A serious look at Hi Point semi-auto

[jrdudas]

In the next few days I plan to take a serious look at the Hi Point 9mm Compact and perhaps the .380 also.  I have read as much as I can on the web and there seem to be two schools of thought.  Most of the posters who praise the Hi Point's say that they are owners.  Most of those who are critical of them and call them junk do not claim to be owners, but rather they know someone who has one, or they observed another shooter using one.  

I know a lot about guitars and basses and there are similiar disagreements about quality in those circles also.  One group says that any instrument not made in the U.S. is junk.  The other group says "maybe you should try them before you offer an opinion".  Personally, I have found many low priced guitars that are not U.S. made that are of high quality and equal to or even better than their U.S. made brothers.  So, I think the same rule applies here; I need to satisfy myself as to whether the Hi Point guns provide reliability and quality that exceeds their price.  Certainly you cannot reasonably expect a $130 gun to be better than a $1000 gun.  However, in my experience, low price does not always mean poor quality.

JR

[Redhawk1]

If someone has not owned one does not disqualify them from stating fact. I have shot several, I was test firing them to see if I wanted to purchase one. When I have had nothing but problems with the ones I shot, should I buy one just so I can give my opinion on it? I have had buddies that bought them and we worked on the feed ramp to see if we could get the gun to cycle and feed better. One of my buddies got so frustrated with his Hi-point we shot the gun with my 44 MAG. So when some of us non owners give opinions, it is based on first hand experience.

Had it been only one gun, I would not give Hi-point such a bad review. But I am at the range about 2 to 3 time a week and you don't know how many Hi-point guns I have observed having problems. If you doubt me call Shooters Choice in Dover Delaware, 302-736-5166. They don't stock or sell Hi-point. Why, too many problems with customer complaints. And if you ask them they are a shooting range with an on sight gunsmith, and they can tell you how many Hi-point got turned in for repair. They will not even take them in on trade. Hi-point is junk.

[Mikey]

The Hi-Points are inexpensive pistols and may well show it in their quality.  They look more attractive due to the low price, but you may wish to shop around for something else in the same price range.  There are a bazillion 9mms out there at reasonable prices.  Many of the older style mil-surps are excellent choices in 9mm.  Same with 380s.  

I'm not really sold on the newer, smaller frame, dao pocket rockets, I prefer older styling and mechanics I can work with and understand.  You could buy a new Walther, Beretta, Browning, Taurus, and others in either 380 or 9mm flavor - they might cost you twice the Hi-Point but will last forever.

You haven't mentioned revolvers, which are plentiful, powerful enough and small enough for concealed carry.  Interesting thought here - in the 'old days' a gent was considered well heeled with a SA Colt in his belt - I don't see how that would change today.  You are a CASS enthusiast and hopefully know how to use a SA revolver well enough to enjoy the sport.  Take that to the next level of personal defense and see how you feel.  Lots of folks pack around 5 shot 38 snubbies - I don't see anything wrong with a 'shopkeeprs' special in 44 or a 4&5/8s SA in 45 as a good alternative.  Geez, lots of folk are looking at the 5 shot S&W lightweights in 44 or ask about packing a M25 and think about factory loads for defense.  I think that's where a SA in 45 Colt might come in real handy.  Even Clint Smith offers training courses on the use of the SA revolver.  Just a thought.  Mikey.

[Jim101]

Two years ago at a local gun show a friend and I each bought a Hi-Point 9mm for $98 each before tax.....SInce then I have put ~1500 rounds of CCI Blazers through it, with no problems..I clean it after every outing at the Range, I haven't field stripped it yet..Now, to be fair, my firend's Hi-Point (one ser.# away from mine) has had a problem.  He was getting 1 FTF per clip after a few hundred rounds, he called Hi-Point, explained the problem, and they sent him a new firing pin and spring, that fixed his problem. They also said he could send the pistol to them and they would fix it, good customer service...The gun is a little "bulky" and ugly, like a Glock...But, mine does fire, for me........

Jim

[NONYA]

I had a couple of jams,pulled it apart,ground and polished the feed ramp,havnt had one after that,many,MANY rounds through it without further problems.For a low budget shooter you cant beat em.

