Mansfield, Ohio–based Hi-Point Firearms finds itself the butt of many a joke in the gun world. However, considering the brand openly sets out to offer “the most gun for the dollar,” Hi-Point does deliver, and many who bad mouth them have never shot one or worked with their excellent customer service team.
We’ve had our hands on a few Hi-Point firearms over the years — enough to know our way around the brand, and overall, we’ve been impressed with their performance and reliability. Say what you want about the aesthetics, their guns (which include low-cost polymer frame pistols and carbines in 380 ACP, 9mm, 40 Smith & Wesson, and 45 ACP) generally go “bang” when you want them to, include a lifetime warranty…all at very affordable prices.
A Hi-Point pistol or carbine may not have the best trigger or the largest magazine capacity (Hint: they don’t), but the money saved versus, a Beretta, Glock, Kel-Tec, Kimber, Sig Sauer, Winchester, Remington or Ruger, directly translates into your ability to buy ammo and range time to practice.
So, here are the three best Hi-Points we’ve seen (The Good), the two worst (The Bad), and one that’s just plain ugly.
The Good:
Hi-Point 4595TS Pro Carbine
Hi-Point’s .45 carbine may be the company’s best offering at $275. The iron sights stink, so a red dot would be a help, but it’s reliable and tough, and it’s become a favorite option for home-defense purposes since its release. Here’s our full review.
Hi-Point JCP40 Pistol
This gun exists so that pretty much anyone can afford to own a handgun. At a sticker price of only $157.10, it ain’t pretty, it’s not particularly accurate, and it’s not fun to shoot — but this Hi-Point JCP IS a reliable, very functional blowback-operated handgun. Here’s our full review.
It’s awkward. It’s heavy. Some people think it’s homely. But this Hi-Point carbine is also perfectly reliable and accurate enough to maximize the ballistic capability of the 10mm round. In short, in what matters most. The Hi-Point 1095TS Edge 10mm Carbine gets the job done and does it for roughly $380. Here’s our full review.
The Bad:
As much as we’d like to say Hi-Point 9mm Luger pistols are reliable — and they generally are — this one just didn’t stand up to that basic standard when we put it to the test. Our reviewer couldn’t make it go “bang” every time he pulled the trigger, which lands it among the worst CCW 9mm pistols we’ve reviewed.
The Ugly:
Yes, we named this semiautomatic carbine (available in regular camo as well as pink camo) as one of our favorites in the price range. Yes, it’s pretty much the same thing as Hi-Point’s .45 ACP carbine mentioned above. That said, Nick’s supreme displeasure with the shooting experience — despite the reliability and accuracy — merits acknowledgement as well. And, particularly in the pink Muddy Girl finish, this is a carbine even a lot of mothers couldn’t love.
If you have FAQs about the company’s products, check the link below:
Hi-Point Firearms: keeping gangs and wife beaters in business since 1992.
Because keeping poor people defenseless is the right thing to do, right?
GTFO.
I am 68, retired military. I own 2 hi-point pistols, one 9 and one 45. never a glitch of any sort and as accurate as anything I’ve ever fired. They are heavy but, to repeat an old movie line, “grow stronger”.
Thought that one up all by yourself?
Ed Harrison, no your wife lustfully uddered it to me under pounding, throbbong conditions
“In short, in what matters most.”
not to mention.
Hi-Point pistol: The gun that keeps single moms, grandmothers and senior citizens from being victims.
Prove it.
I’ve never met a single mom, grandmother or senior citizen* who owns a Hi-Point. But I have read hundreds of crime reports where the perp was packing one.
*unless that senior citizen was into guns and had many other brands as well.
Not our fault you live in a bubble. I know a lot of folks who own them, and they’re rural blue collar folks. Stop being an ass with your stereotypes.
‘Bearpaw’ revels in being an ass. Let it keep on doing what it does best…
I’m a vet. and partially parapalegic and in a special wheelchair made just for that. I own a Hi – point 40, and I have had NO PROBLEMS WITH IT!! IF I CANT SHOT-EM, I CAN DAmn sure throw it at them.
This very website reported on an African-American mother in Detroit who used a Hi-Point carbine to defend herself and her children from three home invaders.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/02/robert-farago/defensive-gun-use-day-detroit-mom-wields-assault-rifle-edition/
Check and mate. Lol
If I’m not mistaken, I believe HiPoint even sent her a brand new one because hers was getting rusty
I’m 62, which qualifies me as a senior citizen most places and I own a Hi Point in .40 S&W.
I have a Hi point 45 acp. I never had a problem with. I keep clean and well oil
I have one of those C9’s … bought it 15 years ago for $100 at a show. Shot it once at the range. It’s sat since. But it does sit on top of my refrigerator, loaded, as a ‘just in case’ gun. Need to get that to the range again to see if it does go bang.
