Welp, I've just purchased a Hi-Point. Any tips/tricks for using it/loading for it?

[VariableRecall]

I'm a fairly recent gun owner. I've purchased my first firearm, a S&W Model 10-5 that I've found to be a fantastic wheely-gat. I've shot about 300 rounds in it so far thanks to you fine people on the forums.
Still, I was thinking that it would be a smart move to have SOMETHING that I could own that's American made (very important!), chambers 9mm, and that would be the kind of firearm that would be a little more rough and tumble than a blued 50 year old masterpiece.

So, I managed to get a very good price on a used Hi-Point C9 at auction for about 35% off MSRP for a new in box model. It will be in my hands in a couple of weeks. Considering some listings for them exceeded the MSRP, and the current global situation, I got pretty lucky considering I paid about 3.5 times the amount I paid for the Hi-point for my 10-5. Considering how well my 10-5 shoots, it's worth way more than that.

Either way, it seems like you fine people on the Gunloads forums are quite fond of the Zinc Brick that spits brass. I'm looking to potentially CC with it as well its intended home defense role.

Thanks to Tumbleweed Christmas 2020 I've came into possession of a Lee 2 Cavity 110gn SWC's sized to .358, which I've seen can work for both .38 Special AND 9mm Luger/Parabellum if sized correctly. I will have to rely on Boolit friends' eqiuipment and expertise to cast and lube them but it makes for a fine start. If I can find primers for a reasonable price, that is.

Also 9mm dies have been wiped off the face of the earth, so I'm certainly in the market for one that I can find at MSRP, preferably a Lee for the cost savings.

I have some 9mm purchased at retail by some miracle that I was intending to give to a pal, but the 9mm worth a little more in my own hands and I will have some ammunition to familiarize myself to it to what I feel is the minimum capacity to do so.

So, do you have any tips for a first time hi-point owner? What rounds/loads does it like the most? Any tips on CCing the thing? It's probably going to be a little easier than CCing my 10-5, but I'd like to know some experiences if they can be useful.

What diameter do you recommend sizing 9mm Boolits to?

Any tips on maintenance or care that would be different from care of a blued revolver?

I know this sounds very stupid, but are there wood grips compatible for a Hi-Point? That would certainly improve its aesthetics a lot.

I'd like to know! Thanks!
-VariableRecall.

[richhodg66]

I don't own one, but have heard those High Points are reliable to a fault. I've also heard that the company has very good after purchase support if you need it and like you said, 100% American made. Lots of bashers out there, don't listen to them.

My real gripe with them is they are extremly heavy and ungainly to me. Seems like they would be awkward carry guns.

I size 9mm to .357. I haven't loaded nearly as much as some on here have of 9mm, but in my experience, it isn't as finicky as it's made out to be. I think all you have to do with the High Point is come up with a standard, basic loading, probably something like a 125 grain round nose and a charge of Unique or Bullseye and go. It ios common for new reloaders to over think this.

I already sold a spare set of 9mm dies I had lying around or I'd help you out. I personally like the four die sets Lee makes for pistol dies and if I were to buy new now, that is what I'd get. Be patient, stuff will become available again eventually.

Wood grips would be like putting lip stick on a pig. Just accept it for what it is, you'll be happier in the long run. Don't be ashamed of the High Point, though, not looking but of one showed up cheap in .45, I'd likely buy it.

[Led]

I have a High Point 45acp carbine. It's a guilty pleasure, it looks like a space gun but runs 100% and is built like a tank. No doubt it would make a good club if I ran out of ammo. The Red Ball aftermarket magazines are very high quality.

Later,
Stephen

[GhostHawk]

I have a C9 that I bought at the pawn shop. Mag release was messed up so I ended up calling customer service.

I actually got upset with the gal because I wanted to give her my credit card number/info and she would not accept it.

3 days later the parts arrived with 2 pages of instructions, one with good full color pictures showing exactly what to do.
Also included were the spare magazine I wanted and a mag loader. Zero charge to me.

Mine was one of 2 9mm's I have that keyhole factory ammo at 20 feet. So I switched to the Lee 6 cavity .358 125 gr flat nose round point. These cast at .359, 3595 or .360. Loaded them as cast over 3 grains of Red Dot. (Have gone as high as 4.5 in a 9mm carbine)

Biggest things to watch for.

