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com

The OSS HiStandard

Model HDM silenced
pistol was, without
doubt, the most popu-
lar and widely used of
all the OSS clandestine
weapons systems.

OSS Silenced Pistol

Text and photos To fully understand the development and history of the OSS
HiStandard silenced pistol a knowledge of two organizations is es-
by Peter G. Kokalis sential: the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC), under
During the American Civil War, whose auspices it was developed, and Office of Strategic Services
Abraham Lincoln approached the scien- (OSS), for whom it was developed.
tific community and asked their support
in the development of new weapon sys-
tems. It was for this purpose that the
American Academy of Sciences was es-
tablished. Subsequently, the National De-
fense Council of World War I continued
efforts to work with the military in the de-
velopment of military technology. As a
consequence of inadequate funding and
leadership at the highest levels, the results
were minimal.
Prior to our involvement in World War
II, the NDRC was established to comple-
ment the research of the Army and Navy
in “the development of the instrumentali-
ties of war.” Eventually the NDRC was

Right: The Arms Tech Ltd. OSS Si-

lenced Pistol, shown here with a
black Minox Model C spy camera,
is a faithfully executed re-creation
of a historically important clandes-
tine weapon.

The Small Arms Review - Vol. 5 No. 11 - August, 2002 19

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made a branch of the Of-

fice of Scientific Research
and Development (OSRD).
OSS Silenced Pistol, disassembled.
Throughout the war, the
British - who had extensive
knowledge of the German
arsenal and appropriate
countermeasures - cooper-
ated with the NDRC and
shared both research and
experience. The final orga-
nizational structure of the
NDRC included nineteen
divisions and several spe-
cial committees and panels.
The divisions covered re-
search in a wide range of
topic areas, including. Bal-
listic research, Effects of
Impact and Explosion,
Rocket Ordnance, Ord-
nance Accessories, New Missiles, Subsur- 13 June 1942. Under the leadership of Col. Analysis Branch used the academic com-
face Warfare, Fire Control, Explosives, William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan, it was an munity to devise strategy for invasions.
Chemistry, Absorbents and Aerosols, operating agency the U.S. Government un- The Morale Operations Branch generated
Chemical Engineering, Transportation, der the control of the Joint Chiefs of Staff propaganda using professional advertising
Electrical Communication, Radar, Radio and intended to be of worldwide scope. copywriters and Hollywood screenwriters.
Coordination, Optics and Camouflage, Donovan, who had previously held an im- The Labor Branch promoted subversive
Physics, War Metallurgy and Applied portant intelligence position and reported activity with labor unions in German-oc-
Mathematics and Physics. Most mysteri- directly to the president, quickly patterned cupied Europe. The Research and Devel-
ous of all was Division 19, which covered OSS activities after those practiced by the opment Branch, whose first director,
“Miscellaneous Weapons.” Formed to British Special Operations Executive Stanley P. Lovell, was taken from the
solve “special problems,” few of which (SOE), with whom the OSS worked closely NDRC staff, was in continual liaison with
ever came from the Army or Navy. Almost throughout the duration of the war. Division 19 of the NDRC.
all of Division 19’s activities were devoted Donovan envisioned two major roles for These latter branches supported the
to the problems of the OSS and their Brit- the OSS: gathering intelligence and wag- three main functional branches of the OSS.
ish counterparts. ing clandestine warfare. They were Special Operations (clandestine
Just six months after the United States To execute this dual role, Donovan warfare), Secret Intelligence (worldwide
entered World War II, the Office of Stra- created a number of branches with specifi- gathering of intelligence through four geo-
tegic Services (OSS) was established on cally defined objectives. The Research and graphical desks), and Counterintelligence
(X-2).
Only a
OSS SUPPRESSED Only limited
By October 1943 the Research and
Development Branch had evolved into four
HIGH STANDARD $2,495.00 number divisions. The Technical Division was re-
sponsible for project liaison between both
PISTOL Thetheabove price includes
OSS Patch and
will be
made.
the NDRC and British SOE. The Docu-
mentation Division created all of the docu-
Handbook on the Weapon You may purchase the ments required to protect an agent’s cover.
Re-manufactured OSS Patch only for The Camouflage Division was established
to exacting detail! $10.95 or the Hand- to camouflage the personal accessories and
book on the Weapon devices required for special operations.
for only $24.95 The Special Assistants Division provided
items for agents not within the purview of
Arms Tech Ltd. the other three divisions.
5133 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85012 Items developed for the OSS, in ad-
(602)272-9045 dition to the HiStandard Silenced Pistol in-
Fax (602)272-1922 cluded the Liberator (not originally an OSS
weapon) .45 ACP single-shot pistol, the
A .22 caliber Stinger, the silenced .45 ACP
T Ltd. M3 submachine gun, edged weapons to

