Have gun, will rant

Pictured above: a working reliable pistol. Not pictured above: a Hi-Point .40 that I own.

I founded this blog, way back when, to provide a cathartic and relatively harmless outlet for my less than socially acceptable Tourette’s-like tendencies to the various things I encounter in life that piss me way the hell off.  I’ve even used this blog from time to time for just such effect and have found it to be a satisfactory release mechanism when I’ve had the need to.  However, I’ve never had need to use this forum as a proxy for a public service announcement.  Well, that changes today.

Back in the summer of 2010, I decided I was finally responsible enough to be trusted to own a handgun (I was 43 at the time) and, so, I ventured forth into the world in my exceptional ignorance to acquire such a device.  I wasn’t flush with cash at the time and lacking any “associates” in the neighborhood who’d sell me a Saturday Night Special on the down-low, I ventured forth to a local gun show to see what I might come home with.  What I came home with that fine July day was a .40 Hi-Point pistol.  Now, to forestall the smirks and head-shaking chucklers out there I already admitted to “exceptional ignorance” so I really don’t wanna hear it.  Anyway, to make a long and (if you’re familiar with the “quality” of Hi-Point firearms) probably predictable story shorter, I immediately experienced problems with my new purchase.  Problems like: it didn’t fucking work reliably.  It had feed problems, misfires, ejection problems…you name it and Hi-Point covered it like a lactose-intolerant dog covers your living room carpet after a bowl of ice cream.  In short, it was an unmitigated piece of shit of a gun and one that today I am utterly ashamed to even admit I own.  Anyway, why mention this?  Well, back then I thought that maybe perhaps it was all me.  I was, after all, a total novice with a handgun and thought there might have been something I had done wrong (aside from having paid actual money for this dog).  One of the places I went was the Hi-Point Firearms Forum to see if I might get some advice from other owners of this fine, well made paperweight.

To summarize the result: I posted a thread explaining my problem.  That thread immediately turned into a flamewar between those who disliked Hi-Point guns in general and who used every opportunity (like my thread asking for help) to run down Hi-Point’s products (I have chosen to call these people “assholes”) and those who owned a Hi-Point and thought it the pinnacle of human firearms technology (I prefer to call them “even bigger assholes but with a side order of being fucking delusional”).  Feel free to bask in the glow of assholes arguing with even bigger fucking delusional assholes here.  Point is, I got nowhere with any of my efforts with that first thread and so I made a second one.  Now, remember folks, this is Hi-Point’s own public forums staffed with their own employees.  The purpose of the forums is to provide community and assistance to their customers (at the time, namely, me).  So, you can guess what happened after I posted a second thread asking for some kind of assistance in trying to make their product actually, you know, work.

That’s right, I got banned.

Of course it was an automated message. If it was from an actual person at Hi-Point, it would have been way more condescending

So, why bring this up today?  Well, just a little bit ago, I got the nice email above from an admin on the Hi-Point forum.  Let’s call him “Austin” (because that’s what he called himself).  Anyway, Austin was really nice, said he’d noticed I hadn’t been on their forums in awhile (banning does tend to have that effect) and was wondering if everything was all right and inviting me back to share my opinions.  Silly Austin, inviting me to respond like that.  Seeing as how I’m not one to let a good rant opportunity pass me by, I did respond to Austin…and the response forms the basis of this blog post/PSA:

Well, hi Austin! You’re absolutely correct…I haven’t been on your forums in some time. Want to know why?

I was banned from your forums back around the end of August 2010. At the time I sent several emails to a Clifton who never responded with a reason for why I was banned. In fact, due to your contact, I went and dug out the 8/23/10 email I sent to Clifton Jones (randomnumber81@gmail.com). It is quoted verbatim below:

Hi Jones:

My name is [Euroranger]. I’m the guy who registered the account “Euroranger” on the Hi-Point forums back in August looking for help for an issue I’m having with my pistol. It appears I’ve been banned from the Hi-Point forum sometime over the past 2-3 days and I haven’t been advised as to why or the duration of the ban. The ban appears to be tied to the IP address that I had been accessing the forum from as I can access it fine from other IP addresses.