A Keyhole at short range = bullet not big enough. Plan on 38 special mold at .358 or larger.

Be careful with your mags, fully loaded mag dropped from waist height can change the geometry of the feed lips and cause problems. The easy answer is a needle nose pliers and a mag that works. Make the dinged one like the good one and all is well.


Don't expect it to be something it is not.

What it is, is reliable, dependable, reasonably accurate.

It is also a zinc brick and perhaps the 2nd ugliest gun in existence.

Beauty is in more than the eye of the beholder. An ugly gun that is 100% rock solid dependable has a beauty all its own.

Now my Highpoint Carbines are unfussy, size, shape, load, they don't care, they just shoot.
They feed anything.

My other 9mm carbine is a Handi Rifle stubb job. Essentially a 9mm barrel shoehorned into a short shotgun barrel.
Sights, etc added, extractor adapted to fit 9mm. Mine went from keyholeing Fed Factory ammo to stacking .3595 boolits into less than an inch at 100.

Its light, short, soft shooting, and quiet and wicked. It would mess up your day.

Bullet fit is king. Use a good lube, I like Ben's Liquid lube original recipe but with 1& carnuba wax added.
Moderate loads should be all you need. No point in trying to increase the power.

My alloy tends towards the soft side being essentially 50% clip on wheel weights and 50% soft lead or range scrap with 1% tin added for fill. Treat them right and they will treat you right.

Take down is a bit of a pain so I just lock action back, scrub inside with q-tip dipped in ATF. Get the worst of the gunk off. I leave the bore alone. The carnuba leaves my bores mirror shiny with a super thin wax layer of protection. Hard to improve on that IMO.

[GhostHawk]

Like LED I also have the .45acp carbine with a Red Dot sight on it. It is the most accurate of all my Hipoint carbines tested.

But it was the only one that was new also. And yes the Bananna Red Ball mags for the 9mm carbine work great.
The single stack into double stack Red Ball for the .45acp also works great. I highly recommend them. Essentially doubling your firepower for each one you own.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The Hi-Point is a fine tool, I doubt I would carry it, but it surely is better than carrying nothing.
I'm not a fan of the smallish C9,,,just my personal taste, I've shoot a half dozen different C9 guns that a friend acquired, he wanted me to test them for him, as he isn't much of a firearm enthusiast. All 6 were reliable and successfully/accurately shot my castboolit ammo with .357 sized boolits...as well as factory ammo.

I have the basic full size 40 (JCP40) and previously I had a 40 carbine, but someone else wanted that more than I did
The full size 40 has been a great shooter and loves HOT loads.
that's my 2¢

[Petrol & Powder]

I'll try not to bash the High Point too much, but it will be difficult.

The High Point is a demonstration of the practical limits of the simple blowback operating system. Once you get much beyond the pressures of 380 Auto or 9 x 18 Mak, you either have to go to a locked breach OR resort to a lot of mass in the slide. Guess which way High Point went?

Can it work ? - Clearly the answer is, yes.
Is it elegant? - Not even a little bit.

To say the manufacturing costs are held low in the production of the C9 would be about the most generous thing I could say about the quality of a C9.
The money used to purchase that C9 probably could have been put in the bank and held until ammunition, components, dies, molds, etc. become available. (And those things will become available again). So I cannot endorse purchasing a gun such as the C9 simply because it is available and you have money burning a hole in your pocket.

But it is now, feat accompli.

As for using the C9 as a carry pistol? I can't recommend that at all unless it was your only option.
As for, "Any tips on maintenance or care that would be different from care of a blued revolver?" - YES, black Krylon spray paint will cover any flaws in the finish. You can even get black Krylon wrinkle finish paint to exactly duplicate the original finish of a High Point (or a TEC-9)

I'm sorry to be so harsh.

[onelight]

Enjoy your Highpoint , you bought it used so can probably get most of your money back if you decide to sell it.
They have a reputation for being reliable and reliable is second only to have a gun in my list of requirements and sounds like they have a good warranty , and 9mm is one of the cheapest centerfires to shoot normally (if we ever see normal again) . I assume you are young "student " and broke " student " . I have been young and broke and may be old and broke someday. Do the best you can with what you have and enjoy . You can always sell and save and to up grade upgrade but you may be entirely happy with the two handguns you have .
The model 10 would also make a good CC gun for me if it has a 4" barrel or less.

