My experience... although one might make excuses that they're good enough for their diminutive price. I remember a day when I could not afford a decent handgun, and I made excuses of why a cheap pistol might be better than nothing. The same excuse still applies, until the pistol doesn't work. Then it's worth far less than nothing.
A friend of mine has one. He's not necessarily a gun person, and he raves about how wonderful his Hi-Point pistol is. We were shooting at another friends farm on one occasion, and he coaxed me to shoot his Hi-Point. From the very first round, it would not chamber unless upward pressure was applied to the magazine. Probably a simple fix, but he still raved about this pistol. And the little stamped-steel safety lever preferred to flex as opposed to actually disengaging the safety. The consensus of Hi-Point owners is often,
with excuses, they are great guns and for the price they can live with little things like a pistol that wont chamber a round. :?
I learned long ago, it's not wise to make fun of another mans ride, or his gun, so I wont. But for me, I will not buy a Hi-Point pistol.
But ain't it a beauty? 8)