# Are there any Hi-Point fans here?



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

From what I've heard from different groups, people tend to love or hate these guns. I was curious as to what the general opinion on these boards were, since I'm considering a Hi-Point C9. A higher end brand would be nice, but I simply don't have that kind of budget at the moment.

KG


----------



## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

I've yet to see one that works really well. I've heard stories but not seen it for myself. To me I look at it as you get what you pay for kind of thing.


----------



## Patient_Zero (Mar 14, 2008)

I saw this conversion kit for the 9mm Carbine that looks like it might make it a fun little beater to plink around with. Other than that, I've never cared about them one way or the other, although they do remind me a little of disposable cameras.


----------



## bruce333 (Sep 1, 2006)

Don't know, never even held one. But, I've _never_ heard anything good about them. I wouldn't let my Son get one.

Have you considered a used gun?


----------



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

bruce333 said:


> Don't know, never even held one. But, I've _never_ heard anything good about them. I wouldn't like my Son get one.
> 
> Have you considered a used gun?


The main problem is that I don't know anyone in state who shoots handguns to buy a used one from, and I don't have enough experience to feel comfortable looking for used guns at a shop.

Bud's has several user reviews in favor of the Hi-Point C9 right now, though. The problem is I don't particularly trust reviews from someone whose never tried anything else, any more than I trust one from someone who hates them and has never shot one.

I'm sure that like everything else, it's a "get what you pay for", but from other activities I've done, there is low-end stuff that sacrifices perks of nicer stuff while retaining basic functionality. I'm trying to figure out if Hi-Point falls into the "junk, don't buy" or the "for beginners, you'll want to move up later" category.

KG

EDIT: I do know about this thread, which gives me a great place to start, but I still find the idea of buying a used gun somewhat intimidating.
http://www.handgunforum.net/showthread.php?t=13827


----------



## F1ELD (Nov 2, 2008)

i went out with this one person and we shot some pop bottles with our handguns i had a taurus pt-111 pro 9mm he had a HighPoint something or other i dont know what kind it was and personally i MUCH prefered the highpoint to the taurus that i have the taurus' grip is almost too small for my hand its kind of a woman's gun almost and then the barrel is 3' and the highpoint barrel was 3.5' the highpoint had a very good nice grip for my hand it felt comfortable and there was a bit more weight in the front so when you bring it up to aim it has a greater feeling of stability and honestly i found it easier to accurately shoot than my taurus im not a sharpshooter or anything though but thats just my opinion.


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

F1ELD said:


> i went out with this one person and we shot some pop bottles with our handguns i had a taurus pt-111 pro 9mm he had a HighPoint something or other i dont know what kind it was and personally i MUCH prefered the highpoint to the taurus that i have the taurus' grip is almost too small for my hand its kind of a woman's gun almost and then the barrel is 3' and the highpoint barrel was 3.5' the highpoint had a very good nice grip for my hand it felt comfortable and there was a bit more weight in the front so when you bring it up to aim it has a greater feeling of stability and honestly i found it easier to accurately shoot than my taurus im not a sharpshooter or anything though but thats just my opinion.


Damn that was painful. Punctuation is our friend. For the sake of all of us, use some next time.


----------



## cstricklen (Nov 10, 2008)

> A higher end brand would be nice, but I simply don't have that kind of budget at the moment.


Bersa is your friend.


----------



## tekhead1219 (May 16, 2008)

bruce333 said:


> Don't know, never even held one. But, I've _never_ heard anything good about them. I wouldn't let my Son get one.


+1...never owned one, what I've heard, not going to.:numbchuck:


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

tekhead1219 said:


> +1...never owned one, what I've heard, not going to.:numbchuck:


Yup. I don't ever plan on owning one based on the feedback I've seen. For every one person that loves them, there is at least five that hate them.


----------



## nky1129 (Nov 3, 2008)

No personal experience with them. I was considering one, however, to leave in the house (backup) for my girlfriend when I had my G19 with me. I was at my local shop and was filling out the papers for the Glock and told the owner that I was thinking about picking up a cheap Hi-Point as well. This was his response: "Listen, I sell the damn things because people will buy anything these days. But I'm not gonna take $500 of your money for the Glock without giving you a free piece of advice: Stay away from them."