[gpidaho]

VariableRecall: The Hi-Point pistols are strong and reliable and as ugly as a whole pan full of....... Well, you know. The only Hi-point I have is the 40S&W carbine and it has never missed a beat. Again pretty ugly but a great shooter. For your 9mm I'd recommend the Lee 120 TC as it seems to work well in 9s of all descriptions. The RCBS 124 TC is just about the same bullet if you would prefer an iron mould. I'd carry the S&W and leave the HI-point bedside. Gp

[VariableRecall]

I have been young and broke and may be old and broke someday. Do the best you can with what you have and enjoy . You can always sell and save and to up grade upgrade but you may be entirely happy with the two handguns you have .
The model 10 would also make a good CC gun for me if it has a 4" barrel or less.

My Model 10-5 does have a 4 inch barrel, so it's fairly concealable. I have a winter friendly cargo jacket that fits it quite nicely. The jacket does a good job of smoothing over the contours.

I suppose the Hi-Point could fit in the same cargo area as well. One thing I didn't know about that jacket beforehand is that it was actually designed for being concealed carry friendly!

[onelight]

I carry 4" revolvers IWB and OWB often and they will cover with some vests. Or with a t shirt and then an unbuttoned shirt over it.
If your state has open carry it sure makes CC easier.

[VariableRecall]

I'll try not to bash the High Point too much, but it will be difficult.

The High Point is a demonstration of the practical limits of the simple blowback operating system. Once you get much beyond the pressures of 380 Auto or 9 x 18 Mak, you either have to go to a locked breach OR resort to a lot of mass in the slide. Guess which way High Point went?

Can it work ? - Clearly the answer is, yes.
Is it elegant? - Not even a little bit.

To say the manufacturing costs are held low in the production of the C9 would be about the most generous thing I could say about the quality of a C9.
The money used to purchase that C9 probably could have been put in the bank and held until ammunition, components, dies, molds, etc. become available. (And those things will become available again). So I cannot endorse purchasing a gun such as the C9 simply because it is available and you have money burning a hole in your pocket.

But it is now, feat accompli.

As for using the C9 as a carry pistol? I can't recommend that at all unless it was your only option.
As for, "Any tips on maintenance or care that would be different from care of a blued revolver?" - YES, black Krylon spray paint will cover any flaws in the finish. You can even get black Krylon wrinkle finish paint to exactly duplicate the original finish of a High Point (or a TEC-9)

I'm sorry to be so harsh.

Well considering that the amount I paid for the hi point could have been nearly 300 Small Pistol Primers for their scam prices, I got a great deal. One of the two Items I could get right now, online, at below MSRP instead of 10 times the retail price. Also, I'm not sure if people will be able to purchase firearms online in the near future, so why not do it for a better deal than I would get at retail? I had checked for any Hi-Point dealers in my area and none of them had any left in stock.

Obviously, I'm not looking to buy anything over MSRP. That would include reloading equipment as well. I'm willing to be stingy with my 9mm for the time being and a little more generous with .38 special.

[VariableRecall]

I carry 4" revolvers IWB and OWB often and they will cover with some vests. Or with a t shirt and then an unbuttoned shirt over it.
If your state has open carry it sure makes CC easier.

My state is technically open carry but it's best to be on the better side of concealment.

[Chris S]

Well, I don't own a C9, nor do I carry. But, I do own a Hipoint carbine in 45apc, bought it new, and would do so again. It's heavy, hard to take down and has a fairly crappy trigger. But it never, I mean never misses a beat. I load the standard 45acp 230 grain cast RN slug over 5 grains of 231 and can rain hell on anything within perhaps 75 yards. My carbine is in one of the Hi Tower bullpup stocks and has a Red dot sight, so really quirky, Spaceman Spiff looking and yes, heavy. But the combo is fast, fast to acquire and fast to follow up. 6" gongs at 50 yards will ring 9 times (thats what the mag holds) in perhaps 20 seconds or so (you do have to wait for the things to stop swinging a little between shots).

Again, I do not own a C9, but if it is in the same family as the carbine, it can't be bad.

Chris

[FergusonTO35]

The most recent Hi-Points we've gotten at my side job shop were about as nice as a cheap gun can get. Fit and finish was actually quite good, and the trigger pull was comparable to a more expensive cheap gun like Taurus or S&W SD series. If HP came out with a carbine that could use Glock mags it would effectively be a license to print money.

