Looking into a Hi Point

[SammyW]

Been checking out different models and prices of handguns.

Now I am considering buying a Hi Point .45 since the price for a
new one is only $175 dollars and I can afford that better than
some of the other higher priced firearms. Want to see if I enjoy
shooting before investing a lot at first.

Like that it has a lifetime warranty. The single stack may not hold
a lot of rounds but, it does hold 9. I keep telling myself I would
only get 6 if it was a revolver.

Can I go wrong here for the money involved? Its a .45 and its cheap!

 

[r3dn3ck]

That's the dumbest way to spend 200 bucks there is. Save up some more and get something from ruger if you need cheap.

HiPoint makes garbage. More than one (well.. most will eventually) has self destructed in the users hands. They're an answer to a very specific question. If you can't possibly afford anything else and you've really really tried, and you won't buy something used and ugly but totally functional and reliable, the HiPoint becomes useful. It's good for 1 shot, the first one. After that good luck with reliable cycling. My recommendation is to use my first advice, get something else. My second recommendation is that if you insist on owning that hunk of garbage then plan on using it to shoot at the bad guy exactly 1 round and then having to struggle for his weapon because yours failed.

I've owned cheap junk guns. They've always literally blown up in my hands. Please, bet your life on a used ugly gun that works every time.

BTW, more bullets available only means more will be fired during an encounter. I use a wheel gun. If you only have 6 then those 6 are going to be used much more accurately than 9 or 12 or 15 or whatever in a higher capacity gun. Yes, I still have a 10 round glock available but I prefer the simplicity of a revolver for midnight wake-up duty.

 

[Remo223]

HiPoint guns shoot OK. They just look like crap and no one wants one. You'd be better off buying a used rossi revolver. At least you could sell it no probems once you decide you want something better. Heck, if you really really want a cheap 45 auto, find a used Llama or Astra.

 

[rvehock]

I don't know what r3dn3ck is talking about but I have had a .40S&W Hi-Point for a few months now and it is extremely reliable and very accurate. Yes, it looks like a Black & Decker cordless drill but it functions perfectly and due to the weigh has very little recoil. I have a lot of nicer pistols but my Hi-Point cycles ammo and functions as well as my more expensive pistols, YMMV.

 

[Alude904]

Throw away gun?

 

[Bill-B]

SammyW: Just remember the old adage, You get what you pay for. You won't pay much for the Hi Point, and you won't get much. Spend some time reading on-line reviews of the Hi Point and other .45's, and you'll likely decide to save up some more cash and buy something like a Glock or a Springfield. For the best prices, check on line at Gunbroker.com and budsgunshop.com

 

[Cornhusker77]

Hi Points, while not the best looking gun out there are reliable, affordable and inexpensive, not to mention have the best customer service I've ever heard of.
I've had a few, always went bang and never had one blow up or self destruct.
They ain't fancy but they work.
If you are wanting a carry gun, I wouldn't go Hi Point as they are heavy, but if you want one for playing with or something to keep by the bed or in the tool box, they are fine.
You don't have to worry about scratching them or holster burn, they aren't safe queens, just a good workhorse gun.
The problems I've heard of are usually mag related..the mag is the weak spot on a HI Point.

 

[SammyW]

I know they must not be the top of the line firearm. I figured
that with the price being so much lower than the others.

However my local pawn shop always has them in stock and the
owner says he has sold many of them and never had any problems?
It looks big in the case and I did hold it, felt huge. Looks don't
matter to me though as I just want functionality.

 

[towboat_er]

Go for it.

 

[ricebasher302]

Most awkward feeling gun I've ever laid hands on and the WORST trigger I've ever pulled!!! That said, it did not malfuntion and was accurate enough to consider it useful. I'll never own one, but don't let anyone stop you. Just know that there are much better guns out there that will make a much better shooter out of you.

 

[r3dn3ck]

never seen one fire twice in a row in person. I've fired literally dozens of them (spent some time as an RSO and an instructor in a mega-poor area). I have seen them come apart in person, and there are other side effects of their horrid engineering that make them border on dangerous to operate. Just buy a rossi revolver.

 

[coebam]

Keep in mind 45 acP is not cheap to shoot either. If you are only able to come up with 200.00 for a gun you more than likely won't be able to shoot much. You may want to consider a 9mm. You can shoot those for around .22 cents ea give or take a little.

 

[SwampWolf]

never seen one fire twice in a row in person. I've fired literally dozens of them

Just trying to keep your credibility intact: Are you really saying that you have fired literally dozens of Hi-Point pistols and have never had one fire two shots in a row?

 

[CJ]

The best bet for trying out shooting is probably a .22, in my opinion. High Points are cheap to buy, but you probably won't get much back if reselling them. Getting something in a decent quality .22 will probably cost a little more to buy, but costs a LOT less to shoot, and if you ever want to sell it, you probably can recover a little more of the initial expense.

 

[Mp7]

the search function

is your friend.

If you cannot afford a pistol with better ergonomics: Get a HiPoint.

They seem to work very well and you can find pics of an amazing torture test sum1 did recently.

For $$$$ reasons u might wanna buy a C9 9mm version.


