My Hi Point review

[Antihero]

So ive been reading about how the Hi Point pistols have come a long way and are actually considered decent now. Since i love the 9mm carbine i have i decided to give one a try. I picked a 40s&w model because of the availability of hard cast woods gun ammo from Double Tap and Buffalo Bore.

First of all, its absurd how well this thing fits my hand, it looks like a Martian power tool, but dammit its a comfy Martain power tool. This went a long way towards me slapping down $160 for one. It was new when i bought it.

Because of ammo shortages the only even vaguely normal priced ammo i could fing was Blazer and Wolf, both 180 gr, both FMJ flatnose. Neither are my favorite but im not spending 30+ bucks on basic blasting stuff.

I loaded the first clip and it jammed on the 2nd round, after clearing it, the rest of the mag went off without a hitch. It jammed on my father as well who was shooting with me. 3 times it jammed and everytime he slapped the mag/butt and it loaded fine.

Fit is kinda crappy and honestly it doesnt seem like the mag is held in too well. Finish is fine for what it is.

Accuracy was all over the place with the majority shooting low. It came with a ghost ring sight and i decided to put it on. When i took out the stock sight i noticed that the ring the mounts the sight was broken as its made of crappy plastic. After putting on the ghost ring, groups tightened up considerable. While its not a tack driver, 3-4 inches at around 30 feet is ok for what it is.

Conclusion: Jamming this much is inexcusable as a defence gun, but i think it might be the magazine. This is not going to be used as a defence gun by me anyway as ive got plenty of better guns for that purpose. Im gonna try some different loads and see if accuracy and function improves, it might also impove with a couple hundred rounds thru it. If it doesnt, i wont keep it. I've fired cheaper guns that work better but since it fits my hand im willing to put a bit more effort in it.

 

[newgunmike]

yea from what ive read you need to put between 200-300 rounds for the break in. i bought my c9 used with about 100rds threw it and it works great. i have already put 100rds threw it myself with the only problem being my thumb releasing the mag but after sanding down the release i had no more problems. i would suggest you oil the feed ramp with a thick oil(like for gears but not grease) so the flat nose ammo will work better. also make sure you dont accidentally press the mag release, seems like that may have been your problem with jamming.
overall i say they are very good guns and the c9 is not difficult th cc at all i do it everyday even when im working.(construction)
my c9 gets 3" groupings at 15yrds which is good unless you want to get into competition shooting.

 

[Antihero]

Im not sure about oiling the ramp. I have put 100rds thru it so far, hopefully it gets a bit better with another hundred thru it.

 

[Clifford]

I wouldn't put anything on the feed ramp. Any grease or oil will attract dirt and lint, then when you chamber a round the cartridge could push that garbage into the barrel. I don't need to explain what kind of damage could occur if you fire the weapon and the projectile pushes that stuff down the barrel. Also you could have problems fully chambering a round or even a firing out of battery (VERY BAD).

BTW I own a C9, most feeding issues on them are magazine related (or so I'm told). Send the handgun and all the mags to High Point. They have great customer service and will take care of you, even if you are not the original owner.

 

[Antihero]

I wouldn't put anything on the feed ramp. Any grease or oil will attract dirt and lint, then when you chamber a round the cartridge could push that garbage into the barrel. I don't need to explain what kind of damage could occur if you fire the weapon and the projectile pushes that stuff down the barrel. Also you could have problems fully chambering a round or even a firing out of battery (VERY BAD).

BTW I own a C9, most feeding issues on them are magazine related (or so I'm told). Send the handgun and all the mags to High Point. They have great customer service and will take care of you, even if you are not the original owner.

I agree, which is why im not gonna do that.

Also un update: I tried PMC 165gr FMJFP and got considerably less malfunction, this time only twice. This is still not acceptable but i take it as a good sign that maybe the gun just needs to be broke in.

Also this is the only modern pistol that ive had that shoot worse when the gun is totally clean. Ive had surplus rifles that neaded a couple of shots to get way better accuracy, but never a modern gun. The manual says to only brush the bore every 300-400 rounds so thats what im gonna do.

Anyway, groups are tightening up and its jamming less. This makes me happier.