[BigAlofPa.]

I have 8 Hi-points. 4 pistols and 4 carbines. They are range toys for me. But they don't miss a beat. Only one that gets wonky is my .380 when it needs cleaned.

[Petrol & Powder]

Well considering that the amount I paid for the hi point could have been nearly 300 Small Pistol Primers for their scam prices,....

OR, you could have held onto that money until the scam prices receded and purchased 6000 Small Pistol Primers with that money. (or something else later).

[P Flados]

I think much Hi Point bashing is unwarranted.

From a practical standpoint the extra weight has both a downside and an upside. Yes is heavy enough to discourage CC use. However the weight makes it more pleasant to shoot. For a newbie, this encourages range time and adequate range time is very important for becoming competent. A lot of new gun owners are going to consider range time to be very "un-fun" with their compact or sub-compact 9mm guns.

You indicate that you have a 0.358" Lee 110 SWC. The closest item I see in the current list of Lee Molds is the 358-105-SWC. FYI, all of my newer Lee Molds generally drop 0.001" under the nominal value and a lot of people end up liking 0.357" for cast in the 9mm (more on this below).

Some automatics can get picky and the SWC nose can cause problems feeding. However the single stack Hi Point is typically noted to be "willing to feed anything". As such I am thinking your mold has a good chance of working fine in your gun.

Some get lucky and have no problem loading cast in a 9mm. Many find this round to be more difficult. I was in the later category. If you read up on cast in the 9mm you will find the two most important points are to get a good plunk test and "Fit is King". After those two points, the next item I would recommend is consider powder coating if tumble lube or traditional lube are not getting the job done.

For the plunk test, see if a dummy round made with an "as cast" bullet using your hardest available alloy will freely slide into your chamber and "plunk" into the fully chambered position. If it does not plunk, figure out why. It could be the case is too big, or you could be getting bullet contact up in the throat. If you have a throat problem, increase seating depth as needed to fix it. If you get "as cast" to "plunk," this is worth trying for starters. If "as cast" is too snug, sizing down will be needed.

Undersized cast bullets is probably the biggest problem people have with the 9mm. Starting out with a 0.358" Lee mold is not a bad thing at all. It is much easier to size bullets down as needed than to modify a mold to get bigger bullets.

Also note that I am talking about undersized after the bullet is seated in the case. Most standard expander plugs leave the case ID smaller than optimum and the case sizes down then bullet during seating. If you have a standard expander plug and it is causing problem, I recommend not hesitating to "upgrade" this component (the line of NOE expander plugs is a great option). You will want to open up the case to the right ID (generally 0.001" to 0.002" under bullet diameter) for the full depth needed when seating the bullet.

For your initial live ammo testing, I recommend trying to keep cast bullets in a 9mm as large as possible yet still be able to pass the plunk test. After you have a load that feeds good and gives zero leading, you may want to see what happens with cast bullets that are a little smaller. Many have been frustrated with leading when they "thought" (or just hoped) their bullet was big enough, but their gun had a different opinion.

[FergusonTO35]

Lyman M die is your friend!

[richhodg66]

I'll try not to bash the High Point too much, but it will be difficult.

The High Point is a demonstration of the practical limits of the simple blowback operating system. Once you get much beyond the pressures of 380 Auto or 9 x 18 Mak, you either have to go to a locked breach OR resort to a lot of mass in the slide. Guess which way High Point went?

Can it work ? - Clearly the answer is, yes.
Is it elegant? - Not even a little bit.

To say the manufacturing costs are held low in the production of the C9 would be about the most generous thing I could say about the quality of a C9.
The money used to purchase that C9 probably could have been put in the bank and held until ammunition, components, dies, molds, etc. become available. (And those things will become available again). So I cannot endorse purchasing a gun such as the C9 simply because it is available and you have money burning a hole in your pocket.

But it is now, feat accompli.

As for using the C9 as a carry pistol? I can't recommend that at all unless it was your only option.
As for, "Any tips on maintenance or care that would be different from care of a blued revolver?" - YES, black Krylon spray paint will cover any flaws in the finish. You can even get black Krylon wrinkle finish paint to exactly duplicate the original finish of a High Point (or a TEC-9)

I'm sorry to be so harsh.

I'm curious, have you ever owned or shot one?