I got one of those too.. Got it back around 2005 and still have it… It’s only to plick though.. It constantly jams if I try to fire more that a couple rounds to fast… It’s a “nice and slow” fire kind of weapon.
I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT THE BEGINNIG, I found myself discouraged and thought that I had made a horrible purchase. I’m in California so I had to pay extra for the requirements of owning one in California But still .$ cheap and affordable. the money I sank into my h-p 9mm and my kids advise made me believe that it needed to be broken in. whammo! w/ more ammo!
after I fired over 600 rounds the double feeds and jams slowly went away ! and now I can honestly rely on it for home defense. its deadly accurate at 75+ ~ 100 yrds. I already own a ar-15 . but this is so much fun to take to the indoor and open gun range. I would love to own a 45cal hi-point carbine. Look forward to that moment.
I had the bad and currently have the ugly. I couldn’t disagree more with the assessment. I bought the ugly because the bad worked so well. The ugly has never malfunctioned in any way and never fails to go bang. How the identical carbine in a different caliber is good and the other is bad is beyond my simple mind.
I second this. Three identical rifles in three different (but similar) calibers are the good, the bad, and the ugly?
Ranking on Hi-Point seems to have become something of a fetish among certain gun people. I’ve had several including C9s and carbines. They’ve all functioned fine, which is more than I can say for certain”high end ” firearms. The pistols in particular are heavy, clunky, but go bang when you want them to and the accuracy was acceptable to good. They are what they are, firearms for people on a tight budget. Just FYI, I own a number of name brand guns as well. Hi-Point has, without a doubt, the best customer service I’ve encountered.
My dad (a very senior citizen) has a couple Hi-Point carbines as home defense weapons. He’s added red dots and lasers for decent, minute-of-bad-guy accuracy, and I think he kinda enjoys trying to get the laser to sync with the red dot. I enjoy firing them at the range, especially the 9mm, as it’s report isn’t much more than a “pfft, pfft, pfft” when fired around the other rifles and pistols at the range. He has a nice Aeroprecision AR-15 too, plus a no-name AR and some Ruger pistols, as well. I mockingly liken the Hi-Point rifles to the rifles carried in the Planet of the Apes movies. I don’t think dad has had any problems with the rifles’ reliability or accuracy. I’ve contemplated the 10mm version, just to have one, but then think about having to have 10mm ammo around just for that rifle.
I own the JCP40. It was my first pistol. Originally for home defense, practicing with it instilled in me a true love for the shooting sports.
I’m getting close to 71 years old (less than one month to go). My carry handgun is a Hi-Point C9. I pull the trigger, it goes BANG. I also have a 995TS carbine. Again, I pull the trigger, it goes BANG.
Oh, I occasionally run a rag through the barrel and give the innards a blast of air.
My Hi-Points work. They’re not pretty. They rattle when you shake them. They’re heavy. And they work.
You must have one helluva belt to carry a boat anchor every day
I have suspenders for my belt.
I wear a belt and suspenders, got to have it both ways.
I had the 9mm carbine , back in the days when they were legal in N.Y. I think it was around 25 years ago. It was as others have described , heavy & ugly looking. As I recall it did go bang when I pulled the trigger. A Hi-Point in hand , is better than nothing in hand.
Part of the joy of owning a Hi-Point carbine is being able to people that it’s so deadly, it’s illegal in three states.
I had some fun with mine, sold it and moved on. It’s a perfectly capable thug stopper if that’s all you can afford.
I’d buy a HP carbine. Had a 380 pistol that NEVER ran. It made the Keltec. PF9 and several Tauruses I’ve had seem like gazillion dollar gats in comparison…
Wife loved the 10/22, but not enough stopping power, Wife really liked the 62 pump copy in 22mag, getting there. Wife hated the 16 and 20 gauge, oh well. Got that pink camo thing in 9mm for her, she loves it! Inside of 50 yards she can put 10 147hp’s center mass before you can say “The cats meow”
My personal experience with hi point covers a C9 that was a jam-o–matic POS and a 995ts that was worth every penny.
I’ve fired a couple carbines, and they were pretty unexciting, but worked. I can’t recall firing one of the pistols, but I’ve handled them a bunch. The need of a tool to disassemble is my only issue with them.
They are heavy and clunky. These are not a hiding gun, they are obvious and tell the perp that you are armed. My wife is a dead shot with it, but prefers a smaller handgun. If bangers carried these, it would always be obvious that they were carrying, but I would think that most bangers would get something a little more CCW friendly.
I would buy one for any relative that needs protection, it is big enough with a real grip to point and shoot. A firm grip (easy with this gun) will keep from stovepipes from limp wristing. This is a great self protection handgun for someone that will only go once to the range to get handgun 101 training. The early ones might have had some problems, the later ones(after the Hi Point name) are pretty much idiot proof. Fire a few mags through it, if no problems, put it away as your go to protection at home.
