Buying a Hi Point

[Hamsen]

If this is going to be your first firearm, then, in my mind, it needs to be utterly reliable

Sheepdog1968,

Thing is this is not my first firearm. I would say down on my luck a
bit but, due to this economy its more like "a lot". In fact I was
forced to sell my guns to pay the bills.

Basically, I wanted some feedback and I guess a little encouragement.
I know its not the top dog in the pistol World, but it will probably fill
my HD roles perfectly until I can get back up on my feet again.

I shot my friends c9 and to tell you the truth it wasn't half bad. It
didn't jam but, I was told my friend shot many rounds through it and
polished the feed ramp which cleared up the trouble. He said it's
more the magazines than the gun itself.

Now, as far as my background. I have friends who also own Glocks,
one with a Springfield 1911 and a compact HK .40 so, I have had a
chance to shoot these plus many other great guns. So, this gives me
a little... to gauge the Hi Point by..Is it like going from a Mercedes to
a Yugo? Truthfully yes...but, it will work for me in this time period.

I won't bash Glock, HK or any other brand. They are guns and I
love them all.

 

[Nasty]

Yugo's get a lot of folks to work every day.

Heck, you can even carry groceries and get speeding tickets with them!

Now...they fill a role for folks that can't afford any better and they are not as good as my truck, but I've read on the net...yaddayaddaya

Good on ya!

 

[Aceoky]

Basically, I wanted some feedback and I guess a little encouragement

You got some here and Justin's Hi Point Throwdown thread should speak volumes, I'm going to say you'll be glad you have a Hi Point!

 

[valorius]

If i was broke and all i could afford was a hi point, i could live with it. The 995 9mm carbine is actually a really good little rifle, and is probably worth double what they charge for it.

I honestly cannot recommend the 995 highly enough for anyone that wants a super fun plinking gun that could be used to hunt deer in a pinch, or that would be very good for home defense- better than almost any pistol, or even a zombie onslaught.

How they sell that much rifle for so little money is beyond belief.

If only it took common magazines from a current and highly popular pistol offering, like S&W, or whatever.

 

[mcdonl]

How they sell that much rifle for so little money is beyond belief.

Volarious... consider this... you posted many reasons not to purchase the C9 over in Justin's thread, and I am not going to debate those talking points... I am just pointing out that the C9 and the 995 are both great deals, from the same manufacturer with the same service and support. And, it should also be noted that many Keltec and Ruger carbine owners feel the 995 is "junk", much like you do the C9 and that their guns are "clearly" better.

I am glad to see that you like their Carbine, so it should be easy for you to see how many people also like, and rely on the C9 for many reasons.

 

[valorius]

Hey if you want a C9 it works and it's a gillion times better than nothing. It just seems to me that if you can only afford to own one gun- and you want that gun for home defense or SHTF/Survival/Katrina/LA riot type insurance, that the hi point a lot of people should be considering is a rifle not a pistol.

Obviously if you plan on ever carrying it concealed the C9 wins by default.

Any of them are about a thousand times better than a sharp stick. My first pistol was a Bryco Model 38 .380. I put probably 500-600rds through that, including probably 50-60 Corbon 90gr+P, and the pistol never jammed once, and shot decently.

There are about a million other pistols i'd have rather had, but it was what i could afford, and it worked.

My 2nd pistol was a Colt Series 70 Lightweight Commander 1911 .45 auto, 2 tone, with beautiful cherry grips. Once i had a gun, i was able to save up for the gun i actually wanted. Took me about a year.

 

[christcorp]

Why do some people here have such a "Woodie" when it comes to price. How many times do we have to hear ignorance say: "If you can't afford anything else"; or some variation. How many people have to step forward and say: "Look Homer; I can afford many different pistols, matter of fact I OWN many different pistols, and I CHOOSE to have a Hi-Point".

I have total respect for the individual who says they won't buy a Hi-Point because:
1. I simply don't like it
2. It's ugly
3. It's bulky
4. It's a single action striker fire
5. It's magazine capacity is to small

Whether I agree or not with these reasons, I totally, 100% RESPECT them. I don't however respect anyone who prefaces or suffixes any Hi-Point post with: "If that's all they can afford"; or some variation of. These comments are totally ignorant. No, my mistake. They aren't ignorant. Ignorance is acceptable. It simply means a person doesn't know. But that is not the excuse here. PLENTY of people have said that they can afford a lot more than a hi-point and that they choose to have one. No, ignorance isn't the right word. The only excuse can be people subconsciously trying to rationalize why they spent so much money on the gun(s) they did.

