By Aaron Watson
I have a nasty habit. Well, quite a few, the truth be told, but one that pertains to firearms seems applicable here on TTAG. You see, I like matching pistols with rifles. M&P 15-22, and Smith & Wesson 22A. Henry lever gun in .22 Mag, Heritage SAA in the same loading. I even made a black powder .50 rifle kit build, and was driven to create a bitchin’ little cap lock pistol to match. So you can probably foresee my dilemma when I was blessed enough to pick out a Remington R1, series 80 M1911 a few years back. I had openly lusted to buy a Thompson “Tommy” gun for the carbine match, the all black military Commando style, but the starting prices are way out of my ballpark. Or, wife-allotted budget, as it were . . .
So, one day I am browsing the LGS on the other end of town, and hefted one of the stout, solid beasts by some folks out of Ohio. Beemiller is the owner of the Hi-Point brand, which I had barely heard of, except as makers of some arguably hideous looking pistols. I have since learned that the early carbines took a few lashes from the ugly stick as well, but these “later” ones had a certain appeal.
But this shop had an array of these carbines in 9mm, .40 cal, and the matching caliber to the R1, .45 ACP. This posed a bit of a psychological dilemma. I had more recently picked up a Ruger P95 at a gun show for a great price, and still had the recent purchase tingle. Maybe it’s not as much a habit as a disease. Brain-based malfunction, don’t ya know?
I opted for the .45, even though my newer pistol had some fresh dies for the old reloading bench, and I’d spawned a few hundred 9mm cartridges over the weekend. Bag the debate, the 1911 had been waiting longer, so with my CPL firmly in hand, the .45-flavored item made its way to the counter, then out the door with me.
That weekend, I took `er out for a little test firing, but wouldn’t you know, the rain started down pretty heavy as I arrived at my favorite BLM shooty spot. I was only able to empty the three mags that came with the purchase before I was thoroughly drenched. All of them emptied in a most satisfying manner, so I tucked it back into the cab of my ol’ Ford pick-me-up, and took it home for a tear down and cleanup.
The very next weekend was much more settled on the weather front, so I went back out with a buddy and his grandson. I also scrounged through my ammo cans and loaded up some old lead rounds from a different shooting friend, who knew who had reloaded them. BIG mistake. Ammunition from a friend of a friend should be torn down and used for their basic components, but I figured a trigger is a much quicker and more efficient way of unloading suspect rounds.
Wouldn’t you know that the last round of the second mag made a slightly less fervent noise than the preceding ones? At least that’s what I was told by my friend standing to my left, later on. It cycled out the last brass, so I popped out the magazine and set it aside to fire one of the other aforementioned firearms.
Upon returning to the HP 4595, I popped in one of my own reloaded magazines with good ol’ 230 grain hard balls, and charged the rascal to make ready for firing. Most of my prior targets were not far beyond the 1911’s range, but this time I reckoned I’d go across the berm to the further hill, 250 yards or so out.
On trigger squeeze, even I noticed the odd noise emitted, and saw no puff of dust. Also, my vision was momentarily obscured by a foreign black object, which clattered to the ground at the kid’s feet, who dutifully picked it up and said, “you dropped this.”
It turned out to be the black cover/rail off of the fore end that blew off when the jacketed round impacted the last lead round that was still in the barrel.
After looking down toward the front sight, sans cover, at the gaping hole, I knew we had a problem, Houston. It took about a week to recover from the shock, then I started looking around for replacement barrels and covers, etc.
Being in the AR camp, I was stunned at how little there is out there for after-market barrels. Like none, so I shot an email out to Beemiller, requesting a price. They replied back that I should give them a call. I did, and was flabbergasted by their response:
“It’s under warranty, just send it in.”
“But I blew the danged thing up by exercising poor munitions management in firing those rounds.”
“Here’s the address to send it to…”
I did, and a week later my wife called me and said I had a large, heavy package.
“From Ohio?”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“Remember that rifle I blew up?” She was as shocked as I was, but when I got home, I opened it up, and there she was, gooder’n new!
That weekend I went back to the scene of the crime, and ensured I put over 150 rounds through it, and all MY reloads. Ran like a champ, and I was in perma-grin mode.
The weather has gone the way it tends to do the last few months, so not much shooting was done, but I found a pleasant enough weekend, to schlep some shooting irons out to another of my usual haunts, which is a touch more formal, but only a touch. The important things are the measured range lanes, rustic tables with benches, and a roof!
