The Hi-Point 9mm Carbine
A multipurpose carbine for defense and varmint control Dr. George E. Dvorchak, Jr.
The Hi-Point carbine as it comes from the factory.
they have been over the past few years, are the AR-type fi rearms for both de- fense and hunting purposes. Although they function only in the semiautomatic mode for the civilian market, it is their appearance that bothers some who do not understand that a semiauto is sim- ply a semiauto. A downside of many such fi rearms is their high cost, but you usually get what you pay for regarding quality. This is apparent when one fi res hundreds of .223 rounds a day where prairie dogs and ground squirrels are overrunning an area. Some rifl es con- tinue to function fl awlessly while some
I
n today’s fi rearms market, what continues to be in demand, as
other models do not. However, through testing, I have
found an exception to the quality vs. cost comment. What changed my opinion about price was when I had the opportunity to handle and fi re an unusual 9mm carbine manufactured in the United States. This was the original Hi-Point carbine which functioned better than most anyone familiar with semiautos would have expected. Back then, I remember that the stock design did not impress me and I was committed to many projects at that time, so I did not look into obtaining one to review. Then, this past summer, I received a press release from Schultz Media Relations
saying that the Hi-Point Carbine is now available chambered in .45 ACP. Hav- ing used a Marlin 45 carbine for years, and liking it, this caught my attention. Then, on reviewing the chamberings they now offer, I found that there are three models available. The original is the 9mm, then the .40 S&W, and now a model chambered for the .45 ACP. My immediate thought was that this was a wise move by Beemiller, Inc. (the manufacturer of Hi-Point fi rearms since 1993) to chamber their carbines in what are three proven and relatively common handgun cartridges. Although not long-range cartridges such as the .223 Remington, by chambering these handgun cartridges in carbines with their longer barrels, velocities have been increased. That move has made these handgun cartridges more effective, even at longer ranges, than normally would be expected from a handgun so chambered. These cartridges are not being fi red out of a long barreled rifl e or a short handgun, but in one of those in-between fi rearms … a carbine that can be quite practical for dispatching a predator such as a coyote. Concerning the three cartridge
By adding the Trijicon Refl ex Sight, the fi rearm’s profi le is more compact than when a scope was attached. With the scope eliminated and this sighting feature added, the overall weight was reduced.
Page 184 July — September 2011
options, when it comes to a defensive round, I consider the .45 caliber to be the best of these. And I think most of you would agree. For defense as well as var- mints and small game, my preference would be the 9mm, so I ordered their new carbine so chambered to review. What also infl uenced my decision on ordering the 9mm version is what a rancher told me when I asked him about the carbine in his truck. He explained that since he carries a 9mm handgun when driving around his spread check- ing fences or whatever, he bought one of these carbines because he could fi re it more accurately. Then he added a 1-4x scope to increase the accuracy potential for when he encounters predators like the coyote. When I questioned him fur- ther, he said that he also was impressed by the carbine’s reliability and quality.
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