By Gralnok
First, a few words. When I got my Hi-Point JCP 40, I paid $200 for it at a gun show and it had a scratch in the slide that turned into a crack. I got it not because I wanted to do a review or test its durability, I got it because I had very little money and the dealer had a silver tongue.
Seriously, he could have sold ice to an eskimo. I overpaid for an underperforming semi-automatic handgun. However, since the gun show moved on and I was stuck with it, I kept it. My only other gun was chambered in .22 Long Rifle. I thought that, like many times before, I’d been duped. What I didn’t know was that I’d actually gotten a decent gun for a good price.
Eventually, the crack began to widen with more and more use. I found that the firing pin was weak, sometimes not striking with enough force to even dent the primer, let alone touch it off. Not only that, but it was picky with ammunition.
Eventually my worry about the crack spreading and the slide sending bits of itself into my hands and face outweighed my concerns of having just a .22 LR pistol for defense. I went to the local UPS store, got redirected to the main UPS center, spent a good bit of money to ship it back to the factory, and then waited.
I thought they would simply replace the slide and that would be that. However, much to my surprise, Hi-Point replaced the slide, springs, firing pin, and threw in a peep sight, gun lock, and extra 10-round magazine, all for free! (Thank you Hi-Point lifetime warranty!) There weren’t even any charges waiting for me at my local FFL when I went to pick it up! Granted, this was back in 2016, but I doubt their customer service has changed much.
Since then, I’ve put many, many rounds through the gun. It doesn’t care at all what I feed it. Even handloads with round nosed, all lead bullets that I purchased from a gun show operated just fine.
Ammunition
The reason I got .40 S&W was because I believed that it was more powerful than 9mm and had more capacity than .45 ACP. It’s still my reason for keeping it.
As for a specific brand of ammo it might prefer? It doesn’t. It will shoot anything from expensive hollow points to TulAmmo and not care at all. Naturally, because of this, I practice with the cheap stuff. It gets a little dirtier than if I use factory ammunition from places that don’t write in Cyrillic, but the JCP 40SW doesn’t care, and neither do I.
Accuracy
This is not a very accurate gun. I’ll just come out and say it. I can’t get good groups with it. It will put holes in paper at bad guy distances, but don’t get one expecting it to compete with a buddy at 50 yards at the range. Of course, it might be because I practice with cheap ammunition, or maybe I just suck. However, I believe it never was intended to be a trophy-winning firearm. It was intended to be a reliable, functioning firearm. American-made Hi-Point firearms are cheap to buy, cheap to make, cheap to maintain.
Appearances
A previous review by Benjamin Shotzberger compared the Hi-Point C9 to a mason’s brick. The JCP 40 is basically a bigger brick. It fits my big paws, but I can imagine smaller hands having difficulty holding it. There are custom aftermarket grips you can purchase, to give it a bit flair. Click here for some possible grips.
As you can see, I went with a Dark Wood Grain. Or maybe you can’t see it. The pattern would have worked very well, had the grips not been textured, or maybe the lines darker. New Hi-Point JCP 40s come in a black powder coat or hydro-dipped depending on the model. According to the website, Hi-Point pistols have coatings similar to those found on cars, to give you many years of service. Unfortunately, a car door doesn’t see holsters on a daily basis.
Something I was most annoyed with was the fact the grips they used on the black high-impact polymer frame had been painted to look like wood. Why not just use brown plastic? That way, when the coating and the paint wears through, it would look more normal.
Accessories
Again, I am just basing this off their website of things I know will fit the JCP .40 and from what I can see, it’s not a lot. You can get a case for it, you can change the grips, you can put a LaserLyte laser sight trainer on it, though that front accessory rail in front of the trigger guard (is that a rail?) looks to be proprietary.
All new JCPs come with a free trigger lock.
This isn’t a gun you accessorize, though I tried my best with the magazines, just so I could tell which mag was which. There is an aftermarket extended magazine available for the JCP 40, but I won’t link to it and I wouldn’t advise you to search for it. I did, and I still have nightmares to this day.
Shooting the JCP40
As I stated above, it’s not accurate. A blowback design, coupled with a very heavy slide slamming back and forth, means you will definitely know when you’ve pulled the trigger. I’d tell you how much the trigger pull weighs, but I don’t have a way of measuring it. I will say, it’s smooth on my gun.
It isn’t double action, however. The slide must cycle to reset the trigger. Cycling the slide manually using the row of ridges near the back is difficult. I usually just wrap my hand around the whole back end and pull. If this is to reset the trigger after either a dud or a dry fire, I can hear and feel various springs rubbing against each other.
Of note, if you put a round in the chamber and then close the slide, you must be sure the slide has closed fully. I believe the extractor gets hung up on the edge of the round, instead of sliding over it to engage the groove. All that said, however, it will go bang reliably. It has the last-round-lock-open feature. The mag releases cleanly.
Maintenance
Cleaning the gun is fairly easy. Spray your favorite aerosol cleaner into it, and you are good to go. At least, that’s what you’re supposed to do with it.
Personally, I’m a bit more meticulous. Getting into the chamber with Q-tips and running patches down the bore usually is good enough. However, if you are intent on taking it down fully, the process gets a bit more complicated.
After going through the obvious safety checks, one must pull the slide back so that the notch for the safety is in line with a hidden pin.
That pin needs to be drifted out with a punch or some other thin object that can withstand hammering. In my case, a suitably sized drill bit worked well.
Once the pin is out, simply allow the slide to ease forward, applying gentle upward pressure on it until it slips up and free of the frame of the gun.
Now inside the gun, you will see that the firearm is just as ugly on the inside as it is on the outside. Still, nothing that is present on the inside hinders the firearm in any way.
