I shot a Highpoint today, HOOAH!

[Sam06]

Well I was at The Range I go to and I got to shoot a highpoint There is no way I would ever think of getting one but I was intrigued. I was shooting and the guy next to me had a high point and a S&W M66. The Highpoint was a 9mm and I asked him if he would mind me shooting it. I had a 50 rd Box of 9mm 115gr WWB in my shooting bag, and proceeded to put some rounds down range. Here is what I found:

1. The trigger is bad but not as bad as some pistols I have shot. lots of creep and stacking but it broke clean when it got around to it.
2. Accuracy was not all that bad for a service Pistol. Say 4" at 25'
3. The controls were very badly positioned and hard to use. The Mag release was worthless. It would not allow rapid engagement.
4. It never missed a beat. I shot 50 rds and the guy who owned it put another 100 rds and not malf of any kind
5. Sights were not very good but I could get a quick front sight flash for combat shooting.
6. It felt like a hammer in my hand. A cheap one very tinny?
7. Ejected brass was fine not at all "Bulged" or warped in any way. Itook the brass home to reload.

I have heard these guns were like a Pinto, death traps, but the one I shot was not all that bad. It was ugly as all get out and it felt like a hammer in my hand but it did shoot. It shot every time which is more than I can say for some high end guns I have shot. I am by no means an expert on highpoints now but I have a working understanding of them. I let the guy who owned it shoot my BHP and he liked it a lot(Thank god) nope we did not trade:barf:

Before anyone thinks I am going out and getting one................Think again. I have about 30 handguns and all are nice guns..That said I am not a gun snob. I "wasted" 50 rds so I could say I have shot one and to see what they are like. Too many people talk bad about guns and don't know anything about them/have never shot the gun in question, just heard on the internet they were bad. This was my chance to shoot a high point and I took it.

Parting shot............I would not have one unless it was that or a eye poking stick but they do run

 

[Erik Prins]

I would probably buy a high point carbine, but not the pistols. I would not criticize someone for buying one of the pistols though. i like that they are cheap so someone who is short on cash but needs a gun can buy one for defense and know it will shoot. the other thing i like about them is that they are bulky and therefore difficult to conceal, i dont like cheap ccw guns, but i am all for cheap guns in general

 

[jon_in_wv]

I think they are the ugliest monsters ever produced and I can't imagine buying one BUT several of my friends have them and they all work great for them. If its all you can have its certainly better than nothing.

 

[Te Anau]

3. The controls were very badly positioned and hard to use. The Mag release was worthless. It would not allow rapid engagement.

I've never had a problem with my compensated 9X19.

5. Sights were not very good but I could get a quick front sight flash for combat shooting.

They're as good or better than most factory sights IMHO.

7. Ejected brass was fine not at all "Bulged" or warped in any way. Itook the brass home to reload.

I wouldn't expect anything less.

 

[Sam06]

My hands are kind of big and I found that I really had to bend back my thumb to get to the mag release. The "Thumb rest" on the grip interfered with the mag release for me. But like I said the darn thing shot and shot and shot. After reading all the bad stuff about High points on the internet forums I was expecting the thing to blow up in my hand and any moment It really was not all that bad a gun IMO.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I've thought about getting one for the gun and ammo that's stored away for emergencies. What the heck, it's cheap and it works. But then I was told that used Glocks can be found for not much more. I'd definitely opt for the Glock. I've been thinking about the carbine with an ATI stock, though......

 

[ElectricHellfire]

I also would not consider ever buying a HP pistol, however, I own the 9mm carbine. I gussied it all up to look a lot like the Beretta Storm. It shoots great I just wish it had higher cap mags.

 

[chris in va]

It never missed a beat. I shot 50 rds and the guy who owned it put another 100 rds and not malf of any kind

That surprises you? They're quite reliable, if crude.



I kid, that's an HK.

 

[hightower]

i bought one as my first gun on an impulse cause i saw it sitting in the case for just over a hundred bucks. asked the clerk what the deal was, he pulled an article from a gun mag that reviewed them. I read it over it basically had the same points as the op. I said what the hell and bought it. it was a brick, it had some rattle, was good about to 20 yards. i actually kick myself for selling it to my buddy for about what i paid for it.......only because it works everytime and if it ended up at the bottom of the ocean i wouldn't feel the need to jump in and try to get it back. its a good gun for toting in the outdoors when you know the guns going to be at risk for corrosion or worse. if i saw another for a hundred or less i'd probably jump on it

 

[Jacks]

never fired one...but

At the gun shop I frequent, I couldn't help but notice the price...and how big and ugly they were. The 9mm and the 380 were the same size.

The disappointing thing to me was the small magazine capacity for such a large gun. I might spring for the 45 if it comes up there...but the size and looks alone are enough to kill it for me...but I do hear they are reliable.

 

[lanternlad]

Hi-points have straight blowback actions, which is why they are so reliable. It is also why they are so big. Ever wonder what a straight blowback 9, 40, or 45 would look like? Well, now you know.

 

[madmag]

Hi-points have straight blowback actions, which is why they are so reliable.

Are you sure on that point? I do not know first hand, but it's hard to believe that HI-points do not use locked breech for 9mm and above. The recoil spring must be hard as heck to operate.

Wait: I stand corrected. I just read about their operation, it is blow-back. You learn something new every day....but they are big and ugly.

 

[ISC]

yes they are blowback operated. They manage that because of the large mass of the slide, not a stiff spring. It is why they are so top heavy and bulky.

Virtually every first and second generation SMG use big bolts and blowback operation too.

 

[madmag]

yes they are blowback operated.

I got in late with my answer above. You are correct.

 

[dougbull]

high point

I have owned 5 high point hand guns. yes they are ugly. But you know what? They ran just as good as my ruger,taurus,smith+wesson, at a fraction of the price. Oh and life time warranty.

 

[gregjc9]

The gun may be ugly, but it's performance isnt.

 

[madmag]

Hi-points have straight blowback actions, which is why they are so reliable.

OK, now I agree Hi-Points have blow-back actions. But just to be nitty gritty, I have never seen anything that indicates to me that blow-back actions are more reliable than locked breech. I have owned and do own blow-back actions. I know in theory they look like they should be more reliable, but the tilting barrel on the common type locked breech actually may help loading reliability. Of course there are other types of locked breech like the rotating bolt, or the Luger scissors type actions. Many (not all) .380's are blow-back, but again I have never had the impression they were more reliable than the locked breech versions.

Of course all of the above are my impressions and could be totally or partially wrong.

 

[vranasaurus]

They are the ugliest gun I have ever seen but every thing I hear is that they shoot. Would I buy one? Probably not, but I won't knock others for doing so.

From everyhting I've read it would seem to me that a high point is like that ugly girl you take home because..... Ya'll can fill in the rest.

 

[Sam06]

gregjc9, Thats goooooood shoootin! Not bad at all. My target looked about like that but it was at 25'.

Like I said they sure do shoot. But man they are ugly

 

[JohnPaul]

Hey I like mine

I bought my daughter one cuz it was only $119, I was really surprised.
It is surprisingly accurate and reliable, easy to load it, rack it, and fire it. It is a huge block of metal and plastic and it sucks to take apart, but we often bring it to the range and everyone enjoys it. To clean it, I just turn it upside down blast it with cleaner than air than oil than air again - seems to do the trick.