Like I said, no personal experience with Hi-Point, and I'm admittedly new to handguns, but since you were asking for opinions.....


----------



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

cstricklen said:


> Bersa is your friend.


Hmm, I looked them up, and I like what I see. Thanks for the recommendation! :smt023

KG


----------



## finski (May 9, 2008)

My husband has the C9 and a .45 caliber High Point. He loves them and sometimes I get a little jealous. Highpoint has a lifetime warrenty. Just put it in a box and mail it to them and they will fix it or replace it. The only issue my hubby had was with a magazine spring and he admitted to them up front that he screwed it up trying to modify it. They said 'No problem send it in and we will send you a new one'. We go every weekend to the range and he shoots the C9 all the time. It works like a mule and puts the bullet on the target where he wants it everytime. 
I hear people talk crap about High Points all the time but when we ask them about their experiences with them they always say they heard it from a friend. Not once have I heard about an actual first hand bad experience. Hope this helps. One thing though that I now remember from the one time I did shoot my hubby's C9. It does NOT like limp wristing at all. Good luck with whatever you finally decide on!!


----------



## Brandon1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Bersa is your friend.

A quick search....

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=115789282


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

finski said:


> Highpoint has a lifetime warrenty. Just put it in a box and mail it to them and they will fix it or replace it.


Just to play "Devil's Advocate" here; I rather have a product that has only a 1 year warranty that will perform flawlessly over its lifetime versus something that has a lifetime warranty that has to be repaired again and again.

What was it they said in Tommy Boy? "Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your customer's sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product."


----------



## knoxrocks222 (May 1, 2008)

at gander mtn they sell bersa .380s for around 350 i think, and iv never heard anything bad about them, me personally when i bought my first handgun i started small with the walther p22. i enjoyed it, shoting it was cheap and i learned the basics, from safe handling, good shooting practices, and proper upkeep of the weapon then i moved on to more expensive things like glocks lol. so just to throw this out there u may want to start off with a sig mosquito or a walther p22

knox


----------



## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

I once told someone contemplating buying a Hi-Point... "If you want a boat anchor, buy a boat anchor!"

Save up for another month or two and buy a Glock.

Zhur


----------



## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

Todd said:


> "Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your customer's sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product."


I think that about sums it up.

-Jeff-


----------



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

First off, a big thank you to everyone for their input, it helps me to see a range of opinions. :smt038

As I said in my first post, I'm on a tight budget, and I'm looking for a weapon I can eventually use for self-defense. That puts the .22s out, and I've heard that .380 are somewhat under-powered for a main defense weapon (but that's another discussion). So I'm looking for a 9mm pistol that will last me for a number of years, preferably an autoloader, of suitable size for concealed carry and range use.

What do all of you think of the Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact? This looks to me like a step up in quality from the Hi-Points, and although I've seen a couple sources that say Bersa is well-respected, I haven't heard of them before.

Although a Glock looks nice, it's considerably more than I'm looking to spend right now. Maybe some day...

KG


----------



## Q!! (Nov 5, 2008)

I just purchased a new FNP-45 and can't wait till Tuesday to take it to the range. That being said, I am fairly new to the semi-auto handgun world. I have owned some revolvers for years and never really thought about buying a semi-auto. That is until recently when a buddy of mine gave me an older Tanfoglio Super Titan .380. I knew nothing about the gun, so I did a lot of online research about it, and also took it to a few shops to have it looked at. From what I gathered in research it was not much better than a Hi-point. It was a cheap throw away gun that didn't shoot well and it jammed more often that it actually fired. Well, after a good cleaning and about 400 rounds I have yet to have a misfeed, and it has gone BOOM every time I pulled the trigger. I fell in love with semi-auto's after shooting that gun and plan to purchase many more as funds permit. That being said, after purchasing the FN, I am also thinking about buying a Hi-Point .40. Do people more often not recommend them simply because of them being so cheap and they might possibly malfuntion, or is there a safety concern because they are made cheaply?? I mean for $120, can you really go wrong?? Just curious. I mean I was told my little Tanfoglio was going to be a horrible little gun, but have been quite happy with it.



kg333 said:


> Q,
> 
> I've heard a lot of stories about how someone's friend/great-uncle/cousin twice-removed had a Hi-Point blow up on them, but they'd never owned one themselves.
> On the other hand, I've heard stories about how awesome they are and I've never owned anything else and it's just the big Glock owners making fun of the little guy, OMGBBQ!
> ...


