There is something for everyone. I’ve always held this philosophy to be true. I also admit I had a preconceived notion when I first picked up the Hi-Point 9mm carbine at my local dealer. Much to my surprise, many of those were squashed within minutes of opening the box.
It all started when I walked into my local dealer, Direct Hit Guns and Ammo in Jackson, TN. When the store clerk laid the Hi-Point box on the counter, it immediately caused chat and conversation across the room. I had thought I might catch some smart comments, but to my surprise, these were seasoned gun owners, and all of them repeated the same thing…I love those little carbines.
The Hi-point carbine has an odd look. It resembles something out of a Star Wars movie. I think that is also what gives it character and the uniqueness that people are drawn to. I must admit..it grew on me. Holding the carbine in the ready position, the balance was pretty good, and it felt like a well-made carbine. Well, it does have a lot of plastic parts on it, but for a carbine priced at under $300 MSRP, you can’t expect solid steel and aluminum around every corner.
As most 9mm carbines would, the Hi-Point operates on a blowback system, so there is no gas block or tube. The blowback system can cause a lot of recoil, but the Hi-Point doesn’t have much and I think a lot of this is because they manufacture a spring system in the stock and that really does minimize any extra recoil. The carbine comes standard with a 10-round magazine (not a lot for a carbine), but you can purchase 20-round magazines direct from Hi-Point. In our findings, the carbine operated flawlessly while using the 10-round stock magazine, but we had a few failures while using the 20-round version. The 20-round magazine is manufactured by a third-party company, so maybe Hi-Point will make one of their own soon.
The carbine comes standard with a 1/2×28 threaded barrel. This an excellent option for those who would like to shoot the carbine suppressed. It also comes standard with adjustable sites. The sites are not terrible, but they are very old school. We would recommend using a nice red dot optic. This would make the carbine a lot more enjoyable. But as always, that’s a personal preference.
Two things we did not like about the Hi-Point Carbine. One, the trigger guard is tiny. If you are shooting with gloves, or you have very large fingers, the trigger guard can be an issue. Not sure why they are made so small, to be honest, and it seems like this could be an easy fix for Hi-Point. The other thing we didn’t care for was the mag release placement. If you are a left-handed shooter, you will surely drop the mag by accident. This too seems like something with a little extra engineering could be resolved.
All and all, the Hi-Point 995 9mm carbine is an excellent buy. We would highly recommend it to anyone for home defense, plinking, or just overall shooting enjoyments. The retail price is so low, that you really do get a lot of bang for your buck.
As your local dealer for the Hi-Point 995 today!
Specifications:
All Hi-Point® Firearms 9mm carbines are +P rated to accept all factory ammunition and feature:
Threaded 1/2 x 28 barrel standard
Thumb magazine release
All-weather, polymer skeletonized stock
100% American-made parts and assembly
FREE trigger lock, sling and swivels
10-round magazine (not interchangeable with C9)
Internal recoil buffer in stock
Last round lock open
Picatinny rails
Model 995 19″ is available in the US and Canada
Fully adjustable sights (rear peep & post front)
Canadian carbine ships with 5-round magazine
Manual safety
*20-round magazine available from Redball Sports
Barrel length: 16.5″ or 19″
Weight: 6.25 lbs.
Capacity: 10-shot magazine standard
Overall length: 31″ or 34″
Sights: Fully-adjustable
Stock: All-weather, black or hydro-dipped molded polymer depending on model
For more information visit www.hi-pointfirearms.com