20 The Small Arms Review - Vol. 5 No. 11 - August, 2002

 Visit us on line at: www.smallarmsreview.com

include the Stiletto and Smatchet, cross- sor. Tests at Aberdeen Proving Ground ACP Colt “pocket” pistols were unsuccess-
bows, matchbox camera, lockpicking several months later comparing this unit ful, as Colt could not provide them.
knife, suicide capsules, knockout drops with prototypes of a sound-suppressed .45 During this same time frame, design-
and sabotage equipment consisting of in- ACP pistol, .30 M1 Carbine and British ers at the Bell Telephone Laboratories de-
cendiary, demolition, contact firing, de- .22 Welsilencer were not satisfactory. The veloped a sound suppressor attached to a
layed action firing and harassing devices Colt Woodsman would fire in the semiau- HiStandard pistol. Tests on this design
of many types. tomatic only with high velocity rounds. were very positive and Bell Telephone
One of the most successful and highly The noise level was also quite disturbing. Laboratories was provided with a contract
regarded weapons ever developed for the Projectiles made of gold and tungsten were to silence 110 pistols of various makes.
OSS was the HiStandard Silenced Pistol. then tested with a drop in the sound pres- These included sixty six Colt Woodsman
Surely a silenced firearm must rate as the sure level, but an increase in pressure to and Match Target pistols and forty four
highest possible priority for any clandes- excessive levels and an objectionable in- HiStandard pistols in Models A, B, D and
tine operative. crease in slide clatter. Attempts to obtain E. Both short and long barreled types were
Very soon after the OSS was estab- longer barrels for the .32 ACP and .380 included in the testing. Deliveries com-
lished, agents used a .22 LR Colt Woods-
man equipped with an off-center sound
suppressor patterned after the Maxim. The
unit had a unique barrel extension in front
of the suppressor with a front sight band
that permitted use of the pistol’s standard
rear sight. The barrel extension purport-
edly enhanced the weapon’s accuracy po-
tential as well. The offset design permit-
ted a larger suppressor for greatly im-
proved reduction of the sound pressure
level.
In addition, specimens of the original
Maxim sound suppressor were obtained
and tested. Both the Savage Arms Com-
pany and the Sedgley Manufacturing Com-
pany offered to produce them for the OSS
as manufacture had been terminated in
1926 as a consequence of federal legisla-
tion restricting their use and further rein-
forced by the National Firearms Act (NFA)
of 1934. However, it was obvious that
technology in this area had moved forward
and a completely new design was required.
Thus on 27 October 1942 sent twelve pro-
posals to the planning board of the NDRC,
the first of which concerned the procure-
ment of a weapon meeting the following
parameters: 1) silent, 2) no flash signature,
3) a minimum muzzle velocity of 1,000
fps, 4) preferably .50 caliber and 5) a re-
loading of less than 30 seconds. A con-
tract for this research was given to the
Western Electric Company in New Jersey.
They were directed to develop a sound
suppressor with a) a sound pressure level
low enough to disguise the point of origin
a distance of 30 feet, b) minimum flash
signature, and adaptable to .45 ACP pis-
tols, the .30 M1 Garand and Enfield rifles.
Three weeks after the contract was
signed on 6 April 1943, Western Electric
delivered a silenced Colt Woodsman to the
OSS that was very little more than a copy
of the Polish Kulikowski sound suppres-

The Small Arms Review - Vol. 5 No. 11 - August, 2002 21

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single-line, detachable, box-type maga-