This is the VW of firearms, it will shoot when the trigger is pulled, not a lot of style, but it does the job. How many Kimbers are that reliable out of the box?
Never understood the dissing of Hi-Point. I have the .45 carbine and the .45 pistol.
About the only criticism I could render considering the price and the warranty, is that the pistol is a little heavy and the carbines have the bolt handle on the wrong side.
I corrected the bolt handle position without a problem and it works fine. Nothing I can do about the weight of the pistol but considering it’s .45 that’s probably a good thing.
Not looking for concealability.
As to how Pretty they do or do not look: Do you folks really buy a firearm on it’s LOOKS?
I don’t have a problem with people owning hi points, and I think it’s great that a gun that inexpensive is available.
What I do have an issue with is when hi-point owners get on forums and bleat “it can do everything a Glock or M&P does! You overpaid!” Because no, they can’t. Your average striker fired pistol carry’s nearly twice the round count of a hi- point, has a much lower bore axis, can be concealed, has an infinitely better trigger, is more accurate, and is more reliable overall. There’s a reason military and police don’t carry them. So carry it, love it, you’ll get no grief from me. But if you (not you specifically, just in general) come at me with that crap I’ll smack you down, or meet you at a range and run any scenario of your choice.
I could not have said it better.
If you do not or cannot spend for a better gun, at least it’s something. That being said, take it to a class or run it through a little competition and it’s shortcomings will quickly become apparent.
I sure don’t want a classic 1911 or collectible going in to be “evidence” which may or may not be returned. The Hi-Point is the perfect sacrificial gun
I keep an old , cheap 9mm Astra for the same reason. Losing your Wilson Combat 1911 for a year or two would suck.
Or, spend good money on a good gun and never have to worry about it.
https://www.salientarmsinternational.com/pages/terms-and-warranty
For the price their not bad. Would I trust my life to one ,,, No. I’ve repaired a few of them, and not taking anything away from HiPoint there is a few things I would change on the design of the c9 with a minimum of cost that would make it less prone to failure. . A spring for a bushing, wtf. And how about a dab of epoxy on the piece of metel in the grip panel that press’s against the trigger bar , for starters
I polished the feed ramp on my Hi Point 45 pistol. Its recommended on by many on You Tube. I did and getting rid of the paint from the feed ramp really improved the performance. I put a laser on my. After market rail mount are available. Its REALLY fun to shot with a pistol mounted laser!!!
BTW
Poor people need guns too.
https://www.nraila.org/articles/19991006/selective-disarmament-no-guns-for-the
I think “they” are working hard to put a stop to that poor people with guns .
it has nothing to do with looks
*as bad as they are*
it has everything to do with the fact that just like any pcc the hipoint carbine is as big and unwieldly and heavy as a rifle but doesnt do anything as good as a rifle
simply put if it requires a rifle case to take it to the range it should do what a rifle does
which it doesnt
its not even debatable
its a pistol caliber carbine ergo its inherently and fundamentally flawed inasmuch that its really a rifle thats best suited for the pistol range
the closer the ratio of the cost of a pcc to an msr gets to 1 the less sense the pcc makes
and at the end of the day thats how most folks are going to see this
I agree for the most part. Cost being equal, a PCC is inferior to a MSR.
But cost isn’t equal. 300$ for a HiPoint vs 600$ for an MSR. For that much of a difference it may not be worth it.
An important reason a PCC can be so cheap is the action. It isn’t a locked breach and as such can be made of cheaper materials. I think PCCs should be far more common and accepted in the POTG circles. Why? They can be made so cheap. 300$ for a blowback gun is obsurd. It likely cost HiPoint less than 100$ to make. If we all stopped complaining one thing is so inferior it’s not worth having and forced competition on the PCC market the cost would drop like MSRs did (1000 for a cheapie to 600). Imagine that. Cheap rifles even a 95 year old poor veteran could afford.
I got raised with the idea that if you own a pistol, then you should also own a carbine that shoots the same round. I’ve got three pistols that shoot .45 and a JRC carbine in .45 but this post
https://www.alloutdoor.com/2019/03/11/hi-point-barrel-contained-35-bullets-didnt-explode/
convinced me to look into getting a Hi-point.
I own both the 9 and the 99ts. Purchased the C9 about 6-7 years ago, the TS a couple years later. Both are great, the carbine being my favourite. I love having a rifle and pistol that use the same magazine. Over 500 rounds through the TTS and only one ftf issue, and it was actually a squib fire.
Got the hydrodipped $100 bill c9 cause I am straight up rural Kentucky gangsta. On a serious note, the ergonomics suck. As far as the weight, reliability, and accuracy I have no complaints at all.
I bought the 9mm carbine and not nearly as impressed with that. From everyone talking, you would think they are great but there is no way I wouldn’t throw down the extra $ for a Ruger with glock mags.
