Obscure Object of Desire – High Standard Model 10

What number of instances have you ever heard phrases like recreation changer, revolutionary and neva ben dun befo with reference to firearms? I’ve most likely been responsible of it, and generally, you simply get excited a few gun and particular options. Typically, these phrases are used slightly too flippantly. Nonetheless, when Excessive Normal launched the Mannequin 10 in 1967, they might have pretty described the gun as a revolutionary weapon, as a recreation changer and it was definitely a primary for American shotguns. 

The Bullpup That Had Chew 

I think about the Excessive Normal Mannequin 10 bought lots of consideration when it hit the streets in 1967. Excessive Normal constructed the Mannequin 10 as a gas-operated, semi-auto, 12-gauge shotgun that used a bullpup format. To ascertain a perspective, weapons just like the Steyr AUG have been nonetheless a decade away from being produced. Bullpups, up thus far, had been largely experimental weapons just like the Thorneycroft Carbine and the Faucon Balanced rifle. The Nazis used the Czech-made PzB M.SS.41 anti-tank rifles for a bit in World Struggle II, however the idea was nonetheless unusual. 

The thought behind the Mannequin got here from a police sergeant named Alfred Crouch. He envisioned an extremely compact entry shotgun that might serve with particular police items. Crouch started working to create a bullpup shotgun utilizing a Remington semi-auto shotgun. His design labored nicely sufficient that Excessive Normal bought the concept. 

Excessive Normal already had a profitable semi-auto shotgun design within the type of the C1200 Supermatic. The design labored, so that they used it as their foundation for the Mannequin 10. To create the bullpup structure, they encased the receiver, barrel and journal tube with a three-piece polymer shell. A set off linkage and a rotating inventory have been added to complete the weapon. 

A Story of Two Mannequin 10s 

Excessive Normal constructed two fashions. The primary was the mannequin 10A, which featured an built-in flashlight and carry deal with. This was a really early try so as to add a weapon-mounted mild to a gun with out hose clamps or duct tape. Excessive Normal took some classes realized for the A and produced the Mannequin 10B. 

The Mannequin 10B eliminated the built-in mild however offered a mounting system for a Kel-lite-branded flashlight with a specialised mount. Excessive Normal added a left-side nonreciprocating charging deal with and a carry deal with added. The Mannequin 10B used a flip-up entrance sight and a easy notch rear sight. 

These weapons held 4 rounds of two 3/4-inch 12 gauge and will solely chamber 2 3/4-inch rounds. {A magazine} extension introduced the capability as much as six rounds. Each had 18-inch barrels and an total size of simply over 26 inches. Any shorter, and so they’d be NFA weapons on account of their total size. As you’ll be able to doubtless inform, mine is a Mannequin 10B. 

Diving Into the Mannequin 10 

The gun has a easy push button security in entrance of the set off. It’s a crossbolt like most different shotguns. The B mannequin has twin charging handles. We get one on the motion itself and the aforementioned left-side charging deal with. The bolt locks open when the final spherical is fired, and a small button closes the bolt when pressed.

There are some neat concepts with the Mannequin 10, however they aren’t all winners. The truth is, some are downright complicated. 

The bolt launch button additionally unlocks the loading gate. I don’t know why anybody makes use of a locking loading gate. It’s the second semi-auto shotgun I do know of that requires you to press a button to load the tube. 

This implies you aren’t topping the gun off in a struggle, and to reload, it’s a must to flip the gun over and press the button, maintain the button and thread rounds into the tube. In the event you launch the button and the gate closes, it stays locked till you unload the gun. 

It’s mucho stupido. The carry deal with doesn’t lock in any place, so like a fish, it flops round. On the rear finish of the gun, we’ve got a inventory, or simply actually a butt plate that swivels. So far as I perceive, the swiveling butt plate lets you brace the gun in opposition to your arm for hip firing. However, like, why? It’s one other annoyance and may unscrew itself and fall off. 

You may’t fireplace the gun out of your left shoulder. You gained’t simply get a shell within the face, however the right-side charging deal with will hit you tougher than when your mother came upon you uttered a curse phrase in Sunday college. Excessive Normal made some questionable choices. 

To the Vary With the Mannequin 10 

The Mannequin 10 noticed some restricted success. Some police businesses adopted the gun, however not many. The one one I affirm is Las Vegas, and that’s as a result of I discovered an LVPD-marked gun listed on an public sale web site. Apparently, each the Mexican and Argentinian army forces adopted the gun. It didn’t appear to final lengthy in service with anybody on account of reliability points. 

The gun says to make use of magnum and high-brass hundreds solely. I grabbed some heavy-duty Fiocchi high-brass birdshot to check the gun prior to buy, and it chucked and shucked them like nothing. At dwelling, I attempted a superb mixture of chicken and buckshot, and it likes the high-velocity hundreds and, normally, premium hundreds. 

In testing, 99.99% of any sub-1,300 fps load had spotty reliability. The one exceptions have been the decreased recoil FliteControl rounds and Federal Lowered Recoil Tactical Slugs. These are premium hundreds, and for some cause, they made a distinction. 

With the sub-1,300 fps stuff, the Mannequin 10’s reliability wasn’t all that dangerous. It’s not adequate to take to a struggle, however I might make it by a whole tube of Wally World birdshot not less than 50% of the time. 

It’s additionally value noting that each 1,300 fps load didn’t at all times reliably run; I nonetheless bought the occasional failure to eject, however they have been pretty restricted. Admittedly, it’s lower than combating gun requirements, however I anticipated it to be so much worse. Possibly I simply have a superb one? 

Every part Else 

The sights sort of suck. The small rear notch isn’t nice for shortly discovering the entrance sight. The sights are additionally fairly excessive over the bore, which isn’t nice for a devoted close-quarters weapon. You run into these pesky height-over-bore points shortly with the Mannequin 10. There is no such thing as a solution to modify the sights, and it’s not a giant take care of buckshot, nevertheless it makes slugs guesswork. Alfred Crouch designed the gun for entry work, so slugs weren’t thought-about. 

The recoil is abusive. It hits the shoulder laborious and has no give. You don’t have a lot room on the entrance of the gun to make use of the push/pull approach to assist. There isn’t a lot room between the motion and also you, so that you get all of that recoil with out as a lot because the sniff of a recoil pad. 

Pair this with utilizing full-powered magnum hundreds, and your shoulders may name Little one Protecting Companies on you. Even the reduced-recoil stuff was worse than any semi-auto shotgun I’ve dealt with. Recoil usually slows you down, however since this can be a bullpup shotgun that weighs 10 kilos, there isn’t a lot muzzle flip. You may shoot the weapon in a short time and surprisingly successfully. 

The Mannequin 10 has its issues, for certain, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a extremely enjoyable gun. It’s fascinating to see such an early bullpup design. In the end, I feel bullpups and semi-auto shotguns can work nicely collectively. There simply aren’t a ton of well-made bullpup semi-auto shotguns on the market. I’d take the Mannequin 10 over a lot of the Turkish junk bullpups on the market. Possibly some enterprising gun producer will make one which works nicely at some point.