Silenced HiStandard HDM Disassembly Procedures zine, which is interchangeable with that of
the Colt Woodsman.
Disassembly and reassembly of the HiStandard HDM pistol is not entirely straight- Pushing the magazine catch/release on
forward. First, remove the magazine and retract the slide to make certain the cham- the butt of the frame permits the magazine
ber is empty. With the slide fully to the rear, press down on the small, knurled to be withdrawn. A loaded magazine is in-
plunger on top of the slide. This locks and compresses both the recoil spring and its serted and pushed in until it locks in place.
guide rod. Allow the slide to move forward under control until you can rotate the Subsequently pulling the slide to the rear
takedown latch - on the right side of the frame and to the rear of the hold-open forces the hammer back and down which
button - downward, while maintaining pressure on the plunger on top of the slide. compresses the mainspring. The sear
Keep holding the latch down while you retract the slide completely to the rear and catches and holds the hammer back at full
off the frame. cock. Releasing the slide allows the com-
pressed recoil spring to drive the slide for-
Depress the spring-loaded rear detent on the barrel until it clears the suppressor ward. The face of the slide is machined to
tube. Rotate the suppressor tube to the right until it has been removed from the strip a round from the magazine and drive
barrel. Withdraw the rear screen roll from the suppressor tube. The operator should it into the chamber. The extractor, located
attempt no further disassembly of this system. Clean and lubricate lightly. on the right side of the breech face then
snaps over the cartridge case’s rim. When
Reassembly of the pistol is not possible unless the recoil spring and guide rod the breech is completely in battery, the sear
remain locked and under compression. If the recoil spring and guide rod slip out of bar, running from the trigger to the sear on
the locked and compressed position, a small drift must be used to push them back the left side of the frame, is brought into
into their hole in the slide and then plunger pressed downward to make sure they contact with the sear.
stay locked in place. When the trigger is pressed, it pivots
and causes the sear bar to release the sear
Hold the hammer to the rear to clear the slide as the slide is placed on its cuts in the from the hammer. The mainspring then
frame. Hold the hammer rearward again as you push the slide fully forward. This drives the hammer forward to impinge
will release the recoil spring and its guide rod. Retract the slide to insure that it’s upon the firing pin, which then passes
functioning properly. Re-insert the suppressor’s rear screen roll. Push in the spring- through a hole in the breechface to strike
loaded detent and thread the suppressor tube to the left until it’s fully seated against the rimfire primer and also compress the
the frame. firing pin spring. As this spring rebounds,
it draws the firing pin back into the breech-
block. Rearward thrust of the propellant
menced in late October 1943. On 22 No- oped and issued. Civilian personnel were
gases forces the slide to the rear. The slide
vember 1943, the OSS Procurement permitted to continue deploying with the
in turn rotates the hammer back to the
Branch requested that the Ordnance De- weapon and most of the military person-
cocked position and compresses the main-
partment award a contract to the High Stan- nel either ignored or did not hear about
spring as the sear holds the hammer in the
dard Manufacturing Company of New the order not to employ them. By 8 Febru-
cocked position. The slide also depresses
Haven, Connecticut for 1,500 sound-sup- ary 1945 20,000 rounds of jacketed T-42
the sear bar so that another shot cannot be
pressed caliber .22 LR Model H-D pistols .22 LR ammunition was made available.
fired until the trigger is released and the
(the U.S. Government designation for this However, standard velocity Remington
slide is once again in the battery position.
pistol was HDM). Deliveries on this con- ammunition with lead projectiles contin-
During the recoil stroke, the extractor
tract began 20 January 1944. The contract ued to be issued and employed.
draws the empty case rearward until it
was completed on 10 October 1944. Re- The HiStandard Model H-D .22 LR
strikes the ejector.
action to the pistol by agents in the field pistol is a conventional blowback-operated
The pistol is equipped with a frame-
was entirely favorable. One Thousand target pistol very much reminiscent of the
mounted, manual thumb safety on the left
more were ordered on 18 August 1944. Colt Woodsman. Its main component
side. Rotating the serrated latch upward
That contract was completed by 10 Octo- groups are: 1) the frame which forms the
both blocks the sear and engages a notch
ber 1944. Pistols completed in the first grip and mounting required to receive the
in the slide to prevent its rearward move-
contract featured a blued finish while those fixed barrel. It is machined to accept the
ment.
of the second contract had a phosphate trigger mechanism and fitted with guides
The forward-sloping, fixed front sight
(“Parkerized”) finish. The suppressor tube for the reciprocating slide. 2) The barrel
blade is serrated on its rear face. The open
had a phosphate finish on both contracts. is pinned to the frame. 3) The slide ex-
square-notch rear sight is adjustable for
In July 1944 someone noted that ac- tends rearward from the breech and holds
both elevation and windage zero. An in-
cording to The Hague Accord Regulations the firing pin, extractor and recoil spring
dex line milled into the slide is used for
(Article 23e) military personnel were not assemblies. 4) The trigger group consists
alignment of the windage marks on the rear
permitted to employ small arms ammuni- of a pivoting trigger with a side bar con-
sight housing.
tion with unjacketed lead bullets. General necting it to the sear, together with the ap-
Overall length of the OSS HiStandard
Donovan ordered uniformed military per- propriate springs and plungers, and an ex-
Silenced Pistol 13.815 inches. The weight,
sonnel to stop using the OSS silenced pis- posed hammer attached to the mainspring
unloaded is 47 ounces. The barrel length,
tols until jacketed ammunition was devel- and plunger. 5) A sheet-metal 10-round,