Above is a picture of the ranges, with a couple of 50-foot stations for pistol practice, all the way out to the 480 yard buffalo gong, and beyond. I had probably fired another hundred or slightly more rounds since the big break-in with 150-round after barrel replacement, and it never missed a trigger pull. Smoof.
But this was the first time I tried for any measurable accuracy. The center target was adorned with a few targets, some site-ins, and the requisite all black one, designated by the TTAG guidelines. I didn’t like it, nor did my son, Robert, who was spotting for me, but it is what it is. Black holes on a black target are hard on a spotter.
I was also sporting a freshly mounted Browning Buckmark reflex sight, as the irons just weren’t getting it for me. The stock sights are a true PITA to remove, but I figured a HUD style sight would work a little better, as they have worked well on everything else I’ve bolted them on to.
The first 10-round mag on spotting targets seemed fairly well inside the minute-of-badguy realm I was hoping for;
But this was never meant to be anything remotely approaching a sniper rifle, especially with a pistol caliber cartridge making the 50-yard walk at around 900 fps. So I loaded up five rounds in each of the three magazines and took aim at each of the black targets. Here is the best one:
Not exactly what I was hoping for, and I really can’t tell if that is three tumblers, two very close, or what, but even with my limited capabilities, this is pretty horrible. Firing the aforementioned Remington, with its comparatively diminutive 5-inch barrel, was able to mark targets similarly. I had hoped it would be a bit tighter grouper than this at a bit further useful range than the 1911 but preliminary accuracy testing is not proving that out.
But I bought it as a match to make a set, and a heavy pinker, (as half my collection is gathering dust with the scarcity of .22LR ammo in the last 2+ years), so it works quite fine for these purposes.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Hi-Point
Model: 4595TS Pro
Caliber: .45 ACP
Magazine capacity: 9 rounds
Stock: All-weather, black molded polymer
Weight: 7 lbs.
Barrel length: 17.5”
Overall length: 32”
Sights: Adjustable peep sight
MSRP: $387 ($280-$300 via Cabela’s)
RATINGS (out of five stars):
Style * * *
It has definitely taken a step forward in overall aesthetics, compared to the early model carbines, but still has, at least, been introduced to the proverbial ugly-stick.
Accuracy * *
This is no sharp-shooter, which is kind of a given when lobbing 230 grain hardballs in the straightline ACP case. But, as the longer barrel should build a bit more velocity and spin, I had hoped for better.
Ergonomics * *
The overall balance and feel when firing is pretty natural, but it can bite. Sure, the .45 has a bit of a punch, but the spring-loaded dampening system at the butt end can compress with your cheeky bits in contact. Ouch.
Reliability * * * * *
This is actually a strong point, at least in my dealings. If there is a round in the chamber and the safety is off, it will go boom. If there is a round in the magazine, it will feed. No malfunctions experienced at all when the correct ammo is present.
Customize This * * *
Anything you can mount on a Pic rail will mount on this, if it is an upper or lower mount. Two levels of lower, and one of upper. As to other third party items like barrels, compensators, or triggers, there are none that I could find.
Overall * * * *
A full star was achieved through the no-hassle and timely repair work. The fact that it goes bang every single time, was also a huge plus. With this price point, and overall solidity, it is a fine firearm.
387 bucks for a Hi-Point carbine? Didn’t that sh!t used to be free? 🙂
Seriously, you blew the barrel thru your own tomfoolery and they still stood good on the damage. I wonder if there’s another gun company anywhere that would have made good on your boo-boo?
Kudos to Hi-Point for outstanding customer service.
I’d bet Ruger would. They seem to stick by their customers, even when they shouldn’t!
Maybe…. but they also take them for granted, as is the case with the 10/22 etc etc…
The writer is a fool.
Seems like a good design considering a blocked then subsequently exploded barrel didn’t blast hot gas and metal shards into his face.
My wife blew up my Walther P22. My guess is that it was a bad round, but I sent the remainder of the box to Remington and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it.
The Walther was YEARS out of warranty, and not only did they fix it free of charge, but they also upgraded the slide because they were out-of-stock on the regular one.
For their part, Remington refunded me the cost of sending their ammo in to them, AND the cost of sending the pistol to Walther, and for all my troubles, sent me about 800 rounds of .22LR>
It seems the only industry with any sense of customer service is the gun industry. Now, maybe that’s just because all their customers have guns, and they don’t want to piss anyone off, but I’d guess that it has more to do with how word-of-mouth travels in the shooting community, and the value of brand loyalty.
Nonetheless, good on Hi-Point for replacing it for you. Next time, pay more attention when you reload AND shoot.
