new Hi Point 9mm carbine

J

JJB

New member
Rob noted that I mentioned shooting a new Hi Point 9 mm at the range this past Sunday and asked if I would comment further with a report. After thinking about it and noting my own limitations here (to follow) I am accepting his suggestion in hopes of prompting further comment on this rifle from more knowledgeable rifle men.

This is only the second long gun I own or have used, the other being the venerable Ruger 10/22. I have only had the Hi Point for about ten days, only used it once and have only put about 30 rounds through it at the present time.

I stumbled on it while I was looking for a Mini 14. It was at a gun store in rural Indiana and they were asking only $150 for it in new in box condition. This is the model with the stainless (chromed?) trim. I had only seen this particular model for about $200 previously, usually about $10 to $20 over the all blued model. I wasn't looking for a pistol calibre carbine at the time but at this price, and having looked for one before, I couldn't pass it up.

That said, I have only done a surface cleaning before using it, haven't torn it down for inspection or deep cleaning and thus cannot comment on how it comes apart or goes together.

I only used one brand of ammo through it Sunday, some Walmart $7.96 Winchester white box 9mm. I was also shooting my Kel Tec P 11 and didn't have too much 9 mm with me so the Hi Point only got 30 rounds.

All together it impressed me as a little rough,
in magazine fit, cocking mechanism and trigger action.

But, it worked, shot where I pointed it and gave me no problems with the small amount of shooting I did. The sights on it worked fine at about 20 yards and I didn't have the chance to test it at longer range. All in all it was fun to shoot. I'm glad I bought it.

Considering its regular price and what I paid for it, I was not expecting a finely tuned and polished rifle, and so I must say that so far, its value exceeds it price.

The one gripe I have is the magazine. It seemed flimsy and was a pain to load. We'll see how it holds up.

I'd be interested in comment from more experienced shooters on this particular carbine. What have other people experienced and what am I likely to look forward to?

Jim in IN

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-- TANSTAAFL



[This message has been edited by JJB (edited July 27, 1999).]
 
Thanks for sharing your impressions.

In addition to waht you had to offer, I'd be interested in long term reliability reports and availability of extra mags.
Also, does anyone know if any existing single stack high cap mags that might have been offered by USA or MecGar will fit or can be made to fit this weapon?
 
To the best of my knowledge no other magazines fit this carbine, so you're stuck with ten rounders.
I fired one a year or so ago. 100 rounds of Win. USA brand ran just fine through it. The accuracy I got at 25 and 50 yards encouraged me to try 100 yard sandbag groups. Ten shots went about 4 inches. About a foot low and a little right. I didn't mess with the sights because it wasn't mine.
I have heard of early stocks breaking when dropped, and even took one out of its shipping box busted. The easy answer is don't drop one. They may have strengthened them since then. In a tight spot I would rather have one of these than a stick.
I would shoot it and enjoy it.
Cat
 
I have used the hipoint rifle extensively at the range...as we keep one as a range gun for customer use.
The axiom "you get what you pay for! " Holds true for this inexpensive carbine....as long as you use it for plinking and fun, you have a nice little weapon there. In a pinch it would make a pretty good home defense weapon for those not looking to spend a great deal of money.

As far as reliabilty....we have put several thousand rounds through ours and it still works fine....cleaning can be a problem , the gun does not disasemble readily. And when you do get it a part do not be shocked to see , pot metal castings, and cheap looking stampings....(that is why dropping the rifle is not recommended). But who can beat the guarantee from the manufaturer, if it breaks send it back, theyt replace the gun instead of fixing it.! ( I guess it's cheaper), anyway I just love the use of hardware grade bolts in the assembly of the gun...( if you break one or loose it - go to Home depot..! LOL).
If you are a competent home/gunsmith, and you have little problem brakeing down and cleaning your other guns....go ahead and try it....but it wont be neccessary that often...our range gun's both the 9mm. and the .40s&w often go quite awhile without getting cleaned (1000+) rounds, and we only tear them down when they start to miss behave a little.

I have advised some people who have purchased them for their Y2K weapon. To shoot it to become familiar and comfortable with it. Then let a competent gunsmith do the stripping down and cleaning for them...they are not regular gun enthusiast's anyway and cleaning the rifle and reassembly of it is out of the scope of their interest.
( they do not want a handgun..a shotgun is too powerfull, and they like the pistol round out of a short carbine...it's inexpensive....they are happy).

For me it probably would suffice as a decent TRUNK gun.
I hope this helps...my only misgivings is that this is one of the weapons those idiot boys in Co. used.)
 
I handled one in a local gun shop early this year. Distinctive look, and felt pretty comfortable, too. I kinda liked it. They only had one, and it was there for months.

A couple of months after Columbine, it had been sold, and there were three more on the rack, with laser sights(?).

I was kind of disturbed.

-boing

[This message has been edited by boing (edited July 28, 1999).]
 
I've had a Highpoint for several months. No problems with feeding except with the aftermarket mag that I bought with the gun (several others bought the aftermarket, all had problems with feeding and all took it back to the dealer). I've got about 200 Georgia Arms 9mm125 grain FMJ throught it.

