Cheap, Heavy, Thick, Low Capacity, And Hard To Clean. But Should You BUY ONE?

Like any other interest group of people, firearms owners have very strong opinions about which manufacturer is best, which type of firearm is best for different uses, and which caliber is best for those uses. Sure, there are some consistencies (most people don’t advocate carrying something chambered in .50 for your everyday concealed carry, for example), but aside from the obvious things, there is a huge amount of opinion driving choices.

And that’s one of the major reasons that we have so many different manufacturers producing so many different firearms (and so many different calibers and types of firearms, too). Everybody has preferences.

Having said that, there is a brand of pistol that, at least here in the U.S., gets consistent hate. I mean, so many people absolutely hate anything with this manufacturer’s name on it. Won’t even consider owning one, much less picking one up and shooting one at the range.

What manufacturer probably generates more hate than any other? Hi-Point.

Some of you probably had a visceral, knee-jerk reaction at just the mention of the brand name. And you have every right to have that opinion of the brand. But, as one firearms reviewer said, “This [pistol] will cost you your pride,” and followed that up by saying, “A lot of people are buying them. I’m not sure who they are, but a lot of people are buying them.”

The reviewer, who goes by HIckock45, also mentions that generally these firearms work, they have a lifetime warranty, and they’re made in America, which is important to some people. You can watch his short review of the Hi-Point C9 pistol below.

Now, you may be wondering why someone would actually buy one of these pistols. After all, they are heavy, have low capacity compared to many concealed carry pistols these days, and they are hard to disassemble to clean them (Hickock mentioned that some people simply don’t take them apart, they’re so difficult to disassemble).

Great question, and one commenter, who goes by krisanderson8695, sums up the likely reason why most people who buy a Hi-Point do so:

The purpose of the Hi-Point 9mm is not to make everything easy, or to impress people at the range. It’s not designed to compete against Glock, or s&W, or Walther, or any other handgun company. The purpose of the Hi-Point pistol is to allow someone who is really low on money to be able to get a relatively dependable pistol for self-defense. Period.

That’s right, you don’t buy a Hi-Point to impress anyone. You buy one because, as Hickock said, they generally work and they’re inexpensive.

So, should you buy one? That’s completely up to you. But if the most important factors guiding your purchase decision are dependability and price, a Hi-Point C9 may be one to consider.