Hi Point 45ACP Review

TimSr

New member
Fin Feather and Fur (local gun store chain) had their recent big sale, and I had to see how much money I could "save" by going on a spending spree.

10% a Hi point 45acp put it at about $179.00, (the same as RKO's, a farm supply chain store, regular price). I got it in 45acp because I didn't have anything in 45acp. I already had some components, and dies .

When I got home I realized I hated the big, fat, hard plastic smooth grips. Not only was it slick, but felt huge in my hands. The gun was very heavy. I think heavier than my Redhawk or Freedom Arms revolvers. The gun was a cheaply made budget gun, but looked and felt durable.

First problem encounter was ammo had to have bullet seated slightly deeper than spec to keep from hanging up in magazine. Once I did that, no further issues. Gun was comfortable to shoot, and recoil was VERY mild, less than my SW435 9mm with my Blue Dot loads. I loaded both 230gr FMJ, and some 185gr SWC. Both cycled flawlessly. Accuracy was not very good with either round, even off a rest. Seemed to close up a little the more I shot. I think it's more the 30lb trigger pull (as it felt like) more than inherent accuracy issue. I can usually overcome any trigger pull, but squeezing it was almost painful. I went through about 100 rounds with it.

All in all, its a decent gun for $179.00. Sure as hell isn't a Colt 1911. It looks to be durable and reliable, and is a lot of gun for $179.00. The 45 and 40 are built on the same frame. The grip is just too big unless you have gorilla hands. It's also slippery hard plastic. The 9mm would probably be a lot better fit for me. It is a striker fired, single action, so I wouldn't feel comfortable with one in the chamber.


If you lack a defense weapon, and money is tight, these are worth looking at. It's certainly functional, and I'll wait until I've put more lead through it to decide if it's reliable, but it looks promising. Don't expect a $600 gun, and you'll probably be satisfied.


I ended spraying my grips with a few coats of Plasti-Dip to "rubberize" them. What a difference! The gun felt lighter because you didn't have to squeeze the grip so hard to keep it from slipping through your hand.

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What a difference a little rubberization on the grips makes! The gun feels lighter because you don't have to squeeze so much to hang on to it.

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HiPoint45d_zpsplinkqdo.jpg
 
Does it have a real safety, I.e., one you manually put on and take off? I am asking you rather than checking their website as you may not like the feel of their safety, etc, and can give more insight.
Also, what do you think of maybe roughening the plastic grips with say 60 to 120 grit paper, then smoothing "stickers" with 250 to 400 paper?
I'm also thinking of getting one, maybe used since their guarantee is "forever".
I looked at one before, and passed , thinking it was really too heavy. Your info on slick grip making it feel that way is really a good piece of info. Pat
 
You'll find a lot of haters when it comes to Hi Points. I don't own one, but I don't trash them like a lot of people do. The shop I work at sells them for $159 (.45 acp & .40 S&W) and $149 (9mm & .380 acp) and we sell quite a few of them. Everyone seems to be quite happy with them and they have one of the best warranties in the business. If I needed a firearm for home defense and didn't have much to spend I would buy one without hesitation.
 
We sell more of them than any other weapon. Even when we try to steer customers away from them, the price point sells them anyways. I'm sure if kept clean, they do alright, but I have never owned one. And definitely perfect for your average Joe/Jane who just wants that warm fuzzy of having a handgun in the bedside drawer, and isn't going to take it to the range evey week.
 
Nice review. :) Perhaps a caming action is happening when the trigger is pulled giving a very gross pull weight. On a hammered gun its more readily visiible, hammer moves further back as the trigger is pulled prior to release of hammer.
 
Im one who tried to hate them. I used to own a 9mm carbine 20ish years ago. The same ugly design, cheap build but no kinding that thing could shoot. My Dad loved it out at their place for dispatching bad critters being it was so accurate. Fast forward about 19 years, my buddy shows up to the range with the pistol in .40 cal. I even gave him greef for taking it out of the case. I tried, I really did to dislike it but I failed. The trigger was suprizingly good for what it is and the accuracy was in line with my old carbine. I still wont buy one but color me impressed.
 
My experience is about the same; it is a basic gun that works. Period. If you want to win the national pistol championship, this is not the gun for you. But if you have a tight budget and want a handgun to protect yourself or your family, the H-P will do the job.

Jim
 
Hasn't been a Hi-Point thread in quite a while. Most of the haters finally gave up when it was proved unquestionably that they are reliable, surprisingly accurate, and nearly indestructable. I first bought a C9 to see if they could possibly be as bad as some claimed. It was a very pleasant surprise to see how good they actually are. Since then I added a 45acp with very similar results. I was a bit surprised to read you had an issue with ammo, and accuracy. Neither of which I have encou tered. Both of mine function perfectly with nust about any ammo I feed them. Accuracy with both is as good, if not better than other guns I have in those chambering.
For some interesting viewing on just how durable they are, and what insane things it takes to blow one up check these youtube videos.
https://m.youtube.com/#/results?q=hi point torture test iraq veteran &sm=1
 
Hi Points are good American firearms.