I agree with you regarding the industry and the customer service you don’t find anywhere else. I’ve had similar dealings with smith and wesson and daniel defense. Both times the issue was caused by me and my amateur gunsmithing, which I’ve since left to the professionals, but they didn’t care and took good care of me.
I bought a bersa bp9cc secondhand that arrived with a bum trigger safety that they fixed for free for me. Even knowing it was a secondhand purchase.
Yes, a great company!…I too have this .45 caliber carbine!… “Taurus”, too has an Excellent, Repair/Return Policy, as well! Finding this out, when sending back, my Millenium, PT-745, .45 caliber with a 6 shot clip, for repair!… 13 days, from the time i mailed it, this was delivered to me, Repaired, and delivered in “13 days”!… And, Taurus, Warranties their Guns, for life!… Selling the Gun, the Warranty, goes with the Gun!…Who Else, does this?… [No One!…]. No longer, a “Saturday Night”, SPECIAL !!! After buying the “Berretta Factory”, in Brazil; they now make, Every part for their Guns!… Enabiling, this Incredible “Life Time”, Warranty!…
JWM says; “Seriously, you blew the barrel thru your own tomfoolery and they still stood good on the damage. I wonder if there’s another gun company anywhere that would have made good on your boo-boo?
Actually, I did exactly the same thing with a new Taurus 24/7 .45 a couple of years ago, using gun show reloads. Never again!. The only difference was that the Taurus barrel just bulged and locked the action permanently as far as I could tell. I sent it back to Taurus with the explanation that I was firing rapid fire and heard the squib report but didn’t hold off the next round in time. Also never again. Taurus sent the gun back with a new barrel in a couple of weeks, no charge, and the gun operates as new.
I’m a permanent Taurus customer as a result.
Ruger has stood by me through several idiotic shenanigans.
I own two hi point carbines the 4595 and the 995 for the reason that I have .45 and 9mm pistols….just not hi point ones.
The $387 is MSRP, which is well above what I paid for it.
And yeah, I am still blown away by their turn-around time, and overall CS.
Merry Christmas!
Man how long till people realize that MSRP =/= street price.
Almost 4 years later, my local shop has a new one (4595TSRD) with a red dot scope already on it, for $349.
I think I’m going to hint about that one to my wife. Happy birthday to me.
I’d take a Hi-Point any day over anything from Taurus.
Hi-Point is ugly as hell but at least they work.
It really annoys me that people bag on Hi-Point so much just because they’re cheap. Sometimes all you need is cheap and reliable, and Hi-Point fills that role well. So it’s ugly, so what? It goes bang, doesn’t it? Add in their apparently stellar customer service and they suddenly become a pretty good option for someone on limited funds.
i think a percentage of the complaints have to do with the firearms in question NOT working.
the carbines seem to have a much better reputation in that regard.
There is just a little too much plastic for my tastes. It is ugly, but very functional.
I like the old Haskell handguns made of metal – but they had their drawbacks as well (weight) and ugly.
Try some lighter weight ammo. The twist rate may not be sufficient to stabilize a 230 grain pill over 50 yards.
That is what I was thinking as well.
not worth matching calibers only. now, matching magazines- that’s something. want a zamak pistol (zinc, alum, magnesium and kupfer)? get one of these.
That’s a good idea, R.O.L., I may have to load up some 185 grainers and give `em a go.
Rate of Twist is 1:7, which, in an AR is good for 62 grainers, heavy for .223, but we’re talking
about the difference between apples and grapefruits.
Worth a shot…
1/9 Twist is supposed to be sufficient for 62 gr. 1/7 stabilizes my 75 gr ammo.
The idea of having common chamberings between your handgun and carbine is an Old West tradition and still a good HD idea. BTW, a Pakistani shopkeeper thwarted a robbery about 2008 with his 9mm Hi Point carbine. He could not get a Pistol Permit from Bloomberg’s NYPD so he bought the carbine. The would-be thief all but crapped himself and waited for the cops while getting a Muslim lecture against crime. It was even on all the local news stations for a week and made Cam’s Hero Of The Day on NRA News.
Ray
Hard to imagine anyone but him being praised for that nowadays.
“Reliability * * * * *
This is actually a strong point, at least in my dealings. If there is a round in the chamber and the safety is off, it will go boom.”
And if there is one in the chamber and one lodged half-way down the barrel, it will go ‘Ka-Boom!’
Glad to hear you and everybody else made it out with all body parts intact.