 

[BHPshooter]

i would suggest you oil the feed ramp with a thick oil(like for gears but not grease) so the flat nose ammo will work better.

Beyond the aforementioned reasons not to do this, I'll add one: If you lube the feed ramp, some of that lubricant will make it up into the chamber and barrel. This can serve to increase the pressure of the firing round. Although it would be a real accomplishment to blow up a Hi Point, I still don't see it as anything but a bad idea.

A very nice range report, BTW. Your experience has been pretty much identical to my few "test drives."

I've only shot a handful of them, but all of them were less than perfectly reliable. Every one I have tried had a malfunction once a mag, or once every other mag.

Before anyone says that it was probably me, let me assure you, as a fervent shooter and certified instructor, I am NOT limp-wristing.

I'll come right out and tell you that I'm not a fan... but I do firmly believe that having a gun that fits your hand is THE most important factor when choosing a handgun.

If the shoe fits, wear it!
Wes

 

[JR47]

New guns have to wear in slightly to make everything run well. That $2000 Boutique 1911 came with instructions to shoot a couple of hundred rounds through it before worrying. Why would that be any different with a less than $200 gun?

 

[RX-178]

Take the ghost ring off, put the standard sights back on and see if your accuracy improves.

Ghost rings weren't designed to be used with a short sight radius at arm's length from your eye.

 

[Antihero]

Take the ghost ring off, put the standard sights back on and see if your accuracy improves.

Ghost rings weren't designed to be used with a short sight radius at arm's length from your eye.

The standard sight is broken and is moving all over the place. The ghost rings are doing fine, although im gonna see if i can get a replacement.

I'll come right out and tell you that I'm not a fan... but I do firmly believe that having a gun that fits your hand is THE most important factor when choosing a handgun.

I agree. When i first looked at it i thought it would be uncomfortable but it really fits my hand. It actually fits better than my p-85 which until now felt best to me in auto's.

Am i ever gonna carry it? No, probably not, but if i can get it to be 100% reliable i could see it as drawer/truck gun. the fact that its made of polymer and basically Zinc makes it more rust resistant, which is a plus for a truck gun.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

It may have a magazine or magazine catch that is out of spec and holding the mag too low. The fact that the stoppages will clear when you strike the magazine - thus pushing it up - is suggestive of this. In any event, even in its present condition, it is functioning far better than a $900 pistol I had, which only went one shot before a stoppage.

... Zinc makes it more rust resistant, which is a plus for a truck gun.

That is something I had never thought of before.

 

[High Tower]

I have a 4095 and bought it used. Since I got it I have never had a jam and I shoot mostly the cheapest I can find, wolf. I put a red dot scope on it and I feel confident with this rifle. Works for me and I'm keeping mine.

 

[possum]

I wouldn't put anything on the feed ramp. Any grease or oil will attract dirt and lint, then when you chamber a round the cartridge could push that garbage into the barrel. I don't need to explain what kind of damage could occur if you fire the weapon and the projectile pushes that stuff down the barrel. Also you could have problems fully chambering a round or even a firing out of battery (VERY BAD).

+1
there are places on a firearm that you don't put lube/ grease, the feed ramp is one of them, the firing pin/ striker, firing pin/ striker chanels are another, bolt faces magazines, magazine followers etc.

 

[Antihero]

Why would that be any different with a less than $200 gun?

This is true, but i have had a few new guns not need a break in period including my Hi Point Carbine.

 

[CajunBass]

You may have a bad magazine. Let's face it, Hi-Point magazines aren't quite up to Wilson Combat standards.

One thing I found with my C-9, and this was working with hand cycling only, is that the rounds have to be placed in the magazine with a slight "upward" slant. If they're laying "flat" for lack of a better term the gun would jam. I'm not sure if it would have mattered when firing, because I always made sure they had that proper "up" tilt at the range. (I used to have pictures, but lost them somewhere in a computer crash.)

I also smack the back of the magazine against my hand before inserting it into the gun. Does it help? I don't know. Doesn't hurt.

You can also call HP. They'll probably send you a new magazine.

 

[Antihero]

Update: Ive fired 300 rds thru it and the last 100 have been trouble free.

