HiPoint? Dare I ask?

[kyratshooter]

I am struggling with a decision. I have never been a brand snob and have been known to own a few really crappy guns. I had a couple of Jennings .22 pistols back in the day, I even owned a Clarke revolver once. My first centerfire pistol was a Spanish Ebar .380 that cost me a whopping $29.95, which was cheap even then (I bought a 1911 Colt NIB for $125 that year).

I fell over a half bushel basket of empty 9mm brass in the shop while moving. I have not owned a 9mm in 20 years and do not intend to spend a great amount of my hard gotten money on a pistol in that particular caliber. I hate to see good brass laying around unused, and a HiPoint is about as cheap as I can find on the market right now.

This makes me wish I had bought one of those Helwan Barettas or 9mm Torcs back in the '90s for $100.

Anyone here have a real user experienced opinion on the hi-pointies. That is besides the "I wouldn't own one" opinions. I wouldn't own one either 'cept for all this brass laying around. And don't tell me to save more money and by a Glock. If I have to save money up I'll buy a real gun in .45 or .357.

It's a pitty no one offers a good SSA with interchangable 9mm/.357 cylinder like Ruger does at half their price. These Cowboy shooters are keeping prices artifically inflated of late.

[kyratshooter]

I was made an offer I could not refuse.

I hope I do not get mistaken for a gang-banger carrying this thing!

I have the feeling this will wind up living in the Jeep. Maybe I can wrap it with camo tape and no one will notice it.

[BENESSE]

I was made an offer I could not refuse.

I hope I do not get mistaken for a gang-banger carrying this thing!

I have the feeling this will wind up living in the Jeep. Maybe I can wrap it with camo tape and no one will notice it.

I tried that with a new pair of shoes in my closet but the heels gave it away.

[Rick]

KY - I have both the 995 in 9mm and the kel-tec sub 2000 in 9mm. I'm perfectly happy with them. They are good little guns that go pop when you pull the trigger. I haven't had a problem with FTF or FTL in either one. You won't go big game hunting with them but they are fun to shoot and would make a decent defense gun if you had to use one. I would rate the Kel-Tec slightly ahead of the 995 but that's just because the 995 is just butt ugly.

[RangerXanatos]

I keep going back and looking at Hi-Point but keep turning away. I want something more powerfull and not as big. If it was just for play shooting, I'd be all over it. So have you played with it any kyratshooter? How do you like it?

[Rick]

You might consider the Kel Tec Sub 2000 then. You can get it in a variety of magazines. Mine is made for the Glock 19 so it can take the 33 round mags. It's also smaller and folds in half.

[RangerXanatos]

I'm sorry, I was meaning handgun wise. Nevertheless, that is one neat firearm. The one I always winf back looking at is the Taurus 651 Protector.

[Rick]

Okay, maybe I misread the OP. I thought you wanted something other than a handgun. My error.

[kyratshooter]

Not played with it yet, I pick it up tomorrow.

I really thought about the 995 but decided if I go with a long gun it better have more punch than a 9mm. I also am waiting for HiPoint to come out with a decient mag capactiy before I put money in one of them. I like the kel-tec carbines. If i was a Glock or Baretta carrier I would be all over one of them. I have been using a p3at as primary carry gun for nearly a year and I am very well pleased with it.

The C9 is about twice as heavy as one would expect but that is due to it being a blow back action. It takes a lot of mass in the slide to hold that thing closed till the bullet is clear.

Since the last time I reloaded 9mm they have come up with more variety in the loads. I have found data for heavy bullets that I prefer. I used to load heavy 9 loads but it was all guesswork and experimentation. Now the factories are offering 140-150 gn loadings. I have a nice Lee SWC mold that throws a 135 gn slug. I can push it right up to 1000fps and still keep preasures low.

[SARKY]

If you are looking for a power to weight ratio, try and find one of the old Ruger 44 carbines. The tube fed model not the newer mag fed model.

[kyratshooter]

I brought this thing home and now the Colts have locked themselves in the gun safe, the S&Ws will not speak to me and even the Cobra two shot derringer slithered under the pillow.