Also, pleased to hear Hi-Point backs up their products. I’ve never considered myself a Hi-Point fan, but after hearing that, I might pick up a used one ‘cheep’ just as a beater gun.
Oh yeah, All I found was a rock in my stocking.
And it was made of silicon, not carbon.
I wonder if that’s a hint…
Somehow, what popped into my mind was, “I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer.”
Your healer… there’s a patient
That’s an order.
That is terrific customer service.
If you really want a match for your pistol, find a Marlin camp .45. It takes the same mags.
perfecto. now who makes one that uses hi power mags? or deagle?
Had one of those years ago, only in the 9mm (no, there’s no decimal point in front!) It shot “minutes” of angle, all 16 of them, that’s a 16″ or more circle at 100 yards. Had a scope on the gun too.
Ended up selling it, couldn’t live with that kind of accuracy.
At what range were these targets shot?
if you were using home loads were you using a lighter charge as one of the targets seemed to show bullets bullets tumbling!
I have owned a few High points and they were hell for strong, more accurate than some of my hi end firearms because of the pinned barrel. Ugly as sin yes, Heavy but it is a blow back design does it function yes! My 9 has about 800 rounds through it and holds minute of bad guy, problems! when limp wristed, it stove piped, a failure to extract because lack of cleaning! a couple of failures to feed, safety is a little funky, tear down for cleaning is a wee bit complicated to say the least,
but it works,
50 yards, as per the published requisites.
As to loadings, 6.5 grains of IMR 800-X. They looked like a tumbler or two to me as well,
but with such small loadings, compared to rifle, it’s too easy to overload.
Maybe more range time for break-in is required. I’m up for that!
I have a friend who runs a range. They rent out hi point carbines. After a few years and probably 50,000 rounds in service, his guns were starting to get a bit unreliable.
So he called the company and confirmed he could mail them in for a refurb. After all the rental use, he fully expected to pay for any refurbishment. To that end, he included his contact info with a note to call him for a CC number. To his astonishment, about 10 days after he mailed the carbines out, he received a box from hipoint containing 2 totally refurbished carbines. Pretty much everything except for the slide itself, the barrel and the frame were replaced. All the fire control parts, all the small bits of the bolt, and a bunch of other items had been replaced.
Cost? How about Zero dollars.
Stories like my friends and the author’s are common among hi-point owners. How they manage to offer service that puts many high dollar gun companies to shame, is beyond me. But they do it.
Don
I suspect that Hi-Point (Beemiller Inc.) is a privately owned company. Being such, they don’t have to jack up the costs to satisfy stockholders. This would allow for higher profits and better service. I looked for stock links, but came up flat.
9 rounds is not acceptable. Hi-point needs to be delivering at minimum 30 round mags. 30 rounds of 45acp and I would consider buying.
That said , it does look like customer service and reliability are positive notes for hi-point.
I agree. With only nine rounds, and accuracy no better than a pistol, what’s the point? You might as well stick with the handgun instead of lugging around all that extra plastic and metal for almost no benefit.
I admit to being greatly amused by the optimism of the “Pro” added to the name of this rifle.
Stinkeye,
Either you have no idea what you are talking about. Or you have been proficient with a pistol long enough to have forgotten how difficult it is to shoot a handgun effectively when you are new at it. In contrast, a light recoiling carbine with a dot sight is something that even a first time shooter can hit with.
The reality is that a little carbine like the Hi Point may not be any more mechanically accurate than a nice revolver or custom 1911. But its practical accuracy is going to be much greater simply because it is a long gun.
I can shoot my crappy KelTec Sub 2000 better than I can shoot my Brazos limited 2011.
Don
I understand the value of a carbine over a pistol, and I’m a fan of pistol-caliber carbines in general (I love me some lever gun/revolver combos), but this particular rifle doesn’t seem to bring much to the table. The reviewer even commented that he was getting the same groups with his Remington R1 (not exactly a “custom 1911″) as the carbine. Additionally, .45 ACP doesn’t really gain much from being used in a longer barrel – 100-150 fps velocity gain for a 16″ barrel vs. a 5” one (compare that to .357 Magnum, which can gain 400 fps or more in a carbine-length barrel).
For a brand-new shooter, you may have a point about ease of use, but I still don’t see much of a niche for this rifle. “Just barely hitting the target” isn’t going to be much fun for a newbie, and as their skills grow, they’ll quickly outgrow a 10-15 MOA rifle. As for proficiency, it doesn’t take that much work to enable a newbie to get these kind of “barely on paper” groups at 50 yards from a good pistol. It does take a little practice, but it’s not like you have to be Jerry Miculek to put up eight-inch groups at 50 yards.