[Redhawk1]

The only problem is, this is in the  Self Defense and Concealed Carry Handguns area. Would you trust your life with a Hi-point?? :eek:  :shock:  (Not Me)

[NONYA]

I dont know where you live but around here I dont have to carry a handgun to defend myself and i wouldnt live somewhere I had to so Im not worried about it jammin on me when Im gettin ready to shoot someone in a selfdefense situation.If i was concerned about reliability in a hand gun for a situation like that I would never carry a semi-auto,a revolver NEVER jams. :wink:

[Redhawk1]

NONYA, consider yourself lucky. I live in a town the was once considered small, but a lot of the bad guy from up north decided they want to move in our area. We have shootings and a lot of crime, but not bad when you get away from the city. I have had several instances I was glad I was carrying but never had to pull my gun. I was almost robbed before I carried legally and used a bat to take care of that problem. :grin:  

I would love to move  Montana some day. I am from Colorado and know Montana well.  Right now the wife and I are making a great living and want to keep it that way for now. But someday I will move back to the west.  

[Cottonwood]

I dont know where you live but around here I dont have to carry a handgun to defend myself and i wouldnt live somewhere I had to so Im not worried about it jammin on me when Im gettin ready to shoot someone in a selfdefense situation.If i was concerned about reliability in a hand gun for a situation like that I would never carry a semi-auto,a revolver NEVER jams. :wink:

NONYA - Where do you live at here in Montana that you feel you don't have to carry concealed for self defense?  Our towns, and city's are getting to where you need to have protection.  I'm also an ex-leo here, and can tell you that if you feel this way, even here in Montana... you have become complacent about our suroundings here in this wonderful state.  We have many here, who were not raised here.  And as a result, they have brought their old ways with them.

Please don't think that just because you live in Montana... that your in a safe place that you don't need to carry for protection.

It's better to have and not need it, than to need it, and not have.

PS - And yes, revolvers do jam when cylinders are dirty.

[NONYA]

Hey Montanan you ever had to use a gun to defend urself?Nobody i know has so Im not gonna start packin,sometimes people carrying guns escelates a problem beyond the point of no return and i dont ever want that to happen to me.I know plenty of people that carry guns in thier vehicles and i do often as well but carrying one on my person out in public will never happen,the only time I need my sidearm for protection is when i am out hunting and thats for bears not people.I have been shooting revolvers since i was a kid and i have NEVER seen one jam,dont know what kind of POS revolver you are shooting that jams but it must be a lot worse quality than these Hi points we are talking about in this thread.You have anything to add to the thread or you just want to criticize my opinion of carrying a firearm for selfdefense here in MT?The only city i have been in in Mt that has made me feel like I might need a firearm for defense is Billings and I dont plan on going back.

[Redhawk1]

Wow, I did not think The Montanan meant anything by his post. It was true and to the point. But if you feel you don't need to carry, don't. I carry all the time. And I am not going to feel bad because I do.  The world is changing as we know it.


jrdudas, sorry we got off track.  

[Cottonwood]

Wow, I did not think The Montanan meant anything by his post. It was true and to the point. But if you feel you don't need to carry, don't. I carry all the time. And I am not going to feel bad because I do.  The world is changing as we know it.


jrdudas, sorry we got off track.  

Redhawk1 your correct, if he took offense.. oh well.  And by the way, I have seen S&W, Ruger, Colts as well as others bind up.  It is his choice to carry or not.  Even the little hamlet town of Bigfork had a double shooting just the other night, and no one would have ever thought it could happen even there.

I have seen others that carry a Hi-Point to rely on, it would not be my choice as a self defense carry sidearm.  Many years in law enforcement work have taught me well, but others have their minds made up already, there is no convincing them of the facts.

[Redhawk1]

Wow, I did not think The Montanan meant anything by his post. It was true and to the point. But if you feel you don't need to carry, don't. I carry all the time. And I am not going to feel bad because I do.  The world is changing as we know it.


jrdudas, sorry we got off track.  

Redhawk1 your correct, if he took offense.. oh well.  And by the way, I have seen S&W, Ruger, Colts as well as others bind up.  It is his choice to carry or not.  Even the little hamlet town of Bigfork had a double shooting just the other night, and no one would have ever thought it could happen even there.

I have seen others that carry a Hi-Point to rely on, it would not be my choice as a self defense carry sidearm.  Many years in law enforcement work have taught me well, but others have their minds made up already, there is no convincing them of the facts.

I agree with you on all of that. I have seen people that thought they would never carry a gun, then something happens and they start carrying.  Welcome to the 21st century.

