I used to have great disdain for Hi-Points. Let's face it, they are heavy, bulky, ugly beasts. Hi-Points are built cheap and they feel cheap. There is no craftsmanship in their design nor in their manufacture.
However, when I read about the founder's idea about producing firearms at a lower price point for a lower entry point for gun ownership, I realized that I wasn't the target audience and for the purpose intended, Hi-Points are worth evaluating. I can respect that.
Also, while I don't own a Hi-Point, I have shot quite a few. They may be heavy, cheap, and ugly, but they also always go boom. The simplicity of their design makes them near indestructible.
If you want a 'throw away' gun that you can take out to the woods and abuse, or maybe a cheap 'truck gun' that you won't be heartbroken if it goes missing, Hi-Points are not a bad choice.
@smininger Indestructible? Maybe. Reliable? NO. Most ROs will tell you how bad they really are. Also, I have to frown on what you said about not "worrying" if it goes missing. You should ALWAYs be responsible and know where your firearms are at all times. If one goes "missing", that is really really bad. If it were to fall out of a boat into 30' deep water, thats one thing. But if it goes missing, YOU can be responsible if someone uses that gun to harm or kill someone.
I had a Hi-Point JHP .45 and it shot every time, several hundred rounds though it with no problems. I can't say don't get one, they aren't pretty but they DO work.
As soon as I saw this picture, I knew the debate would begin. Face it, folks either like Hi-Points or they don't. Go by your personal experience with one. Someone can tell you their opinion, but remember that it is only an opinion, not a fact. Your personal experience is a fact. I've owned one, and had no issues with it. Did I like it? No, it had the ergonomics of a brick, no refinements, and no character. It is a tool to launch projectiles at your target, that's all. Now for the idea of a "throwaway" gun totally goes against what I believe. But a gun someone can use to protect themselves at a price they can afford is alright.
there is definatly a target audience for this and you or i may not fall into that, but if it goes boom when its supposed to then this can be a good starting point for someone to learn how to properly use and handle a weapon, not feel bad about scratching or wrecking it as a workhorse. granted it doesnt fit my hand comfortably therefore i have never shot it, but in an economy where we expect top dollar quality at rock bottom chinese import prices. you get what you pay for sometimes you get lucky but most of the time you dont.
I'm surprised there's no mention of the fact that they're American made. For that reason (and maybe the price point), I think I may just make the leap so I can make my own informed decision.
Sorry, I can't get on board. I was part of an advanced pistol class, and the guy with the hi-point had failure after failure. Slowed down the whole class. This was my only exposure to the gun, but it was enough for me. "You'll never regret paying for quality" is a phrase that comes to mind.
In the interest of full disclosure, I did, in fact, regret paying for quality, when I bought my Kimber Solo Carry 9. It's fine now, but it took two trips home and a couple of months or more away from my home to achieve that.
I had a Hi Point 9mm for over 10 years and never had a single issue with it. The only complaint (as mentioned above) is that it is a heavy, blocky gun that is difficult to carry, but the weight actually helped manage the recoil, so it was fun to shoot.
@rnhathaway Ummm, I think you may have misunderstood what I meant by 'goes missing'. You see, sometimes, events happen beyond our control, like someone breaking into a vehicle. Chances are, if you store a 'truck gun' in said vehicle, it's probably going to 'go missing', along with your radio and anything else of value. If that's the case, I was suggesting that having a $150 Hi-Point stolen might be a little easier to swallow than having a $600 Glock go missing.
But I really do appreciate the lecture about responsible gun ownership, even if it was somewhat irrelevant to the discussion.
I think you are all missing the beauty of it's design. I mean, if the thing runs out of ammo, or just plain stops working, you can always chuck the dang thing at the target. It'd be like throwing a brick at someone...it's gonna hurt!
Really? Was looking at them purely for the caliber at the price point I need right now.
@mentalscout If this is something you will being using for defense, stay far far away.
I used to have great disdain for Hi-Points. Let's face it, they are heavy, bulky, ugly beasts. Hi-Points are built cheap and they feel cheap. There is no craftsmanship in their design nor in their manufacture.