For home defense, if you’re going to be limited to nine rounds, it seems like a pistol would be a more practical choice. In that case, you’re not likely to be shooting at long distances, and it’s much easier to have a pistol with you when you need it than a rifle (not to mention the practical advantages a pistol has over a long gun when maneuvering indoors).
It might be a fun plinker, and at around $300, I can see the value in that (Lord knows, I’ve spent more than that on impractical “range toys” myself), but as a “serious” gun, I think there are better options.
@Stinkeye; “For home defense, if you’re going to be limited to nine rounds, it seems like a pistol would be a more practical choice. In that case, you’re not likely to be shooting at long distances, and it’s much easier to have a pistol with you when you need it than a rifle (not to mention the practical advantages a pistol has over a long gun when maneuvering indoors). ”
Stabilizing a pistol with a full on adrenaline dump will be almost impossible if you don’t train under duress. A carbine allows for more points of contact to assist in stabilization. I suspect the magazine limitations may be to cater to the less than fortunate souls in slave states (along with the price point).
Honestly, these firearms should be marketed heavily to those on a fixed or very low income. They make ideal HD weapons for those that cannot afford to buy anything even midrange in the market, and cannot handle the recoil or noise of a shotgun.
Update: Read below that the reason for the lower capacity is: “The Hi-Point carbines were introduced shortly after the US “assault weapons” ban took effect in 1994, hence the 10 (or 9) round magazines that kept them legal.”
Remember kids, he hasn’t put enough rounds of varying ammo through it to:
A. Have it completely broken in yet.
B. Find what it shoots best yet.
More to come, I presume….
I have a 9mm carbine with the pro pack. Yes, the gun has a 10 shot magazine. But it has two more magazines in the stock giving you 31 rounds on board the rifle. My wife cannot handle a shotgun. She is not very good with a pistol. But she can roll a self healing ball across the field up to around 50 yard with the carbine. Hidden in our safe room my wife is very secure with the carbine in hand.
Very good review. This has been on my radar but probably in 40( the ballistics are fantastic and 40 is cheaper and always available). Even though I had a Hi-Point 380 I couldn’t wait to unload. Also good to hear about the great customer service too. Although I would take a Taurus over a Hi-Point pistol every time. Merry Christmas.
Why in God’s name would you do that? They’re ugly as sin, but a gun that doesn’t go Bang when the trigger is pulled isn’t much use. Hi-Points do that, Tauruses don’t.
Golly gosh gee I have had 5 TAURI that worked flawlessly. Including a used 85. I CAN’t say that for the Hi-Point 380 I had. Merry Christmas anyway!
I have first hand experience with a Taurus J frame knock off revolver that locked up solid after firing its first shot.
We couldn’t even get the crane to release. So we had to bring it to the shop where we purchased it fully loaded. The on-site gunsmith couldn’t get it open at the store. He was eventually able to get it open so it could be sent to taurus for repair. The shop did my friend, the owner, a nice favor by taking the gun back and offering him full credit towards any other gun. My friend purchased a 442 and hasn’t looked back.
Don
I had the earlier (uglier?) 9mm version. Shot great, out to 100yds with a 4x scope, maybe 4-6″. They sent me a scope mount for free even though I wasn’t the original purchaser. Sold it. Miss it. Still looking for an old-style planet of the apes looking version!
“an old-style planet of the apes looking version”
I LOL’d!
On several forums the H-P original carbines are referred to as “monkey guns” because of the resemblance to the original PotA guns.
BTW, the problem with the H-P .380 pistol is the magazine/feed because they use the same mags as the 9mm. I find that slapping the back of the mag against my hand before inserting it solves most of this. That said, I wouldn’t use one for any serious purpose but it makes a decent step up from a 22 to get folks used to guns.
My H-P .45 pistol has always functioned flawlessly, and is shockingly accurate. (I have vids of potting 6″ metal plates at 50 yards, in succession…)
I suppose I should clean it some day, but I’m afraid that would confuse it….
These are 252,57 with free delivery at GunBuyer.com. They are the internet part of Florida gun exchange.
I have the same carbine for over two years now.As you stated the iron sights are lousy. I put a Mid priced Tru-Glo red dot on it.I average 4-5 inch groups at 50 yards. The carbine eats anything I’ve fed it. It delivers the same accuracy with all loads , so I don’t have to drain my accounts buying ammo. I now use 230 RN from Black Bullets International over 4.0gr. of Clays and CCI LP primers and it functions flawlessly. I bought it for home defense and it fits the bill.
