Timex started the whole torture test marketing misegos. The watchmaker’s “It Takes a Licking and Keeps On Ticking” commercials were an enormous success. According to Wikipedia, “By 1962, the Timex brand held the number one market share position in the United States where one out of every three watches sold was a Timex.” Hi-Point has never marketed its products as “cheap and indestructible.” The video above is not an official Hi-Point product demo. But it proves a point: even the least expensive modern gun is pretty damn tough. Quick aside: given historical events, I’m not sure I’d drag something black to its death behind a pickup truck to the accompaniment of twangin’ guitars. Just sayin’.
I was actually impressed by the test when I watched it yesterday. I wonder what caused the failure at the end.
So what.I wouldnt own or carry a HiPoint if it came with free blowjob coupons at the Playboy Mansion.
Doesn’t that depend on the size of the discount?
Man said free. I’d pay full retail for a hi-point for the coupons. Then turn it in at the next buy back and go redeem the coupons.
Smart man! Then use the money from the buyback to buy a Lorcin that comes with a handjob Chit and call it a weekend.
To get even more off topic:
It’s true that if “free” describes the service, then they are 100% off. However, if “free” describes “coupon”, the coupons could be 50% off. The limited distribution of such coupons would necessitate the use of the word “free” in his comment, as they aren’t always so.
(free “bj coupons” != “free bj” coupons)
$.02
I wouldn’t go that far. Hell, I would get a High Point tattoo for one of those.
Dood, I’d shoot myself in a nonessential body part with a Hi-Point for some of those coupons.
HAHA Ain’t that the truth. the thing couldnt take half a mile of a slow trip down a dirt road and keep the rear sight on it, let alone function. When will people learn to just buy a glock?
do you happen to have a video of a glock functioning all that better than this after being drug down a dirt and rock road for a half mile?
I think, and hope that was a joke.
Ooh – yuck guys.
I’m persuaded. If I ever need a gun to drag behind a car, it will be a Hi-Point.
I’m so sick of people trying to suggest using these for something they are not intended for. Everyone knows they are boat anchors!
i played with the idea of having one bolted/secured to the under carriage of my truck,…you just in case a man in an auto gyro tried to high jack my ride and take my gas while i was changing a tire or something
Under rated comment right here.
You must be a quick fella.
You don’t have to kill the fella, you could always chain him to a log and let your dog watch him. Never know when an auto gyro pilot will come in handy.
ill have to convince him i have it wired with explosives if i cant to the bulky pistol in time.
I had a chance to buy a Hi Point .40 new in the box for $125 (gun store moving sale), but I passed. If I hadn’t been saving up for a .45, I might have bit, just because I like having caliber options and I don’t own a .40.
Wow a cheap dependable gun and gun nuts are complaining about em because they are ugly as sin. The new Corvettes are horribly ugly but if the were priced like a Cavalier yall would be jumpin on one. then again vettes are like the hi points of the super car world body by chevy interior by playskool.
I guess it’s not just the antis who believe only the moneyed class should be allowed to own guns. 🙁
+1
I dont understand it either, a cheap, reliable gun and people dont like it. Sure it has a reduced capacity but that is practical for people living in ban states.
I plan on buying a Hi-Point. For $150 new it’s worth it to me to try out and I’ve spent more money on silly purchases. That said, I still make fun of ’em.
Just like my old Ruger and people saying you can use it as a club if it runs out of bullets. Well…you can actually.
Last week I bought the cheapest gun in America — at least the cheapest gun I could find new — for $107. It’s a Cobra .380. Going to review it for the site here. Not sure if there will be any torture test aspect to it or just do a normal review… gotta decide on that still haha. Maybe both 😛 …should arrive at my FFL today, actually.
I’ll probably spend more on ammo in one weekend testing it than I did on the gun hahaha
Irony there my friend. Take it to an LGS and hold it up next to a Hi Point .380 and you’ll see they actually appear to be extremely similar in appearance and action. I haven’t shot both but the slide profiles are the same and they are similarly proportioned sights. The Cobra has a metal frame is the only difference to casual observation.