[v-man]

I love Rugers but I had one once that would sometimes bind when trying to cock the hammer. I've handled 2 Taurus revolvers, one used and one new in a store, that did the same thing. The worst though was an old Iver Johnson 9 shot .22 snub nose. It was like this;
click-bang-click-click-bang-bang-click-click-click-bang-click-bang......
It would eventually fire every round after a few laps around the cylinder. I think it might have been a fine personal defence weapon cause the bad guy would be laughing so hard you could probably whack him in the head with it and get a good running start to safety.
If the bad guy sees that Hi-Point under your shirt he might just have the same reaction so I say go for it. After all, when it comes to a life and death situation the most important thing is to save a few bucks.

[6Shooter]

Revolvers are not fool-proof. Even the good ones. I've had afew mishaps with my many revolvers over the years. A primer sticking out too far: jam, a round with too light a powder charge: bullet stuck in barrel.
 Anyway, The Highpoint guns. My friend has one and has performed well so far. I tried to talk him out of buying it but, I have to say it has done well.
 Just like the guitars you mentioned, high price does not aways mean high quality. That's does go for guitars but, I would have to say it's not so true of handguns. I have been asked many times how much a good gun will cost and I aways say expect to pay between $400 to $600. I've found great deals on good used guns before but, ya have to know what to look for.
 If I was looking for a gun for protection, I would look for something else.

[NONYA]

Sounds like all your problems were reloading oriented,so you were the problem not the gun.He never said he was looking at them as a self defense weapon why is everyone using this scenario as a way to underplay the quality of the Hi points?Everyone knows they are low budget/low quality weapons but for the same amount of money what else could you buy that compares?

[Redhawk1]

Sounds like all your problems were reloading oriented,so you were the problem not the gun.He never said he was looking at them as a self defense weapon why is everyone using this scenario as a way to underplay the quality of the Hi points?Everyone knows they are low budget/low quality weapons but for the same amount of money what else could you buy that compares?

Could it be that he is posting in the Self Defense and Concealed Carry Handguns area???

As for your second question, I would not buy anything low budget/ low quality even if it was not a Hi-point.

[6Shooter]

Sounds like all your problems were reloading oriented,so you were the problem not the gun.He never said he was looking at them as a self defense weapon why is everyone using this scenario as a way to underplay the quality of the Hi points?Everyone knows they are low budget/low quality weapons but for the same amount of money what else could you buy that compares?

We don't have to under play the quality of Hi-point guns because, as you said the quality is low. Hi-point guns may be something to buy to play with but, they are a very poor choice for self- defence.
 As Redhawk has said this is the self defence / concealed carry section so we can assume the thread was started with that in mind.  
 You ask what could you buy that compares. Other than buying a gun for play and not self defence, it doesn't really matter. Of course, I don't like having a bunch of junk guns, like the hi-point, laying around my home.

 If you put a scoop of ice cream into a bucket of cow manure and stir it up you will still have a bucket of manure. So you can spend alittle money and get a low budget, low quality gun or, spend alittle more and get something that can be used more reliably as a tool for defence and that can be a play gun too.

[Jim101]

The Hi-Point is way to heavy for a carry weapon.......I have been carrying a Bersa 380 because of it's size and weight.......another plus is you can buy them for $199 (before tax).  They also get good writeups on all the boards...

Jim

[myronman3]

Sounds like all your problems were reloading oriented,so you were the problem not the gun.He never said he was looking at them as a self defense weapon why is everyone using this scenario as a way to underplay the quality of the Hi points?Everyone knows they are low budget/low quality weapons but for the same amount of money what else could you buy that compares?

if you think revolvers are foolproof,  your own statement tells volumes to those that know better.    

concerning the original question,  stay away from high points for cc.  when the rubber meets the road (heaven forbid),  you'll be glad to have a quality piece in your hands.

[NONYA]

when the rubber hits the road my low budget high point will killem just as dead as your hi budget cc guns,make the first one count and you wont have to worry about jams,if you are that concerned about semis and revolvers jamming buy a derringer!

[Redhawk1]

when the rubber hits the road my low budget high point will killem just as dead as your hi budget cc guns,make the first one count and you wont have to worry about jams,if you are that concerned about semis and revolvers jamming buy a derringer!

I am done here. One shot make it count.  :roll:  This has turned into a big joke. :oops:
From your previous post it is obvious you have never been in a situation that calls for you to need a gun and you don't plan on carrying.  You have no idea how you would act in a survival situation. When the poop hits the fan, your adrenalin takes over, and good training and a level head will be on your side. So one shot may not be your savior.  