 

[Customtrigger]

Thanks for the info people, as I will purchase a high point in the future. Hey, for $125 I am willing to put it to work. A case of ammo costs more than the pistol....lol I figure what the h*ll.

 

[Antihero]

Zombie thread!


Still have the gun and many years and rounds later....it still jams every so often sadly

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Still have the gun and many years and rounds later....it still jams every so often sadly

If you haven't done so already -- it seems to be long past due -- give Hi-Point a call and see what they suggest. Believe it or not, their customer service has a top notch reputation.

And in the many, many, many reviews and comments I've read (written by people that own them) Hi-Points get surprisingly good reviews for accuracy, reliability and durability. Most of the complaints -- exceptions in this message chain -- are from people who don't own them but have STRONG OPINIONS about their worth.

 

[Antihero]

I think having affordable pistols on the market is a great thing, there's times in my life where I was quite broke its nice to know I could afford something to defend myself with

 

[jad0110]

I think having affordable pistols on the market is a great thing, there's times in my life where I was quite broke its nice to know I could afford something to defend myself with

Good point. The Taurus PT111 G2 comes to mind as such a gun. I've seen them online for as little as $199, and unlike the Hi Point, they are compact and easily concealable for most people. They seem to be getting overall very positive reviews. Same can be said for the surplus CZ-82 at around $275 (own one of those, excellent gun) and NIB S&W SD9VEs at as little as $290.

I've always liked inexpensive guns that work.

 

[S&W620]

If you haven't done so already -- it seems to be long past due -- give Hi-Point a call and see what they suggest. Believe it or not, their customer service has a top notch reputation.

And in the many, many, many reviews and comments I've read (written by people that own them) Hi-Points get surprisingly good reviews for accuracy, reliability and durability. Most of the complaints -- exceptions in this message chain -- are from people who don't own them but have STRONG OPINIONS about their worth.

No experience with HI Points personally, but I'll echo this gentleman's suggestion of calling the company.

Apparently top shelf customer service and will simply replace the firearm with a new one if unable to fix the issue.

I find them hideous, but they seem to work for the most part and the company stands behind their product. Hard to beat that for $160.

 

[C0untZer0]

The SAR B6P, both the SA/DA and the SAO go on sale every so often for $240.00 with < $10.00 or even free shipping. There are a few places selling them for $244.00 right now but charging $18 to $25 shipping. I worked in a shipping department once and for companies that do volume, they can ship a 4lb package in the 48 states for under $10.00

I don't like it when they try to sell people on a really cheap gun but jack up the shipping and handling costs to get some of that profit margin back.

The allure of the Hi-Point for me is that neither the slide nor the frame will rust. The parts of it that are steel can be lubed and protected.

I wouldn't feel bad about keeping this in a car in hot muggy weather, or having it as the gun I take into the steamed up bathroom when I take a shower.

 

[Antihero]

Lol, I made the same point about the not rusting

 

[DeepSouth]

The last hipoint review I read the guy ended up throwing the pistol at the target, it was the funniest gun review I ever read. He didn't think much of it t to put it nicely.
I think it was in a Combat Handgun magazine a couple of years ago, can't remember for sure. It was a magazine someone left laying around at work.

I've always been interested in the Hi Points, I've never shot one and I want ever buy one but they have an interesting following.

 

[cc-hangfire]

Among my collection of eighteen models of 9mm's, one is the Hi-Point C9. I just wanted first hand experience with a gun loved by some and slandered by many.

Ugly, ungainly, top heavy. Prone to mis-feed if limp wristed -- not accusing any prior posters, but a friend induced mis-feeds yesterday on several pistols including the C9 & I know he was limp wristing.

Mine has only about 200 rounds so far, but is dead on accurate & reliable in my hand so for with all 3 mags. The safety/slide stop is also smooth on mine although I've read of others having stiff and sticky safeties. With that said and given the wide range of review results, quality control on the handguns (including magazines) is apparently hit-&-miss. I got a good one. If you got one w problems, it's aggravating but Hi-Point customer service appears to be exceptionally good, so you can get the repairs made through them.

They have their spot in the market.