All the internal bits can be serviced and cleaned appropriately. To put everything back together, however, requires a bit more finesse. The spring up front is capped with a plastic thingy that loves to slip and slide everywhere. It does this usually when you really would like it to stay still. The slide doesn’t have a corresponding marking on the frame to tell you where it slips in and down, or up and out. A little bit more time in development to solve minor issues such as this would be worth a few more dollars on the end price.
Safety
I haven’t drop tested it, nor do I plan to. However, the quick on-off thumb safety on my model is easy to work. A simple flick up to engage it, down to disengage. For whatever reason, Hi-Point decided that a magazine disconnect safety was required. If you worry about shooting powerful +P loads through the gun, you shouldn’t. The JCP 40 is +P rated.
Conclusions
This is not a gun for everyone, but at the same time, anyone can afford it. It’s reliable, if a bit ugly. It’s made in the U.S.A. Not much on the gun will rust, but what can rust is +P rated. It’s got a few problems, but nothing that would keep it from being functional. Add in Hi-Point’s excellent customer service, and you have a great gun, for not much money. It could be improved on, so I hope Hi-Point comes out with a newer model that addresses some of the issues facing the current one.
Specifications: Hi-Point Model JCP 40
Caliber: .40 S&W rated +P
Barrel Length: 4.5”
Overall length: 7.75″
Capacity: 10+1
Weight: 2.5 lbs. (empty)
Sights: Three dot adjustable rear sight
MSRP: $219
Ratings (out of five stars):
Accuracy: * * *
Decent enough for plinking and for home defense, but don’t go hunting with it.
Ergonomics: * * *
There are plenty of semi-automatic pistols less comfortable to shoot. There are plenty that are more comfortable to shoot, as well. Recoil is noticeable.
Reliability: * * * * 1/2
Springs may be an issue. Mine are bent somewhat. I also haven’t torture tested mine. However, it doesn’t seem to mind cheap steel or aluminum cased ammunition. It takes a beating and will shoot anything I give it.
Customize This: * *
You can get a laser sight for it, and different styles of grips, but that’s about it. There’s no real aftermarket for the JCP.
Fun Factor: * * *
I want to give it a higher score. I want to say it’s a wonderful gun if you just give it a chance. Unfortunately, it’s just not a “Fun Gun” to shoot. It’s functional, cheap, no frills and basic, but a basic gun can only go so far. Single-stack magazines, poor aesthetics, and a difficult takedown and assembly that requires separate tools, keep me from giving it more than a three.
Overall: * * * 1/2
It’s a functioning gun for not much money. It’s not really a fun gun to shoot, but it’s reliable and when it does break, Hi-Point will stand by their product with a lifetime guarantee. It has a number of minor issues, but for someone on a budget who doesn’t have lots of money to blow on a gun and training ammunition, this might be a good choice.
More on .40 S&Ws from The Truth About Guns:
In Praise of the [Clearly Superior] .40 S&W Cartridge
Gun Review: Law Enforcement Trade-In GLOCK 22
Gotta say, if you spent $200 on a used Hi Point, and one in 40 at that, you paid way too much for it. But that being said, despite the crap people talk on them, Hi Points service is excellent as you’ve found, and they are generally reliable. I had one in 45 for awhile.
I’ve seen them in pawn shops all day long for $99. This one would have been about $75.
Never bought one though. Not worth the risk or weight. To many nice guns still out there to date.
I paid $90 for a used one once (C9). I also once paid $200 for a nice used 4095 (rifle version). My C9 sucked, and I sold it for $60. The carbine was a pretty decent gun, though I no longer have it.
For $200, you can get a new Ruger EC9 (or LCP) or Taurus G2C. You could probably get a used S&W Sigma for about that as well (they are decent guns other than the heavy trigger). I’ve also bought several Rossi revolvers, CZ82’s, and a Kel-Tec P11 for around $200 or less.
The price of better guns have dropped, and there is no longer much reason to buy a Hi-Point pistol (and I’m a cheapskate). The rifles still fill a niche.
Yeah, they’re great. Sure the slide cracked, pieces fell off, it doesn’t always shoot, and its inaccurate. But somehow it got 4 1/2 stars for reliability.
This is why kids who can’t read still graduate high school. Meh, good enough for 4 1/2 stars!
I hope you’re joking, because otherwise it would be like comparing a high mileage car to a new one.
By “high mileage,” do you mean it’s been shot a lot before the slide cracked? How do you know it was shot a lot?
To Kevin:
How do I know it was shot a lot? Because the slide was cracked, the firing pin needed replacement, and apparently the springs were bad. Or maybe you’re correct, and it came from the factory like that. I don’t know, I don’t care. I sent it back, they repaired it, now it works fine. For all intents and purposes, this is a review of a good condition Hi-Point JCP.
The rating was for after Hi-Point fixed it. And upgraded it. For free. And since then it runs like a champ with all ammo. So yeah, 4 1/2 stars sounds reasonable to me. He probably bought an abused gun, and now it just…works.
What makes you think it was abused, and not merely used? Or that it broke because of abuse, and not just because it’s a piece of junk? I didn’t read any of that, anywhere.
Show me a high-round count, abused glock and I’ll show you a reliable gun, even without repairs. Sure Hi Point repaired it for free, after he “spent a good bit of money to ship it back to the factory, and then waited.” When you make cheap, ugly, unreliable, inaccurate junk, customer service is all you’ve got.
And for some people, that’s enough. Low expectations are easy to meet. But why do all you people apologize for and excuse shitty products? Between the lost time and shipping and all the other faults, he could have bought a $350 police trade in Glock, and he’d have a Glock, not a Hi Point.
