Hi-Point for USPSA Production?

[Duane Thomas]

Somehow I doubt these guys are looking for the best possible platform. They're just looking at shooting a Hi-Point in a match for the fun of it.

Hell, an upcoming project of mine, after I get the state IDPA championships out of the way and can afford to be giving it the time I want, is to fire a match with a Walther P.38. A local shooter, Jon Stein, has a super-expensive John Martz custom Luger. Jon is a Marksman in IDPA, I'm a Master. I thought it would be fun to have Jon take his single action, spendy, customized Luger with button magazine release, and then I'll take the double action, box stock P.38 with heel clip, and see what happens when we both shoot the same IDPA match. There's no doubt Jon will have an equipment advantage, I'll have the skill advantage. Is it really the Indian and not the arrow?

The primary service issue German sidearm of World War I versus the primary service issue German sidearm of World War II (granted my P.38 has an aluminum alloy frame versus the wartime guns' steel frames), shooting it out in a modern "combat" pistol match, one fired by a Marksman, the other by a Master. If I can't get an article of of that one, I'll turn in my gunwriter union membership card.

[HRider]

A few years back, my nephew brought his father-in-law to a USPSA club match. He had never shot a match before. He had a Highpoint 9mm and three or four mags. He used CCI Blazer 115gr ball. He shot the entire match without a malfunction (never cleaned his mags after picking them up out of the dirt either). After the match, we hung around and shot for a while (he really liked the Texas star). In all, approx 400 rounds were run through that Highpoint without any malfunctions that day. One of my friends said "how about that, a $90 gun that runs all day long". I had more respect for it at the end of the day than I did at the beginning.

Hurley

[Shawn Knight]

I do have to say one thing Duane, the gun went bang every time I pulled the trigger. I put nearly 300 rounds through it brand new and it did not stop running once. My buddy then ran another 200 rounds out of it and it kept going.

[bdpaz]

I dont like the idea of competing in a sport using known inferior equipment, just as a joke.

We are not talking about a top shooter showboating by beating the rest of the field with crappy gear (and if he or she did win, the crappy gear must have functioned so is it still crappy gear???). Most of the people I shoot with are there for their own reasons, and finishing on the podium is usually not one of their top motivations. If someone wants to see how well they can do with oddball or low end gear, and have some fun at their own expense, I'm all for it - as long as they post pictures!

[Micah]

If someone wants to see how well they can do with oddball or low end gear, and have some fun at their own expense, I'm all for it - as long as they post pictures!

Now that sounds like a challenge that I can get behind! Anyone want to lend me their HP?

[Dan Hefta]

My first semi-auto pistol was a High Point 9mm and when I pulled the trigger it went bang, I shot a few hundred rounds through it. The love affair ended when I got my CCW, I loaded it up with some carry ammo (hollow points) that's when the trouble started, FTF's all of the time. I sold the gun to a friend, he uses it just for plinkin', he claims that it still works just fine. The High Point mags really suck.

[Flyin40]

Hello, new member here, with a serious question.

A couple of buddies of mine and I are experienced shooters, yet we've never competed before.

What started out as a joke has evolved into something of a mission... we're thinking about starting out with Hi Point .40 semis (yes, those hideous-yet-strangely-Dr. Who-looking Hi Points).

If we did this, what division would we compete in? Production?

Thanks in advance,

Soap

I say do it, go with the team shirts and everything. Make sure you get some good video and post it up on Youtube as team high point. I would get a good laugh out of that.

Flyin

[Pittbug]

I say do it, go with the team shirts and everything. Make sure you get some good video and post it up on Youtube as team high point. I would get a good laugh out of that.

Flyin

The shirts would need to be from Walmart with the logo and tag line drawn on with a sharpie.

[Flyin40]

I say do it, go with the team shirts and everything. Make sure you get some good video and post it up on Youtube as team high point. I would get a good laugh out of that.

Flyin

The shirts would need to be from Walmart with the logo and tag line drawn on with a sharpie.

Nah, I say go the big fuzzy block letters that iron on like the old little league t-shirts.

"Hi Points or Bust"

[Odie]

Humor is a good thing. Run it. Return from your quest with video brave sir .

