Just wanted to sit down quickly and let you know about a conversation I had this past weekend. I was talking to a ballistics and firearms expert for a District Attorneys office. We got to talking as I was managing the Hi-Point 9mm Carbine station for students in a firearms class and he told me about a problem that he had come across with the Hi-Point 9mm carbines. There is a known issue with some earlier carbines that resulted in a bent firing pin. The result of that bent firing pin is that as the bolt comes forward the bent firing pin protrudes and in some cases results in a firing out of battery failure.
As a right handed shooter, firing out of battery is less likely to cause significant injury, but still very dangerous. The ejection port is on the right side of the carbine and your face is on the left as a right handed shooter. However, if you are firing the carbine left handed, your face will be right behind to the ejection port and an out of battery malfunction could result in significant facial injury.
The case in question followed that scenario. The firing pin was bent. A left handed shooter was firing the carbine. The bent firing pin resulted in an out of battery failure and because the shooters face was on the right side of the carbine right behind the ejection port, the shooter received some facial trauma. Since the subject was wearing safety glasses, no permanent damage was done. Searching Google reveals many instances of bent firing pins in this carbine and my source indicated that he had contacted Hi-Point and that it was a known issue.
This is one specific case and does not mean all of the Hi-Point carbines have this issue but it is something to be aware of.
Left handed shooters should exercise extreme caution when firing the Hi-Point 9mm carbine and as ALWAYS wear safety glasses.
You must be logged in to post a comment.