I totally agree man. I have heard horror stories also, but most are from folks who have never shot one. With that said, I am not in law enforcement, and my guns get limited use. Mostly just at the range for some practice. So, how long will a Hi-Point last me in that case?? I really don't know. Only one way to find out I guess.

However, I still like the looks of the SIGS. :smt023


----------



## finski (May 9, 2008)

Todd said:


> Just to play "Devil's Advocate" here; I rather have a product that has only a 1 year warranty that will perform flawlessly over its lifetime versus something that has a lifetime warranty that has to be repaired again and again.
> 
> What was it they said in Tommy Boy? "Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your customer's sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product."


I would like to state that my husband has put well over 3000 rounds in it since April of this year and has no problems with it. We go to the range every weekend and he shoots it every time. Just because a company offers superior gaurantees for their products does not neccisarily mean the product is a piece of crap. High Points are cheap and thus have earned a reputation for being crap and thug guns. Do you think only people with a lot of money to spend need protection? This being said my hubby calls me a gun snob because I like my Glocks, Ruger and Smith and Wesson.:smt083
He will be the first to say that a High point is not on par with a Glock or other high end pistols. What he likes about it is he feels he has a reliable gun (the proof is at the range EVERY weekend) at a very reasonable price.
I am speaking from personal experience with the product... are you?

Your arguement of wanting a gun with a 1 year gaurantee that will work flawlessly over it's lifetime is flawed. No brand of gun will work flawlessly over the course of it's lifetime. Else why the market for parts?


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

finski said:


> I am speaking from personal experience with the product... are you?


Nope. Just like I will never speak from experience from some off brand audio/video equipment or some cheap appliance. If a product has a bad overall reputation (read: more people hate the product than like the product), then I don't even give it the time of day. I have no intention of wasting my time or money trying out a product that so many people have already tried and disliked.



finski said:


> Your arguement of wanting a gun with a 1 year gaurantee that will work flawlessly over it's lifetime is flawed. No brand of gun will work flawlessly over the course of it's lifetime. Else why the market for parts?


The point is I will take a product with less of a warranty that will work longer over an inferior product with a longer warranty.


----------



## OldSarge (Oct 17, 2008)

*Poll on Hi Point*

I goofed, big time!! I didn't read the original poll, close enough, I guess. My thoughts were on a Browning Hi-Power, not the Hi Point. I in turn voted,pm Hi Point "own one, and love it". My mistake. When I was shopping, I looked at one, and I have friend who swears that his is top notch, BUT, the lack of a safety, for pocket carry, scared me off. In turn, I went for a revolver, rather than the Hi Point.


----------



## finski (May 9, 2008)

OldSarge said:


> I goofed, big time!! I didn't read the original poll, close enough, I guess. My thoughts were on a Browning Hi-Power, not the Hi Point. I in turn voted,pm Hi Point "own one, and love it". My mistake. When I was shopping, I looked at one, and I have friend who swears that his is top notch, BUT, the lack of a safety, for pocket carry, scared me off. In turn, I went for a revolver, rather than the Hi Point.


????? How big of a pocket do you have?


----------



## finski (May 9, 2008)

We will just have to agree to disagree, I guess Todd. I love my guns and don't shoot his but I do know his High Points work every time he pulls the trigger. That to me speaks true.


----------



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

OldSarge said:


> I goofed, big time!! I didn't read the original poll, close enough, I guess. My thoughts were on a Browning Hi-Power, not the Hi Point. I in turn voted,pm Hi Point "own one, and love it". My mistake. When I was shopping, I looked at one, and I have friend who swears that his is top notch, BUT, the lack of a safety, for pocket carry, scared me off. In turn, I went for a revolver, rather than the Hi Point.


I believe do they have a thumb safety, but not positive on this point.

KG


----------



## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

finski said:


> High Points are cheap and thus have earned a reputation for being crap and *thug guns*.


