce this weapon in the US in 1910.  It is a basic pocket pistol of the period, with light blued steel construction, a partially open-topped slide for case extraction, and no sight of any kind.  It was not a popular weapon, and production stopped in 1914.

Harrington & Richardson .32

     Notes: This is basically a larger version of the H&R .25 pistol above, introduced in 1913.  It looks similar to a Webley & Scott design of a similar type, but there are numerous differences.  The H&R .32 has no external hammer, and has an open-topped slide to allow for case ejection.  It has a grip safety in addition to a safety catch. 

Heritage Stealth

     Notes: A relatively little-known pistol, the Stealth was introduced in 1995 along with the wave of new polymer-framed pistols.  The Stealth used a black polymer frame and a stainless steel slide which could be finished in matte black, polished black, or with a polished black finish atop the slide and the sides of the slide in bright steel.  The compact Stealth used a 3.9-inch barrel, with a double-action trigger, an ambidextrous safety, and a magazine safety.  In 1999, the magazines for the .40 Smith & Wesson version were given strengthened floorplates, and both versions were given half-cock safeties and chamber-loaded indicators.  By 2001, however, the Stealth was out of production, and Heritage concentrated on its revolvers.

High Standard 10-X

     Notes: This weapon is described as High Standard Chief Gunsmith Bob Shea’s pride and joy.  It was originally produced from 1981-1984, then re-introduced in 1995, and was always a limited-run pistol.  It is similar to the Trophy Model in design, but with the grip as a less extreme angle.  The entire weapon is in a matte black finish, and does not reflect light in any way from any angle.  The parts are selected for those with the lowest tolerances and hand-fitted.  Original models are available with only a 5.5” heavy barrel, but new production models have a 5.5-inch barrel, anodized finish, and the non-moving sight mount (10-X Citation), the 10-X Shea Citation specially tuned by Bob Shea himself, and the Shea 10-X Victor with barrels of 4.5 or 5.5 inches and tuned by Bob Shea.  It should be noted that the Shea 10-X Victor is a very limited production version; only 150 examples are made per year, and they are usually sold long before they are even built.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The new production models are not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

High Standard “Letter” Series

     Notes: This line of pistols began shortly before World War 2. When the US government needed a pistol to teach basic pistol marksmanship to officer trainees, but needed to “waste” as little .45 ACP ammunition as possible, and provide training with as little cost as possible.  The War Department first tried Colt, but they were fully engaged with the manufacture of other US military weapons.  Therefore, they then went to High Standard, who already had some experience with military weapons as they were license-building several US military weapons, and they already had a small-caliber arms production base as they had been producing the .22 Model A and Bs since the beginning of the century.

     The Model A, produced from 1938-42, was a deluxe version of the Model B, a more economy model built from 1932-42.  The Model A had a match-quality barrel 4.5 or 6.75 inches long, and a grip angle which was not sharply-raked.  The base of the grip was parallel to the receiver instead of being set at an angle, like most civilian pistols of the time.  The rear sight was adjustable, and the grips of checkered walnut.  The finishes tended to be more shiny than on the Model B.  Those built in August 1939 or later had their disassembly catches on the right side of the frame; earlier ones had the disassembly catch on the left.  Very early models also had magazines with only a 9-round capacity. The Model B was actually the first version, pre-dating the Model A by six years, though the Model A was conceived first.  The rear sight was a fixed, open notch, and grips were of checkered, hard rubber.  The Models H-A and H-B were identical, but had exposed hammers instead of the mostly-shrouded hammers of the Model A and B.  Both were produced in small numbers.  The first military version, the Model B-US, was essentially a Model B designed to be produced quicker and cheaper, and were made only with 4.5-inch barrels. The grip angle was almost identical to that of the M-1911. The Model B-US was built from 1942-43 at a high volume, but the War Department had also bought several thousand stock Model Bs (all with 4.5-inch barrels) starting in 1942. All of these are identical for game purposes, except for the weight of the B-US.

     Based on the Model B, the unpopular Model C was produced.  The Model C was unpopular due to the cartridge – a disappointing .22 Short round instead of .22 Long Rifle.  To make things worse, the lighter weight of the pistol and ammunition made it kick worse than the Model B. Some 5000 were produced from 1936-42.

