My pot-metal Problem Solver
Guns are expensive, and seriously getting into shooting–whether for sport or for defense–is an investment of time and money. I have been doing my best to find quality equipment that won’t break the bank. Enter the King of the bargain bin; the Hi-Point C9. For years I had read tales of the pot-metal boat anchor, the Glock 40 Problem Solver, the ultimate ghetto blaster. Having a pocket full of cash and a head full of curiosity, I dropped $150 and walked away with my new Hi-point, leaving everyone in the gun shop shaking their heads.
Editor’s Note: Previously we have written a rad post that features some of the most interesting custom Hi-points as well as a full review of the Hi-Point JHP .45 ACP. Make sure to check them out.
Hi-Point C9 9mm – $158.14 at True Shot Gun Club
8-Round Magazine For Hi-Point C9 – $13.99 at GunMag Warehouse
Hi-Point C9 10-Round Magazine – $17.99 at GunMag Warehouse
Redball 20- Round Magazine for Hi-Point C9 – $22.99 at GunMag Warehouse
Hi-Point C9 $100 Bill Grips – $16.99 at GunMag Warehouse
Hi-Point C9 Snake Skin Grips – $15.99 at GunMag Warehouse
All prices are current at the time of publication. Please click the link to see the most up to date pricing.
The C9 comes in a cardboard box with one magazine, gun lock, manual, spare peep sight (3 dot sights installed) and a chamber flag. The Hi-Point series of guns have their own unique aesthetics. The grips are incredibly slick, with mild ribbing on the front and back straps. The slide has some shallow serrations to aid in manipulation, as the slingshot method will generally be your only way of chambering a round. The manual safety, which also acts as the slide lock, is a small metal bar, that activates and deactivates easily with no tactile response. When the slide locks open on empty the action isn’t actually locked as one would normally expect, as it can be drawn back slightly and then manually locked with the lever.
When firing the slide reciprocates with a sluggish “ka-chunk” as the massive brick atop the frame moves forward and back. The trigger is without a doubt the worst I’ve ever experienced; each pull being different from the last, with loads of take up, slack, stacking, and every other thing a good trigger shouldn’t have; Not to mention its heavy pull weight.
The sights are adjustable for both windage and elevation (Lord knows why), with the rear sight having two bright orange squares and the front a bright yellow blade. The sights were easy to pick up and are sized well, but frequently lose their zero when firing. I did not try the included ghost ring rear sight. The magazine that comes with the gun holds eight rounds, which frequently nosedive. Supposedly doing some work with pliers will improve reliability, but I made no attempt. There is also a magazine disconnect, something that I find detestable on handguns.
To field strip this pistol–which Hi-Point advises owners not to do–you will need to draw the slide back and push out a pin using a punch. On my gun, the slide did not move far enough to allow the pin to be removed, so I took a screwdriver and scraped away at the metal until I formed a channel for the pin to move along.
When I said pot metal earlier, I meant it. Additionally, the recoil spring and guide rod are not retained by anything; no slot, no hole, just resting on the smooth front of the slide, so be sure to watch your eyes. Hi-Point firearms have a lifetime warranty, something that I took advantage of when the recoil spring launched itself into the abyss upon disassembly. For something simple like this, all you have to do is call Hi-Point and give them your serial number and a mailing address. From here they will send the part free of charge and no questions asked. Two days later my new recoil spring and guide rod arrived, and I headed to the range.
At the same time as I was putting my initial rounds through the C9 I was also testing out my brand new Glock 42. Imagine my shock when the Hi-Point was more reliable than the Glock within the first 100 rounds! The G42 was plagued with double feeds and failures to go into battery throughout every magazine; whereas the C9 was mostly reliable, occasionally locking open on a still loaded magazine. After the 100 round mark, the tables turned. The Glock began to run flawlessly, and the Hi-Point choked harder than Lord Vader himself. Across multiple ammunition brands, the C9 began to experience double feeds, failures to eject, failures to strip rounds from the magazine, failures to go into battery—nearly every malfunction in the book. In an attempt to remedy this, I field stripped, cleaned and lubed the gun. The issues would not go away.
I thought that maybe the rough and uneven powder coat finish on the metal parts was the culprit, so I decided to bust out some 2500 grit sandpaper, trying to polish the action (something I would never do on a nicer gun). Despite the mirror-like shine and significant improvement in smoothness, reliability remained the same: lacking. Another 150 rounds did nothing but train my ability to clear malfunctions. Accuracy throughout was minute-of-bad-guy, don’t plan on making your local bullseye team. Moral of the story: if you are planning on using this defensively, do not train with it. Your best reliability will come in the first few magazines, you are only putting your life at risk by firing more than a box through the C9.