I’m basing it on what became a crack in the slide (maybe a casting defect, who knows), an assumption of shady car-salesman tactics on the part of the gun show dealer who sold him a used Hi-Point for $200, and the other issues that just disappeared once Hi-Point fixed the darn thing. Read the review, it’s not unreliable. It works. Glocks work great, no argument, but Hi-Point specifically prides itself on catering to people who can’t (or don’t want to) pay for a Glock. He says it works, and he likes it. He also admits he overpaid, lesson learned. And for cheap at that. I’m not going to beat someone down for using whatever works for them, gun (or other) snobs of all types just annoy me. Just let him do him.
Likely got the 4 1/2 stars for after it came back fro repairs.
“This is why kids who can’t read”…. I’m 100% certain that the author of this post can indeed read. I’m also 100% certain that he said the repairs Hi-Point made for free have completely fixed all previous issues making it reliable and not picky.
Wait, I got it! If you’re a d1ck to people who aren’t sucking gl0ck’s c0ck, then everyone will agree with you! I forget how you fanboys like to act.
Let’s see,
Step 1: Overpay for a defective junk gun.
Step 2: Pay more to send it back, wait for repairs (Time value of money? Not so much).
Step 3: Hey, now it works!
Step 4: Justify the gun because although its ugly, inaccurate, unreliable, broken, cost too much, it’s still cheap! (but not really)
Step 5: Make gay sex references when someone points out that for the same money you could have done much better.
Sounds about right for a hipoint fanboy. Smartest guys in the room, every time.
Kevin, we get it. You don’t like Hi-Point, you don’t have to buy one. As I stated above, I don’t know what happened to it prior to me purchasing it. Any firearm, hell any machine, will eventually need servicing, especially if it’s been abused or has seen heavy use. I got snookered into paying too much for it. I sent it to the factory, they fixed it, sent it back with a free mag and other free stuff, I’m happy. It’s ugly, it’s heavy, but it is very reliable and for much cheaper than a Glock. Is it as well a design as the Glock? Probably not, but it’s American made, shoots straight enough, shoots anything I feed it, and comes with incredible customer service. It’s not a perfect design, but it’s a good design. As I said in the article, a few adjustments to the design would make it even better.
You think that I’m a Hi Point fanboy because I pointed out what a c0ck sucker you are? And then you try to claim I’m the one who’s dumb? Hilarious. If I were to be described as any sort of fanboy, it’d be for CZ.
The point that’s been made repeatedly, which you seem incapable of understanding, is that the reliability rating pertains to post repair.
I get that you have a feeling of superiority as a Glock lover. Enjoy that. I’m sure it will serve you as well in all aspects of your life as it has in this thread. I’ll let you get the last word if you’d like. The good news for you is that even though you’re a prick who lacks common sense, jelly fish have also survived millions of years without a brain. I’ll be seeking out more intelligent conversations elsewhere
“It’s”, speaking of literacy.
If you have a hundred bucks, and you don’t have a gun, a HiPoint is a very good option. The best gun is the one you have, not the one you wish you had.
I’ve owned three Hi Points. Traded two, each for a much more expensive handgun. Both of those handguns ended up going back multiple times for repairs to the point I just sold them and bought another Hi Point in 380 caliber. I don’t know why people say these guns are inaccurate; they is absolutely not true. The design of the weapon makes them inherently very accurate. I just read a review from a very competent writer who does articles for all the major gun magazines and he said he repeatedly shot hand sized groups at 100 yards. That’s YARDS.
Also, I used to be an instructor at a state prison that had a shooting range outside the prison complex for the officers to come practice on. On any given day, half of the off duty officers that came would bring some flavor of Hi Point to practice with.
At the range where I’m a member, everyone once in a while, somebody will want to put a little side bet down, usually at 25 yards. They laugh when I pull out my Hi Point to shoot against their Glocks and Sigs or whatever. They laugh right up until they realize they’re gonna have to pay me the money, because at 25 yards I can punch the black dot bullseye right out of a paper target.
I am a bit embarrassed to admit it; but I recently purchased a Hi-Point. I purchased a 9mm carbine. . . Yes, it is, without question, the ugliest gun on my safe.
Wait! Before you write me off as a complete neanderthal, I had a reason!
I have a High-Tower Bullpup kit on the way. Thats right, I wanted to give the bullpup a try.
Now I move on to the Customer service; after all, that is the point of this article.
At the gun-store I noticed that the carbine is shipped without the bolt handle installed. That makes some sense , it allows for a narrower shipping box, another small way of saving money.
I got it home and was not able to find the bolt handle in the box. I looked in my car, and even though it was after they had closed, I was driving past the gun-store. I stopped to look at the parking lot to see if I had dropped it o the way to my car.
I called Hi-Point customer service. I was quickly connected to a real person. She had me look in the bag with the sling again, it wasn’t there. At that point she quickly offered to send me another one.
In all, the customer was easy to deal with and I was happy. I am not griping about a goof in packaging a $250 carbine.
Would I recommend them? Not the pistols, there are just too many good reasons to not recommend them. As far as the carbines, well, they are ugly beyond compare. Other than that, they seem okay for their price point (where they have no competition). I will recommend their customer service.
I also purchased the 995 carbine, as a companion piece for my CZ75. My box, they forgot the magazine. I guess ours were packaged up on Friday at 4:55 pm, and they were thinking about going home and playing with momma. The point is Hi-Point are American made, and it doesn’t matter if you are the first to own it or the 100th, they fix it, no questions asked.It seems like they are bending over backwards to keep customers happy. They sent me two magazines, instead of the one that was missing.