     The Model D was a Model A equipped with a heavy target barrel.  The Model D itself had relatively low production numbers, but later versions of the Model D fared much better.  The Model H-D, with an exposed hammer, sold about three times as well, but for game purposes is identical to the Model D.  The H-D UDA (or USA H-D) was produced exclusively for the US Army, and some 44000 were made.  Though made for the Army, they were available on the civilian market after World War 2.  The H-D USA had the addition of a manual safety in approximately the same place as on the M-1911, a 4.5-inch barrel only, fixed open-notch sights, and black checkered hard-rubber grips.  Finish was at first blued, but later they were parkerized.  The same pistol continued production after World War 2, but called the H-d Military, and 150,000 were built.  All of these are identical for game purposes, with the exception of barrel lengths.  The Model E was also similar to the Model D, but was equipped with an even-heavier bull barrel; it looked at the time that the Model E would take off popularity-wise, but due to World War 2 demand of their other weapons, production of the Model E ended early, in 1942, and only 2600 were produced; 2100 or the Model H-E with an exposed hammer were also produced.

     The H-D MS was a military pistol of a different stripe – requested by the OSS in World War 2, it’s official production name during World War 2 was the “Impact Testing Machine.”  The H-D MS was actually a silenced pistol designed for assassination work.  The screw-on silencer was made for the pistol and is thus quite effective (Class III noise); virtually the only noise is the cycling of the bolt, and the bolt can be locked so it does not cycle.  (Locking the bolt in this manner effectively turns the pistol into a bolt-action weapon with an ROF of 1.)  They had a variety of different finishes, and the silencer could be prepared in advance to make it even more quiet (the silencer of the H-D MS could reportedly use substances such as oil, water, or even bug juice and shaving cream).  Some production batches were made with no markings on them whatsoever (“sterilized”). The H-D MS was known to be used as late as the Kosovo intervention; the Russians also made it, after they captured one along with Francis Gary Powers after his U-2 shoot-down in 1960; it is therefore sometimes called the “Powers Pistol.”  Though nominally based on the Model D, the H-D MS was, in fact, improved and based on several High Standard models over the years of its manufacture and use.

     Near the end of World War 2, the OSS asked High Standard to make a version of the H-D MS with more stopping power, based on the .380 ACP cartridge.  Again, the War Department had asked Colt to develop the new pistol, but they could not do it for the same reasons as before.  This led to the Model P-380.  The contract was signed in April of 1945, but High Standard could not begin production until September of 1945 – too late for the end of the war.  (The War Department paid off the contract anyway.) As far as is known, only one P-380 prototype was produced, but the rumor mill said that as many as four may have been built.  As far as is known, they were never used in combat.  All was not lost; High Standard produced the same weapon, sans silencer, as the G-380, from 1947-1950.  The G-380 (and P-380) required a large modification of the basic design, and not just internally: the disassembly catch was moved to the rear of the slide, the barrel was made easily changeable (a by-product of having originally been a silenced weapon), the magazines were smaller, and barrels were made in 5-inch lengths only. The grip was sharply raked, and the grip plates were of checkered plastic. Finish was uniformly blued.  Construction was generally beefed up to handle the more powerful cartridge. All hammers were exposed. 

     A single prototype of an H-D MS chambered in .25 ACP was also made.  I have called this the P-25 below, and included it as an item of interest.  Likewise, a single prototype of a .32 ACP version was made, which I have called the P-32 below.

     High Standard also made several .22 Long Rifle versions of the Model G-380.  These versions essentially looked and had construction like that of the G-380, but could be had with 4.5-inch or 6.75-inch barrels and used 10-round magazines.  The Model G-B had fixed sights, and the short and long barrels were interchangeable and match-quality.  The Model G-D used heavy barrels and an adjustable rear sight, but were otherwise the same.  The Model G-E used bull barrels and adjustable sights. All were produced from 1949-1950, and production numbers are small. 

     The Model G-O Olympic was the first High Standard pistol to be given an actual name, instead of simply a designation.  The original production run was from 1949-1950, though later models were produced well into the 1960s.  The original Olympic was designed to fire the anemic .22 Short cartridge, as it was designed for NRA Rapid-Fire Competition.  The barrels were again in both 4.5 and 6.75 inches (standard High Standard match-quality barrels), though these could be easily exchanged.  The Olympic had a grooved frontstrap and an adjustable rear sight.  The magazines for this version of the Olympic normally had a slight bend in them to increase feed reliability, but could also accept straight magazines.  About 3000 of this first version of the Olympic were made. The next version had a heavy barrel and was more customized for competition, with the features of the original Olympic plus a grooved rearstrap, a grip shaped with a thumb rest, a groove under the barrel for balancing weights, and strips to plug this groove when the weights were not used.  The O-100 version was identical except for a simplified disassembly procedure.  The O-101 was also similar, but could not take barrel weights, and had a compensator slot on either side of the barrel (identical for game purposes except for a $25 addition to price).  The Model 102 was basically a .22 Short-chambered version of the Supermatic Citation, with interchangeable match-quality 6.75, 8, or 10-inch barrels.  The Model 103 was almost identical to the Model 102, but had a bracket that allowed sights to be mounted above the slide.  The Model 103 also came in a 5.5-inch bull-barreled version after 1962.  The Model 104 was almost identical to the Model 103, but came only in 5.5-inch bull and 8-inch fluted barrels.  The Olympic ISU was a Model 102 or 103, but with a barrel restricted to a 6.75-inch length, and with a groove for balancing.  This allowed it to conform to Olympic Shooting standards.  The ISU based on the Model 104 was identical to a standard Model 104, except, again, for a groove for balancing weights.  The Model 106 was equipped with a military-type grip, and the Model 107 was a Model 106 with a bracket for an elevated rear sight.  The ISU Military was a Model 102, but with a military-type grip. The Trophy ISU was based on the Model 103 ISU, but has a high-gloss blue finish. All of the ISUs are identical to their parent pistols for game purposes. 

