I was bad at gun show...

[DWS1117]

I went to the gun show in Conroe, TX. yesterday. It was your typical show, nothing special. I was walking the isles when I ran into a coworker/friend. He was with his wife and thier two little kids. Had a nice conversation. He told me he was looking to buy his first gun. They wanted a handgun for home defense. We talked for a bit longer with me giving some tips about guns I have owned and shot and discussed what he was looking for. After about 10 minutes we went our seperate ways.

1 hour later:

I encounter the coworker/friend again. I asked if he had found anything he liked. He said he did and told the woman behind the table that he would take it. To my horror she reached down and picked up a Hi Point in .45. I tried to talk him out of it, almost to the point of begging. (I have had the misfortune of shooting two of these things. Both were so bad that it could have put me off of shooting if I didn't love it so much.) Heck I even tried to offer him my Taurus revolver at a loss to me to prevent another of these things being sold. Yes, I know, even a Hi Point is better than no gun at all, and with some budgets that's all some can afford, but there are better solutions for people on tight budgets.

My crime:
Not preventing a friend from getting a Hi Point .

Punishment:
You decide

On a positive note I did get a really nice Mosin M38 for $75 and a new trigger group for the Yugo SKS

 

[boofus]

You are hereby sentenced to buy yourself a Jennings J-9 and shoot it until it can not be repaired any more.

 

[effengee]

Jennings break in period...

Within the first block of 50

Barrel degredation factor: Within the second box

Summary?
A WW2 Liberator is a better choice...

 

[DWS1117]

Ouch! that's kinds harsh don't ya think?

Oh well at least it won't last long.

Barrel degredation factor: Within the second box

Isn't that stretching it a bit? Do you think you'll make it to the second box?

 

[Justin]

Tropical Z singing the praises of the Hi Point in 5...4...3...2...

 

[Mark13]

A guy next to me at the range had a really cheap looking .45, looked like it was all metal. Didn't recognize it as any style, like 1911, automag etc. It was square looking. I watched him and it jammed every round. It was like a single shot pistol.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

quote:
--------------------------------
My crime:
Not preventing a friend from getting a Hi Point .

Punishment:
You decide
--------------------------------

I hereby fine you one Taurus revolver. Send it to me by UPS.

 

[lee n. field]

My crime:
Not preventing a friend from getting a Hi Point .

Punishment:
You decide

You tried. It's their problem now. They'll figure it out or they won't, first time out to shoot it.

 

[Dead]

Buy it off of him when he finds out it is bad

Seriouslly though you tried that is all you could do.,

 

[Edmond]

My crime:
Not preventing a friend from getting a Hi Point .

Punishment:
You decide

Monica Lewinski and Paula Jones' love slave for 2 weeks.

 

[Ivy Mike]

You punished yourself in buying that M38.
You'll have plenty of time to think about what you did to your friend while you are removing cosmoline from the M38...buy the bucket load.

 

[LoneStranger]

Seems like the Chinese had a belief that if you saved someone's life you took on that responsibility for the rest of time.

If I was to be so presumptous as to sentence you to any kind of punishment it would be for you to get together with said coworker and offer help with his use of said Hi-Point. Don't be nasty, don't be mean, but be a friend who in good will is trying to help. Don't knock his pistol selection, cause IF, yes, Virginia there can be good Hi-Points, it is a good one he will be amendable to going up in quality, and if it is a bad one you can help him analyze why it is not good.

The penance is to be patient, mind your tongue, and try to be knowledgeable. Are you up to it???

 

[macavada]

Since your co-worker is new to guns, you ought to take him out shooting. Tell him you'll show him how to handle it safely and how to care for it.

When you get out there, offer to let him try out some of your pistols. He'll see the glaring differences, and you may be able to sway him into getting something more reliable and substantial. Just a thought.

 

[DWS1117]

You'll have plenty of time to think about what you did to your friend while you are removing cosmoline from the M38

Nope! mostly cleaned of cosmo. Not completely but close.

LoneStranger and macavada:

You two are absolutely correct. I shall try to do just that. As I stated in the original post, at least he bought a gun. Even a Hi Point is better than nothing. I am sure not all of us are proud with the first gun that we bought.

 

[Tharg]

Ouch - friend of mine bought a hi-point 9mm...

Just shook my head....

but hey - its what he could afford and he bought it...

I'd have rather saved and waited and bought something more reliable...

