Hi point

[cwblanco]

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of these inexpensive, American made weapons? I've researched their website and see that they offer 100% lifetime of weapon guarantee. They aren't "pretty", but for the money ($160 will get you into a 40 S&W or a 45).

I have a 9mm (C-9), and have fired around 2,000 without any failures following some initial magazine failures. They can be rather quirky if the magazine lips are not tuned just right, and the standard magazine holds only 8 rounds (10 rounds for an extended magazine). I like the Hi-Point because it is cheap and it works. It has been a fun target pistol I use it as my junk gun when I do not want to risk my expensive pistols to damage or loss. In my opinion the 9mm is a good looking pistol. However, I agree that the 40 and 45 are ugly. They look like a electric drill.

Would I use it as my defensive carry pistol? No, unless that was all that available. However, it is worth the price I paid for it.

As far as an American made firearm in which you will have utmost confidence - Take a look at Ruger. They generally are priced a lot less than popular imports, and in my opinion are of equal or better quality than many imported comparable sized pistols and calibers.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[havegunjoe]

They serve a market. I would go with a Kel Tech for a little more and very concealable or find something used. I don't like the way they rattle when you shake them.

[drs1457]

Well, its like this... they are junk. And Yes, I freely admit that I'm a gun snob, but for good reason. I've been around the industry my entire life, and I've seen a lot as a manager of one of the largest/busiest ranges in the country, and I've seen a lot of Hi Points.
In the gun world, you do get what you pay for, and I equate those who think the Hi Points are OK to the 16 year old kid who thinks his 1992 Dodge Shadow is the baddest car on the block simply because that all he knows.
Good or bad as that may be, its my take on things.

Geez, now I want one.

[preachertim]

Like Sixto, I also worked at a range and still work in a gun shop.

Yes, they are the #1 popular firearm to be purchased as a straw purchase and/or used in a crime. They are often referred to as throw-away guns.

And I've seen A LOT of Hi-Point come through the range and shops I've worked at. Yes, some of them went "bang" every time the trigger was pulled, but some of them did not. In fact, in my experience it was about 50/50 and even those that went "bang" some of them were the OPPOSITE of accurate.

The rate of error or failure is just too high for me. And it's not just because the gun is cheap and ugly. I feel the same way about Kimber. They are BEAUTIFUL guns, but I've seen and experienced too high a rate of failure.. I won't buy another one.

Sure I'm a gun snob, but for good reason. They may have a good warranty, but I'd rather have a gun when I needed it than get killed because the gun I needed was out for free repair. A good warranty doesn't do you squat if you aren't there to benefit from it.

Very true Lima.

[QKShooter]

There are a few decent "sleepers" out there that can be had for a really economical price.

There is the S&W Sigma. S&W has the bugs worked out of them...the trigger is still (for sure) not the greatest but, they are a very reliable firearm these days and a great value for the money.

For sure I am not saying that everybody NEEDS an expensive firearm in order to feel protected.

[380ACP]

There are a few decent "sleepers" out there that can be had for a really economical price.

There is the S&W Sigma. S&W has the bugs worked out of them...the trigger is still (for sure) not the greatest but, they are a very reliable firearm these days and a great value for the money.

For sure I am not saying that everybody NEEDS an expensive firearm in order to feel protected.

Having just purchased one I totally agree...I got mine for $280 NIB. ($329.99 at Academy and S&W has a $50 mail in rebate going on for them during the holiday season). IMO there is no better buy out there currently! Best $280 I've spent in a long while.
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[QKShooter]

"Best $280 I've spent in a long while." Smart purchase.

[tom1965]

I saw a Bersa at the gun shop the other day. I held it, and I must say, I liked it. I'm thinking about buying one when I get the money. I thought about the hi point but I liked the Bersa better. I did hear that the hi points were made out of polymer now, but I don't know what they were made out of before, because I don't know too much about them.