The only thing that will play with the C9 is the Davis .380, I think they may be close cousins.

[kyratshooter]

I decided to make a batch of reloads for this pea shooter. Dug out all the gear. This last move I actually organized most of the reloading gear!

I could not find anything I needed. I finally broke out the single stage press and struggled through pulling the lever about 500 times to make 50 reloads. Also had to cast bullets and run them through the lube/size. It took me about 4 hours to do something that normally takes 30 minutes.

Naturally, I dreamed about where I had stored the needed gear during the night. I woke up this AM and walked right to the stuff. It was all there neat and pretty in new see through boxes inside another box I had to move to access the loading dies. I moved that box at least three times while I was searching for what was inside it.

I am loosing it people!

[crashdive123]

I am loosing it people!

The nice thing about doing "that" in your house is that you will usually find it.......unless of course it was a Beretta.

[kyratshooter]

I'll trade this HiPoint for anything Baretta makes!

I just got back from the range. It was an enlightening experience. One of those trips where you start asking yourself why you thought getting out of the house was a good idea. 4 guns and one success is not a good ratio.

The HiPoint hurt me! I have been shooting pistols most of my life. I regularily shoot an alloy frame .45. I also regularily shoot a 5 shot J frame size .357. My carry gun is a P3AT with +P .380. I have owned several .44 mags over the years. I haver also owned many 9mm pistols along the way, allow frame and steel. I do not consider any of them unpleasant to shoot, but this HiPoint hurt me!

After the first mag my hand was stinging and I was wondering if my loads were overstuffed. I shot two rounds of factory as a comparison and they were hotter than my reloads. (4.8GN Unique & 121 gn cast lead slug, a mid range load) I shot the second magazine and my hand was numb!

No wonder all these HiPoint shooters think the 9mm is a super hot load! It hurts them, it has to hurt the other guy!

I suppose it is the unlocked blowback action that lets the massive slide slam back at you, along with the shape and size of the grip. Combine that with the trigger pinching your finger every shot and you have a pain symposium at work.

I have the solution for this problem. I will down load the 9mm considerably, ease my pain and poppity-pop right along. I bought this thing to shoot up available brass and I never intended to keep it for defense. I will save a couple of mags of factory ammo for the off chance that I might need to actually use it in a serious social situation. Other than that it will get a steady diet of wheel weight bullets and just enough of whatever powder is on sale to cycle the slide.

On the bright side, it did keep all 18 shots I fired on a paper plate @ 25 yards.

'Skuse me, I must go put icy hot on my numb thumb.

[Beo]

Personally I think the Hi Point firearms are junk weapons, typically used by thug idiots for thug things like gang stuff and drug dealing because they are cheap. I have a Glcok .45 which is a great weapon, an H&K USP .40 another great weapon, an AR15 set up like the M4 with EOTech sight great weapon, and a shotgun with pistol grip for CQB, I would continue to save and get a worth while weapon if it me.
Beo,

[kyratshooter]

Personally I think the Hi Point firearms are junk weapons, typically used by thug idiots for thug things like gang stuff and drug dealing because they are cheap. I have a Glcok .45 which is a great weapon, an H&K USP .40 another great weapon, an AR15 set up like the M4 with EOTech sight great weapon, and a shotgun with pistol grip for CQB, I would continue to save and get a worth while weapon if it me.
Beo,

I am sure you would!

If I were you I would not buy a HiPoint.

After putting 200 rounds through this one I would recommend that no one buy a HiPoint unless it is all they can afford. But I never had a misfire or jam in the 200 round string. It also keeps all its shots in a reasonable group for defense purposes.

I bought this pistol due to having a surplus of brass in a caliber I did not have a gun for. I refuse to spend any large amount of money on a 9mm. It is a calliber I do not care for. I never intend to carry this gun farter than the range to pop 9mm rounds for fun and games. I am reloading the cases half a grain under recommended starting load, just barely cycling the action. I'm not going to war with this gun or my reloads.

As far a Glocks go, I would not own one. My tastes run to the 1911 family and to the S&W pre-ww2 revolvers I prefer.