If i could not afford any better and wanted a gun now instead of saving
for like a used Glock ... i would buy a HiPoint.

 

[otomik]

get a .22LR

firing centerfire a lot will slow your savings for the gun you actually want.

maybe a Ruger 10-22

 

[Furncliff]

"Can I go wrong here for the money involved? Its a .45 and its cheap"

No. I spent more than that on a months worth of .45acp at the gun show yesterday. Two things. Look into the cost differential between the 9mm and .45acp. It is significant and if you are just trying shooting on as an experiment the 9mm will do. Second check out the Hi Point forums. Lots of experience and good advice there...

http://www.hipointfirearmsforums.com/Forum/index.php


P.S. If you find you like shooting your Hi Point save up for a good \.22 rimfire pistol. Good cheap practice and a ton of fun. The cheap .22 are a PIA, buy a decent one.

 

[Onward Allusion]

SammyW
Looking into a Hi Point

They go bang when you pull the trigger after a good breaking in. By the time the .45 is broken in (about 200 to 300 rounds), you could have purchased a S&W Sigma or Ruger P95 in 9mm. .45's are expensive to shoot.

Do some research. Lot's of threads on Hi-Points.

 

[eddism]

Hi-Points make for a very good truck gun. Pull trigger goes bang. Too ugly to steal. But, if it comes up missing. You're not out a lot of money. Plus, 9mm ammo is as cheap as it comes next to 22's.

 

[rich642z]

Hi-Point has been having alot of problems with the firing pins in the past year. I had a guy call me at the shop to take a look at it. I looked at it and saw that the firing pin was not made to specs and hardness to fire when trigger is pulled. Customer had 300 rounds of .45 acp ball ammo thru it and it stopped firing. Called Hi-Point,told them that their firing pins were trash and to get their doo-doo-together and make right for my customer. C/S called back 2 days later and said what the problem was ,the computer wasnt punched in right with the hardening numbers so,there will be a recall but,do not know when. Got new firing pin,took out to the back of shop,shot 500 rounds thru it and works just fine now. So,I suggest that you spend the money and get a Ruger.45 new or used and you will be better with that. I have a Ruger P345 with 6 8 round mags and remeber,you have to have the magazine inside the mag well to dry fire it.

 

[almherdfan]

If this is going to be your first and only firearm for a while, get a .22LR--the ammo is so much cheaper, esp. compared to .45. The first gun I purchased was a .44 magnum-a Ruger Super Redhawk-beautiful revolver. Unfortunately, I could not afford the ammo & eventually traded it for a Browning Hi-power 9mm.

However, if you really want a .45, then the Hi-Point would be ok. I have a 9mm Hi-point that has been fine.

 

[Remo223]

My first handgun was an old colt 357mag when I turned 21.

I shot a weeks pay in ammo in one afternoon. The very next weekend I traded it in on a new smith&wesson K-22.

 

[ET]

If it is really all you can afford then it is better than a stick in the eye. I have owned one for 12 years now. They are ugly, heavy & some people have had problems getting the mag feed lips adjusted correctly to stop ftf problems. My gun was given to me by my brother. It did get me into guns, BUT here is my opinion: Hi-Points are not the gun to try if you are not sure if you will like it. They are not comfortable to shoot, they are heavy. My Hi-Point 9mm actually recoiled as much as my 40s&w Glock and hurt more because of it's design.

Resale value of a Hi-Point is $50 -75, so you don't like shooting then you would be out $100-125, right? But if you enjoy shooting, then you are stuck with a cheap, heavy, ugly gun in your collection, right? Buy a step up from that like a Taurus pt111 mil pro or a S&W Sigma. You can find those for under $300 if you shop around. I saw both for $250 at the last gun show. I own both of those guns and they have been 100% reliable over 3000 rounds each the last 3-4 years. I can't say that for my Hi-Point. No, those guns don't hold their value either, but they are a step up from Hi-Point.

Or you could buy a $500 gun like a Glock 19, S&W M&P9, a FNP9, a RIA 1911, etc, etc. These are quality guns that will make your range visit enjoyable. Chances are you will get hooked anyway, so why not have a really nice gun in case that happens. If you hate shooting, then these guns would pretty much return your money to you when selling the gun in like new condition.

All in all it would be a win-win situation. You get hooked? You've got yourself a gun that anyone wouldn't mind having in their collection. You don't like guns? You can recover your money in a resale. Hi-Points are not a terrible gun, but I would categorize them as a good plinker that you could throw in your tackle/tool box and not worry about. (That's where mine is!)

 

[SammyW]

Thanks everyone for the advice and help. Got a little caught
up in the low price of the gun but, had not thought too much
about the ammo costs.

Starting out on a .22 sounds more wise since I would like to
spend some time at the range practicing. Any first .22 advice?

 

[X-Rap]

After years of reading these HiPoint threads I still can't think of a sensible reason to spend good money on one.
Save up a little longer and get a good used revolver for $250 +- or a decent semi auto for around $300. Those kind of guns are out there and they are reliable, carryable, there are good holsters made for them and they will most likely be worth more tomorrow than today.
I personally just bought a G17 for $325 OTD that doesn't look as though its had a box of shells through it and have bought many top name brand wheel guns and autos for much less.