People need to stop talking about price. They need to stop making stupid comments about a hi-point is only good if you can't afford something "better". If you don't like a hi-point and wouldn't recommend one to someone else, then state WHY. And do it without mentioning price. If you think the gun is inaccurate, show some proof. If you think it's unreliable, show some proof. If you think it's not dependable, show some proof. If you think it's dangerous and can hurt you, show some proof.

The only rebuttal that is legitimate that ANY of the gun snobs have had, is that the hi-point is not the most efficient gun for certain uses. Well DUH!!!! No one has ever disagreed with that.

From now on, if Hi-points are only for those who can't afford anything better, then lets just be clear and say that Hi-Points are for the poor people on Welfare, food stamps, and other forms of public assistance. That's what you're saying. While we're at it, Kel-tecs are only for those individuals where they make little over minimum wage, and it takes a minimum of both individuals in a house to make ends meet. Then we can move up to the taurus and used gun economic strata. Point is, saying something is only good if you can't afford anything else is so elitist and self righteous. And I am positive it is a way of rationalizing and making up for what a person spent on their pistol. Or penis envy. Not sure. But the FACTS ARE:
1. Most people who have and own a hi-point, own other guns, can afford other guns, and like and appreciate hi-points for what they are and are capable of.
2. Most people who don't own a hi-point, don't know what the hell they are talking about.

 

[mcdonl]

But price is the #1 attribute I use when purchasing a gun. Granted... I make the decision what variety of gun I am looking for (SA/DA, Rifle, Shotgun, etc...) but once I decide what I want I get the cheapest one I can find... so.. I like me some hi points.

 

[valorius]

Price is the Hi Point's #1 selling feature, as i am sure even the president of the company would openly- and probably proudly- state.

How is that a bad thing?

When you take price out of the equation, Hi Points start looking a lot less attractive. Seriously, a hi point is not an HK, it will never be an HK.

If you take price out of the equation, Hi Point has to compete against firearms like this....



And obviously if money is not a factor, that's not happening. No one in their right mind would willingly pick a CP9 over an HK P7 if both were $100.00

 

[s2mason]

1. Most people who have and own a hi-point, own other guns, can afford other guns, and like and appreciate hi-points for what they are and are capable of.
2. Most people who don't own a hi-point, don't know what the hell they are talking about.

Well said. I imagine the VAST majority of us HP owners would say we like the gun, and would also recommend it to others.....period. I personally will be picking up another one.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I want to get a C-9 just for fun.

 

[ChefKristian]

I have owned the .45 in the past, it performed well. I am considering getting the .40 or 9mm to carry as a hunting sidearm so I don't have to take my other pistols out and worry about dropping it out of the tree stand...

 

[valorius]

I would point out that nice retention holster for one of your nice guns is still cheaper than a hi point.

 

[rtz]

I got one just for fun and to be able to have first hand experience with one:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/21_268

 

[mcdonl]

Valorious, nice photograph... but... the gun still just looks like a gun to me. I appreciate the art of the lighting and layout, but to be honest the pistol is just a pistol and in and of itself has no aesthetic value in this beholders eye. I am jealous of your photography ability. Same with the shotgun in the other picture. Great perspective and lighting.

I still hold to the notion that it is silly to consider a gun something of beauty. To be, a pair of channel locks is about the same. One is just way more fun to use.

 

[Snowdog]

Some feel the same about cars.

 

[christcorp]

My thing with price isn't that it's inexpensive. 1st: What good is an inexpensive gun, if it doesn't go bang when you need it; or hit what you're aiming at. Luckily, the hi-point doesn't have this problem. The point I'm making about price, isn't that someone might want one because it's inexpensive. My problem is with certain people who think: "A hi-point is good ONLY if you CAN'T afford ANYTHING ELSE". That implies that a more expensive gun is automatically better. Better at WHAT? If the hi-point is reliable, dependable, and accurate; then all other attributes are strictly "PREFERENCE". And there is absolutely nothing wrong with spending more money on preferences. Weight, magazine capacity, ergonomics, looks, etc... But if a person doesn't care about those attributes, and they just want a gun that will always go bang when needed; and price is a consideration because many of us who are financially fortunate, got this way by not spending money needlessly; plus if you're going to put a gun in an environment where it's going to get abused, why do it with a $600-$1000 gun, when the $150 gun will perform just as well; then the Hi-point is a very good choice.