Cons: iron sight was WAY off
Charging handle fell off, will not stay screwed in
Springs in stock, wtf?
10 round capacity (20 with redball)
Looks like crap, feels like crap, shoots like crap, malfunctions too often.
Not to be callous, but no wonder the columbine shooters got tired quickly after lugging around that POS.
If Hi-Point could just enter the 21st Century and offer a double stack magazine, particularly for the carbines, that would help.
A 10mm carbine that took G20 mags? I would buy one tomorrow, and I don’t even own a G20!
Hey people I have a c9 and the 995 never had a problem with them. I have over one Thousand rounds thru both and still take them to the range. I can think of two firearm companys that have Recalls, one of the hand guns goes off when it’s dropped and the other has trigger problems No one is raging them. LOVE MY HIGH POINT.
I have a 995TS. It is heavy, about the same as an AK and has about the same recoil, which is obviously a bit much for 9 mm, although not really much. It is the first gun I purchased. For $250 back when entry level AR’s were $750, not all that long ago, and the Ruger carbine did not exist, and it still is a keeper. Yes, it only carries 10 rounds at a time. But it is very accurate at 50 yards, 8″ group accurate at 100 yards, all with the iron sights and the cheapest Russian ammo. Mine carries a laser zeroed at 25 yards and matching the iron sight. For shorter distances up to 50 yards,, such as one might find in the city or suburbs, if you have only $250 to spend, and you don’t want a shotgun, it is fine for home defense. I just wish it had a threaded barrel, or could be threaded easily. Importantly, whether you have $250 for the HiPoint or $500 for the Ruger, you can practice at most pistol ranges with these rifles, something you cannot do with an AR or AK or shotgun.
My C9 goes bang every time and is a hell of a lot more accurate than my G43.
I think the carbine would be a damn fine home defense weapon for people on a budget, and for people new to shooting.
I liken the people who slam Hi-Point for simply existing to the people who supported the 1968 Gun Control Act. A bunch of Fudds more than likely, who didn’t see the need for a “Saturday-Night Special”, so they didn’t think anyone else needed one, either. Hey, sounds a lot like the Fudds of today in regards to modern sporting rifles!
I recently purchased an older 4095 carbine and am completely happy with it. It has been completely reliable with everything I have fed it so far. One of these reasons I wanted this carbine in 40S&W was the significant improvement in ballistics because of the 16.5″ barrel. No, its not 10mm strong, but still delivers 750+ ft-lb of energy with a 180 gr projectile. It is more than up to the task for home defense use. Mine came with a laser mounted to the barrel which makes it easy to know where your round will be going. For me, the reliability is the first priority, ergonomics second, cost third, and looks a distant fourth.
I had a C9 that was absolute junk. The only thing a hi point is good for is to have one without your name attached, so if you shoot some scumbag you can plant it in his dead hand. And lifetime warranties don’t mean shit when your life is on the line.
While I don’t have anything for or against the C9, can you re-review it with an unbaised reviewer? Shotzberger’s review was shitty 7 years ago, and it hasn’t improved with age. The brick and slide bite photos prove that he’s either dumber than the brick he’s holding, he’s got some idiot axe to grind, or he’s making jokes for internet points.
at the very least, you could include the counter point review you published:
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/11/daniel-zimmerman/counterpoint-kevin-smith-reviews-the-hi-point-c-9/
If the gun shoots reliably and isn’t a danger to the person firing it, then it is a good gun, whether it is 100$ or $10,000
I’ve owned the C9 and the 9mm Carbine. The C9 shot reliably, and the Carbine, although it shot reliably, was difficult to sight in with the iron sights. Plus, the nerd in me did not like how difficult it was to disassemble them. They were great beginner guns, and they gave me a home defense/plinking option for very little cash, at a time when everything I did was subsidized by student loans.
Now I own many many many more guns, and I would rather spent 100$ on components than on a gun like a HiPoint. HiPoint had a part in my becoming a “gun guy”, but at this point in my life I wouldn’t pay for one. Not necessarily because there is anything wrong with them, but because every gun I own has a purpose, and a HiPoint in my collection would not have a job.
The magazines remain the biggest shortcoming. The carbines just aren’t viable with single stack mags that don’t feed.
More reliable than the 1911s I constantly see jamming during competitions
Well all I can say Boo Who? who cares what a person can and can’t afford. I had a new Glock 2 years and it started acting up. Had my c9 5 years before that and it still goes bang. a got rid of the glock and still have the C9 and it’s still going Bang. Ive seen good named brand and I’ve seen Bad Hi Points. Just Practice with what ya have and don’t worry about fancy or a Brick.
I own a hi-point model 4595 45 caliber carbine. The charging handle is locked to the rear. How can I un -jam it?
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