[sfinney]

Hipoint aalready makes shirts, a friend of mine got a long sleeve t at the shot show, looks sufficiently "Team" enough. Heres another link for a short sleeve on for sale:

http://www.productwizard.com/hipointfirearmsclothing.html

I know Highpoints have a certain reputation, but just about everyone I have spoken with that have actually shot them, say they work. Can't say for how mnay rounds they would work, before wearing out, but they fill a certain role for those on a budget, who don;lt shoot in volume. Competitive USPSA pistol? No way. Better than throwing rocks? Probably.

And another thing: everyone in this GAME takes themsleves way to seriously. Most shooters won't even show up unless they have the best gear and logo'ed clothing they can possibly afford, and act like they are Tiger Woods on the Tee box when they are on deck, and making ready. The point of USPSA, IDPA and all the other games to me, is to have FUN. If shooting a Hipoint is someones idea of fun, I say have at it. Whatever floats your boat.

Edited July 17, 2009 by sfinney

[waynes_world_45]

All, thanks for the replies.

I do have a couple of guns that are modestly "nicer" than a Hi-Point, but a buddy of mine from the Marines and I were thinking about running them, really out of good humor.

The first part of the adventure would have been to buy four of these and send them off to a gunsmith for a trigger job and have the internals and mags done in NP3... that alone would have been very challenging, but not impossible.

The mission however might be impossible in L10; place top 3, wearing our own homemade "TEEM HI-POINT" shirts, send those pics in to Beemiller, and request a team sponsorship.

Admittedly we've never owned Hi Points, or ever actually have seen one in person for that matter, so your feedback on how they work is super valuable, thank you (I had no idea they were SAO and had to go into L10).

L10 probably kills the deal... but, you never know.

Thanks again everyone!

Soap

dude...you got more dollars than sense......j/k dude...whatever floats your boat

[Pittbug]

And another thing: everyone in this GAME takes themsleves way to seriously. Most shooters won't even show up unless they have the best gear and logo'ed clothing they can possibly afford, and act like they are Tiger Woods on the Tee box when they are on deck, and making ready. The point of USPSA, IDPA and all the other games to me, is to have FUN. If shooting a Hipoint is someones idea of fun, I say have at it. Whatever floats your boat.

Who the heck do you think you are telling me I have to have fun? I can't believe the nerve of some people!

j/k

[Duane Thomas]

Really. I'll have fun when I darn well want to have fun, thankyouverymuch.

[bikerburgess]

I say do it and prove the old adage that it's the Indian not the arrow

I just feel sorry for the guys that get beat by you they definatly can't blame their guns

[bigstick0000]

I bought a hi point 5 years ago at Big R on sell for $60.00 just to see what it was. My son shot about 400 rounds through it before it finally jammed-once. If you ever read Gun Test magazine you will understand they run very stringent test on their trial guns and then critique them. Hi points have consistantly gotten great ratings and a good buy for the money. Also, believe it or not, some LE depts on tight ass budgets use the carbines from hi point. They also have a lifetime warranty, not bad for a gun that you can buy for under 200.00.

[Duane Thomas]

Heres another link for a short sleeve on for sale:

http://www.productwizard.com/hipointfirearmsclothing.html

Why the logo that looks like a German Iron Cross, I wonder?

[Duane Thomas]

And another thing: everyone in this GAME takes themsleves way to seriously.

Not everyone. (grin)

[Glockcomma]

Their is plenty of Hi Point video's on youtube, most of the poor uninformed souls actually seem to like them. And they are made in the USA.

[Justsomeguy]

Somehow I doubt these guys are looking for the best possible platform. They're just looking at shooting a Hi-Point in a match for the fun of it.

Hell, an upcoming project of mine, after I get the state IDPA championships out of the way and can afford to be giving it the time I want, is to fire a match with a Walther P.38. A local shooter, Jon Stein, has a super-expensive John Martz custom Luger. Jon is a Marksman in IDPA, I'm a Master. I thought it would be fun to have Jon take his single action, spendy, customized Luger with button magazine release, and then I'll take the double action, box stock P.38 with heel clip, and see what happens when we both shoot the same IDPA match. There's no doubt Jon will have an equipment advantage, I'll have the skill advantage. Is it really the Indian and not the arrow?