While I did find removing the rear iron sights somewhat of a challenge. I wouldn’t say it was PITA, just different. I have the 9mm to go with my Hi Point 9mm and .45 acp.
God…my eyes!
Thats has to be the single ugliest gun known to man. I and I have a reputation for liking ugly guns.
I think I will stick to my CX4.
To me at least ugly seems like kind of a dumb qualifier for a gun. I don’t Buy Guns To be fashion accessories I buy them to fill a role. The hi point is cheap and functional and that’s what I need it to be. Anyone that cares about fashion when talking about guns is a mystery to me.
You know I may actually pick one of these up in 9mm to go with my CZ75. If they can be had for under $300, it’d make for a fun plinker.
I have these carbines in all three calibers and several years ago, grenaded a round in my 40…didn’t burst the barrel, but swelled the receiver/bent up the firing pin and it took two trips back to Hipoint (AKA “mother”) to get it properly fixed (both times fully warrantied). Both trips resulted in a free mag from her for each repair instance and the gun now works fine. I find the iron/plastic open sites are too far off on windage, even with full adjustment, so a 4x Aimpoint scope cures that problem. I’ve learned to accept that hits in an 8″ black are completely acceptable for these guns and while they’re not distance shooters, they’re a lot of fun to plink with and will take about any ammo you want to feed them. The only complaint I have is that they’re a PITA to disassemble & clean, so I put that off till they get pretty grungy. Otherwise, for the money, no complaints. They are what they are….
The Hi-point carbine and pistols use same magazines and pro mag makes bigger mags too, A poor man’s survival gun , or kids first…. guns that can travel in the SUV …think ?
I don’t think the magazines are interchangeable on the 9mm.
9 MM mags now interchange on the new models , no problems …. but watch out for the very early models and maybe the 9MM comp. model (pistol) ,, they are running adds now same mags. pistol and carbine……and yes 380 can be a problem (why 380) more power etc for a 9MM same price ………
My former boss got a .380 for $85 NIB. I wonder if a barrel swap would make it a 9mm?
I love my 995TS. It has been 100% reliable and pretty darn accurate out to 75 yards.
I have been tempted by their carbines but can’t get past the weight. Can’t see over 4.5 to 5 lbs for any pistol caliber carbine. Too much zinc in theirs I guess. Like the concept in a lighter package.
Even a single-shot 12 gauge weighs 5 lbs. CX4 Storm is about 5-1/2. Not sure it gets much lighter than that in long guns.
Well-told story and good accompanying pictures. I’m glad they replaced it for you.
Aaron, thanks for the review.
I really wish you had used factory ammo in your accuracy testing. I’m not questioning your reloading skills, but when you test a gun’s accuracy (and publish the results), you want to eliminate as many variables as possible and conduct your testing in a way that others can replicate it to verify (or refute) your findings.
That said, a pistol caliber carbine begs for customized ammo. What works best in a pistol is not what works best in a carbine, and the +P rated Hi-Points are ideal for a slightly hotter load of slower burning powder to squeeze more velocity out of the barrel. As mentioned, experimenting with different bullet weights would also be worth a shot.
The Hi-Point carbines were introduced shortly after the US “assault weapons” ban took effect in 1994, hence the 10 (or 9) round magazines that kept them legal. Capacity aside, they are darn nice home defense guns: Inexpensive and reliable. They’re also great fun to plink with, use low-cost ammo, and easy for inexperienced shooters to handle.
Those who complain about their aesthetics, magazine capacity or long-range accuracy maybe just don’t understand the market niche that these guns nicely fit into.
Try some lightweight ammo (185 grains instead of 230) to take advantage of the longer barrel.
Also, are there any pistol caliber carbines that take CZ mags? Pistol in question is a CZ SP01.
First off, thanks for all the kind comments, they are very appreciated.
@Tom in OR, I’d LOVE it if Marlin still made the Camp Carbine, shot one once and loved it.
Now? Fairly rare and spendy. GunBroker.com shows 1 in 9mm, thaz it.
@Stinkeye, the 1911 is now custom, as I do a little gunsmithing and brought it to Series 70
so I could replace the trigger to adjust it. Now it is about 2 lbs, no creep, low reset. Love it.
The wife doesn’t like firing it, at all, but doesn’t mind firing the same rounds through this
zinc weighted down boat anchor, so there’s that. And my next match is to be a Rossl in
Stainless with a .357 chambering to match a circa 1923 Smith pre-model 10 that I’ve had
for a very long time.