Totally true. They appear very similar, at least on the outside. But… I don’t think I understand what’s ironic about it? I didn’t really “choose” the gun. I spent an hour scouring the internet for the least expensive semi-automatic pistol, purchased new, that I could find. For whatever reason I just got it into my head that I wanted to review the cheapest pistol in America. It was typically Cobra on any of the websites I went to, including GunBroker, and this deal from Lanbo’s (linked in my last comment) was the least expensive of all. There was a new one on GB for like $3 less but the shipping was over twice as much, so $107 plus $13 for shipping won the day and I bought it from Lanbo’s. Incidentally, as far as I can tell it’s the least expensive handgun, period, available. There were no revolvers, derringers, etc for less than this Cobra. Lanbo’s had black as well as nickel or chrome or whatever in both sub-compact and compact for $107… I chose sub-compact and nickel. I think. Or black. Not sure anymore but I’ll find out tomorrow when I pick it up haha
One, the new Corvettes are quite beautiful.
Two, quality police trade ins can be had for under $400. Why not wait another paycheck and snag a Law Enforcement G22 /M&P?
Three, some of us here actually like to shoot .A Hi Point is the gun equivalent of an MRE-it’s a heckuva lot better then nothing,but there are better dishes to sample.
Seriously ST ??? They put a Camaro rear facia on it they made an abomination of every prior generation. yes there are better guns out there even on the used market but for what it is… a cheap dependable house truck or beginner pistol you may be hard pressed to find a new pistol in the same price class.
People love to rip on Hi Points. I’m more philosophical about them.
First, to me, they’re no more or less ugly than a Glock – or any number of other modern black cheez-whiz pistols. The other cheez-whiz pistols can brag that they’re using ultra-tech steel this, polymer that, some proprietary coating to cover their machining sins, blah, blah, blah. Guess what? An intruder into your house isn’t going to notice all that stuff. He’s going to see something black with a business-like hole in the end pointed at him in your hand. All that stupid spec-manship goes out the window in a second. First rule of gunfights: Have a gun.
The secret of the Hi Points is that they’ve using Zamak-3 alloy (used in many cast metal components in automobiles, BTW) as a cast slide, a steel barrel and some cheaper compressed cheez-whiz polymer. They’re a simple blow-back action, which necessitates a heavy, chunky slide. They have a low cost of production due to the casting technology they use, which came out of the US auto industry. Dave Gingery used to publish a line of books on making homemade machines out of the stuff – lathes, mills, etc. It works, and it works well for what it is.
As a result of the simple blowback action and casting technology, they’re able to sell a pistol that goes “bang” pretty reliably for considerably less than the Euro-weenie cheez-whiz pistols.
What do you not get in a Hi Point?
– bragging rights on the interwebz. No one brags they have a Hi Point. Lots of people get into chest-thumping spec-manship about every other cheez-whiz pistol out there. The Glock vs. M&P vs. XD vs (whatever) flamewars on the ‘net are a subject of endless amusement for me. They’re all as ugly as painted turd from my perspective, but people love to brag on painted turds, apparently.
The really annoying thing about most of these interwebz gun pecksniffs is that they usually don’t know a thing about what they’re spouting. They sneer at the Zamak-3 alloy, calling it “pot metal” and so on. They know little to nothing about metallurgy, die casting, machining, etc. All they know is that their Euro-weenie cheez-whiz pistol is made from some sort of steel, and it has a nifty advertising slogan behind it. It’s made by Europeans, so it must be high class, right? Just like that runny French cheese, right?
Somehow, the irony of these twerps pooh-poohing Hi Points for their metallurgy at the same time they’re bragging on their AR-15 made from aluminum escapes them.
– Female models with pneumatic chests at the SHOT show booth. The guys from Hi Point are nice guys, but they’re never going to be on the cover of GQ.
– Solipsistic marketing slogans in their PR like “Perfection.”
Annnd that’s about it.
The point is, poor people have a Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms as well.
Inexpensive, reliable pistols for people who simply want a home defense weapon have a place in the market. Many of these pistols won’t be fired as much as 200 times in the life of the pistol. Hi Point appears to be catering to that market segment, they’re building them here in the US, employing Americans. And that’s perfectly OK, IMO.
What do you have against cheez whiz?
It is the ultimate in processed food, an affront to human beings in general. Real cheese is so simple to make, buy, store and consume, why would anyone need Cheez-whiz?
Edit: And, if you wanted cheese you could squirt out of a can under pressure, the French and Belgians already have that base covered with their runny fromage.
Waiting on “ham” or “bacon” wizz
+1, if for no other reason than the use of the term “solipsistic”. Great post, as usual.
Well said Sir, well said.