I wouldn't call it a thug gun. Not even the thugs want anything to do with them. :numbchuck::smt033

-Jeff-


----------



## tekhead1219 (May 16, 2008)

BeefyBeefo said:


> I wouldn't call it a thug gun. Not even the thugs want anything to do with them. :numbchuck::smt033
> 
> -Jeff-


:smt082:anim_lol:rayer:


----------



## unpecador (May 9, 2008)

According to Hi-Point's reputation, they mostly cater to "thugs" looking for a cheap "throw away". :mrgreen: 

Seriously, if that's all you can afford then buy it.


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

BeefyBeefo said:


> I wouldn't call it a thug gun. Not even the thugs want anything to do with them.


I thought all the thugs wanted Glocks complete with these special sights ...


----------



## tekhead1219 (May 16, 2008)

Todd said:


> I thought all the thugs wanted Glocks complete with these special sights ...


SOOOOOOOOOOO Cool. Great pic.:anim_lol::smt023


----------



## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

If all of the thugs in the world carried Hi-Points, we would have less murders and more thugs in jail. It's easy to get a fingerprint when the gun is laying in pieces in the middle of the street. :numbchuck::smt033

-Jeff-

Okay...I'll stop now...


----------



## ntejensen (Sep 4, 2007)

I have one, athough not on purpose, it was handed down from a family member. This is the only one of my guns that gets neglected, ive cleaned it once in probably 1000 rounds, and to my supprise it just keeps going bang. There clunky, heavy and ugly but mine works, (not sure of the model .380) and for some reason my wife fell in love with this gun and that led to her passion for firearms which in turn led to my ability to own more guns. :mrgreen:


----------



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

BeefyBeefo said:


> If all of the thugs in the world carried Hi-Points, we would have less murders and more thugs in jail. It's easy to get a fingerprint when the gun is laying in pieces in the middle of the street. :numbchuck::smt033
> 
> -Jeff-
> 
> Okay...I'll stop now...


You aren't helping your side much, I'm almost tempted to buy the thing to see if it falls apart in the first five minutes now. :anim_lol:

KG


----------



## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

kg333 said:


> You aren't helping your side much, I'm almost tempted to buy the thing to see if it falls apart in the first five minutes now. :anim_lol:
> 
> KG


It's your money, not mine. :smt033

-Jeff-


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

finski said:


> We will just have to agree to disagree, I guess Todd.


Fair enough. :smt023

For the record, I'm not doubting your husband's gun works fine. I'm just going with the majority of reviews I have heard.


----------



## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

I had a Hastings..The pre- Highpoint Hi-point(I Think..It looked exactly the same). The things just are not built all that well. Made in Lima Ohio he Hastings was. Parts from Hi-Point would fit them and I could not imagine two people making that gun.

As to thug guns..All the less expensive guns get a rep like that because they can be had...cheap!. Jennings is about the same as to rep. I have met LEO that have told me with both they are forced to take Hi-Points and Jennings to the ballistics labs to make sure they fire and cycle being lawyers have been using the This gun really don't work defense and got many a gang member off because the weapon was mor of a paperweight. Man..A Glock aint pretty but it will work and that's what keeps people buying them. That Hastings I had was lucky to get two mags through it with out having to drop it and clear a jam. They are like holding a cast iron pan with the exception that the pan will be of more use to me. I like my breakfast. 

I ended up destroying the Hastings. I would not have sold to to anyone else. They might have needed a gun and grabbed by mistake.


----------



## Dropshot (Nov 13, 2008)

I have hard the carbine is their best gun. I do agree that people either love them or hate them.


----------



## SemoShooter (Jul 5, 2007)

I won't be a gun snob and diss something that I have never shot before. Well, this weekend I got to shoot a 9 mm High Point. I had held one before and it is a blocky gun and isn't very pretty. You don't get pretty for the High Point price. I only shot a few mags through it but it did function correctly and shot pretty close to point of aim.

Would I buy one? No, because I can afford something more expensive, but if it really is all you can afford a High Point is better than pointing your finger and saying 'bang, bang'. If you can afford a more expensive gun buy a more expensive gun. Using a low end gun for plinking is certainly different than trusting your life to it for a defense weapon.