However, when I read about the founder's idea about producing firearms at a lower price point for a lower entry point for gun ownership, I realized that I wasn't the target audience and for the purpose intended, Hi-Points are worth evaluating. I can respect that.
Also, while I don't own a Hi-Point, I have shot quite a few. They may be heavy, cheap, and ugly, but they also always go boom. The simplicity of their design makes them near indestructible.
If you want a 'throw away' gun that you can take out to the woods and abuse, or maybe a cheap 'truck gun' that you won't be heartbroken if it goes missing, Hi-Points are not a bad choice.
@smininger Indestructible? Maybe. Reliable? NO. Most ROs will tell you how bad they really are. Also, I have to frown on what you said about not "worrying" if it goes missing. You should ALWAYs be responsible and know where your firearms are at all times. If one goes "missing", that is really really bad. If it were to fall out of a boat into 30' deep water, thats one thing. But if it goes missing, YOU can be responsible if someone uses that gun to harm or kill someone.
I had a Hi-Point JHP .45 and it shot every time, several hundred rounds though it with no problems. I can't say don't get one, they aren't pretty but they DO work.
I've shot many and they all worked fine. I liked the sights as well.
As soon as I saw this picture, I knew the debate would begin. Face it, folks either like Hi-Points or they don't. Go by your personal experience with one. Someone can tell you their opinion, but remember that it is only an opinion, not a fact. Your personal experience is a fact. I've owned one, and had no issues with it. Did I like it? No, it had the ergonomics of a brick, no refinements, and no character. It is a tool to launch projectiles at your target, that's all. Now for the idea of a "throwaway" gun totally goes against what I believe. But a gun someone can use to protect themselves at a price they can afford is alright.
there is definatly a target audience for this and you or i may not fall into that, but if it goes boom when its supposed to then this can be a good starting point for someone to learn how to properly use and handle a weapon, not feel bad about scratching or wrecking it as a workhorse. granted it doesnt fit my hand comfortably therefore i have never shot it, but in an economy where we expect top dollar quality at rock bottom chinese import prices. you get what you pay for sometimes you get lucky but most of the time you dont.
I'm surprised there's no mention of the fact that they're American made. For that reason (and maybe the price point), I think I may just make the leap so I can make my own informed decision.
Sorry, I can't get on board. I was part of an advanced pistol class, and the guy with the hi-point had failure after failure. Slowed down the whole class. This was my only exposure to the gun, but it was enough for me. "You'll never regret paying for quality" is a phrase that comes to mind.
In the interest of full disclosure, I did, in fact, regret paying for quality, when I bought my Kimber Solo Carry 9. It's fine now, but it took two trips home and a couple of months or more away from my home to achieve that.
I had a Hi Point 9mm for over 10 years and never had a single issue with it. The only complaint (as mentioned above) is that it is a heavy, blocky gun that is difficult to carry, but the weight actually helped manage the recoil, so it was fun to shoot.
Friends don't let friends buy a Hi-Point. Ever. Especially when a used Glocks and M&Ps are plentiful and inexpensive.
@rnhathaway Ummm, I think you may have misunderstood what I meant by 'goes missing'. You see, sometimes, events happen beyond our control, like someone breaking into a vehicle. Chances are, if you store a 'truck gun' in said vehicle, it's probably going to 'go missing', along with your radio and anything else of value. If that's the case, I was suggesting that having a $150 Hi-Point stolen might be a little easier to swallow than having a $600 Glock go missing.
But I really do appreciate the lecture about responsible gun ownership, even if it was somewhat irrelevant to the discussion.
I think you are all missing the beauty of it's design. I mean, if the thing runs out of ammo, or just plain stops working, you can always chuck the dang thing at the target. It'd be like throwing a brick at someone...it's gonna hurt!
I'm going to buy one, just for the hell of it.
And outshoot my friends with their Kimbers and Sigs.
@chriscalderon please post that to the YouTubes ;)
@monderno You haven't met my friends :) lol
I personally like them, there a great way to start off shooting, not a high cost weapon but fire every time you pull the trigger.