Overall, I regard the Hi-Point as nothing more than a novelty. If you need a handgun to protect yourself or your loved ones, shop elsewhere (EAA, S&W, and Ruger have solid options at slightly higher price brackets), or consider a long gun such as the Maverick 88. Spending a few more dollars on your initial investment will save you money and heartache down the road; believe me, I own a Hi-Point.
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View Comments
I have a Hi-Point C-9 that I purchased in 1997.
Now 26 years later and easily 2000 rounds my C-9 still looks like new and functions as designed. I agree with other posters that to field strip and clean this weapon the removal of a roll pin is required and can be a pain in the butt. After having good success with my C-9 I purchased a Hi-Point 380 ACP in 2019. Both of these weapons have been reliable and have nearly identical shape and weight. I personally like the look and feel of my High-Point pistols. They are comfortable in my hand. I say buy what works for you. Which weapon is the best is a matter of opinion. I feel that every weapon has it's pros and cons. Buy what works for you.
I bought a C9 at a store special for $99....$106 out the door in 2018. I have run every type of 9mm through it. Steel case, Aluminum case, every bullet weight I could find, hollow point, FMJ, pre fragmented. I know some people say it is junk, but I have put close to 2000 rounds through it and had ONE failure. Zero misfires, misfeeds. Zero fails to eject and no jams of any kind. Maybe I got lucky and got a "good" one. It may be ugly, heavy and low capacity but it has been FAR more reliable than me gen 4 glock 17.
Seconded. I've had one since 2003 and no particular problems except a bit of surface rust developing on one of the magazines.
Watch Graham Baates of GB Guns test this thing. The accuracy wasn't just acceptable, it was braggable.
There is a lot of stupid blustering on this site.Are you experts or just wanna-bees.I am simply looking for a cheap gun that fits my budget and you wanna-bee EXPERTS are not giving me the info I need to make a decision.And the original article was not written by someone who knows guns.What a bunch of RICH do nothing dickheads.
I bought a C9 at a store special for $99....$106 out the door in 2018. I have run every type of 9mm through it. Steel case, Aluminum case, every bullet weight I could find, hollow point, FMJ, pre fragmented. I know some people say it is junk, but I have put close to 2000 rounds through it and had ONE failure. Zero misfires, misfeeds. Zero fails to eject and no jams of any kind. Maybe I got lucky and got a "good" one. It may be ugly, heavy and low capacity but it has been FAR more reliable than my gen 4 glock 17. That is my experience with the C9. My opinion...you won't find a better gun for the price, even buying used.
Peter, Dan was pretty clear in that he thinks of it as a novelty and would recommend spending a few more dollars on something else. Dan is an expert even though he won't admit it.
As a Hi-Point owner, I can say this gun is a piece of shit. Maybe not every one is, but the one I have is junk. This comes with no bias as I am not a firearm enthusiast nor have I ever owned another pistol to compare it to, but I bought a C9 back in 2016.
The thing has jammed up on me on more than 10 occasions at the range and has had multiple FTEs. The bottom line is I would not trust this thing to save my life. It has been locked away in its case and not touched since I bought my H&R Pardner 12 Gauge! Been thinking of trading it in and putting the funds toward a Taurus G2C....
???????????? And you did not research the C9?
Whose fault is that?
Sure, dig deep to get a pistol that may or may not shoot better.
Your piece of 'shit' is someone else's great buy as I never buy as much as the 'great guns want. They already have enough money and you are just making it easy for them to buy a new car once a year. Sure, I bought a Ruger 45 and the price was pricey But the dealer I went to was NOT the expensive place on the other side of town, that allowed a truck to run into their storefront and they lost a lot of inventory to the criminals. My guy to go to has a one-room plus basement setup. His overhead is the same as mine, CHEAP. Do you want to complain? Marry an ugly bitch and practice.
Give Hi Point a call, they are super easy to work with on warranty issues. If that isn't something that interests you, you should look into a used Remington RP9. They were crazy cheap for a while and are fantastic guns in the $200 to $260 price range (if you can find a decent deal on one).
Let's see your....Hot Garbage...GLOCK...do this!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FoWpog5KU4
How in the world is that a selling point?
"How in the world is that a selling point?"
And you would do what? Spend $$$$$$$$ and have it shoot you in the foot?