*Some very early models have a magazine capacity of 9.  These cannot take the 10-round magazines, or vice-versa.

High Standard Sport King

     Notes: in the mid-20^th century, most High Standard target pistols were relatively expensive (in real life terms).  The Sport King was designed to be a less-expensive alternative to these expensive High Standards, for use by casual shooters, plinkers, and for varmint control.  The Sport King lacked the adjustable rear sight, fluted barrel, and the barrel weights found on many High Standard rimfire pistols, though it retained the excellent mechanical features that made High Standard pistols so popular at the time.  The Sport King was built from 1951-1958; the first model, built from 1951-54, featured a lever takedown system to remove the barrel; it was the last High Standard pistol to use this feature.  From late 1954-58, the Sport King used a push-button system (with the button located under the barrel on the frame in front and above the trigger guard) to remove the barrel.  (The two are identical for game purposes.)  Two barrel lengths were available, and they were interchangeable and tapered.  In addition, in 1956, a slide hold-open feature was added, this held the slide open when the magazine was emptied, like most pistols of the time.  Most Sport Kings were blued, and they typically had brown or black plastic grip plates. 

     Sport Kings were built again for a short period between 1974 and 1977; these were typically nickel-finished instead of blued.  The short barrel was also of slightly different length, being 4.75 inches instead of 4.5 inches.  It is otherwise identical to the original version.  Between 1956 and 1964, a lightweight version was also built; this model, the Sport King Lightweight, had an aluminum alloy frame and had a black anodized finish or finished in nickel plating for some models sold between 1957 and 1960.

High Standard Sharpshooter

     Notes: This is basically a cheap and simple version of the Supermatic series below.  It was introduced in 1971 and manufactured until 1983.  The magazine release was at the heel of the butt until 1979; after that, it was moved bottom of the side of the butt.  The weapon has a heavy barrel and an adjustable rear sight.  Interestingly enough, the barrels of the Sharpshooter could be interchanged with those of the various Supermatic weapons.

High Standard Supermatic

     Notes: The Supermatic series is comprised of several different handguns, all small-caliber target/sport-quality weapons firing .22 Long Rifle ammunition and being accurate pistols with a number of nun-standard features. 

     The Supermatic Citation Military is per haps one of the simplest of this series.  It was introduced in 1965 and built until 1984; it was then re-introduced in 1995.  Originally, it was equipped with an adjustable sight on the rear of the side; after 1970, the sight was mounted so that the slide moved under the sight mount and the rear sight itself did not move.  The trigger stop is adjustable, as is the pull.  The barrel is relatively short, but heavy.

     The Supermatic Citation MS is designed for metallic silhouette shooting.  It features a 10-inch heavy barrel, an adjustable rear sight of the Citation Military type with a rail for a telescopic sight, and the front sight is hooded. 

     The Supermatic Trophy was built from 1963 to 1966, and was re-introduced in 1995.  It has a beveled magazine well and a heavy barrel in two lengths.  Older models have the rear adjustable sight on the slide and the magazine catch on the heel of the butt, but newer models are made so that the rear sight does not move with the slide and the magazine catch is moved to the side of the butt.  The Supermatic Trophy Military is similar, but the version with the 7.25” barrel has a fluted barrel, and both barrel lengths have micrometer adjustable rear sights.  The newer models of the Supermatic Trophy Military have gold-plated triggers, slide catches, safety catches, and magazine releases.  They also come with parts for changing the chambering to .22 Short.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The new production versions are not available.

High-Standard Victor

     Notes: The High-Standard Victor, designed for competition, was first produced from 1965-1984, and then from 1995 onwards.  The Victor has a micrometer adjustable rear sight, adjustable for windage and elevation, mounted on the slide.  From 1965-1979, the Victor had a solid sighting rib; from