If there was ever a .22 pistol that I really wanted, it was a High Standard target model. Sure, I had my fling with Smith and Wessons, a Browning Medalist and even a Colt Match Target, but it was the High Standard Victor that always caught my eye. With that sexy, somewhat oversized vent rib, target grips and its ability to punch diminutive 10-shot groups, it was always a status symbol for those lucky enough to have one.

The author found the resurrected Supermatic Trophy to be a tackdriver on the range.

They seemed to disappear from the market for quite a spell, but recently I caught wind of a company back in the business of producing High Standard products down in Texas headed up by Alan Aronstein. A quick call had a High Standard Supermatic Trophy on the way up to my office.

This new version of the original Supermatic Trophy is now executed with a carbon steel barrel, slide and sights combined with a stainless steel frame. This is a great idea, especially when moisture from the hand under match conditions can literally take the blueing right off the gun. The leading edges of the frame and the backstrap are stippled and, along with the walnut checkered grip panels, assure a good hold. The grips are available for both right- and left-handed shooters, with and without a thumb rest.

SPECIFICATIONS HIGH STANDARD SUPERMATIC TROPHY Model 84FS
MAKER:	High Standard
ACTION:	Blowback Semiauto
CALIBER:	.22 LR
CAPACITY:	10 + 1
BARREL LENGTH:	5.5 or 7.5 inches
OVERALL LENGTH:	9.5 or 11.5 inches
WEIGHT:	44 ounces
SIGHTS:	Adjustable target type
STOCKS:	Checkered Walnut
FINISH:	Stainless blue two -tone
PRICE:	$795-$845

The Supermatic duplicates the feel of the 1911. The frame has been relieved on both sides for the trigger finger--a comfortable touch when shooting long strings at certified matches.

The trigger, safety, slide stop and magazine catch are gold plated, and the trigger on the gun was set at 2 1/2 pounds at the factory. This adjustable trigger (the adjustment screw is at the rear of the frame) is finely tuned and breaks without any slack, coming to rest on an adjustable trigger stop within the trigger guard.

Operational controls are different than you might be used to on a larger auto. The slide release is located on the right side of the gun, just above the trigger. The safety is on the left side in the usual place, and it's up for Safe, down for Fire. The magazine release is located at the base of the frame; to release it, pull the catch forward and the magazine drops out.

One word of caution: This gun will fire with or without the magazine in place. When removing the magazine, always make sure the chamber is clear by opening the slide before retiring from your shooting position.

ACCURACY RESULTS: SUPERMATIC TROPHY
LOAD	BULLET WEIGHT (gr.)	AVG. VELOCITY (fps)	STANDARD DEVIATION	AVERAGE GROUP (in.)
CCI Green Tag Match	40	994	5	.75
Remington Eley Match	40	981	18	.63
Winchester T-22 Match	40	984	19	1.00
Velocity recorded 10 feet from the muzzle using a Shooting Chrony chronograph. Accuracy tested off a bench rest; results are the average of three five-shot groups at 25 feet.

For competition shooters, good sights are paramount, and here this gun excels. The rear sight is bridged on a fixture that is attached to the frame. The rear sight blade is just shy of an inch wide by almost a half-inch high and has positive click adjustments. The notch is .0115 inch across and offers an impressive sight picture when used in concert with the front Patridge blade.

(left) Just over the trigger guard is a barrel plunger that allows the use of interchangeable barrels. The trigger and safety are gold plated. (Right) The Supermatic Trophy's grip angle mimics that of the 1911 . The walnut thumb-rest target grips are available in both right- and left-hand models. Here the magazine has been released via the gold-plated catch.

The bull barrel on my Supermatic is .900 inch in diameter, 5 1/2 inches long, target crowned and blued to match the slide. There are drilled and tapped holes on the top for a High Standard Universal scope mount and holes on the bottom for optional barrel weights. Additional barrel lengths are available from the factory, as is a Trophy conversion kit that allows the use of .22 Short ammunition.

(Left) The bull barrel--almost an inch in diameter--has a target crown and a Patridge front blade on a ramp. (Right) The rear sights are mounted on a bridge that spans the slide and will keep the same adjustments for years to come.

Out on the range, the gun was a pleasure to use and operated flawlessly once broken in (the factory recommends a 300- to 500-round break-in period). The only loading problem I had was with the Remington Eley brand, but once the high spots were taken care of, the rest of the shoot went fine, and in fact, this ammunition turned out to be the most accurate from the entire session.

From a sturdy benchrest position, the gun proved once again that I was no match for this match pistol, as later testing offhand doubled my group sizes at 25 feet.