Guns

[LycanTheory]

17 hours ago, threelegs said:




Keep a close eye on that Hi Point. I had one and loved how it felt and handled--mostly ... the trigger ... well, you know. Anyhow, I'd run maybe a couple thousand rounds through it and it started misfeeding. Instead of chambering, the cartridge would get stuck bullet-end-upwards. It wasn't consistent, but began getting worse. I checked my magazines and they were okay. I thought I'd at least clean it. And when I took it apart, I noticed the feed ramp was beginning to have a divot in it. Turns out the damn feed ramp is cast zinc, like the slide. The bullets (or more likely the casings) were eroding it a tiny bit every time it cycled.




I was able to fix the problem. I straightened out the contour of the feed ramp with a needle file--oh, so delicately--and it fed consistently then, but I quit shooting it and sold it.




Great lot of fun to shoot, and what it did to the groundhogs was just hilarious. Just not reliable long-term.

Thanks for the tip! I'll keep my eye on it. AFAIK, Hi Point still honors their warranty for the lifetime of the gun so if it becomes an issue, I'll look into getting it repaired.

2 hours ago, heavyhorse said:




Diecast zinc has one advantage.  It's the only metal that doesn't shrink as it goes from liquid to solid.  So no post-molding machining required.  It's great for complicated shapes like carburetor bodies and gas control valves.  Manufacturers love it.




BUT.  The advantages end at the manufacturer, it's lousy for the consumer.  Heavier than iron, softer and weaker, the same iron part made in zinc has to be thicker for strength so much heavier.  Galls and scores if not completely clean and lubricated.  Readily corrodes.  Deforms under pressure.




I can see some disadvantages to "annealed polymer" gun parts (some advantages as well), but diecast zinc?  A gun is a tool your life depends on.  Why don't you get a zinc Crescent wrench, see how that goes? 

I wouldn't necessarily bet my life on a Hi Point. They're economical, decent shooters and kinda unique in their own way. I like them for what they are but I'm aware of what they aren't. 




I suppose for someone who was limited to that or nothing though, it'd be a different story.




Lyc