Lastly, @ Curtis in IL, the only factory loadings I have currently are jacketed hollow points,
which I feared would tumble even more. I will be sure to use a name brand when I review
the Bacon Maker, which I hope to win here shortly! 😀
I bought a used 9mm carbine with the nicer aftermarket stock for $150 used. Fun gun.
Were you using lead bullets on those reloads. My 4595 leaded up the barrel with cast bullets accuracy went from very good with FMJ to shotgun with cast.
Just a thought.
If you want to add extra utility to your Hipoint, there is an after market magazine catch for 1911 magazines. (only for the 45acp versions)
They work pretty well from what I read.
I bought a 9mm a couple years back. It was always reliable but I decided to trade it. I saw them on black friday for under $250 OTD. I bought it & the new one is just as reliable.
It’s also the only gun my wife will shoot that’s not a .22–go figure. Think I’ll hang on to this one. I think kygunco has them for $238 right now in 9mm.
Interesting, but I’ll not ditch my SKS any time soon.
I bought a 995 TS as a first gun while waiting to decide on a handgun. It cost $250 plus FFL fee new. With the cheapest 9 mm ammo I have no problem with 4″ groups at 50 yards with iron sights, although it did take a while to get it sighted in. My understanding is that 9 mm is flat out to 70 yards or so. I have yet to do the take-apart cleaning, but clean the barrel and chamber after use, so hopefully the innards are not too bad. It does not have my SKS’ range, to be sure, but like the SKS it has very little recoil and will fire the cheapest steel junk. There is no way that I am capable of getting anything close to the Hi Point’s accuracy with a much more expensive 9 mm handgun at greater than 15 yards. So think I will keep them all!
I wanted a cheap HD rifle that I could share cheap ammo with my side-arm. Did some research on the net and up popped this Hi-Point 4595S. Gun show hit town. One booth had 1…and only 1. Bought it. I also bought a 4x backlit scope, hi-capacity clip, and a combo light/laser at the gun show. Went to Hi Point site and ordered some accessories like the dual stock clip-holder, forward folding grip, and the muzzle compensator (Weaver rails everywhere to mount stuff.) Took her to the range and ran a 100-rounds through it. Tightened/adjusted/tested. Ran another 100. Since that time I have put a few thousand rounds through it. Happy to say no problems so far. It’s plenty accurate enough for HD. If you are spending $1000 or more for an AK or AR for HD then that’s just silly to me when the “plane-jane” Hi Point for around $300 will do what any of them do at that range (I added about as much as the gun cost in accessories, but when you are spending $300 vs.$1000 for the gun it hurts a LOT less.) If you plan to shoot enemies at 500-yards…this isn’t the gun. Perfect gun for HD at the asking price. Just my opinion…
The 4595 with red dot, laser, and two extra mags on the stock is my go to home defense and I feel very confident In this weapon for that purpose. So far hundreds of rounds with no problems using a wide variety of ammo. I tend toward round ball ammo as I feel that it will stop any threat at 20-30 yards. I would grab my AR for longer shots, for sure.
Talked to CS lady at Hi Point a few days ago and mentioned the 9 round limit on the carbine and JHP 45 pistol. She said that the company is working on higher capacity mags . . . got up to 17 rounds and ran into trouble. Also indicated that use of pro mag hi capacity mags could void their generous Warrenty. Tom Deeb, former owner of Hi Point (sold out to Strassell’s Machine, Inc. in Jan. of this year) still works with Hi Point as a consultant. I am confident that when they have a reliable high capacity magazine it will be made available to the buying public.
20 round 9mm mag.
http://redballsports.net
Like the carbine, it has the utilitarian charm of the Lunar Excursion Module.
Chewed a dollar bill size chunk out of a paper target with 10+1 rounds offhand bracing the sling. Eats everything, 147gr feels only slightly snappier than 115gr.
Hipsters complain the recoil plate pulls their facial hair.
Accurate, reasonable price, outstanding American service, not a looker. Sounds like a Ford Model T.