I have the 995. My first F2F was well after 1000 rounds without cleaning, because the extractor was so dirty it wouldn’t move. Everyone I’ve ever handed it to has been able to get a good group. Ugly, heavy, and I wish the mags held more than 10, but it is TRULY a fun gun all around. I don’t think I’ll ever sell it.
They look cool in cashpat.
My first pistol was the same model. Bought it brand new for about $140. Shot the piss out of it and wasn’t much into cleaning at the time. It always went bang. If it’s your only gun and it’s all you can afford, it’s hard to go wrong with one.
MY Hipoint experience was completely negative. POS 380 wouldn’t feed. Since I’ve had 5 Tauruses that I got to work perfectly(and a KelTec PF9) infer whatever you want. I WOULD buy a Hipoint carbine!
I saw many problems with the.380 pistol myself. The good thing is that you can swap parts to make it a 9mm and that seems to have fixed the problems with that one.
If you’ve had 5 Taurus and a KelTec all be acceptable shooters, then you like to live dangerously, and your number just happened to come up on the Hi Point.
Da problem solver itself hath appeared! Is it chambered in Glawk fowty? Sorry but you WAY overpaid for that gat guy. Those are 150-175 dollar guns new. The only folks chargin more are gun shows and pawn shops.
Of course I overpaid! The salesman was very slick. I also purchased a Jennings J-22 that was ‘very clean’ for more than it was worth. This was from another dealer, but I bet both of them were quite happy to make the extra money off me.
I admire your honesty, if not your negotiation skills…
I like pistol caliber carbines and several years ago I couldn’t find a Keltec sub2k anywhere near MSRP. So I found a Hi-Point 9mm in a pawn shop. It was the old planet of the apes style. Looking it over I saw it had a blown case stuck in the chamber and the last 3″ or so of the barrel was beat to hell. I offered them $25 and they took it. So I took it to the shop and extracted the case, chopped off 3″ of barrel and recrowned it then pinned a 3″ brake to make it legal. I shot the hell out of that thing, probably 2000 rounds over a couple of years and then a chunk of the slide broke off where the firing pin comes through. So I called Hi-Point and asked if I could buy a new slide. Nope was the answer, just send it in. So I explained it’s history and the short barrel etc. Didn’t matter, send it in. So I did. One month later to the day I get it back and the only orgional part was the numbered part of the receiver. They sent new sights that I never had, all new hardware, and an extra mag for my trouble. Cost to me was zip. Yeah they are ugly clunky things but they do shoot great and the company stands behind the product for life.
How awesome is that?
Almost makes me want to get one of those ugly things. Almost.
Sometimes, for “accuracy”, it’s not the working components of the firearm, or the shooter. A more ‘positive-interface’ between weapon and weaponeer helps with where the projectiles hit. Get a $10 Hogue slip-on grip.
Otherwise – nice review. Gun’s a beaut’.
Thanks! I’m glad my review was good. 😃
I can attest to the Customer Service of these fine Americans in Ohio.
Heck, I did back in 2014;
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/12/daniel-zimmerman/gun-review-hi-point-4595ts-pro-carbine/
I still haven’t picked up that nine, but it is now on the short list. So many guns, so little cash.
High Points look like Hugh Grant’s hookers for sure;-)
Cut your fingernails!
Nah, those are his backup weapons! 😀
Indeed. Khajiit claws do extra damage in brawls. 😺
At least they’re pretty clean…
“The reason I got .40S&W was because I believed that it was more powerful than 9mm and had more capacity than .45ACP.”
This was and is still true. Don’t let any of the .40 haters tell you different. The point of argument between those three rounds really comes down what you’re using it for and personal preference. I own more than one gun in all three of those. Because I can.
Word. The .40 simply has more power than the 9 and always will. I carry and shoot both regularly. 9mm has faster follow up and is easier to stock up and practice with, though.
Accur81,
I have heard many people claim that they can shoot a given handgun design/weight faster when chambered in 9mm versus .40 S&W. I have not found that in personal experience. I have compared myself shooting rapid fire at close range and I seem to shoot both calibers just as fast, as far as I can tell.
I did notice something that I believe indicates how/why I shoot both calibers at equal speed during rapid fire:
(1) My rapid fire strings in .40 S&W all group into something like a 7-inch circle.
(2) My rapid fire strings in 9mm are a vertical line starting where I aim — with each subsequent shot roughly 2 inches lower than the previous shot. Thus, if I fired 9 times, my shot string was a vertical line about 18 inches long starting at “center mass” and ending in the pelvic girdle.
What that tells me is that I am “calibrated” to .40 S&W recoil and my hand pulls down just hard enough against recoil to bring the barrel back on target for the next shot. Of course 9mm does not recoil as much so my hand, still pulling down just hard enough for .40 S&W recoil, is actually pulling down too hard for 9mm and my hand thus brings the barrel down a little lower than the previous shot. And that continues until I finish my rapid fire shooting.
Perhaps I would crank-off 8 shots rapid fire in 2.00 seconds shooting .40 S&W and only 1.90 seconds shooting 9mm, which would be imperceptible to me. And while that would mean that I do shoot 9mm faster than .40 S&W, I don’t see how that makes any difference in the real world.
They all suck equally compared to rifle rounds, but you can’t conceal a rifle in your wasteband, so pick whatever is cheapest to practice with. Or don’t. I don’t really care as long as you vote pro2A.
Well, there are a few handguns that shoot rifle calibers, but none of them are pleasent to shoot. By that, I mean you could shoot them a few times at most, then be sore for a week.
I know two people with cracked Hi-Point slides yet they are still loyal Hi-Point customers. Metallurgy is so overrated.
That scratch probably wasn’t a scratch at all. More likely a casting defect.
” if you put a round in the chamber and then close the slide, you must be sure the slide has closed fully. I believe the extractor gets hung up on the edge of the round, instead of sliding over it to engage the groove.”
