The Purpose of Hi-Point

*Let me start by saying that I do not actually own a Hi-Point firearm. This post will cover observations from the community on the guns, more specifically the pistols, made by Hi-Point.

*This photo is from The Truth About Guns review of the Hi-Point C9 pistol

I've noticed that Hi-Points get a bit of a bad rap in the firearm community. Is all the criticism valid? Possibly, but the purpose of these firearms is often overlooked. For those of you who don't know, Hi-Point Firearms makes very inexpensive pistols and carbines. As for the pistols, you can find them at most retailers for a super-low price of around $200 or less new. If they are previously owned guns, you can pick one up for about $50-$100. To the untrained eye, this looks like a deal that's too good to pass up.

"A real firearm for the cost of a pair of decent tennis shoes?? What's the catch?"

The catch is that these guns have a record of being very unreliable (when compared to most other manufacturers). You may occasionally read a story online of a Hi-Point that has run 1,000 rounds and not malfunctioned once, but for every positive experience with a Hi-Point, there's about 50 negative ones. You indeed get what you pay for, and many times, you're paying for a heavy, ugly piece of plastic and metal that might fire when you manage to pull back the 20 pound trigger. People in the firearms community (myself included) will make jokes about Hi-Point until the end of time. But there's something that is overlooked when discussing budget guns like these. Why do they even exist if they're getting so much hate?

Well, the reason is not so that violent street gangs can get their hands on inexpensive killing machines. I believe what Hi-Point wants to do is offer some kind of protection to those on an extremely tight budget. While it may not be the most reliable form of protection, it's still better to have a Hi-Point C9 on you than the nearest kitchen knife...even if it was only able to fire just once before jamming. Many people in poorer communities need to be able to defend themselves, and that's the market that Hi-Point is after.

One positive thing that everyone can agree on, the Hi-Point warranty is one of the best in the business. It's an "unlimited lifetime warranty." Not only is every one of their products covered for as long as you own it, it's also protected for whoever owns it in the future. That means that when you pay $50 for a second-hand Hi-Point firearm, you are covered for as long as you have the gun. That's pretty incredible customer service if you ask me. Does that mean I'm endorsing Hi-Point? Absolutely not, but I'm glad they're out there. While I'm fortunate enough to be able to purchase a more reliable weapon for protection, that doesn't mean that gun manufacturers shouldn't provide options to others on a tight budget.