Hi Point 45 Pistol Review

Sometimes a guy just doesn’t learn from his mistakes, which is why I chose to write a Hi Point 45 review. It’s barely a year since publishing my Hi Point C9 review, and I’m jumping back into the fray. This time we’re upping the ante, and upgrading to a man’s caliber–.45ACP. Join me in the journey of learning while I suffer through this Hi Point 45 pistol review.

While the 1911 may have won two World Wars, the Hi Point 45 has certainly won at least two Turf Wars. Does the increase in firepower mean an increase in quality?

Function and Ergonomics of the Hi Point JHP 45

The Hi Point JHP 45 is a full size, polymer frame pistol chambered for .45ACP. Much like a 1911, the JHP 45 is single action, single stack handgun. The safety lever also functions as a slide lock, but works atypically compared to most handguns. The gun locks open on empty, though shooters will need to rack the slide manually to chamber a round with a fresh magazine.

Magazines hold nine rounds, and feature extended base pads for easy grasping. The magazine release is a smooth, low profile button. While out of the way, it is a more difficult release to actuate. Empty magazines anemically eject out of the gun, frequently needing to be physically stripped from the magazine well.

The frame is comfortable to hold. I am able to get a surprisingly high grip on the JHP 45, making substantially more expensive guns look bad. The grip panels along with the front and back straps are quite smooth, making a solid purchase difficult in adverse conditions.

Built like a Brick Shit House

The slide of the JHP 45 is massive, like a brick atop the frame. This is due to the blow back action of the pistol–needing substantial weight to retard the velocity of the slide. Most of the felt recoil comes from the movement of the slide. Shooters will more likely notice the massive “KA-CHUNK” of the action instead of the pop of .45ACP. Despite the significant movement of the gun, follow up shots were fairly easy, as the gun throws itself back on target once the slide closes. After a few attempts I was passing The Test with ease.

The sights are fully adjustable for windage and elevation. I zeroed for ten yards, needing to move the rear sight in both planes. Once set the gun never lost zero. The front sight is painted school bus yellow, with the two rear dots being orange.

Range Time

I fired 410 rounds through the JHP 45 over the course of a few weeks. My largest range session consisted of 210 rounds in a single trip. The pistol was never cleaned, but a few drops of Hoppes 9 was applied before each trip.

• 20x Speer Gold Dot 230gr JHP
• 20x Federal HST 230gr +P JHP
• 20x Federal Hydra Shok Low Recoil 165gr JHP
• 25x Remington UMC 230gr FMJ
• 25x Blazer Brass 230gr FMJ
• 25x Federal American Eagle 230gr FMJ
• 25x Winchester White Box 230gr JHP
• 50x Federal Syntech 220gr TSJ
• 100x Fiocchi 230gr FMJ
• 100x On Target 230gr FMJ

With Fiocchi, my JHP 45 experienced at least two failures to feed per magazine. Remington UMC has difficulty chambering the first round, but has no other issues during firing. Every other round fired functions perfectly. I am honestly surprised that the Hi Point did not choke with either hollow point or the low powered Syntech ammunition.

Interestingly, spent brass reliably bounces off of the first knuckle of my firing hand. This causes no pain, but does leave a dark carbon mark by the end of a range session.

Hi Point 45 Review Final Thoughts

The Hi Point JHP 45 defied my expectations, in a good way. After my sour experience with its 9mm counterpart, I expected more of the same, if not worse from the enlarged model. Outside of some ammunition preferences, the gun has honestly grown on me.

Will I dump my Glock or recommend everyone go buy a JHP 45 right now? No, that definitely is not happening. Do you need a gun right now, and your budget is right around $200? If so, maybe this is the right thing for you.

Find more information about the Hi Point 45 JHP on the Hi Point website.

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