During Shot Show 2019, an exciting buzz was evident throughout the showroom floor. It could have been the new Glock 43X or Glock 48. It may have been the long awaited CZ P-10S or the new Taurus TX22. Was it the newest release from Ruger, S&W or Sig Sauer. Oh sure, they all had incredible showrooms with amazing firearms to showcase however the buzz wasn’t from them. What firearm drew massive attention at Shot Show?
It was the NEW Hi Point handgun that nobody saw coming. It had gun enthusiasts flooding to the Hi Point booth to get a closer look. The “new” Hi Point handgun, which is yet to have an official name, received Hollywood-like attention as YouTubers and writers were covering every angle of the new pistol. The well-proven Hi Point C9 received an entire makeover which included features typically seen on higher-end handguns.
I had an exclusive opportunity from MKS Supply to personally check out the new Hi Point handgun. The model at Show Show and the NRA Convention was featured on a glass encased pedestal. The good people at MKS supply took it off the pedestal and allowed me to fondle it like a newborn baby. It is important to note this model was a prototype however Hi Point has plans to release their new handgun to the public in late 2019.
For the sake of simpleness, let’s refer to the new Hi Point as the “C9 Gen 2.” The Hi Point C9 Gen 2 has a contoured, angled slide cut that mimics the slide on a CZ75 pistol. The new slide offers forward and rear cut slide serrations along with an elongated rear sight that can be removed to add a rail and red-dot optic. It comes with a threaded barrel for suppressed shooting and an accessory rail to add a light and/or a laser.
Additional Hi Point C9 Gen 2 features include a newly designed trigger, an ambidextrous magazine release and a removable grip backstrap that will offer two different sizes to custom fit the shooters hand size. One will notice the grip offers a different texture accompanied with the Hi Point logo as well as a grip safety that will remove the familiar rattle with Hi Point pistols.
Most notably, Hi Point re-configured the C9 Gen 2 magazine. The top of the new magazine is singular that bevels into a double stack 10 round magazine. It’s expected that Hi Point will eventually create a 15 round, or even more capacity, magazine for the C9 Gen 2. This is a feature that Hi Point fans have wanted for years.
Gun enthusiasts are excited that Hi Point created a feature-loaded C9 Gen 2 handgun. Many of the updated improvements are features that today’s shooters are looking for in a budget minded handgun. Today’s shooters are using red-dots on pistols and shooting suppressed like never before. Hi Point addressed those issues along with increased magazine capacity with an aesthetically pleasing new design.
The original Hi Point C9 has endured an incredible amount of torture tests throughout the years. People surely have their opinions about liking or disliking Hi Point handguns however they cannot deny Hi Point’s ruggedness. There is no other handgun that I am aware of that has been dropped, dragged, dunked and buried like a Hi Point pistol. It has been proven time and time again to be one tough pistol that will fire under extreme physical conditions.
I think this new Hi Point C9 Gen 2 will fly off the shelves. Gun fanatics love new entries into the market and the increased features alone make this a winner. The new design is appealing and it is projected that Hi Point will sell the C9 Gen 2 for around $200. From my observation, the original Hi Point C9 mechanics will remain the same on the new model.
The fact is, Hi Point sells over 200,000 firearms a year. Whether people Hi Point once filled a niche as a affordable firearm that wouldn’t break the bank to own. For the cost alone, many people have appreciated Hi Point firearms. Many other firearm manufacturers are producing budget handguns that sell for a similar amount of money as Hi Points. However, few of the budget handguns are as tough as a Hi Point. Considering the improvements made along with the historical durability of Hi Point firearms, I think the new model will sell extremely well.