Stop doing that. It’s not how semi-autos are designed to work, and it’s hard on extractors. Let the slide close and strip a round off the magazine as intended. The cartridge rim then slides up behind the extractor where it belongs.
We call that the “bubba load” down here.
So many memes, so little time. 🙂
I’ve got both the Hi-Point C9 pistol and 995TSRD carbine. Pull the trigger, they go BANG. Each time, every time. Don’t need any more than that. Got high-priced ammo, got cheap ammo, the Hi-Points don’t care. Like I said, BANG every time. My C9, heavy, clunky, ugly as it is, is my normal Open Carry handgun (and being Pennsylvania, nobody cares whether you open carry or not). If I could get used to wearing a six-pound M-1 steel pot on my head in the Army, carrying a C9 on my hip is nothing. The Fobus holster I got for it works fine, too. Would I prefer a $1,000 M-1911A1 instead? Sure I would, but for now my $149 Hi-Point works for me.
There is a vast array of options between a single stack ghetto blaster, and an obsolete single stack fuddgun.
A 1911 is a Fudd gun? Seriously? It may not have the capacity of a new double-stack 9mm, but a 1911 is a lot of gun, and at a grand, it’ll probably be accurate and pretty too. We don’t all need to be mall ninjas with the latest tacticool toys. Mind, I want everyone to be able to have them, but the Fudds seem to want to stick with old shotguns and bolt actions, the 1911 is pretty military.
I say this as someone who owns one, and has shot a decent variety of 1911s.
The 1911 wasn’t even Browning’s greatest handgun. He was working on the hi-power at the time of his death, and it is arguably a much better handgun.
Sure, the 1911 is pretty, and is an interesting gun. I have no problem with them as a collector piece, or target gun, but for an EDC, OC sidearm, they’re vastly outclassed by new guns. There are plenty of non-tacticool modern handguns that aren’t a century old, single stack, and prone to jamming.
Blah Blah Blah gun snob Blah Blah Blah. I don’t venerate the 1911 (heck, I sold mine because I didn’t want to deal with disassembly and maintenance on something designed in 1911. Damn barrel bushing and non-captive recoil spring.). But come on, if someone wants to rock it like it’s 1945 (or 1918, or 1960, or…you get the point) I’m not gonna call them a FUDD. I could care less, if it works for them, so be it. If they start claiming no one could possibly need more than ten rounds or advocating banning semi-autos…sure.
“Prone to jamming” lol.
Thank you for being an example of this trope so it can be corrected. 1911s and ARs are analogous to the PC market. Your product performance directly correlates to the parts you use or the manufacture you buy from. Sure you could buy from Acer, but you’re not going to get the same performance as Lenovo or Alienware. Same-same for 1911s do your research and don’t buy crappy parts. My 1911 eats everything, even supposedly problematic semi-wadcutters.
I can’t resist:
coveteur.com/2015/07/07/hand-model-nail-care-tips/
I’ll look into it. 😁
Nice write up. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! 😊
You mentioned it sees a holster every day. You carry this thing? I have the .40 too and carrying it is out of the question
Ehhh. Yeah, I carry it. Daily. It is heavy and not at all fun to carry, but I make it work.
If youre still on a budget I would look into a Taurus G2C. I’m pretty sure its the only good gun they make although some people say different. Mines had no problems, is a good size for carrying and is only about $200 ($209 at bud’)
I love my G2 Millenium. Traded a PF9 for it because I wanted something a little less painful to shoot. The rear sight screw fell out the first time I took it to the range. It took Taurus 3 weeks to send me another one, but other than that? Eats everything, goes bang every time, good groups, comfortable to shoot, and the stippling on the grip is incredible.
“Of course, it might be because I practice with cheap ammunition, or maybe I just suck.“
I lol’d.
Good write up.
Thanks. I’m pretty sure I could make it shoot much better if I had a bench rest and high end ammo. I might do that when it gets cooler outside.
The hi-point is a brilliant design when you consider that the design goals were low cost and reliability.
This is backed up by customer service that is second to none. No joke.
A friend has 2 hi point carbines in rental rotation at his shooting range. When they got up into the 80,000 round range they started having reliability problems. He sent them back to HiPoint asking for a quote to refurb them. A couple weeks went by and he was getting a bit annoyed that they hadn’t gotten back to him.
Then a couple of days later he got a package with the guns completely refurbished. No charge. I’m talking new internals, new barrel, new springs, pretty much new everything.
As an aside, I got a used one for $80 in 9mm. I thought I’d keep it in my car.
But I really couldn’t stand it. So I sold it. I can afford nicer guns. But it doesn’t change the fact that these things are very reliable and absolutely brilliant for their intended purpose.
I had considered linking to Matt’s video on Demolition Ranch about his Hi-Point JCP, but he destroyed it in a later episode. It’s a great gun, if you can tolerate the aesthetics.
If it’s the vid I’m thinking of, he didn’t destroy it.
He shot at it, hit it where it would destroy any other pistol (on the bolt at the ejection port), and it still fired.
I have to admit, reading some of the comments, I’m struck at the number of people who not only have more money than I do, but seem to take delight in trying to rub it in.
The number of guns I own puts me solidly in the group of “super owners.” Very few are worth more than $600, and most at least $150 under that.
All are reliable. The brands I favor most are Mossberg and Ruger; neither is known for their expensive guns, but they just work.
I have 2 Smiths (one is >$600). They also just work.
The others are various brands that just work.
Most are a joy to shoot. The exception is, believe it or not, my only Glock: a 17G4. It shoots better than my P95, but is uncomfortable to shoot. The trigger guard beats up my middle finger (and I need that finger to drive!). Its trigger is crap (although that can be fixed for only money).
