hi point pistol, a project in need of advice and resources

[Duzell]

as it states i was looking into the hi points, i was either going to go with the c9 or the .45, recommendations or pros and cons vs these two would be nice.

Please, don't just say to get another pistol, or say how bad they are, I don't want to here it, because all I'm interested is in the topic and finding good resources for this next project, thank you.

Please heed this request. JohnKSa

i know a few people make aftermarket grips. i mainly do projects on guns that transform them into something else, improving, customizing, adding on parts. so id like to see what available paths are out there and what way i need to design this project to be suited towards those who have them and make it easy to note how and why i make modifications, so its easy to follow, or so people can ask questions or make recommended improvements.

pistol wise, i own a 1911 match gun, an XD, a ruger revolver, a ruger snub nose, a S&W revolver.

so i now need a side arm i can play with as the others are kept standard. so i settled on the hipoint due to its cheap price.

[Garycw]

The 9mm to me a better choice. The .40&.45 frames are too big.this is a 9mm I have.

[Duzell]

thats what i was thinking looking at the design, i have 40,45 pistols already, but no 9mm pistols(so time for a variety), and while i have you here

- how much ammo is the standard magazine capacity?
- how is the loading of a standard mag vs a aftermarket?(would you recommend a brand for magazines?)
- how does it fit in a holster? does generic work or is a specially fitted one needed?

Just wanted to point this out, im not really worried about the weight, as ive heard complaints on this. i have three big revolvers, so a heavy semi isnt going to be an issue with me.

[osbornk]

I have the C9 and it has performed well. I have both the 8 shot and the 10 shot magazines from Hi-Point. You can get a lot of information from the Hi-Point forum at http://www.hipointfirearmsforums.com/forum/index.php

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Tough for me to call this one. I love them all for their differences.

I sold my .40 lately to make room for a new addition and have yet to choose the new addition.

I have owned the 40 and the 9mm as well as shot the 45.

The 40 has more kick and penetrates more than the 45 and expansion on the hp is to about .68" vs the .75" of the 45.

If you ever dare to carry you would want to go with the 9mm as previously mentioned the 40 and 45 are way to large.

Personally I like the 40 for a range gun because the ammo is much cheaper.

So for range I would say the 40.

As for Home defense, I am stuck between the 40 and 45 but lean to the 40 for it's penetration which comes in handy for drywall and door penetration.

Hope this helps!

[guncheese]

the factory mags dont cost very nuch
in fact ive seen them cost less than the after market that dont work!
as i here even the factory 10rnd dont work as well as the 8rnd
i can buy the stockers for $16 in the shop downtown
i have a JHC on the list for the next month or 2
ive had a C9 for 15 years

[Duzell]

thanks for the input.

im again, not sure of what ill get yet, i like the 9 mm look, but for functionality the 40 seems to do good for a defense gun.

im not sure how i should aim this project , tactical, defense, distance, ect. mainly im trying to decide what setup would be helpful if it succeeds, and is something that would be useful

[dgludwig]

Adding a nice set of adjustable sights might be one way to "customize/improve" a Hi-Point pistol.

[Duzell]

maybe i should do it as a distance shooter/tactical ??

[Garycw]

Originally Posted by Duzell

- how does it fit in a holster? does generic work or is a specially fitted one needed?

The uncle mikes or Blackhawk work fine or some other generics. You'll just need the one specified on the uncle mikes holster finder chart and if you plan on using a laser or not.

[4runnerman]

A friend of mine has the 45. We have put more rounds down that thing then I can count. Never a glitch yet. He did say when it was new it did have a few hickups. Now to the point. The thing is more accurate than i imagined. As one said-the 45--need a big hand for it. I would go with the 9 myself. It's a great conversation piece at the range. People will try jam it ,limp wrist it ect ect,but it goes bang everytime. I will go against all else and say this- After what we have done and put down the barrel- If my life was in question High point would be the choice. Now if i was in a clean enviroment and knew it was never going to get dropped or thrown around or run over or muddy, abused ect, Maybe then I would look at a kimber or something., Ugly yes,heavy yes, can be used as a blunt object yes. Come a life threatning point,Rest assured the the High Point is going to work.

[Duzell]

-not sure if i should go with a laser or a flash light or a combo, i have one on my XD as thats my defense gun and it works fine.

-im sure the weight is a way to reduce rise while firing, such is the case with my revolvers. As they are designed to be heavy to keep the barrel more stable, as more mass takes more energy to move.

-i personally like the look of the high point, and i will most likely go with the 9 mil C9.

-warranty wise, ive noted that if a hi point had a glitch it was fixed when shipped back to them, and on return you get another magazine and a working pistol, along with great customer support. So personally it seems worth it to me to try, if nothing else i keep returning it, and get magazines for it. and that would also be noted in the porject thread.

-so far as most of my projects work, ill get one take it to the range and test it out as is, and try to get good with the stock sites. once i feel ive gotten experienced with firing and shooting it to a good group. i will start modifications to fix or alter any points i note are an issue, and note them with pictures or video.

[Garycw]

The laser HiPoint sells is good and reasonably priced. I bought mine that way 10+ years ago with it, compensator and extended mag grip I believe for $179. All factory installed. It was called the competition model . I've used it quite a bit and amazingly the battery is still good and lights every time with the pressure pad.

[Duzell]

ooh very interesting i did not know about that model
that seems like a better platform to start with, any issues or gimmicky things you can note?

[Garycw]

Originally Posted by Duzell

ooh very interesting i did not know about that model
that seems like a better platform to start with, any issues or gimmicky things you can note?

No, everything works and fits together perfect. You just have to get the holster for the model with laser. That holster also has the built in extra mag pouch too

[+1k ammo]

My c9 is great. Fairly new but very reliable and accurate. I put ghost ting site that came in box. But that's it.
I looked for new grips but didn't find much. Also heard of aluminum trigger but couldn't find online.
I think these two would make very nice addition to the gun.

[Duzell]

Grips
yes, i have read in a few places, that talked about extra grips for the hi points, this seems like it would be more cosmetic modification to customize the look rather than performance. how are the current grips vs any modified grips?


Trigger

ive only seen one site that talks about a trigger swap, and it was a custom job. did not see anything about performance , would be nice to know if it helps.

-maybe i should make it custom to stand out, i know another popular thing to do is to fill in the lettering and etchings

[dave9969]

I have owned the C9 and the carbine in 9mm
as stated above ugly yes! reliable? hell yes
does the c9 look like a cheap power drill? yeah kinda
can you bury the power drill soak it with mud an it still work? NOPE the hi point will though, every damn time, its just much too ugly to die that easily.

they have amazing customer service as well, so they make up for the looks by having a great personality!
If that is what you can afford, get one. You can not go wrong with it. Now having said this, customized? Uhm probably not a lot of options much like there were no sport options on a Yugo. Cheap is cheap, and rarely gets decked out in bling like a thousand dollar gun would. Factory seems to be the place to get most or any thing for them.

[Garycw]

Haven't seen too many options for pistols. The carbines have quite a few though.

[Aguila Blanca]

Just get the 9mm. AS someone posted early in this thread, the .40 and .45 are MUCH larger, bulkier, horribly balanced pistols. Their primary use for home defense would be as a blunt object to beat an invader into submission.

The 9mm (and the .380, which is the same gun) is a pretty decent pistol.