Hi Point handguns?

Kel-Tec has made the decision to not sell guns in CA, so that isn't a choice.

If you want a dependable firearm, I would suggest either a used .38spl revolver or a used shotgun for home defense. They will last longer than any Hi-point and will be more accurate in the self-defense ranges that you will need them for.

Even if Hi-point has great customer service, having the pistol fail on you right when you need it most isn't going to be of any help.
 
"Even if Hi-point has great customer service, having the pistol fail on you right when you need it most isn't going to be of any help. " +1

If you are living close to your neighbors get a 12 gauge shotgun and load with smaller shot. There is less chance of a round going through your wall and wounding or killing one of your neighbors.

If you get a pistol, the defensive rounds (i.e. Hornady critical defense) have been designed to penetrate several layers of clothing and most of the BG. This includes the .380. The 9, 10 , or .45 will hit harder but the .380 is viable.

A double action revolver is a good choice. In the event of a misfire, if you have a live round in the next chamber, it will be available just by squeezing the trigger. There is a lot of .38 ammo around for practice and the .357 has more power than the 9mm (round for round).

If your wife might be pressed into using the weapon determine what she is most comfortable with. Make sure you have some sort of signal so she doesn't cap your a**.

Also...practice.
 
I picked up a C9 from a co-worker and gifted it to my son.

We had no expectations, other than hey, it's cheap, if it sux I didn't spend a lot.

It's ugly, it's awkward looking, and it's heavy for what it is.

And it goes bang, every time.

My son can out-shoot me with it. We took my XD-40 to the range along with his C9, and he made me look bad -- shooting one-handed at cans out past 30 yards.

I tried it and found it surprisingly accurate. I don't know what I was expecting, but cans and plastic bottles at 30 yards, off-hand, was better than I figured.

Now, that said . . .

The cheapest 9mm in our safe is a Taurus PT111, a sub-compact polymer pistol that my wife picked out for herself. It cost just over $300.

I shoot it more accurately than the Hi-Point, it's lighter, and it's more comfortable. It is also a 100% shooter with every kind of ammo I've run through it. Cheap stuff, mostly, but it all fed and went bang.

For another hundred bucks (just over $400) I also have a Taurus PT911, an all-metal compact 9mm. Nice balance, good action, points naturally, and it's more accurate than I am.

I have one other 9mm, a Kahr P9, but that's very much not a "cheap" pistol. Cost me the better part of $600, but I have been amazed at how accurate it is and how little felt recoil there is considering its size.

Oh -- if you want to keep recoil (felt recoil) down, then avoid small, lightweight revolvers. They are hard to shoot accurately, and they can be hard on the hands.

Featherweight autos, like the Kel-Tec PF9, are also on the "snappy" side for felt recoil.

If you want to have fun shooting it and enjoy putting rounds down-range, then a slightly heavier pistol will soak up more of that recoil.

The Hi-Point C9 does a good job of soaking up recoil. So does the Taurus PT111 (don't ask me how, it just does).

If you're on a tight budget and just want to get started and developing basic pistol skills, the C9 will let you do that.

Meanwhile, save your nickels for a better quality piece, so that when you have a bit of experience, you can afford to get a suitable pistol for your next level of refinement.

 
for my lovely wife, with arcane ammo any target will be neutralized
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Thanks for the lively discussion...
I've shot .38 spl rounds out of a .357 magnum snubnose before, it's fine but I'd rather have a semiauto.
I've decided to listen and expand my search out to some used Ruger P95 or S&W Sigma 9Ve... Someone closeby is also letting go of a Taurus PT145 for a pretty good deal I might go after...
 
knifenut1013 said:
Hi-point is garbage don't waste your money and possibly put your life in danger with that junk. I have the carbine and have shot one of the pistols (looked like a space weapon) and wouldn't recommend either to my enemy. My carbine jams more than fires and might as well close your eyes when it does shoot because accuracy was obviously not the main goal.
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:thumbup:
 
I had one (sold it), because it jammed and jammed often. In a home defense scenario, I want to know, I can count on my hand gun. Just take the money you have and add a little to it when you can and then buy something decent.

I got a Makarov 9 mm for 176.00 15 years ago. I love it, it is my home defense gun. I also have a Sig Sauer p220 which is a great gun, yet I choose to use my Makarov as my home defense handgun. It's light, extremely accurate, easy to use. The down side is it takes 9x18 ammo which is not as readily available as regular 9mm ammo. Good luck
 
I havn't read every post on this thread, but please...Let me deter you from the Hi-Point pistols. I'm a gun guy. I love guns, blades are my second love.

First off. Hi-Point has amazing customer support. I bought a C9 from a guy one time, and all it came with was the lame Ghost ring rear sight. Made the gun completely inaccurate. I called Hi-Point and I had a 2-dot rear sight at my door, free of charge, within a couple days. This greatly increased accuracy of the gun. Second, Hi-Point has a lifetime warranty, which is awesome for any product.

But...Starting off, pistols are not Hi-Point's strong point. They make a great little pistol caliber carbine. The pistols are huge, heavy, don't run smoothly, and are very iffy with different types of ammunition. If anyone says the Hi-Points are extremely accurate pistols, just havn't shot a good quality firearm before. They're accurate, to the sense that you're only going to be using it at 15 feet and aiming at center mass. Don't get me wrong, this is normal pistol range and usually the distance a self-defense situation would go down.

A Hi-Point's ergonomics are not great at all. They feel like you're holding an overweight airsoft gun in your hand. I can understand that you're only wanting to use this pistol for home defense/self-defense, but it's just not worth the save in money. If a pistol only costs $100 are you really going to want to put your life on it? I've owned a C9. A C9 was actually my first pistol I bought on my own, and I thought it was great at the time, and that's until I actually held and shot something of quality.

My suggestion. Go to a gunshop/local range and try out some pistols. Try the Hi-Point, but then also try some other pistols, even if they cost 200-300 bucks more. I go by a motto that has proven itself several times over for me. Buy once, cry once. You get what you pay for. If you're looking in the 100-200 dollar range, your best bet is going to be an old Makarov or something. These can be obtained rather easily, and anyone with a C&R license can actually purchase them. The Makarovs are a proven gun, and I know several guys who still swear by them to this day. Guys who carry them everyday, and rely on them to go bang every time regardless of the situation. I'm not trying to preach or anything, but I've made the same mistake of purchasing the C9. It's not worth the $100 bucks, it's just not, because later down the line you're just going to go out and buy something of quality. Springfield, Glock, Sig, something.

If you're talking 200-300 bucks. Ruger, S&W, and even Taurus has some pretty good semi-autos, better than any Hi-Point will ever be. In conclusion, just avoid the Hi-Point. Sure they have great customer service and warranty, but that doesn't make a gun. Once again, buy once, cry once.
 
knifenut1013 said:
might as well close your eyes when it does shoot because accuracy was obviously not the main goal.
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That's funny :confused: I have head shot groundhogs @75-100 yards many many times with a early 995 carbine and a $5 no name yard sale scope. Maybe it ain't the gun???
Roy
 
plumberroy said:
That's funny :confused: I have head shot groundhogs @75-100 yards many many times with a early 995 carbine and a $5 no name yard sale scope. Maybe it ain't the gun???
Roy
Click to expand...

Consistency is not their only problem.
 
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