Again, my price issue isn't with the buyers. Price is definitely a motivating factor. And as long as the gun is reliable, dependable, and accurate; price is a very good thing. My issue is with the hi-point critics who think the hi-point is a good gun, ONLY for those who CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING ELSE. They're the ones with the problem with cost. This: "You get what you pay for" is garbage in this situation. There are guns at the same price range that are pure trash. There are guns that are quite expensive that are garbage. And there's guns like the hi-point that is inexpensive and well worth it.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Not to mention that a CZ-82 doesn't come with a warranty what so ever. I'd just picked up a HP for $150 (in my hand after shipping & FFL) the other day (as a result ot the Throwdown thread). One cannot come even close to that with a CZ or any other reliable pistol that I am aware of (except maybe a PA-63). Sure, the deals are out there but they are few and far between and you'll likely have find someone who lost their job and are about to lose their house to "steal" it from them. BTW, I own and absolutely love the CZ-82 and I would choose the CZ-82 over the HP for almost all uses except for range/plinking/car-trunk-gun...BUT that's because I have the option to do so. If I were constrained by dollars, the HP would be my very first choice. Hell, being not constrained by dollars (knock-on-wood), I still got one 'cause it's such a good reliable deal and one can never have too many guns.

christcorp
<snip>"Well, for just a few dollars more....". They are wrong, and they just can't admit it. Most Hi-point C-9's can be had, out the door, for $150. Even an inexpensive CZ-82 9mm makarov (Which is one of my all time favorite pistols), costs $220 to order. Throw in $25 S/H and $25 for FFL transfer, and you're up to $270. Sorry, but that's not "Just a few dollars more". Not for some people. <snip>

 

[valorius]

Valorious, nice photograph... but... the gun still just looks like a gun to me. I appreciate the art of the lighting and layout, but to be honest the pistol is just a pistol and in and of itself has no aesthetic value in this beholders eye. I am jealous of your photography ability. Same with the shotgun in the other picture. Great perspective and lighting.

I still hold to the notion that it is silly to consider a gun something of beauty. To be, a pair of channel locks is about the same. One is just way more fun to use.

Thanks for the compliments my friend, but i definitely see art in a gun, or a car, if it is there for -my- eye to see.

To me, the P7 with Nill wood grips is an absolute thing of beauty, as well as a masterpiece of engineering. The very embodiment of the HK design philosophy of "no compromise."



It is a pistol that is really at the opposite end of the spectrum of the Hi Point. The P7 was the top of the line of one of the elite top flight firearms companies on the planet.

So it's not just an "art thing." The P7 represents what you get when price is no object. Or at least, it did in the late 70s.

I rather think the modern day embodiment of that is the FN 5.7 pistol, but that's another thread entirely.

 

[gun guy]

if you have a vast gun collection, you can compare this weapon to that one, over the decades, by the 2nd or 3rd time its been passed down you have a good idea of whats, what. I have a hi point 9mm carbine, what a neat weapon, you have the same velocity as you would out of an h&k mp5, at a fraction of the cost. its never jammed yet, so i can state it's 100% reliable, what more do you want? ah,,looks, art is subjective, so an opinion on looks is just that. i bought the whole package deal, now the laser sight wouldnt align, i took it off. a 3x9 scope hits with the accuracy you would expect from any high parallax stand off like an ar for example. anyone that has one or two weapons, gets their road tests from guns & ammo, or the rifleman really doesnt have a clue. as to their hand guns, they seem a bit simplistic, my main concern is how well they feed, if they feed as well as the rifle, 100% is good enough. the one 9mm i looked over seemed to have a soft recoil spring, im not sure how well it would hold up to +P ammo, but for plinking white box ammo, no problem. so, whats the big deal? i have had to send plenty of top name guns in for repairs. if its all you can afford, you like the way it looks, go for it, i dont see a thing wrong with it.