They put reliable and effective firearms into the hands of those that can't afford more. They are crude in several ways, but are serviceable and will do fine in most defensive scenarios.
 
If I had the resources I would buy up a couple thousand of them.
Partner up with the NRA and offer them free of charge to any law abiding resident of Chicago who felt the need for self defense and could pass a back ground check.
free training provided.

I bet the security situation in Chitown would change for the better almost overnight.
Its a wish I have.
 
HP's are good guns for the money. I was a doubter at one time until I decided to test one for myself. They do need a little breaking in. Let the mag sit for a few days. Run a couple/few hundred rounds through them to smooth things out. I now have 3 of them; 9mm & 45ACP pistols & a 9mm carbine. All of 'em dependable. I have Berettas, S&W's, Sigs, Rugers . . . the HP's I have are as dependable as any of them.
 
I bought one a good many years ago to see just why it was so hated, that and IV8888'S torture video sold me too. Well, as others have stated I liked it right away. I've messed with it a bit and massaged things here and there and it's reliable and shoots where you point it. Heck for that matter the accuracy is great, as good as any other fixed barrel blowback gun. I lost count how many rounds have been fired, but it's still going strong. My only advice to Hi Point is, stop making magazines!!!!! JUST STOP IT ALREADY!! Contract them through a good company like Mec Gar. It would only add a few dollars to the price and the whole product line will run like a Swiss watch. Then of course I had to try the other highly hated gun, Jimenez. YEP, I like that little 380 too.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
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Does it have a real safety, I.e., one you manually put on and take off? I am asking you rather than checking their website as you may not like the feel of their safety, etc, and can give more insight.
Also, what do you think of maybe roughening the plastic grips with say 60 to 120 grit paper, then smoothing "stickers" with 250 to 400 paper?
I'm also thinking of getting one, maybe used since their guarantee is "forever".
I looked at one before, and passed , thinking it was really too heavy. Your info on slick grip making it feel that way is really a good piece of info. Pat

It does have a real, safety that also acts as a slide back, lock. It would be kind of awkward to use the safety one handed though. Also, I'm not sure if anything is blocking the firing pin in the safety position, something I'd certainly find out if I was going to carry it with one in the chamber.

I've seen a bunch of internet videos with people punching and dimpling the grips, and then lightly sanding them, but you still end up with hard plastic. I can't imagine it being better than the spray on rubber coating. By the way, Plasti-Dip comes in other colors including black. Gray is what I had in the garage. Time well tell how durable it is.
 
While very typically not a shooting enthusiast pistol nor as reliable/durable as other more expensive combat pistol choices it is nice to see a decent sub $200 pistol available for those who need a very affordable pistol. However there seem to be some surprisingly decent sub/close to $300 pistols these days too such as the Smith and Wesson SD9 VE that is my top choice recommendation for someone needing a low cost pistol who can swing another $100.
 
no bashing please.

can anyone tell me the differences between a cobra 9mm and a high point 9mm? other than the high point looking very blocky, the designs mechanically look the same and the materials appear to be the same.
 
The NO QUESTIONS lifetime warranty of the Hi-Point.


Exclusions: Cobra Enterprises of Utah, Inc. will not be responsible for repair issues resulting from corrosion, abuse, neglect, ordinary wear and tear to the finish, or unreasonable use, disassembly of the gun beyond the instructions in the owners manual, unauthorized adjustments or modifications made or careless handling or criminal misuse. Cobra Enterprises of Utah, Inc. reserves the right to determine what is normal wear and tear. Cobra Enterprises of Utah, Inc. will not be held responsible for damages, injury, death or property damage due to the misuse or mishandling of the firearm.
And customer service unsurpassed by any manufacturer regardless of price!
Another fun Hi-Point video example:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...B32966620AA19CE5AD3AB32966620AA19CE&FORM=VIRE
 
That is absolutely impressive customer service. I may have to buy one to go with my Colt 45s. With that kidda support, nothing at all to lose. Very impressive all owners posting here. Very good stuff.
 
How about pride of ownership? My friend has one in .40....it goes bang, and that's about it. It's heavy, bulky and ugly. To each his own I guess.
 
Happily, and contrary to other glowing reports above, I do not own a Hipoint however my neighbor does for home protection. The pistol has been brought to me on three occasions due to a round stuck in the chamber (actually a double feed that the neighbor does not comprehend how to clear.) and after easily clearing rounds the problem persists and is undoubtably a mag problem.
I'm sure HP's customer service would gladly fix the issue but my friend, a non shooter, feels as long as he can get one or two shots off he would be happy with his "home protection".
Point being...the pistol was defective out of the box, it is cheap looking, weighs a ton but normally will fire if needed, at least a few times...but the big attractor is it's price for many non-shooters who still wish to protect their homes.
 
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