I should mention that my standard of accuracy is ‘minute of perp.’ I used to be better, but old age and too many diagnoses (some of which earned me a handicapped plate) work against me. All of my guns will shoot that accuracy standard.
I don’t have a Hi-Point. But it seems that it would fit in my safe without any shame, as it fits my needs: it’s reasonably accurate, and just works.
The only gun I’ve actually had work done to is my ATI .45 1911. As bought, the beavertail was deadly. I had it replaced with a Les Baer tail and hammer. The whole thing (including the gun) was just over $600. Now, it’s a real pleasure to shoot, and eats anything. (I tell everyone it’s probably one of the dozen or so Philippine guns legally imported into the US.)
Anyway, like I said earlier, those who complain that the Hi-Point offends their sensibilities because it’s ugly and cheap only point out their over-developed sense of self-worth. Ignore their complaints.
This. I don’t have a Hi-Point (looked at the carbines, though), but I admire them for this one reason: there’s a beauty in being willing to say “Screw it, it’s damn ugly but it’s cheap and it works, and if it doesn’t we’ll fix it”. Someone has to make cheap things that work for the masses, and they seem to do it well. I’m an engineer, so I have a soft spot for stuff that’s functional, and that’s all this is. It works, and that’s what really matters.
I think this is great, yesterday’s review was for a $5000 plus pistol and today’s was for a $200 pistol. Both reviewers are happy with their purchases and you can’t beat that with a stick.
I totally agree with you Larry. What amazes me is all the detractors that said the Wilson was too much money and that this Hi-Point is not enough money. Both owners are happy with their choice and were good enough to share their reasons for buying and their experiences in using their guns. I enjoyed reading both reviews.
Larry and Bontai Joe j- Thumbs up to both of you. I just had a private discussion with a friend yesterday who blasted a post I made about a great price for a Sig P320c in 9mm. The typical chest thumping .45 or you’re a fool post. People have to make their personal decisions, be supportive. Respect to both of you for appreciating the reviews for what they are.
My first handgun was a Hi-Point C9. I bought it slightly used for $125 to see if the gun snobs were right about them being junk and I would not be out much money if I didn’t like handguns. It was big, heavy and ugly but also reliable and accurate. I traded it to my neighbor when I got a prettier and lighter “brand name”. 16 guns later, I bought a Hi-Point 995TS carbine that is also dead reliable and accurate. The gun snobs bash cheap firearms without any first hand knowledge of them.
Gralnok. Every swinging dick on this forum has overpaid for a gun or two in their youth. And I’m willing to bet more than one of them got caught up in the panic buying when hillary won the election and maxxed out their plastic for plastic rifles worth half what they paid for them.
I donated a J22 to the Ohio River in a fit of youthful frustration. We’ve all made bad purchases.
The .40 cal is a round that I don’t use. But that’s just cause I’m an old fart and don’t want to invest in new guns and ammo when I already got a safe full. But back during the big ammo drought .40 cal was the only handgun ammo I could reliably find in my area.
And the guys stressing over your nails need to check their gay genes.
Word. I had to sell a couple back myself because I found they weren’t what I wanted (and I spent too much time listening to “experts”), and lost more than what Gralnok overpaid. Live and learn. Though my “panic buy” before the supposed Hillary win was a nice 5.56 at a good price that I still love, and my wife wants to shoot all day. 🙂
Well, the J-22 was an interesting story. The gist of it being that I was toying with the idea of becoming a gunsmith, since I now have several firearms and all need repair. I thought it couldn’t be too hard, right? But to do this, I needed a gun that I wouldn’t care about, if I screwed it up catastrophically. I also had parts from another J-22 (more prior stupidity) and thought that between the two of them, I could make the thing run reliably.
And that’s how I learned that in order to make a gun work, the gun had to have worked in the first place. From what I can dig up, those damn things never ran properly. This new one even slamfired on me when I tried to get a stubborn round to chamber. Maybe it will be valuable one day, but only because of how rare it is. Every other example, either having blown up, or ended up at the bottom of a river.
“Every swinging dick on this forum has overpaid for a gun or two in their youth.”
Yep.
There’s really no other way to learn how to wheel & deal on guns (or dogs, horses, cars, or women) other than getting burned a couple of times.
YEP! I buy and sell for a living as an antique dealer. Didn’t know what gun to get some 7 years ago. And limited by finances. You learn…but I’ll NEVER but another Hipoint pistol( I may get a carbine in 10mm)😄
I think people ought give the Hi Point carbine (either in .45 ACP or 10mm) a fair shake – try one before you buy. You might be pleased. They’re not a “snap shot at 400 yard” sort of carbine, but if you’re looking to dispatch something out to 50+ yards, hey, give it a try. It’ll do minute-of-man at 50 and some.
Every time a tread about “what is a shitty gun?” Or similar comes up, I always rag on my Chiappa 1911-22. Because it is truly a horrible piece of crap.
It was the first gun I ever bought, and I didn’t know enough to know what I didn’t know. Bought it off the internet without ever seeing it in person.
We’ve all been on the wrong side of a smelly stick.
I picked up a c9 for $50 a while ago, it’s as accurate as I am, but mine doesn’t like Tula. Runs brass just fine though. I enjoy taking it to the range and trolling my buddy’s with high end stuff
People say HiPoint guns are heap, not worth the money, crap, etc, etc. Purchased a 45 carbine used at a gun show, gun was abused, not cleaned, just in really poor shape. Put t0 rounds through it. Accuracy was off, jammed, wouldn’t eject shells. Threw in storage, forgot about it, was going through the storage unit one day (3yrs later), and come across the gun. Tried to clean and oil, again, still same problems. Called Hi Point, gave them the history, they said send it back to us. UPS wouldn’t ship, same as with FedEx, was told I had to go through an FFL. You don’t. If going to the factory for warranty repair you can ship via USPS or any shipping company. Gun was. Overed under warranty, replaced complete gun and returned to me via UPS. Serial number on the gun was the same as sent. When they say Life Time Warranty they mean, whether your the original owner or not.