I hated the +12lb trigger pull, so I decided to take it apart to see if I could improve it. The good news is that the stock can be easily strenthened with the use of epoxy filled in the stock cavities.

The bad news: DON'T TAKE THE @#$%! APART!!! As embarassing as it is to say it: I'll have to send it back to the factory to have it put back together again. Other good news: Although I haven't spoken to the owner, a co-worker has and he says that the owner is really cool guy. I don't expect any problems, except for cost and embarrassment, when I send it back. I'll report here my experiences.

All in all, if you can stand the trigger pull, a pretty cheap and effective defensive gun and plinker.

Regards,

Albin
 
I've had mine since they came out. They are what I consider to be a fun gun, especially for the price. Nice to shoot but not one I would stake my life on.

I've put a few thousand rounds through it and it is one of the most accurate long guns I have ever owned to 100 yards. Never have needed a scope on it. The company stands behind it and when I called them to send me a new bolt handle they told me to send it back in and they completely rebuilt it and gave me two new mags. I had tried some after market mags for them but they did not feed properly. You can order additional mags from the manufacturer.

They are supposed to be coming out with a 40S&W model as well. I'll probably buy this one also.
 
I've put 500+ rounds thru mine without a problem. I paid $129 NIB at a gunshow, and considering the price, it has performed very well. I have to agree with the comments made about the magazine. Accuracy to 75 yards is good. Overall, a decent piece for the money.
 
Well, I'm way out of line with this, so I hope you can forgive a redneck running off at the mouth for a minute.

I like to watch those "real crim" shows on Fox. It's fun to watch the civil rights violations go by. Anyway, I noticed that when ever they pulled a gun off of one of the "ne're do wells" the gun tends to be either a Hi-point, a Phoeinx, or a Bryco. Now I know a lot of different guns are used in crime and the manufactures have no control over who uses their products. Still, I just that it kind of strange that it always seems to be these "el cheapos" in the hands of the bad guys.

So, I deceied I wouldn't buy their products. I guess I hope if these people go under it will be less fuel for the antis. Maybe I'm playing right into there hands. I don't know. I just can't help but wonder if maybe those companies are doing something wrong with their sales policies.

OK, I'm done, sorry for all the toes I stepped on.

Good luck with the new gun.
 
Thanks to all for your comments so far. Interesting to see how many of my initial impressions seem to be confirmed.

Joe, certainly not offended by your point of view. However, I think you may be playing into the hands of the anti's. It is not surprising that cheap (read inexpensive) guns will be used by people who are not gun enthusiasts but simply intend theft or mayhem, especially if they have to pay for the guns rather than steal them. The other feature of cheap guns is that they also allow the people on the low end of the economic scale to provide for their self defense. I remember some months back someone's comment on a TFL forum to the effect that attempts to ban cheap guns was in fact a form of racial or economic discrimination by keeping the poorest people from providing for their own self defense. To the effect, if you could not afford a high quality and expensive gun then you did not deserve to defend yourself. That said, it is unfortunate the baggage these guns have acquired through the "Cops" type reality shows and the use of the Hi Point 9mm by those young goons in Colorado.

I still basicly feel this one is a play gun for range fun and plinking. I look forward to trying to push its limits some more.

Thanks again to all.

Jim in IN


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-- TANSTAAFL
 
My only experience with Highpoint was a .45 I tranded for a friend from a .22 (bad trade looking back on it his was a highstandard,, but he liked the .45acp so live and learn)and the think was almost impossible to disassemble my recomendation to him for cleaning the inside was to get a large can of wd-40 and spray till it ran clean. As for the Carbine I have to say it should give the calico and desert eagle a run for there money in low budget sci-fi shows of the near future. still all in all looks like a fun gun.
 
I have 9mm pistols and a BM AR15 but I wanted a 9mm rifle since I saw the MP5. After researching that option, I found I could not own one without spending over $4000. I'm not in law enforcement so I could never justify that price. I also researched the HK94 as an alternative but the lowest price I saw was $2700. Again a little much for plinking. I know there are AR15s in 9mm format but they are expensive as well. (around $1250) Now I did see a 9mm AR15 in a gun store for less than $700 but I could not buy because of slick Willie's gun laws. This past weekend I saw the Hipoint 9mm carbine in a gun and I vowed to have one soon. I don't like gun owners getting a bad name either but who can afford to pay these prices? If you're not in law enforcement and you want an inexpensive 9mm rifle, you're just SOL.

Just my opinion!
 
I was going through my back issues of 'Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement' and found a great article on the Hipoint M995 9mm. The writer had very good things to say about the rifle, including how accurate it was. He also said the rifle is currently being used by law enforcement in at least 5 states. I didn't know law enforcement agencies used 'Saturday Night Specials'?
 
You forgot the Ruger PC-9 carbine and Marlin Camp 9/45! Those are pretty good guns that won't break your wallet. They sell for $250-450.
 
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