22 The Small Arms Review - Vol. 5 No. 11 - August, 2002

 Visit us on line at: www.smallarmsreview.com

including the chamber, is 6.75 inches The on our test specimen was a very crisp 3
height of this pistol, with the magazine in pounds, which is undoubtedly a great deal Melton, H. Keith, 1991, OSS Special
place, is 5 inches. lighter than the pistols issued to the OSS Weapons & Equipment - Spy Devices of
Overall length of the sound suppres- in World War II. WWII, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.,
sor is 7.75 inches, including the 1/16-inch Without doubt, the OSS Silenced Pis- 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY
thick end cap rim. The suppressor tube tol was one of the most popular clandes- 10016, 128 p., black and white illustra-
screws onto the barrel where it emerges tine weapons ever issued to U.S. opera- tions.
from the frame, with detent locks on both tives. One more production run was made
the barrel and forward end cap. The sup- for the CIA after World War II. These all Melton, H. Keith, 1996, The Ultimate Spy
pressor tube has an outside diameter of 1.0 had a blued finish and did not have U.S. Book, DK Publishing, Inc., 95 Madison
inch. The rear screen roll surrounding the property markings. It was used through- Avenue, New York, NY 10016, 176 p.,
color and black and white illustrations.
barrel is 4.37 inches in length and 0.795- out the war in Vietnam with considerable
inch in diameter. It is made of twenty-mesh, effect. One of these pistols was found on
Truby, J. David, 1972, Silencers, Snipers
tin-plated bronze screen soldered into a Francis Gary Powers when his U2 spy
& Assassins - An Overview of Whisper-
tightly wound tube. The front screen disks plane was shot down over Russia during ing Death, Paladin Press, P.O. Box 1307,
are made of thirty-mesh, tin-plated bronze the height of the Cold War. Arms Tech Ltd. Boulder, CO 80302, 210 p., black and
and include approximately 110 disks Is to be highly commended for bringing white illustrations.
0.828-inch in diameter, with about twenty back an incredibly fascinating piece of his-
five having a 0.410-inch hole so they can tory. TM-22-HIS, Technical, Operational and
slip over the front of the barrel and the re- References: Maintenance Manual for .22 Caliber Pis-
mainder having a 0.234-inch hole. There tol, Silenced Hi-Standard Model HDM,
is a 1/16-inch thick brass washer between Brunner, John W., 1994, OSS Weapons, 2000, Phoenix Publishing Group, 4123
the rear screen roll and the front disk Phillips Publications, P.O. Box 168, North Longview, Phoenix, AZ 85014, 55
screens that is 0.828-inch in diameter with Williamstown, NJ 08094-0168, 206 p., p., black and white illustrations.
a 0.410-inch hole. The sound pressure black and white illustrations.
level reduction of this sound suppressor is
in excess of 20 dB. This is excellent per- OSS HiStandard Silenced Pistol Specifications:
formance for a silencer designed during
this time frame, i.e., six decades ago. Overall length: 13.815 inches.
Today, examples of this incredible
piece of history are quite rare and there Weight, unloaded: 47 ounces.
are no more than a handful in private col-
lections. Arms Tech Ltd. (Dept. SAR, 5133 Barrel length (including chamber): 6.75 inches.
North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
85012; phone: 602-272-9045; fax: 602-
Height: 5 inches with magazine in place.
272-1922; e-mail: armstech@qwest.net),
already well known in the special opera- Magazine: 10-round, single-column, detachable box-type.
tions community for their special weap-
ons and tactical equipment development,
has recreated this famous pistol in a man-
Suppressor specifications:
ner authentic in every detail. Arms Tech
Ltd. can supply the entire OSS HiStandard Overall length: 7.75 inches (including the 1/16-inch thick end cap rim). Suppres-
Silenced Pistol package - currently in in- sor tube screws onto the barrel where it emerges from the frame, with detent locks
ventory and ready to ship after ATF trans- on both the barrel and forward end cap.
fer approval. The Arms Tech Ltd.
remanufacture of the OSS Hi-Standard Diameter: 1-inch.
Silenced Pistol comes complete with a
manual, copy of the original U.S. Govern- Interior suppressor dimensions: rear screen roll surrounding the barrel: 4.37
ment test report, replica OSS shoulder in- inches in length and 0.795-inch in diameter; twenty-mesh, tin-plated bronze screen
signia and cross-section line drawing of the soldered into a tightly wound tube. Front screen disks made of thirty-mesh, tin-
pistol. plated bronze and include approximately 110 disks 0.828-inch in diameter with
The specimen sent to SAR for test and about 25 having a 0.410-inch hole so they can slip over the front of the barrel and
evaluation was authentic in every detail. the remainder having a 0.234-inch hole. There is a 1/16-inch thick brass washer
The left side of the slide was marked, “HI- between the rear screen roll and the front disk screens that is 0.828-inch in diam-
STANDARD MODEL H-D MILITARY” eter with a 0.410-inch hole.
and the entire pistol was provided with a
milspec phosphate finish. The original, Suppression: In excess of 20 dB.
checkered, walnut grip panels were in ex-
cellent condition. The trigger pull weight T&E Summary: A faithfully executed re-creation of a historically important clan-
destine weapon.

The Small Arms Review - Vol. 5 No. 11 - August, 2002 23