Hi-Point C9 9mm Handgun Review – Shooting Impressions & Field Strip

U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- It’s not likely you’ll find someone who knows even a little about firearms who hasn’t heard the name Hi-Point.  It’s also very likely they’ll have something negative to say about them despite never having owned or shot one.  I enjoy firearms literacy and feel that understanding a firearm’s intent and design is an important part of being able to properly experience them.  It seems a shockingly-high percentage of the shooting community are illiterate when it comes to Hi-Point pistols so let’s take a closer look.

While it is easy to admire the latest $3,000 custom piece, many seem to have missed the intent of Hi-Point; to create a quality firearm that anyone can afford.  Taking into account where most violent crimes occur this is a very noble cause.  Who do you think it more likely to suddenly need a pistol for home defense, the six-figure executive or the inner-city single mother with an aggressive “baby daddy”? Hi-Points are priced at a point where most anyone could afford to pick one up on their way home without needing to budget for it.  Better yet that firearm is backed by a warranty that has even accepted a carbine needing to be barreled after an unknowing owner got a few-dozen slugs stuck in it.

Whenever I post about Hi-Points the trolls inevitably come out and begin to trash talk them.  As we all know trolls tend to be the most ignorant about any subject they so obnoxiously post about, so let’s give them some fodder.  The two comments I hear the most are that Hi-Points are ugly and “trash”; more useful as a hammer than a pistol.  Aesthetics is a personal opinion that requires no fact so we can let that part slide.  Reliability and function however must be fact based.

Let’s give the trolls something fodder.  Watch the range review video below:

As you saw the C9 only had issues cycling a rather obscure 100gr frangible load.  With all other loads from 90gr to 158gr including hollow points, flat-points, and FMJ, steel-cased, aluminum-cased, and traditional brass all ran.  Accuracy was impressive thanks to the fixed barrel of this blow-back-operated handgun.  While on the topic of blow-back operation, that system is responsible in part for the affordability of the C9, and also the aesthetics.

Blow-back operation does not have a locked breech.  Instead it is the mass of the slide or bolt combined with strength of the operating spring that keep the chamber closed until pressure has dropped off to a safe level.  This requires either a lot of mass in the slide/bolt or a strong spring.  To keep the pistol operable by the average shooter Hi-Point kept the recoil spring softer and instead increased slide mass.  That is why Hi-Points are shaped the way they are.

To get a better look at the construction and design of the Hi-Point C9 see the tabletop video below.

I hope between these two videos the point of Hi-Point has been made clear, and although it’s a sample size of one, the C9 tested proved more reliable and more accurate than a few other pistols we’ve tested that cost hundreds of dollar more.  If that’s got your interest in trying one of these incredibly-affordable pieces the specifications and features below were taken directly from the product web page.

• Barrel length: 3.5″
• Overall length: 6.75″
• Weight: 29 oz.
• Frame: High-impact polymer
• Finish: Black powder coat or hydro-dipped depending on model
• Capacity: 8-shot mag standard (10-shot avail)
• Sights: 3-dots, fully-adjustable rear sight

About Graham Baates

“Graham Baates” is a pen name used by a 15-year active Army veteran who spent most of his time in the tactical side of the Intelligence community including tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Post-Army Graham spent some time in the local 3-Gun circuit before becoming a full-time NRA Certified defensive handgun instructor and now works as an industry writer while curating a YouTube channel on the side. Visit Graham on Youtube .