What do people get if they buy a glock (XD, M&P, etc) over a hi point?
a double stack magazine?
a decent selection of holsters and accessories?
better reliability?
The ability to conceal without looking like they have a 2×4 inside their pants?
a slide release?
an ambi safety/mag release?
The ability to field strip without a punch?
Don’t get me wrong, the hi point has its place but it is definitely not the wonder 9 Glock killer that some people make it out to be.
In case youre wondering, ive owned a hi point for 10 years.
And since most home defense situations are over in a couple of rounds, from an unholstered gun… what does any of that matter?
Indeed – the poor need self protection too. My sister in law has a Hi=Point 9mm, and it is damn accurate at self-defense distances. Plenty accurate further out, too. Had one stoppage that was easy to clear, but for a buck fiddy, it satisfies the first rule of a gunfight.
I’ve always been for the underdog, and love taking cheaper guns and making them reliable…A machinist by trade, I understand metallurgy, deburring, polishing and all that….I like Glocks, and the other mentioned polymer wonders, but like even more to out-shoot one with a Hi-Point!
Torture testing a hi-point with no eye protection. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
Was it just me, or did he leave a round in the chamber for the second stretch of driving.
Okay I will admit, I have the Hi-Point 9mm and the 45 both for 300 bucks new. Both shoot anything I put through them. They are acurate. They ARE UGLY, and they can hold your boat from drifting.
I WOULD choose a Hi-Point over a Kel-Tec or a Taurus semi anyday. See Taurus come back 3 days after purchase. Would not fire. Kel-Tec is not reliable either. For half the money you have a gun that shoots. I often carry a FEG PA-63 I made custom walnut grips and can kidney carry it with a t-shirt. I never has failed to fire. Watch MAC on those old Mak surplus pistols.
Hmmm, that video gave me a great idea. I think I’ll tie up a bunch of Taurus 24/7’s behind my car loaded up with blanks at the next wedding at attend.
I have mixed feelings about High Points.
I think people without a lot of money have the right to defend themselves. High Point makes that possible.
They also go “bang” most of the time when you pull the trigger. If you maintain them, and load them with the correct ammo. Not necessarily a given, considering who buys them.
That said, they fill police evidence lockers. They show up at crime scenes every day. My brothers are Detroit police. They hate them, as they are used in crimes every day.
Cheap Japanese cars are involved in a lot of accidents. That is a problem with the drivers though, not the cars.
I get what you’re saying, but that’s like saying we shouldn’t buy Bushmasters because of Adam Lanza.
Do your family members that’re Detroit PD just hate Hi Points or are they against civilian gun ownership and ccw?
And if Kimber and SA 1911’s only cost $150-200, those would be the guns they “hate”.
Fortunately, our Constitutional Rights are not determined by the police, nor our choices in firearms.
Also fortunately, there are inexpensive, functional guns available to the portion of the public that needs them.
Best friend picked up a 9mm from his cousin for literally beer money. $40 American.
I don’t bang on Hi Point firearms. I keep my opinion of them simple and realistic. I have also ambivalent feelings on Black and Decker power tools or cheap chrome hand tools from the dollar store on the corner.
Why is simple. They do a job for a specific sort of person with a budget. If you are not going to use your unstamped cheap tools from Family Dollar for nothing but odd jobs like taking off bike tires then why buy Husky or Craftsman pliers or wrenches? Career tradesmen don’t usually come to work with less than Ryobi and will have pissing contests over what brand is what. From Ryobi to De Walt, Milwaukee, Mikita and give you equal grief about carrying a 12v drill like it’s a glorified screwdriver but look at a 24v cordless like a hand cannon if it has a hammer function built in. Tradesmen do brand wars. People who need X tool for X purpose for X dollars when all of those are relatively low specifications aren’t going to spring for tools career maintenance or Law Enforcement carry…unless they have a desire or need to. If they do, buy a Sig 229 Dark Elite TB. If not…buy a Hi Point 9c. Sure one costs 10x the other but EVERY drill makes a hole with the same bits and every 9mm makes a hole with the same bullets.
I don’t buy Hi Point and Black and Decker. Not my speed. I have owned both and they work. That’s enough for the folks meant to buy them and that’s good enough for me.
I’ve got nothing against Hi-Points. They seem to work, are cheap, and provide a means of armed self defense for people on a budget. On the same note, I’d rather buy a used $150 surplus Tokorev TT-33 than a new C9. More power to the people who like them, who am I to judge? People lambasting Hi-Points are most likely elitist dicks.
