The Price of Personal Protection: Is Cheaper Worth it?
Posted on October 12, 2022 at 9:00 AM by The Biker Lawyers
How much should you spend when purchasing a pistol?
Does pistol price matter? That’s the question we set out to answer this week. We’re pitting one of the cheapest pistols on the market, the Hi-Point 9mm vs a more expensive top-shelf Sig Sauer p-225. Is there a huge difference in accuracy, power, and overall quality between the high-end and the Hi-point?
SHOOTOUT: $1400 9mm Sig P226 vs 9mm Hi-Point $179.00
As a novice shooter, I wasn’t sure what to consider when looking at the overall quality comparing guns. So, I recruited the help of Levi, an experienced gun owner, marksman and happy/knowledgeable salesperson at Midwest Shooting inc. He walked me thru some of the things to be aware of.
What to consider when evaluating a firearm
When comparing the 9mm Sig P226 and the 9mm Hi-Point, we examined five points: materials, fit/finish, ease of disassembly, trigger feel, and accuracy.
- Materials- one is very durable with a steel frame while the other is cast iron which can crack easily.
- Fit and finish. One felt tight and very well crafted and was comfortable to hold. The other was loose, rattled and felt “blocky” and angular in my hands
- Ease of disassembly for cleaning and repairs.
- Trigger feel. Have to go to the range to find out this parameter.
- Accuracy — again, we’ll find out on the range.
After a brief introductionAfter a brief introduction to how to operate each pistol, we went to the range. We both took 5 shots at close range with each gun and compared the results. to how to operate each pistol, we went to the range. We both took 5 shots at close range with each gun and compared the results.
Testing on the shooting range
I shot first and took the 226 (the top-of-the-line pistol) in hand. Overall, it felt great. I fired single action with the hammer cocked in position. Test one was Inconclusive. This was a new gun in the hands of a novice shooter and I put two dead center and scattered three shots.
Next, I picked up the Hi-Point (the more “affordable” gun). Its angular frame had a weird feel to me. As I moved the gun in my hands it rattled and shook with audible noises. The trigger felt blade-thin and I had trouble getting it set into the crook of my thumb. My shots surprisingly were slightly more accurate though. There are lots of variables to take into account so it’s difficult to say the gun had anything to do with accuracy because I just haven’t sent enough rounds downrange to be all that consistent.
Levi, on the other hand, will be a much better judge of accuracy- or will he?
You’ll have to watch the video to judge for yourself. Levi was a much more accurate shooter putting all his shots from both guns in the center rings. The ones furthest from the center and that landed in the pink, were all shot with the Hi-Point.
Conclusion
My conclusion: For competitive shooting and for a gun that will last a lifetime you will probably want to pay to play and buy a reliable name-brand weapon that is very reasonably priced around $500 and up. If you’re looking for personal protection from a gun you plan on hardly ever using, the highpoint offers about the same protection at close range as the more expensive choices and you can throw it in the fish tank when it eventually breaks.
As usual, I’d be interested in hearing you comments which you can post below. Or email me russ@rock108.com
About Russ: The biker community’s Ambassador of Ammo
Known as a professional Radio Gypsy, Russ is the voice of “crazy stories and bad behavior” on Rock 108 every weekday from 10 AM – 2 PM (CST). After a shooting expedition with friends, Russ found a new passion for firearms and is now searching to find the perfect fit to match his needs. Join him as he tests and reviews various guns and targets, learns gun safety, and occasionally blows stuff up every week right here!
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