Hi-Point says all their handguns are +P rated, but there is no SAMMI spec for .40 S&W +P. I would avoid any ammo marked .40 S&W +P no matter what gun you have.
Hi-Points are the harbor freight tools of the gun world. They are cheap, and they get the job done well enough… until they break. Then you can bring them back and get them replaced for free.
Well, I personally don’t like Harbor Freight tools, but the analogy is correct. They work fine, and if they break, just send them back for full repairs.
And unlike Harbor Freight, Hi-Point is Made in America.
Wait. You can bring HF tools back when (when) they break?
all in all, a good fair review. we can only do what we can do. a hi-piont is better than a stick so thats all the justification you need.
there are a lot of egotistical pricks on here so you will hear a lot of ” well you should have bought this..” because if we all just listened to guys like kevin, our life could be perfect too.
People rag and rag and rag on Hi Points. But at their price point, they usually function reliably – and for people who don’t have much money, but might need a pistol for home defense, they work. Poor people have a right to keep & bear arms as well, y’all know.
I’ve dealt more with the Hi Point carbines with customers. They’re a little fiddly (and sometimes take some strong fingers) to take apart for cleaning, but for what they are, the carbines are nice little guns. Small, handy, reliable, functional.
Overall, this was a good review; no puffery, no “my gun is better than yours” etc. Pretty straight-ahead and honest.
Thanks! I admit it’s my first review, so I was trying to keep things straightforward. ^_^
A new JCP can be had for $150-$175 so you definitely got handled by that salesman. That said, I have the .45 JHP and .45 carbine and both have been great firearms. I’ve never had a misload or jam. I get great groups at 25 yds with the pistol and up to 100yds with the carbine. And they share the same mag! The carbines don’t look bad once they’re dressed up a bit and mods are relatively cheap. I’ll be doing the AR butt stock mod soon.
Good review. I read all comments. Agreed with most. I have the 9mm carbine. With a table and a sand bag 100 yards is possible. Biggest issue is the VERY large front sight. The comments on the J-22…junk. Traded for a Sterling w/2 mags. And ALL Americans need a firearm. One they can afford, afford to train with (cheap ammo/reloads) When you can afford better trade up. How many of us started with a Poursche?
I have the high point 45 and have enjoyed it for 11 years now. Have put over 500 rounds through it and it is still very accurate at 40 feet away from an 8 inch target. I am only 1 inch from center of the target when I shoot mine.
A JCP was my first centerfire carry-able piece. Saved my life twice, even after laying in a mud puddle for 2 hours it worked right when I needed it to. When you go paycheck to paycheck at below poverty level(<18k) it's nice to have something you know has a high chance of working at your price point. I ran that pistol until it broke(my fault, long-ish story short: out of battery boom, cracked slide and barrel gone), and then I sent in just the frame and received a new off the line replacement. They are made all in house, barrels and all, designed to maximize reliability at the price point, at the lowest price point. I still carry it occasionally, though I now have other options, just because I'm used to how it feels, functions, carries, etc. But it is no longer the go to, it doesn't have to be, I've made it past that point. There is no denying the pure value it serves, I'd pick a hi point over anything else at the price, (a glock at $150? spend twice that fixing it, or it's hot).
I generally hate the look of these guns, but this one I sorta like with the wood grip- has some sort of Blade Runner angle.
All I’ll say about Hi-point firearms is that you can watch a video on YouTube of DemolitionRanch shooting one of them with a 9mm then beating it until the slide racks and successfully empties a mag out of it.
I enjoyed this review. Honest and to the point. Nicely done!
Good review. Described all aspects of the product and drew some conclusions.
It is funny to see all the hate comments. God forbid the poor, unwashed peasants have firearms that they can afford. A lot of you are sounding like Fudds who think the only thing worth shooting is a $30,000 Italian handmade over-under shotgun. Really, why all the hate for Hi-point? They don’t try to pretend to be some high-falutin’ top-shelf brand. They say straight up that they make guns that allow the poor to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights. 100% American owned and manufactured. Impeccable customer-service. They don’t go chasing stupid trends so they don’t have to get loans to expand their business and put their figurative balls in the vice of the financiers like say… Remington. Sure, EVERYONE and his damn dog know that Hi-points are ugly-ass, oversized bricks that sometimes don’t function correctly (but their customer service will ALWAYS fix them, no questions asked.) WE KNOW THAT. So, what is your problem with Hi-point?
I have two of the carbines, the .45 and the 10mm. They are a blast to shoot and suprisingly accurate. You won’t hear me bitching about Hi-point.
Seriously? A review on this POS?
You have no experience with it. Why you running your mouth?
I have the HP .45 version. Had the 9mm carbine, sold it to buy the .45 carbine. Uuuugly, both of ’em. Monolithic, brick-like ergonomics. Also, ridiculously reliable, utterly lacking in ammo sensitivity, share magazines, accurate enough (especially the carbines), and inexpensive. The pistol, carbine, 6 mags, and a Bushnell red-dot for the rifle together cost less than $600. Not too shabby for a home-defense package, I’d say. And yes, I can afford and own many more expensive, “better” guns, but for overall value, gotta say Hi-Point nails it.
