High Standard Flite-King

High Standard Manufacturing · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1960

Also known as: Flite King, K-120, K-1200

Overview

The High Standard Flite-King was a pump-action shotgun produced from 1960 to the mid-1970s, offered in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauge and .410 bore. It featured bottom ejection and a tubular magazine, with field, deluxe, brush, and short-barreled riot configurations. The short-barreled K-1200 'Riot' model, introduced in 1966, was widely used by police and prison guards and became a familiar movie and television police shotgun.

Specifications

Weight (empty)3175 g (112.0 oz)
Barrel Length711 mm (27.99")
Action TypePump Action
Firing MechanismHammer Fired
Trigger TypeSingle Stage
Magazine Capacity5 rounds
Magazine TypeTube
Effective Range40 m (44 yd)
Barrel RiflingNone
Frame MaterialSteel
Barrel MaterialSteel
Stock MaterialWalnut
FinishBlued

Calibers

Features

Variants

Service history

Operators

Production

Production years: 1960-1975

Built in part by subcontractors; total production not documented

Origin

Country of origin: United States

Discontinued: 1975

Notes

Many Flite-Kings were built by third-party subcontractors despite carrying the High Standard name, leading to declining quality control in later guns. Hammer-fired mechanism and roughly 7 lb weight are based on convention rather than published spec sheets.

Background

Largely a 'badge-engineered' shotgun built by third-party subcontractors, the Flite-King could not compete with Remington, Winchester, Ithaca, and Mossberg and was dropped by the mid-1970s; its short-barreled K-1200 'Riot' version became a familiar movie and TV police shotgun.