[Cottonwood]

Redhawk1

We had a guy here in Kalispell, that attempted to rob a local conv store just down the road from me.  When he pulled out the gun, it was a Hi-Point 9mm.  When he said this is a robbery, a customer happen to see a cartridge that had jammed the slide with a failure to feed.

He stated, well at least if your going to rob a store, use a real reliable gun, and everyone burst out laughing... The robber fled empty handed only to be caught later with the Hi-Point in his waist band, still with the FTF round in place.  He told the deputy that cuffed him up... I couldn't get the stuck round to dislodge, the slide was frozen.

If Nonya wants to rely on a Hi-Point its on him.  There are those of us, who have spent many years in law enforcement and are certified range instructors, and have been involved in actual situations to know better.

With a Hi-Point, I wouldn't bet my life or any member of my family on one period.

[NONYA]

I hope i never do get in a situation like that and I hope you never do as well,if I did I would pick up my 1911,not my hi point,not because of quality but because Id rather knock him down with a 45 acp than piss him off with a 9mm!

[S.S.]

Properly Maintained, I would agree that revolvers are less likely
to jam or misfire. But I have seen many revolvers jam none the less.
The main cause I have seen is the cartridge case expanding
and jamming against the recoil shield. First shot leaves ok
but no second shot. Push in the cylinder latch and smack it on your thigh
would normally release the jammed Cylinder.
It actually is kind of surprising to me how
many weapons did jam when we were qualifying with them.
No reloads involved either.

[Savage]

jrdudas,
If you must have the Hi Point, I'd pass on the .380. It's the same huge gun as the 9mm with a less powerful cartridge.
A better option might be to take the money you were planning to spend on the two Hi Points, and buy one used revolver or semiauto from a reliable manufacturer. There are lots of good used Smiths and Rugers out there for less than the price of two Hi Points.
Savage

[Savage]

While we're talking about reliability--------A well maintained, quality revolver, stoked with good ammo is VERY reliable, as is a semiauto of the same ink. However a revolver is more fragile than an auto. I have seen revolvers rendered inoperative from being dropped, mishandled, or used as an impact weapon. Autos are much more rugged. It's pretty hard to accidently damage an auto to the point of failure.
Savage

[hogship]

NONYA......

Anyone who thinks they'll never need a CCW gun for defense is a fool. It's true that you might be right, but you're betting your life on it.....and here in Montana, crime can and DOES happen.  

About 20yrs ago, I picked up a hitchhiker between Superior and St. Regis at night. This person was trying to get me to stop in a very secluded place.....saying he thought I had a flat tire. He was acting suspicious, observing the traffic very watchfully, leaned his back against the door and was facing me with his hand up underneath his coat. I didn't have a CCW back then, but I happened to have a pistol in my coat pocket because I'd been showing it to a friend that night. I grabbed the pistol and showed him just enough for him to know I was armed.....that changed the situation, and he quit trying to get me to stop. When we arrived in St. Regis, I pulled in under the lights of an all-night gas station, and told him to get out. He did. There is no telling what he had under his coat....could have been a gun, could have been a knife.....don't know. What I do know is he was up to no good.....that was obvious.  

This just goes to show that these kind of people are here.....Living in Montana does not give you immunity from the scumbags. Even if you don't pick up hitchhikers, they could rob you, steal your car, burgle your home.......OR WORSE.

hog

[hogship]

About a year ago, I was in the market for a cheap reliable handgun. I considered a Hi-point, but ended up getting a Makarov for $139 instead.

Sure glad I did. The Makarov is very reliable, well engineered, and made well.

I can't say anything bad about the Hi-point. Never shot one or seen one being used.......but, I've heard all the horror stories!

hog

[rockbilly]

Amen on the Makarov.  Great pistol, and the price is right.  I just wish it came in a true 9mm (9x18).

It has been a long time since I spent any time in Montana.  I didn't have any problems while there, but that was 40+ years ago.  NONYA may be luck and live in a community that has no criminals and/or no crime, but he should never forget, people are more mobil today than they were 40 years ago, tomorrow he may have a half dozen gang members on their way from Newyork to Calaxfornia.  What happens when he is confronted by the group and they decide to take their pleasure with his wife?  I think I would rather be in a position to fight back, than to set and watch.  There are times when I HAVE to leave the house without my sidearm, but most of the time it is tucked away in my front jeans pocket.

It never hurts to be prepared, just my two cents worth. :roll:  :roll:  :roll: