Backwoods Home reader Ramie Pratt of Reno, NV writes, “I am considering buying a Hi-Point .45 ACP for home and personal defense. I haven’t heard of these before, however, the price seems to fit my budget. I was wondering if you or any of your writers had ever had any type of experience with the Hi-Point line of handguns.”
Solidly ensconced in the low price point end of the market, Hi-Point’s best firearm is their 9mm carbine, in my opinion. Their handguns are always worth a “flame war” when mentioned on Internet gun forums, with one side proclaiming them to be reliable and the other insisting that they’re jam-amatics that wear out prematurely.
Certainly, the massively heavy slide and strong spring the Hi-Point needs to function with the powerful .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge in a cheaply made blowback mechanism instead of using a more expensive-to-manufacture delayed unlocking system, require a great deal of force to operate the slide by hand in loading and unloading. This can make it a poor choice for the physically weaker members of the family who might be using it. Moreover, the factory itself strongly recommends that these pistols not be kept with a live cartridge in the chamber. This, coupled with the physical strength required to operate its slide, may make it a less than ideal choice for personal protection.
Suggested retail for the Hi-Point .45 is currently $186 (as per their website, www.hi-pointfirearms.com). For less than twice that, you should be able to buy a good, used Ruger .45 auto, either the aluminum frame P90 or the polymer frame P345. Both have earned wide acclaim for their outstanding accuracy and rugged reliability. Either is “drop-safe” with a live round in the chamber.
There’s certainly a place for a reliable sub-$200 handgun. Every type of sporting equipment and every type of tool has an “entry level.” That said, since guns are the most durable of durable goods and pass from generation to generation, it makes sense to spend a little more and invest in top quality.
Let’s hear from blog viewers as to their experiences with the Hi-Point handguns.
If you just wanted a target or plinking pistol,then I would say the Hi-Point would be fine,but since you state personal and home defense as your reason for the purchase,there are much better options although they will cost a little more.How much is your life worth?
If you feel that there is a need to purchase a gun and a realistic chance that you might need a firearm for defense,do you really want to rely on a “budget gun”for protecting your life.You get what you pay for.My experience with Hi-Pionts are there are some that are mediocre and some that are flat out worthless. The Ruger Mas suggested is a fine firearm although I myself prefer Glocks and Springfield XD’s. If you want to know if a particular gun is of respectable quality,look and see how many Police Departments use the firearm in question and I think you’ll get your answer.
Regarding Hi-Point handguns and the low entry level costs.
I question the logic of the consumer that feels that spending something under $200 for a weapon as being a sound idea. What is your life worth? The average consumer buying that class of weapon is no doubt going to feel a false sense of security just moments after buying such a handgun. In reality they will most likely end up getting involved in a circumstance where accuracy, function and solid reliablility matter most only to find that the $200 dollar wonder will fail. If I was in the gun shop business I would feel a certain responsiblity to my customer base to provide them with solid options in buying a defensive tool. Offering such low buck contraptions would not be on my short list of entry level guns. I might however look at stocking such weapons as surplus Sig 225 9mms that are available from importers at equally low prices such as $265.00. I would imagine there must be huge volumes of S&W 10,19,66..etc from department turn overs that could be had for $200 to $300. Those revolvers are clearly FAR better choices than a Hi-Point jamomatic. I have mixed emotions about folks that manufacture such things. They are clearly entitled to operate a business and make a profit. That said I feel like there should be a “minimum” acceptable function test for all weapons. A person’s life should be important enough to rate a quality defensive tool that is stone ax reliable. I am not a gun snob my any means and quality doesn’t have to be expensive as I noted above.
Mas, perhaps you could do a piece on the merits of retired police revolvers, Glocks, and such. Locally I know of one shop that bought an entire Sheriff’s office worth of wheel guns (66’s) and sold every one for $210 bucks. What a great tool for the thinking man’s night stand.
Cheers
Mac.
“Mas, perhaps you could do a piece on the merits of retired police revolvers, Glocks, and such. Locally I know of one shop that bought an entire Sheriff’s office worth of wheel guns (66’s) and sold every one for $210 bucks. What a great tool for the thinking man’s night stand.”
If I had to consider a New Hi-Point or similar gun I’d be at the Used Gun Counter, but that’s just me. Used “cop guns” can be a great value, and someone in the Hi-Point category would be better served with a Used “cop gun” IMHO.
I own a couple of “plinkers” in what I consider the Hi-Point class, but they are “plinkers” not to be relied upon for defense of life.
Biker
A co worker purchased a Hi Point .45 acp as his first handgun and asked me to teach him to shoot it. As noted, the slide / spring is heavy. The gun functioned fine with factory ammo and even some cast bullet loads I brought along.
The biggest downside to the gun in my opinion was the trigger.
However after teaching him the Weaver stance and a proper grip and then how to manage the trigger, groups tightned up considerably.
As someone who loves and hunts with hanguns, I could never own one. But for the record, it did go bang every time. I imangine that this one will only be a stepping stone for this individiual as he gains more experience.
Best Regards,
HD
I cna’t say that ALL Hi-Points are reliable since i don’t know that for a fact. But I do own Hi-Point 9mm’s and they have performed flawlessly. The slide is indeed heavy to manipulate, but not that much different from a 1911 with the hammer down. I think it is sometimes a disservice to say “what is your life worth?” I don’t know much about Glocks, XD’s, etc. I am not a fan of double action autos. But I have never owned a 1911 (and I’ve owned many and love them) that didn’t stove-pipe or otherwise jam at one time or another. The procedure is the same for clearing the Hi-Point and the 1911. Now, having sung the praises of the Hi-Point, do I carry one or have one at my bedside? Nope 1911 protects my home and a 38 snubby does carry duty.
I have many different things to say about Hi-Point… most of which are actually good.
Our department was donated several Hi-Point carbines by the company a few years ago, and in an effort to give the officers a little something better than a pistol and shotgun at longer ranges, I fianlly convinced the Chief to let me get our officers trained on them.
Out to 75 yards, these are great little firearms, the carbines. The 9mm is not hte best for a long range choice, but the advantage of a solid shooting platform and ease of use makes these a good choice for a home defense carbine. We had one carbone go down due to failure. The others ran like a top as long as we did our part in keeping them lubed up.
The pistols are chunks of metal. I’ve shot many varrents of the pistols and all of them have worked. They work within the constraints of the design; an inexpensive firearm for the low, low budget. The triggers are absymal on these pistols. The life time warranty on the pistols is good forever. Forever. Hi-Point will fix anything on those firearms.
While I personally would not use one for my defensive pistol, they are neat plinkers. The 9mm carbines are great.
Like others mentioned here, I’d look for a good used or police trade in. I have a Llama .38 Martial (think S&W K-Frame) that I use as my bedstand revolver and I paid $100 for it. I just put another four hundered rounds through it this weekend in celebration of the holiday.
I just wanted to say that I have a Hi Point 45, as when I turned 21 (and even now) I am not “in the money” as it were, but still need a pistol for self defense and open carry. As I’m sure anyone who is familiar with the Hi Point pistol line, these are certaintly not the most ideal pistols for concealed carry, and I would honestly say that they are a little bulky and heavy for even open carry, but I manage. I have fired over a thousand rounds through my Hi Point 45 now, and the only issues I have seen is with S&B ammo…..I stay away from that ammo, and the gun functions extremely well.
Accuracy is good, as good as I am if not better, and you can punch out the bullseye of a target at 25 yards all day long. The 45 caliber round is one I feel confident carrying, and since the gun has never failed to work, I am confident that it will do it’s job if and when required.
Is it my ideal carry gun? No, I would much rather have a 1911 that would feel much better and is more ergonomic…….and I certainly don’t try to conceal the Hi Point. I have my Kel Tec PF-9 for that. But the HP is by my bed every night and carried on my hip every day…..I have had better luck with my HP than my Kel Tec, and prefer a single action 45 over a DOA 9mm any day. And just in case something does happen, you have a company that is 100% dedicated to making their customers happy…..a lifetime, no questions asked warranty, whether the gun is new or on it’s 5th owner. You can’t beat that these days.
So will the Hi Point 45 be the right gun for you? Maybe, maybe not…..but don’t discount it just because of what you hear or because it’s “inexpensive”……try it for yourself and see if it’s OK for you, and remember that a Hi Point that you own now beats a Kimber still back at the gun shop on layaway when the bad guy busts down your door………good luck!
Having owned a Hi=Point 9mm (for a very short time) I would not recommend this weapon. I had trouble with the mags feeding, and the slide was very hard to use. I am getting older and am losing the strength in my hands. I sold it for what I paid and invested in a wheel gun for the nightstand, a Ruger SP.
The Hi-Point may be alright for stronger people. It was accurate enough.
I have to make a comment on this issue. I have read your articles many times and look forward to your comments on this but I feel that Hi-Points suffer from a kind of underclass prejudice. I think many times they are looked down on because they are cheap. I have talked to many people that have owned them and it was always well it was ugly or it had a problem. Then I ask did the company trip over themselves to fix it. They always admit they did. I have a carbine in 9mm and C9 in 9mm and will be taking the C9 out this weekend and expect it will work just as the carbine does. It will go bang every time I pull the trigger and be accurate out to about 25 yards. Just my 2C
First Rule of Gunfighting: Have a gun.
I am not a fan of Hi-Point guns, as they are cheaply made and look it: on the other hand, I have never seen one fail to go bang when required.
Norm in AK
I have not owned a hi-point. But they may make sense, especially for the economically strapped – who are also entitled to effective self-defense.
Any gun you buy, for whatever money, needs to be shot a bunch in order to confirm reliability and for training (especially for the first time owner).
Any company can produce a lemon. From what I’ve heard on the forums, I’d much rather deal with hi-point customer service than with taurus – I’ve heard nothing but good about hi-point customer service and mixed reviews at best about taurus customer service.
A good used wheelgun from a major manufactured (S&W, Colt, Ruger, Taurus) in .38 or .357 can be had for $200.00-300.00 with some careful shopping. It is easier and faster if one isn’t real picky about brand, model or finish. For an all around (ccw, defense, plinking, etc) handgun it is hard to beat a 4″ revolver.
Well, I am a latecomer to this article, but I’ll throw in my two cents anyway. The only Hi Point I have is the 995 carbine. I like it a lot, and I would recommend them to anybody.
I can’t comment on the pistols, but I am glad there is an American company that is making extremely affordable firearms. With gas prices and everything else, I am sure a lot of folks get Hi Point pistols for defense because that is all the cash they can spend at the time.
As an owner of the HP 9mm carbine, I’ve got to say it’s a lot of weapon for the money. I’ve put all sorts of old, cheap, and even kinda tarnished up rounds and reloads through it and it always fires, and is pretty accurate too.
When looking at HP arms, one has to distinguish between inexpensive and cheap. There’s a difference. Through engineering and innovation, a product can be made less expensive, yet still perform as well or better than its competitors. HP uses simple blowback designs, and several stamped and cast alloy parts.
Many firearms companies, like Ruger, use investment casting instead of fully machined parts. Casting is less expensive, but the parts still perform as well as fully machined parts.
Properly maintained, HP arms are reliable. Their customer service is second to none. I’ve owned several high end guns that needed tweaking and breaking in right out of the box. Yep, they’re ugly too .. but so what? They are expressly designed and marketed to be an economical, dependable arm …. elegance is a low priority.
I’m considering the 9mm pistol for my “glovebox / tacklebox/ out on the job ” gun. It will probably get dinged and scratched up. At the price, I won’t weep over the first blemish, nor will I expect it to last forever… but I think it will last long enough. If one doesn’t care for the ergonomics, fine, – but the design and engineering are pretty well proven. I’d really like to see Mr.Ayoob put these critters through their paces at the range and give us a pro’s reviews!
Anyway, the way I see it, a Mossberg 500 and a Merkel side by side both go BOOM most of the time!
If anyone is interested in hearing from real Hi-Point owners about how they use their handguns, check out the Hi-Point forum. There are categories for the pistols and carbine, with range reports, and other write-ups.
http://hipointfirearmsforums.com/Forum/index.php
The first handgun I purchased was a Hi-Point C9, mostly because of the low cost and the fact that I wanted to see if I even wanted to be a handgun owner. The C9 convinced me that an inexpensive handgun could perform when and how I wanted it to.
While it won’t be passed on as a family heirloom, I know that the Hi-Point 9mm will give me a chance to protect the lives of my family if anyone were to put those lives in danger. That’s why I bought a home defense pistol in the first place. Not as an investment, or a status symbol, or to “fit in” with a particular crowd. Not to carry concealed, or to try to impress people at the range. For me, a Hi-Point pistol does the job it was made to do. My experience with it has proven that out.
If I were only able to have one handgun, it would without doubt be a mid-sized double action .357 magnum revolver with either a 3 or 4 inch barrel, depending on what was available at the used gun counter when I went shopping. First I’d be looking for a used Smith and Wesson, preferably pinned and recessed, and in second place a used Ruger or Colt. Then I’d get a fistful of speedloaders and practice, practice, practice.
That said, the best inexpensive .45 auto I ever tried was the now discontinued Ruger P97, for around three hundred bucks. That gun was awesome.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to own a handgun, having never shot one in my life. One day I decided to go to a gunshow, and I walked up and down every table to see if there was something I could afford. The only thing that fell within my price range was the Hi Point, which I had never heard of before that trip.
I did my research, and found a site with other HP owners and I lurked there for awhile.
I discovered several things to my liking:
– They’re American made with an unconditional lifetime warranty for ANY owner. Each time you ship it back to have it repaired, checked over etc you get a free magazine to cover the cost of shipping.
– Most people that actually own and shoot a HP, have very little to complain about except it’s looks and weight. They shoot when necessary and aren’t too picky about ammo. The people that do complain are the ones that own 5000.00 Kimber customs and have never shot a Hi Point. They just like justifying their enormous purchases.
– My stepfather had an old pistol to give me as my first weapon, but the trigger and recoil spring were missing. It turned out to be a Hi Point JH 45 (all steel pre-polymer version). I sent it back no questions asked and they rebuilt everything, gave me all the goodies that came in the box (manual, key lock, punch for disassembly, ghost ring sites etc), plus a free magazine.
After keeping the magazines loaded for a few weeks to break them in the spring I took it to the range and put 1000 rounds through it with no problem.
So in summary, “What is my life worth?” I would put my Hi Point 45 up against any other gun, and I could buy 3 or 4 of them for the price you paid for one. I’d rather have an inexpensive gun on my nightstand when a bad guy breaks in, instead of a layaway slip for a Glock.
I have a Hi-Point Compact 9mm and it feels very cheap and looks very cheap (magazine reminds me of a PEZ dispenser), but it actually functions very well. You also have to use a hammer and a punch pin to brieak it down. I have a Glock and a Ruger, and it does not compare to these guns, but for a plinker or a gun for someone with no $, I would recommend it.
I have owned a Hi-Point C9 for about 7 yrs and have put roughly 2000+ rounds through it without the first malfunction of any kind using the 8 rd mags. I tried one of the 10 rd mags, and every other shot jammed on me. Switched back to the 8, and have lived happily ever after.
I purchased a C9 about 2 months ago and along with my others, it is a nice addition. I keep it in my truck but would bet my life on it if need be. I have run 1000 rounds of different types thru her and she liked some and not others (CHEAP CHINESE ESPECIALLY). I do agree with one earlier blogger that the 10 round mag seems to cause some problems that I don’t get with the 8 rounder.
At the range I always get on lookers over my shoulder as to the tight groupings I put out at 25 yards(impressive for any pistol).
So, in closing, they aren’t for everyone but neither is a Glock, Kimber, Colt, etc. ENJOY WHAT YOU GOT!
I like the C9 enough to purchase a .45 ACP so what’s that tell ya?
I can afford what ever I want too.
AMERICAN MADE, AMERICAN PARTS, LIFETIME WARRANTY as long as it remains a gun, and Very affordable!!!
i do my own trigger jobs and polish the feed ramps, take care of the mag. and load my own bullets..and every bullet goes into the same hole as the first bullet made. and they are hi-points. my wife said that if i died she would sell all my guns. would i trust my life with a hi-point yes . i can bump fire them and empty a factory mag in less than 3 seconds. hicap mag for the 45 i have made.see youtube 18+1 hi-point 45acp. also hi-point forum.
I’m a long ago retired cop from a small dept. I’ve always owned high quality guns. I’ve never owned a Hi Point or Charter Arms gun.
But I feel thank god for those two companies that do make a gun that someone working at a Stop and Rob or one of the many, many U.S. low income paying jobs can barely afford. For them to buy one of these guns is going to cost them a week or two weeks take home pay or more. These people are not going to put 2000 or so rounds through these guns every week. They’ll probably put a few rounds through it and it will be on the nightstand or dresser from then on. I’ve never seen used police guns for sale in any gunshops in the state where I live now. The used guns I saw whwn I was a kid in L.A. were VERY used and I would not buy them then. Just my opinion.
I would like to purchase 1ea 191145ACP HI Point Handgun. Please advise where a reliable Dealer can be found in San Antonio, TX, where I may see the Weapon “Hands ON” and see for myself if this is what I want and am comfortable with the Cost. Thank You, BP