The primary service issue German sidearm of World War I versus the primary service issue German sidearm of World War II (granted my P.38 has an aluminum alloy frame versus the wartime guns' steel frames), shooting it out in a modern "combat" pistol match, one fired by a Marksman, the other by a Master. If I can't get an article of of that one, I'll turn in my gunwriter union membership card.

There's a union??? Who knew?

[brnhp35]

working at a range open to the public heres my take on high points ..9mm and up work with fmj or hard ball but not defensive rounds 380 and lower hardly work with anything...seems like it takes violent recoil and smooth feeding ball to keep these working ...but i have see a bunch of them working...

[Carlos]

http://www.productwizard.com/hipointfirearmsclothing.html

And another thing: everyone in this GAME takes themsleves way to seriously. Most shooters won't even show up unless they have the best gear and logo'ed clothing they can possibly afford, and act like they are Tiger Woods on the Tee box when they are on deck, and making ready. The point of USPSA, IDPA and all the other games to me, is to have FUN. If shooting a Hipoint is someones idea of fun, I say have at it. Whatever floats your boat.

Well said. I agree completely. Perhaps you would consider also posting this observation in the "what I hate" forum section, since I believe many folks need to think long and hard about sportsmanship & how the game is currently played.

[Carlos]

Good report. It was fair; nothing more and nothing less (as journalism should be). RE accuracy: I believe the barrel is solidly mounted/pressed into the frame - which often results in supperior accuracy, though at the the expense of a typical blow-back-action's recoil.

I have toyed periodically with the idea of doing an article on Hi-Point auto pistols, the thrust of the piece being that if, for some reason, you want or can only afford a very inexpensive handgun, these guns can fill that bill well. I have never fired a .40 Hi-Point. On the other hand, I have fired a 9mm. It worked. Also, recently I went to the range with a guy whose carry gun was a .45 Hi-Point. (Yes, I know.) This guy estimated he had about 1,000 rounds through the gun up til then, and it had never malfed on him. I believe him. Especially since I got to watch him, on the range that night, run about 300 rounds of Black Hills ball through his gun, also without malfunctions.

On the other hand, when he switched to hollowpoints he literally couldn't fire a single mag without three or four failues to feed. He had, up til then, run strictly ball through the gun, and that had been his carry load, as well. Which meant, natch, he had to load up his gun with the hollowpoints I'd brought to the range, and leave with the gun loaded that way, "for self-defense." Oy. Personally I would have stuck with the hardball.

I was curious what sort of accuracy we could expect from one of these things, so I benched it with the Black Hills ball. Answer, at least from my hands: about 2" at 50 feet, the maximum distance possible on this particular indoor range. Not great, but for $160 or so, certainly decent. That screw adjustable rear sight wasn't exactly a highly refined Bo-Mar, but it struck me as a serviceable, straightforward system that got the job done. I was able to adjust the sight for elevation without a problem. For windage, apparently, adjustment requires a special tool, supplied with the gun, that the owner had not brought to the range with him. So I had to leave the gun hitting about 2" right at 50 feet. If the adjustment tool had been available, there's no doubt in my mind I could have easily brought this gun to POI/POA in short order.

At seven yards, running double taps, I found I could put two rounds into the A-zone with splits of about .28 second. Not nearly as fast as I can run a Glock or 1911, but still, like the accuracy, I was surprised at how good it was. Trigger pulls were, again for the price, surprisingly good, a bit heavy but smooth. The grip angle sucked, of course. My first shot of the DT would be centered, the followup way low, but still inside the A-box. Though I didn't care for the grip angle, which caused the gun to point very low for me, the shape of the grip itself was shockingly comfortable.

Overall, I was a lot more impressed with this gun than I thought I would be. For the price, and loaded with hardball, I have to say there are lot of guns out there you could be armed with that are less reliable, accurate, and easy to shoot than this one.

Of course, I know that if I ever wrote an article saying that I would lose all credibility with people who just "know" Hi-Points are utter pieces of crap.

[Duane Thomas]

Thanks, D. I'm seriously considering adapting that post into a Blue Press article, actually.

[rvb]

My father-in-law has one in .45 and I've put a couple hundred rounds through it. I have had a couple jams w/ 230 ball. He asked me to re-zero it a couple weeks ago and I was suprised how accurate it was... about 1.5" off-hand at 15yds.

-rvb