Before he put his ears back on after the first drive, and after he’d loaded the pistol again, he kept his booger-hook on the bang-switch – didn’t he? Or did I mis-see that?
I had one of their 9mm carbines during my “noob” stage. It was my first non-shotgun purchase, and it was a great investment for getting into rifles. It was reliable for the most part, decent accuracy (although that’s true of any PCC worth a damn), the only things really wrong with it were that it was ugly as sin, and the aftermarket 15-rounders worked like crap.
But I was able to sell it for more than I paid, and put that money into my first WASR-10. I learned a lot, made a little money, and spent a little more on the next one, and that’s a trend I’ve kept up to this day.
So, I think Hi-Point, Kel Tec etc are perfect for the entry level crowd. It’s just natural that folks “outgrow” them, and then trash talk them like we did training wheels and learners’ permits.
So you want to be a famous YouTube gun torture testing guru but your only equipment is a HiPoint 380, a dirt road, a piece of rope, ear plugs from work, and a vehicle to drag it with? That shouldn’t slow you down a bit. I’d say he’s well on his way to Nuttjobfancy level guruness, maybe he will invest some of that GooGoo money in some eye pro for his next torture test. I’m subscribing In hopes that a Jimenz JA Nine might be tested next to see how it measures up on the FireArmGuy’s take the dirt road test scale.
misegos?! Robert, it’s spelled and pronounced “mishegas.”
Hi Point is the descendent of Stallard Arms,which sold out to Hi Point in the 1990’s,the guns now are a little more refined than they were back then,the slides are not quite as large as they used to be,also the polymer grips used to be the same material as the slide.I don’t own one but am planning on buying one for a truck gun,am torn between the 9mm or the .45 acp,don’t want a .40,already shoot both 9 and 45,reload for them too.From the videos I have seen on YouTube,Hi Points do pretty good,and being that the shooters come from different areas and different weather conditions seems like Hi Point might be too bad for an inexpensive gun to have.Be prepared and ready.Keep your powder dry.
What I meant to say is “might not be to bad to have”.
Ya’ll should watch these.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Iraqveteran8888/search?query=Hi-point
I own a Hi-Point C9. It is a good gun. shots everything I have put in it. Accurate, yes its heavy, that helps with the recoil. It is an inexpensive gun. Let me ask you a question. If you were involved in a shooting what would you rather turn over to the police, an inexpensive pistol or a $1200 pistol (i.e. Kimber)? I have found out that people who put down inexpensive weapons are closed minded. They haven’t shot them and don’t know what their talking about.
The cost difference is huge there. $1200 or $200. What about $400, or $500? If the shooting is justified, you’ll get your firearm back…. I think/hope. The extra couple hundred buys you an overall better gun.
@1:16 – he racks the slide WITH THE TOW LINE ATTACHED TO THE TRIGGER GUARD, and a magazine with live rounds in it…. He follows FORWARD with his hand, and muzzles his off hand before shooting.
… I was kinda hoping he shot his hand off… Call me morbid, but complacency is the mother of all fuck ups.
Bought a Hi Point .45 for $75 at a pawn shop on a whim. Wouldn’t you know, the darn thing worked. Heavy and clunky, but accurate and reliable. The only failure I’ve had with it came when shooting sharp-shouldered wadcutters that also caused problems in my buddy’s Sig. One of them wouldn’t chamber, but a light whack on the back of the slide did the trick and I emptied the rest of the mag with no trouble.
With anything resembling real ammo, including cheap-o soft lead roundball, it goes bang every time. I’ve literally done nothing to it and it just keeps working.
I have it under the seat of my truck as a “truck gun”. If someone steals it, meh. I’ll just get another one.
I have a Hi Point and love my Hi Point. It’s failed to fire once- the first time I shot it (also the first time I’ve shot, well, anything), and it was obviously user error. Other than that one time it’s shot every time I’ve told it to. Yes it’s big and ugly and heavy but I’m not wealthy and I’m not the kind to follow the snobs. It’s a decent gun. It’ll go bang when I request it. No real problem there.
Kind of brought a tear to my eye. . .
My buddy and I have shot the hell out of his Hi point 9mm.
It’s a heavy, awkward beast, but it does run well, can’t complain about a gun that functions reliably.
If you’re broke and only have a $150 to spend on a weapon, it will do.
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