As for AR15/16, My first one had an X serial number, as in experimental. I carried one over hill and dale and did not like it in 1968-73 and still do not like them. The youngest son has an M4 and they really have not improved the genere.

I enjoyed the MP5 use I have had but they are just too expensive to justify for their limited use.

Now about thugs and their guns. Pure steriotype hype. You have fallen for the Saturday Night Special anti-gun mind set. There are no good guns and bad guns. Only better quality and lesser quality. Lesser quality has a place in protecting persons that can not spend $500 for a Glock and still put groceries on their tables.

Bonnie and Clyde carried some quality hardware. BAR, Colt 1911, S&W revolvers, Browning shotguns. So did Dillenger and Capone. No greater white trash thugs ever lived.

[rebel]

I am sure you would!

If I were you I would not buy a HiPoint.

After putting 200 rounds through this one I would recommend that no one buy a HiPoint unless it is all they can afford. But I never had a misfire or jam in the 200 round string. It also keeps all its shots in a reasonable group for defense purposes.

I bought this pistol due to having a surplus of brass in a caliber I did not have a gun for. I refuse to spend any large amount of money on a 9mm. It is a calliber I do not care for. I never intend to carry this gun farter than the range to pop 9mm rounds for fun and games. I am reloading the cases half a grain under recommended starting load, just barely cycling the action. I'm not going to war with this gun or my reloads.

As far a Glocks go, I would not own one. My tastes run to the 1911 family and to the S&W pre-ww2 revolvers I prefer.

As for AR15/16, My first one had an X serial number, as in experimental. I carried one over hill and dale and did not like it in 1968-73 and still do not like them. The youngest son has an M4 and they really have not improved the genere.

I enjoyed the MP5 use I have had but they are just too expensive to justify for their limited use.

Now about thugs and their guns. Pure steriotype hype. You have fallen for the Saturday Night Special anti-gun mind set. There are no good guns and bad guns. Only better quality and lesser quality. Lesser quality has a place in protecting persons that can not spend $500 for a Glock and still put groceries on their tables.

Bonnie and Clyde carried some quality hardware. BAR, Colt 1911, S&W revolvers, Browning shotguns. So did Dillenger and Capone. No greater white trash thugs ever lived.

You gave a ton of info with and without saying it.

[tacmedic]

I bought a Hi Point Carbine several years ago shortly after they came out with it. It was hands down the worst gun I have ever owned. I had two factory mags for the thing and if I could get them to lock into the gun, after the second or third shot they would fall out, and I mean every single time! Then I would ram them in there again and fire a couple more times and then it wouldn't want to take the rounds out of the magazine. The only upside to the whole deal was I eventually took it to a gun shop and sold it for more than I paid for it.

[hunter63]

KS, so I'm guessing that's it's a thumbs down?
Thanks for giving it a try for all of us, with an honest review.

SIL has one of the carbines, doesn't really come out and say he doesn't like it, but seems to stay away from it, so I hadn't even considered their handgun offerings.

[kyratshooter]

I am sure I will shoot this pistol quite a bit as a plinker. And so for it has been reliable and accurate.

But if you hear someone singing that they shoot just as good as a Glock, Baretta, Sig or any other well designed pistol those folks have simply never shot a good gun!

If it was all I had I would be greatful for it. It just is not all I have.

One of my first pistols was an H&R .38 spl. It had a drop out cylinder and a terrible DA pull, but the SA trigger was acceptable and the gun was scarey accurate. I paid $39.99 for that gun new and shot it for ten years. Retired it and finally sold it after I bought my first S&W.

Back then you actually had about 4 grades of firearms to choose from, really cheap .22 pistols for $12. H&R, Iver Johnson and Ruger at $30-$40. Military surplus $40-$60 and the Colt-S&W starting at about $80 used and $100-$200 new.

My first S&W was a surplus Victory Model .38spl, 1944 mfg. I paid $70 for it. Even war-time production it was smooth as silk and shot into a postage stamp off sandbags @25 yards.

That gun ruined me!