OK this is going to be Cool!

So I think its pretty much undisputed that Hi-Point pistols suck. What IS debatable is how we define “SUCK”. I mean we can all agree they’re cheaply made from low-quality products, they have poor fit-and-finish, they’re bulky and heavy, and their ergonomics and trigger-pull are lousy. That all being said, do they work, and can they hold up to serious use?

Seems that’s an oft contested point. Heck at the NRA convention Mike W. spent a decent amount of time at the Hi-Point booth. First I was just showing Mike what a friggin’ boat-anchor Hi-Point .45 is. But we stuck around just because the company reps were such characters. They openly admitted the guns were goofy and cheap, but what they pressed was they WORKED and WORKED WELL, and all for short-money.

Now if this is true that’s nothing to squawk at, but there are lots of respected voices out there that call that claim utter poppycock. The way of the Multigun tossed down the guantlet

Ok, so if you go to practically any gun forum on the internet, and people start talking about inexpensive or cheap guns, inevitably the Hi-Point fans come crawling out of the woodwork to advocate how the Hi-Point design is just as good as a Glock/SIG/CZ/M&P/other popular semi-auto pistol.

They will, at great length, talk about how the guns are accurate, durable, and just the bee’s knees for any application you’d care to use a handgun for….I will objectively test the Hi-Point C-9 under competitive settings….If, after shooting the Hi-Point at these six matches, I manage to place higher with the Hi-Point, I will compete at a state-level Steel Challenge match with this gun. If provided with Hi-Point branded apparel (hat, shirt, etc.) I will wear it during this match.

However, if the Hi-Point fails to live up to the reputation of its online adherents and I do not place as well as or better with the Hi-Point, or it fails mechanically to the point where I can no longer use it at matches, I reserve the right to bag on Hi-Point guns to my heart’s content from now until the day I die.

(I edited the quote down a good bit for brevity, read the whole post for details) But essentially he wants to take the pepsi-challenge with a hi-point 9mm and see if it can walk the walk it claims.

Now the REALLY cool part. A Hi-Point Distributor picked up said gantlet and is initiating the challenge.

Very VERY interesting, and I can’t WAIT to read the results!

Will I ever buy a Hi-Point? Not likely, but given that my main bag in the 2nd Amendment advocacy is equal rights for all, for there to be a cheap plastic-and-potmetal pistol on the market that can be had for short money AND run reasonably well, well that’s a good step for self defense for all!

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0 Responses to OK this is going to be Cool!

  1. deadcenter says:

    A senior NCO at the air station near where I work has a Hi-Point chambered in .45. He’s had it for years, more than a decade, and swears by it. He shoots it often, or did the last time we talked, and at the time claimed to have 10K + rounds through it without issue.

    Flip side, a friend at work has a Hi-point .380 that can’t make it through a magazine without some kind of failure.

  2. Bob S. says:

    I’m really tempted to pick up a Hi-Point for a couple of reasons.

    First and foremost, I want to show there is a market for “junk guns”. Not everyone can afford a $2K Colt Gold Cup or even a $1,200 pistol – why not support those companies that are making low cost and acceptable quality firearms?

    Second, I can see a definite niche in the home defense arena. Put a 200 rounds down range to break it in and then put one or 3 in vaults around the house. Make sure the gun vaults are secured but easily accessible — then you don’t have to run to the bedroom to get a firearm. And you can do it without breaking the bank.

    Third, I want to own a couple of the guns that everyone bags on! Really, just like your Jennings — some guns should be owned so others can shoot them and see for themselves.

    Lastly, I can see them as a loaner gun. Friend in trouble and needs something until they can pick their own – no problem. Daughter taking a road trip cross country — no problem.

    If they are reliable, why not?

    • Thomas says:

      Because I could build a better pistol in a week with raw materials and machine tools?

      I used to have a demonstrator .410 3″Mag pistol barrel to show people how much the concept SUCKED at the range.

      I used the lug off that barrel to make a decent .243 Contender barrel, because, after I showed everybody how stupid .410 in a pistol is, as it has WAY LESS ENERGY than .45 Colt, I didn’t have any use for it and it was just a hunk of stupid steel with a decent lug that could be recycled. I had a Beretta .25 I traded for a crossbow and the guy that got the gun thought he got a good deal as he walked away with a gun that you couldn’t shoot your way out of a paper bag with and I had a Barnett Crossbow that was and is deadly accurate…:-)

    • maddmedic says:

      You said Jennings! Ewwwwww…have one. JUNK. Worst gun I ever bought!! Why? I have no clue! Bought it years ago. A buddy and I thought it would be neat to own one, so we each bought one.
      Yeah….
      My son bought a Hi Point .380 a couple of years ago. It has functioned pretty good and he enjoys shooting it. It is fairly accurate. Of course .380 runs a little high so he does not shoot it a lot.

      I too have thought of picking a .45 up just because. Yeah I know dumb reason.
      They do have a life time warranty and I know of a couple of folks whom sent their weapons in after breakage and received what they say are brand new ones back!!!
      So as Bob S says. If it works…..What is the problem?

  3. ZerCool says:

    I actually had this discussion with the owner of the gun shop this afternoon.

    He apparently sells a few to truckers, who occasionally have them confiscated – no arrest, just “you can’t have this ’round here” – out of state. They’re out two hundred bucks and they come back and buy another one.

    I’ve got the 9mm carbine and it’s a great range toy. Only issues have been traced to a bad magazine, which HiPoint replaced under warranty with no questions asked.

    I’ve considered getting one of their pistols for a truck beater… but I can’t quite bring myself to do it.

  4. Thomas says:

    If you are choosing between borderline garbage you might have to use to save your life and slightly more expensive stuff and skipping eating out for a week, you are a FOOKHEAD. You will reap what you sowed when it comes down to brass nuts.

    My throwaway guns say Kimber and S&W and SA and Bersa on them, but they run well and shoot well, BUT, if they ended up in an evidence room getting banged around and scratched up, I wouldn’t cry.

    We’re back to Snap-On, MAC, MATCO, Stahlwille, FACOM, et al, vs buying Crapsman Sears tools to save a few bucks. Yeah, same warranty and they’ll fix it if it fails UNLESS YOU ARE DEAD or it screwed your work day when the tool broke.

    Plus HIGH-Point, and I think a stoned anime fan drew the first designs, has possible made the UGLIEST carbine EVER INVENTED.

    I’ll give them money right after I start earning a living at a glory hole. Be interesting to see what comes out of the challenge, though…

    It’s YOUR LIFE. Decide if it might be worth more than a trip to Vegas or whatever lights your candle. You only get ONE chance some times.

    • Bob S. says:

      Thomas,

      Glad you could build one better in a week. Now, could you build a better one, mass produce, distribute it and comply with all federal laws for the same price?

      I would be interested in such a firearm.

      Until then, there are people who see the value in Hi-Points and Jennings and such.

      Would love to also luck into such a deal as the crossbow, but I notice you didn’t mention why the guy wanted the Beretta either.

      I would love to be able to tote a Barnett Crossbow instead of a pocket mouse gun, but the law doesn’t allow it nor would it be practical.

      Not trying to pick a fight but I really don’t understand the hostility so many people display toward low cost firearms.

      Heck, the Hi-Point may not be able to run and gun for 100K but is that what it is meant to do? Nope.
      If it fits the needs of folks….why not encourage the production of them?
      One of the best way to encourage production is consumption.

      I would love to be able to afford a Kimber or S&W as a throw away or loaner gun but some how right now I think it is more important to pay chemo co-pays for my wife. Does that mean I should not try to provide a firearm for my wife or daughter? No, heck no.

      While I’ve heard of malfunctions with the Hi-Points I’ve also heard about them with every other gun on the market. Can you name 1 firearm — mass produced — that has never failed?

      t’s YOUR LIFE. Decide if it might be worth more than a trip to Vegas or whatever lights your candle.

      Given the odds of ever needing to draw a firearm – slim – and then the odds of actually having to fire it — much slimmer – in a self defense situation — I think that for many people it is a worthwhile gamble.

      By the way, thank you oh so NOT much for a mental image I didn’t need
      I’ll give them money right after I start earning a living at a glory hole./i>

      • maddmedic says:

        Well said, Sir Bob! Well said!
        My dollars are tight. If I did not already have a modest armory and needed a weapon. I would buy a Hi Point.
        Because whats worse when the goblin invades your home?
        Having nothing at all or a Hi Point?
        Hmmmm?

      • Thomas says:

        I “DONATED” a Para to a state that didn’t have legal carry once upon a time when it was a misdemeanor. I had 3 cancer surgeries too. Depends on priorities. I don’t like cheap tools. Call me a bigot. When I wanted a record player I saved up for a Linn Sondek while all my friends had boom boxes. I’m not saying my way is right or wrong, I’m just stating my personal bigotry.

        If I’m going to gamble on the slim chances of ever needing a functional firearm, and the odds are LOW, then I wouldn’t have one at all and I’d join the Brady Campaign.

  5. Dave_H says:

    The national unemployment rate is close to ten percent last I heard. Factor in the people who have given up or are working part time instead of full time and that figure goes up close to seventeen or eighteen percent. Some of those peoples budgets are already stretched to the limit, and advising them to cut back here and there to buy a nicer gun isn’t going to help them much.
    I don’t own a Hi Point pistol, and I’ve got no pressing plans to do so, but I’m glad that people in that situation can scrape together $130 or whatever and walk out of a gun shop with something.

  6. Jay G. says:

    See, my whole thing is this.

    I’ve bought S&W revolvers for under $200, within the past couple of years. Yeah, the finish wasn’t anything to write home about, but the guns still shot just fine. Hell, I paid $175 for a Model 10 with a 2″ barrel that I could still keep on paper at 25 yards.

    Ruger revolvers – and most of their clunky/chunky bottom feeders – routinely run ~ $300 or so used. Hell, S&W 2nd gen 900 series about the same.

    You don’t *have* to spend $1200 for a decent autoloader.

    Hell, in America you can get a PD trade-in Glock 22 for $350 all day long.

    Why the hell would you trust your life to a POS $150 gun when for a few bucks more you could pick up something of quality? If $150 is all you can afford for home defense, buy a Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip at a gun show and put a wood stock on it later. Don’t buy something that’s gonna break after 100 rounds.

    Now…

    You want to pick up a Hi-Point “just to have”? Hell yeah.

    “Because I want one”? Gotcha.

    “Because it proves a point” (Like the Jennings)? Same.

    Power to you. Go out and buy it tomorrow.

    But don’t sit there and say that it’s all you can afford – because if you know where to look, you can get something better for just a little more coin…

    • Bob S. says:

      Jay G.

      You bring up excellent points and I won’t deny there are bargains to be had — if you know where to look or what to look for.

      Many people don’t.

      It really is that simple.

      Heck, I’m still learning and growing in this field and I’ve been shooting for a couple of years now. What to look for in a used gun? Well, that is a subject that I’m still shaky on….learning but shaky.

      Now imagine a single mom out there with a limited budget, little time and few resources to turn to?

      Or the family on a budget — should they buy a gun that has been used or a gun that is new for 25% less then your low cost used S&W?

      I’m not trying to pick a fight but just point out that the meme of “buy a better gun” isn’t as easy to implement for all people.

      because if you know where to look, you can get something better for just a little more coin…

      I’ll also mention that all too often I hear this without the consideration of learning how to use the gun.
      If people followed this advice — and many do — they buy a better gun and a single box of ammo, usually self defense ammo. Then they put a magazine through it and figure they know how to use it.

      What happened to practice, practice, practice — it ain’t just for getting to Carnegie Hall, right?
      I would rather buy a Hi-point and 5 boxes of 9mm and have my daughter practice until she can’t get it wrong then buy a more expensive gun and 1 box of ammo so she can practice until she gets it right.

      I understand there are different philosophies and this is a huge one out there. What I don’t understand is the snobbery (not expressed here actually but other places) for budget guns.
      Heck, I wonder how many people have actually put rounds through a Hi-Point. Wouldn’t we ask the same question if someone started badmouthing a Kimber or Sig? (by the way, not saying you haven’t put rounds through one — just the net in general)

      • Thomas says:

        I’ve looked at Hi-Points and I find the design repugnant.

        As to making something of value at that price point, I’m still trying to sort out ITAR, but it’s plausible.
        They tax the hell out of you if you try to build anything for “sale purposes”. And the taxes aren’t always apparent when you go into a venture.

        I wish I could build a decent affordable double action revolver ANYBODY COULD AFFORD and it’s something I’ve been drawing things on. My weird stuff I like has zero market, and a simple GOOD QUALITY double action revolver that is affordable would be a boon to everybody. Off the shelf, where people didn’t have to “know guns” to buy one.

        Like a tactical trainer friend said (RIP, but not because he was shot) “If you need more than 3 or 4 rounds you should probably be running, not gunning” and a decent double action revolver can lay dormant for eons and probably still work when you go grab it, even if it’s a bit rusty…

        Just one gunsmith’s opinion.

        It’s something that’s on the drawing board but everything is Topsy-Turvy in the industry right now as to licensing and State Department stuff.

        • Dave_H says:

          I’d be all for someone making a good inexpensive revolver. I expect it would be hard to do though. Even if you could make it to a certain low price point without cutting too many corners it would have to compete with a fairly large supply of used revolvers. I suspect it would be difficult to stay in business.
          As for the SKS, the only way I know to get an SKS and a bunch of ammo for $150 these days is if you built a time machine first.

          • Thomas says:

            You should see my correspondence with the national labs about imploding a fusion device and creating and artificial super-nova 🙂

            Time machines might be plausible, eventually, but there’s a hell of a lot of $x39 rifles on the ground ALL OVER THE WORLD that are basically free. Ask the Mexican police about it when they had 10 massacred the other week…

            Interesting particle physics question:
            If the “big bang” happened as stated, it would have created equal amounts of matter and anti-matter and none of us would exist. I actually got an answer back from Livermore on that but they aren’t “sure” sure.

            Science is imperfect, but I have a pretty good idea on how to build firearms and machines.

      • Thomas says:

        FWIW, I WILL badmouth 2 Kimbers I briefly owned and a SIG I briefly owned. They were poorly manufactured and overpriced. I own Kimbers and SIGs, but not the three that went on to different homes because they weren’t worth the effort to fix up.

    • Thomas says:

      If all I could afford was 150 bucks I’d buy a SKS and a bunch of ammo…

  7. Linoge says:

    Hell, I am interested in one of the carbines they offer, if only because I can throw it in a trunk, it can ride around back there for years, and it probably will not care… and sure as hell will not look any worse. The rifles they put out are still crap, but they are fun crap to shoot, make decent stick-in-a-corner guns (securely, of course), and the aftermarket accessories for them are surprisingly numerous.

    And, hell, buy one, teach someone to shoot on it, and then give it to them – hell of an investment right there :).

    • Bob S. says:

      Linoge,

      That is exactly what I’m thinking of doing with my daughter or some of her friends.

      • Linoge says:

        Shiny! Seems like their carbines are just enough to get people’s appetites whetted for firearms, and give them something to clunk around with at the range, Easy to use, relatively forgiving to new/unskilled users, cheap ammunition, and still useful enough to actually take up space in someone’s safe.

        Sure, it may not be able to plink a flea off a dog’s back, and a caveman with a rock could probably make something better, but if it works (and I guess we will be finding out about one of their pistols, at least), it works.

  8. Dave_H says:

    @ Linoge.
    Well it probably would be suitable for that purpose. The zamak breech bolt, and the frame certainly aren’t going to rust are they?

  9. Dave_H says:

    “Time machines might be plausible, eventually, but there’s a hell of a lot of $x39 rifles on the ground ALL OVER THE WORLD that are basically free.”

    True. Doesn’t help someone walking in to a U.S. gun shop though. Villagers in parts of Africa can probably buy a black market AK for the equivalent of $30. Not so around these parts. I bought my Yugo SKS about five years ago and it cost $127 then, and I remember when an imported Chinese SKS could be had for $50. Those days are gone. Aside from the current average cost of the rifle, an amount of 7.62×39 ammo that would qualify as “a bunch” would cost about $150 on top of whatever the rifle price is.
    The most dirt cheap rifle/”bunch of ammo” combo I can think of outside of a .22 would be a Mosin Nagant and a 440 round tin of ammunition. Assuming you ordered direct from a distributor to avoid gun store mark up the combined price would still exceed $150.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      Yeah I paid $180 for my Romanian SKS…that ship has SAILED! Hell that’s why I paid $500 for my WASR-10. Seems a bit steep to me seeing as I was contemplating them not too long ago for $300, but I know that ship has also sailed, so better to buy one for $500 now then me scratching my head at $800 Com-Bloc Kalashnioves, just like I’m doing now at $400 SKS’s (Should have bought a Yugo while they were still around $200!!!)

      • Thomas says:

        There will be parts kits for rather a while yet, stamped guns aren’t hard to build. Your mileage in Mass. may be different than Texas, but it’s not against Federal Regs.

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  11. BillyBob says:

    In my collection, I have 3 Hi-Point weapons. I have the .380, the 9mm and the TS995 Carbine. I haven’t shot the .380 yet. I have put about 1,000 rounds through the 9mm pistol without a single malfunction, no jams, misfires, nothing. It is as accurate as any other 9mm pistol I have fired and it cost me $149 bucks. It’s not pretty and it doesn’t say kimber or glock but everytime I pull the trigger it shoots. On the downside, my lovely wife refuses to fire the 9mm, she says the design of the grip hurts her hand, she will stick with the S&W M&P .40.

    The TS995 is one of the most fun guns I have ever owned. It is fairly cheap shooting, deadly accurate out to 100 yards and just a blast to take to the range. It’s good looking and seems to be solidly built. It was only $224 bucks.

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