Mad props to you. For your first review, it was very solid. But what I respect more was that you were willing to take an unfair bashing. People keep ragging you for how much you paid and you own it, even after you stated so in your review. People bash your fingernails. People bash you for reviewing the pistol. Personally, I learned a lot from reading the review and appreciate the time you took for writing it up and sharing it with us. Thanks!
Thank you! I tried to be informative with my review, and I’m glad you liked it. 😊 I will, however, remember to trim my nails, next time.😅
Hi Points fill a niche. Yes, they’re ugly, ungainly and all of the other negatives you can think of, but what do you expect for a price point (usually) under $200. They’re inexpensive for a reason, and that reason reflects all of the complaints and bad jokes about them. NOOTB, they function, feed a wide array of ammunition (usually, I suspect the authors used purchase had issues before he received it, can you say “someone altered the recoil spring”), and a warranty that is better than some higher end guns. I bought my JCB in .40 for the sole purpose of being a cache gun (I own 600 acres and invite you to dig away). Shot around 6 or 700 rounds through it using Freedom Ammunition 165 gr .40 S&W Remans to break it in. Had exactly Two (2) Failures to Feed in that break in run, both occurred in the first 50 round box. After that, it feed the remaining several hundred rounds with zero issue. Accuracy wise, I suspect the author may have some bad habits (no offense intended) he’s picked up. It’s a fixed barrel weapon, which is the most accurate system out there. It doesn’t move to lock or unlock the breech. Across a rest at 25′, my groups stayed consistently at 2″. If the sights were better, I think I could have tightened that up more. As far as the overall look, the gun reminds me of the old HK VP70. HK’s ugly red headed step child. Except the Hi-Point doesn’t have the trigger from hell like the VP70. Would I carry it on a daily basis? No, but cached it makes a good weapon to get to my other guns. Bottom line is, if someone without a lot of cash asked my opinion, The Hi Point would be on my list of recommended weapons.
My safe is home to 5 Hi-Points,9mm, .40 and .45 pistols, and .40 and .45 carbines. Ugly? Yes. Clunky? Yes, but also reliable. They have their place, and each owner has his own reasons for owning them. I like the fact that the mags are interchangeable between the pistols and carbines, the lifetime warranty. They are easy to operate and novice shooters can learn quickly in a SHTF. They reliably eat all kinds of ammo. In the event they are stolen, I haven’t lost much. If I travel somewhere where I can’t CCW I take one of the pistols and leave it in the truck. If it gets stolen I won’t be happy, but won’t be heartbroken either.
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I have the JHP 45 hi point. I wanted a 45 acp gun and didn’t want to pay $800 for it. Following a You Tube video suggestion I polished the feed ramp. The gun performs much better now. It has the same ammo capacity as a 1911, but cost a lot less. Like any gun the owner needs to learn about it and practice on a regular basis.
I have 2 Hi-Points a C 9mm & a .45 both pistols. I bought them when they first came out, not sure what year ? They NEED ALOT OF WORK TO THEM IF YOU WANT THEM TO BE A SMOOTH NON GRITTY GUN. As in filing, sanding, polishing & some mods. Their reliable BIG TIME AFTER SOME BREAK IN WITHGOUT THESE MODS. BUT I WOULD NEVER CARRY 1.
In my opinion they are a house gun, truck gun or a range gun but if it’s all you can afford carry it. I would trust mine with my life no doubt. The biggest problems I have is WEIGHT, SINGLE STACK MAGS. & JUST THE MASS OF THE GUN FOR HOW MANY ROUNDS IT CARRIES.
I could & do shoot golf balls at 25 yards with both guns NO PROBLEM, RESTED ON A BENCH. Golf balls are on a 2×4 with rounded holes so the balls sit in a cup on top of the 2×4. Mine are more accurate than I am, my 2 S&W 9 MM & .40 WON’T DO THAT ? My S&W revolvers will, 586 4 inch & Mod. 29 .44 Mag. with hand loads at 50 yards. The .44 is scoped 8 3/8 inch barrel but I have to say for the money the Hi-Point pistols I have shoot GREAT WITH STORE BOUGHT AMMO.
Their heavy, ugly, don’t hold many rounds but they shoot every time & customer service, their is none better.
I have a jcp40 I have not had any problems with it shoots every time.My Grand daughter loves to shoot it more than my s.w.9mm
I own Hipoint c9, I shoot it better then, shield I sold, SVDE 9, I sold and I have sw mp 40 that bites my finger like a fire ant…I am trying to sell…my local store has a used hipoint 40 for 99.00 bucks. I just bought it…gun snubs I also own 38 sw wessen 15. Love it, charter arms magpug love it, sig sauer p320 love it, kimber aegis very fun…and carbines and shotguns for skeet, trap…but I really enjoy c9 so picking up a cheap gun to show off …100 yrds with my c9…I am good so get ready friends the brick is coming
Cheap enough for criminal, I MEAN PROFESSIONAL, duty.
Nothing like dogging a cheap functional weapon….I outshot my son in law with my .40 HiPoint. He had a police buy back S&W….really PO’ed him.
Beware the man with one gun…he knows how to use it….
They have their place…have wonderful customer service…are american made…and guess what???…anyone is entitled to shoot what they want…
Atta-boys to Gralnok for the review…
If you love to wear vests? so get this amazing Red Puffer Vest which is a favorite of all girls and it is the most-rated and most selling outfit in our store, shop now because the stock is limited.
I purchased one recently mainly because ammo is really cheap for it averaging $.48 a round. You can also purchase a modified rear rail & Red Dot sight on Ebay for about $36 + S&H. I also watched a dude on YouTube put a JCP through an EXTREME torture test which included shooting the slide with another .40 & it still fired. Needless to say this gun is virtually indestructible.
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