[stog]

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of these inexpensive, American made weapons? I've researched their website and see that they offer 100% lifetime of weapon guarantee. They aren't "pretty", but for the money ($160 will get you into a 40 S&W or a 45).

I owned a HI-POINT c9 and at first it shot good but after the 4th time out at the range it jammed everyother round. Sold it for $100 and then got a real gun Springfield XDsc-40

[nuparadigm]

There is nothing wrong with carrying a weapon that is reliable. I've never spoken to a Hi Point owner who has said that the weapon was not reliable.

Are there "better" carry pieces? If "better" means: "smaller", "lighter" or "more concealable", the the answer would be "yes, there are". Sometimes, however, those "better" qualities are not affordable for a specific purchaser. As long as the weapon functions and the owner is able to hit what he shoots at, I can find nothing wrong with it.

A miscreant will not know the difference between being shot with a Hi Point .45 ACP or a Fancy/Expensive Tactical CQC Operator Walter Mitty Special of the same caliber.

[Rob72]

By no means would I compromise (due to $$$) and make a Hi-Point my only firearm. But I'll more than likely add one or two to the collection just to take out and run some rounds through on a weekend afternoon. Again, thanks for your time and thoughts.

I skipped a couple of pages, and it would seem you are set on one, however: a HiPoint isn't part of any collection. $160 would buy you just under 1K rounds of Blazer Brass 9mm.

Crap is crap. To be blunt- as Lima stated, one might have a couple of HiPoints and Jennings purchased FTF/strawman for throwdowns. Even then, however, one runs the risk of a gentleman admitted to a KS hospital I worked at several years ago- he tried to mug another gentleman, his weapon failed to fire (Jennings .380) and his intended target took the weapon from him and used it to fracture his jaw in two places. One suspects that the intended victim did not beat the perpetrator to death because the slide expelled itself from the frame during the beating, and the frame was too light to continue the process... Granted, a HiPoint has better odds of being a one-swing fight-stopper...

[Rob72]

A miscreant will not know the difference between being shot with a Hi Point .45 ACP or a Fancy/Expensive Tactical CQC Operator Walter Mitty Special of the same caliber.

Slow to handle, slower to access, useless "sights," no decent holsters... if it's to be a truck/car gun, buy the carbine. If a house-gun is needed, spend $20 more for a Maverick 12 or 20 gauge.

Sorry, unless one is enamored of the fact that is is far easier to totally, irretrievably remove the SN from the cast frame, it has no redeeming features.

Target/range use? Possible, but so unweildy as to induce incorrect handling with "the carry gun." Trigger is too foul to train proper trigger control. Bore axis is too different from "carry guns" to reliably train index-fire, and, as noted, sights are what one expects on the LCP/Seecamp pocket-gun envelope.

Call it what it is: what you buy when you absolutely-positively-have-to-kill-someone-overnight and toss in the WallyWorld dumpster. Not that I necessarily have a problem with that, but it indicates a lack of of planning, in that one could/would not purchase a smaller more efficient tool for the same role.

[cwblanco]

I skipped a couple of pages, and it would seem you are set on one, however: a HiPoint isn't part of any collection. $160 would buy you just under 1K rounds of Blazer Brass 9mm.

Crap is crap.

Yep, I use my "crap" Hi-Point pistol to shoot your "crap" ammo. I use my non-crap pistols to shoot my good ammo. I guess that makes us even.

[alnitak]

they tend to be ugly, heavy and cheap.

I won't buy one because of the above...I just don't like them. Having said that, I will never own one for CCW for the same reason I won't count on a Jennings, Raven, Jimenez, etc. -- my life and that of my family is worth more to me than the $200 I would save.

[Supertac45]

Thanks RemMod and AllAmerican....does help me out. Looking to spend money wisely, and as long as these go "bang" each time the trigger is pulled, and they are fairly accurate, I don't see how a fella could go wrong for the money.

Thanks again!!

From what I've seen, they have tons of malfunctions. Buy a used decent pistol for a few dollars more is my suggestion. I know, some will run and if you luck into one of these, okay.