I was disappointed by the accuracy of my Hi-Point .45 ACP Carbine, it was so bad that trying to hit a target at 100 yards was futile. And that was with a scope. I wasn’t even on the backer most of the time. So I slugged the barrel. Turns out it is closer to .452″ than .451″ so standard 45 ACP bullets are not filling up the grooves. This also answered the question why some 230 grain bullets were much faster than other 230 grain bullets using the same load. I started loading .452″ bullets and the accuracy improved tremendously. The first shot is sometimes dead on, but as the barrel heats up, the point of impact starts drifting down and to the left in a straight line. It’s accurate enough now to be a 100 yard deer rifle…as long as you make sure to hit it on the first three shots…LOL. But mine is not for deer hunting, it’s a home defense carbine, and for that the accuracy is more than sufficient. It actually makes one of the quietest home defense guns you can name. Much quieter than any pistol, shotgun or .223.
I’m insanely curious to know if your findings about the barrel and accuracy hold true for anyone else. I’m considering buying a hi-point in 45, but the lack of accuracy is a real downer.
Hey Jim,
Thanks for the info. Would you be willing to let Hi-Point CS know about what you have discoveres? Like Ian, I am also very curious for the same reason. Thank you.
I am an FFL. While selling Colts, Smiths, Ruger. Taurus, Springfields, Bersa, Beretta, and many others, Hi Point is the most consistent seller in the shop. For most it’s the price point, but for all it’s the warranty and fun of it! Many return for other Hi-Points. Admittedly the handguns are as ugly and heavy as an anvil, but they are well received and don’t deserve the doggin. Many who do dog them, never fired one.
My local gunshop sells these carbines and he told me one of his customers was using it as a tractor gun. He was bush hogging and it fell off and got chopped up by the bush hog. He sent it in to Hi-point and they gave him another one.
I bought a Hi-Point 995 about a year ago. About 6 months into it-I started having FTE, FTF problems. Called Mr. Brown, sent it in-it came back in 21 days-no charge-It is fantastic-goes Boom every time-and always has been outstanding in accuracy. I didn’t buy it for its looks-I wanted a 9m carbine that worked–only downside is the 10 round magazine-and not Glock compatible but hey-it wasn’t a grand either.
I have a 4595TS, I love it! I added a forward grip and a 3-9×24 illuminated reticle scope to it. I sighted it in at 50 yards with 230gr FMJ. Got a Moa the size of a half dollar. At 100 yards it’s not bad, about a paper plate filed with holes. I use this for my deer rifle in my area that’s a max shot of 60 yards. It’s bad ass. I dropped a big doe this last Sunday at 50 yards. One shot to the vitals dropped her where she stood. Great carbine at an affordable price. It love 230gr FMJ and hollow points. I’m impressed and will keep it for the fun shooting. .
The company owner Beemiller states himself the .45 version is less accurate than the 9 or 40. The 380 just out this year has not had enough side by side comp shooting to determine but I would assume it would be more accurate than the .45 as well but the better of the bunch is most likely the 9mm as it is a known carbine round. Sadly Beemiller is selling the company lets hope the new corporate owner maintains the same customer service standards Hi-Point has established. I have the 995 and it is a tack driver at 100 yards.
Selling it?
Aw, that’s a bummer. I don’t see how their Customer Service can improve, so let’s hope it
stays the same. I still haven’t picked up the center-fire lever gun mentioned in my article,
so the 9mm version of this venerable carbine may be coming home with me next month.
I gotta keep the matching alive!
I have all the “good” guns, so I am not ignorant or poor and I love my hi point 9mm carbine. I got an ati stock for it and love it even more. When I hear people run them down I figure it is a gun snob or someone who has never fired one.
I have two Hi Points; One 9MM and one 40S&W… Up-graded stocks for both. I love those guns! High Point customer service is second to none.
If you’re debating whether to get one of these, I say “Go for it”! You won’t regret it. Marty
Anecdotal only, but I can consistently ring 8″ steel plates at 40-50 yards, from a bench, with my High Point .45ACP pistol. It may be the most accurate handgun I own.
I’ve only got best of 4 moa (2”@50yd). Same as the virticle pattern group in this article. Leads me to believe there is inconsistency in the firing pin impact against the primer. Although very reliable. It’s lunging that pin about a inch before it actually touches. Also there is some movement between the action/barrel and the cover through assembly pin.
Just watched 2 YouTube videos on a newly available 28 round 45 acp magazine. Not sure who makes it but in both videos the reviewers had total success using it with this carbine.
I know for shooting a carbine filling 9-10 round mags gets old. When I go to the range I use the highest capacity mags for whatever gun I practice with.
The HiPoint 4595 stock does conveniently hold two reg. magazines.
I am surprised no one has made a double stack magazine. The 28 cap. mag. Is round but it also fits a standard 1911.
I will definitely be purchasing this HiPoint 4595 now that larger capacity is available.
Thanks for the reviews
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