You tried tho - your sentece is to laugh at your friend once he figures out that he should have listened to ya...

heh

if he ever lets you know anyway =)

J/Tharg!

Edit - and no - i'm not proud of that Llama 1911 knockoff in .45 that i bought for my very first gun of my own.... <heheh>

 

[rayjay]

Got a friend that has a Hi-point 9mm, to my surprise he's not a bad shot with it. It jams every once in awhile. He has other handguns but he can't get rid of the Hi-point, it was a gift from his wife. I guess he doesn't want to hurt her feelings.

 

[joe sixpack]

If I was to be so presumptous as to sentence you to any kind of punishment it would be for you to get together with said coworker and offer help with his use of said Hi-Point. Don't be nasty, don't be mean, but be a friend who in good will is trying to help. Don't knock his pistol selection, cause IF, yes, Virginia there can be good Hi-Points, it is a good one he will be amendable to going up in quality, and if it is a bad one you can help him analyze why it is not good.

Agreed.

cheers, ab

 

[Smurfslayer]

Penance....

Go forth to your gun storage, retrieve them 1 at a time, detail strip, clean, lubircate, reassemble, and function check ALL of them.

It's the only way you'll feel "clean" again...

HTH

 

[Kamicosmos]

I am sure not all of us are proud with the first gun that we bought.

Speak for yourself (and your friend)!


Defineatly get to the range with him. That hi-point could very well scare him away from our favorite hobby!

I think having to help him shoot and clean it will be punishment enough.

 

[cls12vg30]

I know I bought my first gun on a Hi-Point budget, but I did a little thing called research beforehand and picked up a $139 CZ-52 last year. Couldn't be happier with the gun or prouder of myself for taking the time and effort to determine that yes you CAN buy a good-quality weapon for under $150. Of course, the CZ quickly turned me into an Eastern-Bloc enthusiast, so now it has been joined by a Bulgarian Makarov, and in the future will probably be joined by more CZ's, more Maks, some FEG PP clones (pa-63, br-61) and hopefully a TT-33.

With $99-$140 CZ's, $130-180 Makarov's and FEG's readily available, there really is no excuse for anyone purchasing Hi-Points, Jennings, Brycos, Lorcins, Cobras, or any of the other budget pistols out there that anyone who does even the most basic research can determine are crap. The only decent thing that seems to have come out of the "Ring of Fire" gunmakers is the Phoenix .22, by most reports it is a reliable, well-made and fun plinking gun.

 

[DWS1117]

To all of you who posted about going to the range with him, This is great advice that I will follow. As a matter of fact, I talked to him this mornming and invited him to go shooting. We had planned to go on Wednesday after work, but he left work this morning because his wife went into labor with thier 3rd child. The trip will happen but id postponed for a bit. I will also let him shoot my guns and let him compare. Since the range is also a full fledged gun store he can fondle other guns.

[sarcasm]Would it be wrong to take to a range different then my regular range? it isn't that I don't want to be seen with him, he is a great guy, I just don't want to be seen with a Hi Point.[/sarcasm]

Speak for yourself (and your friend)!

For myself, my first was a Taurus P-95. Not the upper tier but a very good gun. I do regret selling it.

 

[entropy]

Sounds like you have worked out your 'penace'. Taking the both of them (IIRC, they were getting it for home defense.) to the range to familiarize them with their treasure could indeed be a lifesaving act. I would really stress to them the importance of starting with the basics, and if you have a .22 auto you could use for that, well, sentence commuted to time served!
But if your one of those that really has a guilt complex, you will be completely absolved by sending me that M38, mine is getting an inferiority complex from being surrounded by my M91's and M91/30's in the safe!

 

[jefnvk]

Look on the bright side. At least every time it breaks, he gets it fixed for free

 

[DWS1117]

But if your one of those that really has a guilt complex, you will be completely absolved by sending me that M38, mine is getting an inferiority complex from being surrounded by my M91's and M91/30's in the safe!

Nah!!! I wouldn't want it to think I am one of those love'em and leave'em type of gun owners.

At least every time it breaks, he gets it fixed for free

How much time do you think I have? I do have to work to support my gun hab....err family. Yeah, thats it family.

On a serious note. I do plan on getting them both out to the range, but I think I'll give her at lease 2 days to recover from child birth. When we get to the range (probably before we leave the house), we go over the 4 rules several times. The .22 pistol will be the first thing we shoot as I don't think either of them have fired a gun before.