----------



## TheReaper (Nov 14, 2008)

I plan to buy a couple of the .40 cals and bury them in my backyard just in case something happends to my other guns.:smt033


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

TheReaper said:


> I plan to buy a couple of the .40 cals and bury them in my backyard just in case something happends to my other guns.:smt033


Are you hoping they grow into a tree? :mrgreen:


----------



## Old Padawan (Mar 16, 2007)

I have one and love it. It is the best door stop I have ever owned...

Seriously, the gun has a poor grip and an very high bore axis. It is a low grade inexpensive pistol. 
Guns are like tools, more expensive is usually better. If you don’t do a lot of work on your car, made in china cheap tools are ok, if you do a lot of work buy Craftsman or Snap On.
In this respect, people that do not have a lot of money but still want to be able to protect themselves and their family should be able to do so.


----------



## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

I really thought this thread would die, but it hasn't. So, I borrowed a Hi-Point and tried to shoot this thread... but the pistol fell apart. Alas, this thread will not die!

:mrgreen:
Zhur


----------



## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

zhurdan said:


> I really thought this thread would die, but it hasn't. So, I borrowed a Hi-Point and tried to shoot this thread... but the pistol fell apart. Alas, this thread will not die!
> 
> :mrgreen:
> Zhur


:anim_lol::anim_lol::smt082:smt082


----------



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

zhurdan said:


> I really thought this thread would die, but it hasn't. So, I borrowed a Hi-Point and tried to shoot this thread... but the pistol fell apart. Alas, this thread will not die!
> 
> :mrgreen:
> Zhur


Considering you brought the thread back up after almost a week, sir, you may indeed be shooting...err, beating...a dead horse! :smt021 :anim_lol:
Or perhaps your own foot, not sure.

KG


----------



## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

Of course you mean that I brought it up after the poll was voted on again, with no comment, so there's no date listed when they voted... that's what you meant... of course. [/comic relief] :smt023

Zhur


----------



## unpecador (May 9, 2008)




----------



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

zhurdan said:


> Of course you mean that I brought it up after the poll was voted on again, with no comment, so there's no date listed when they voted... that's what you meant... of course. [/comic relief] :smt023
> 
> Zhur


It brings it back up when someone votes? My bad then, the other forums I'm on don't do that. 

KG


----------



## vrodcruiser (Nov 19, 2008)

I am a former owner of a 9mm Hi-Point.
The one that I had was a horrible gun.

Here is the story. I was buying another pistol off a guy and through haggling he threw in the Hi-Point to seal the deal. Two guns for the price of one! Sounded good to me.
I instantly had problems with it. It would stove pipe on what seemed like every magazine.
I told the guy that "sold" it to me what problems I was having. He said he knew. It was a piece of junk. Why did I think he gave it to me for nothing.
I tried the warranty route which was a test in frustration. When I finally got it "fixed" I had a new problem. After every round or at least every other round the magazine released. Not ideal for a self-defense gun. I am not a one shot to end the fight shooter yet. 
At the beginning of the year I was talking to a fellow gun owner about what guns we had and what guns we wanted. I mentioned that I had the Hi-Point but did not count it as one of my guns. He said he thought he could fix it and would not mind taking it off my hands. I warned him that it was useless and not dependable for protection in my opinion. I think I told him that in my opinion it was more effective to take the bullets out of the magazine and throw them. 
He tried to fix it. He never could get it to work right. He sold it to a friend of his at work. His friend hated it too.
I called my friend to see if his co-work liked the Hi-Point when I saw this post. He said his co-worker was or already had taken it to a get guns off the streets rally and traded it in for a gift certificate for a turkey. 
That is 4 people that I know of that have had personal issues with Hi-Points.

Enough of the anecdote, here are the points that I realized owning a Hi-Point.
1. It feels like cheep plastic.
2. It weighs as much as a full size gun.
3. It is like trying to conceal a swingline stapler.
4. It is a pain to break down to clean. (I would suggest you try to break it down before you buy it)
5. I rattles when you shake it.


----------



## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

kg333 said:


> It brings it back up when someone votes? My bad then, the other forums I'm on don't do that.
> 
> KG


No worries man... just giving you* Hi-Point*.. er um.. I mean *Crap*. hehehe

Zhur


----------



## bruce333 (Sep 1, 2006)




----------