I would appreciate your assistance in either rescinding the ban or providing an explanation as to why I was banned in the first place. I’ve posted to the Hi-Point forum a total of 5 posts. All have been polite, non-profane and have been simply seeking help for the issue with my pistol I had mentioned earlier. As I’m sure you’re aware I could simply access the forum with a proxy and register with a new email address and circumvent the ban myself but I’m bringing this to your attention as I’m somewhat concerned that a forum that is managed by the firearm manufacturer would ban a forum account by the manufacturer’s customer who was there seeking answers or assistance for an issue with the manufacturer’s product.

If I had contravened a forum rule would it not be equitable to at least inform the offending user/customer of their infraction? You know, something like the moderator posting a message into the offending thread and locking it as opposed to banning the user and leaving the thread open? An action like this does little to enhance the reputation of Hi-Point and I’d like to give someone there the opportunity to fairly address any issues.

I look forward to your reply.

Euroranger

I got this back the same day:

Ill look in to this [Euro]. I do recall seeing your username “euroranger” mentioned in our private mod/admin area. Ill let you know what I find out.

Thanks for your patience,

Jones

…and then nothing despite five further inquiries. Rather than rehash that all, you can read my final email:

Clifton,

So, nearly a week later and still no response. I’ll go ahead and assume the forum admins have no intention of addressing this issue. Five separate requests and with no resolution or explanation is enough for me and is a clear indication where I, as a customer, stand with relation to Hi-Point: utter contempt and disregard.

I’ll make sure to go out of my way to mention such to anyone I’m speaking with when/if the topic comes up in the future. I’ll thank you to continue your diligent campaign of apathy and negligence as my patience with requesting a resolution has come to an end. A response from you at this point is pointless and won’t be welcome.

Euroranger

So, while I appreciate this wasn’t your fault or even your issue (and I’m sure the email I received from the Hi-Point forum under your name was automated), I hope you can appreciate that I won’t be wasting my time on the forum of this manufacturer. I still shamefully own the Hi-Point pistol but only because it is of such inferior quality that I wouldn’t feel comfortable selling it to another human being.

I have since purchased a Glock 30 with which I have had zero issues despite much use. In stark contrast to the Hi-Point product I was posting about, I didn’t need to do ANYTHING to my Glock in order for it to provide me with protection beyond using it as a club (which was what my Hi-Point was reduced to in terms of capability). I indeed paid more for the Glock but hey, when you buy a pistol you…you know…WANT IT TO F***ING WORK.

I have told dozens of people about the absolutely awful product I still own from Hi-Point and was met with nods of sympathy from those who didn’t already know the reputation of Hi-Points abyssmal products to snickers from those who did.

Thank you for reaching out to me but I hope you can understand that the next time I’ll have anything to do with Hi-Point’s crappy, dangerous products is also spelled “never”. I’ve done you the favor of replying privately rather than polluting your board with vitriol so I hope this concludes our association (not you personally, Hi-Point). I simply feel incredibly lucky that I was never put in a position of having to defend my or my loved ones’ lives with a Hi-Point product…and I guess that’s about all I can say to summarize my feelings about this.

Artist's concept of actual Hi-Point employee posing as a Hi-Point forum mod.

Now, entirely in poor Austin’s defense, his account there is only around 6 months old and my exchange occurred about a year before he even got there.  Still, he asked so I answered and it provided me a good opportunity to pass along this very valuable piece of information that I learned the hard way:

DON’T BUY A FIREARM FROM HI-POINT…EVER…NOT EVEN AS A BAD JOKE

As circumstances would have it, about 6 months after that shit-tacular exchange and the general “fuck off” send off at Hi Point, I purchased a Glock 30 from a neighbor of my Dad’s over in Alabama.  I’m not even possessed of the language skills necessary to try and describe the absolute gulf of difference in the quality of the two manufacturers’ products in comparison to one another.  In fact, there really isn’t a comparison because my Glock 30 shoots and the Hi-Point does not.  You can’t really compare guns when one is a gun and the other is a glorified club.  It’s just not fair.

So, anyway, there you go.  My public service announcement.  Avoid Hi-Point firearms like they’re the fucking plague…or a lactose intolerant dog.  When it comes to Hi-Point firearms, my experience tells me that you really don’t want to be caught dead with one…because you’ll have one and when you need it, it’s entirely possible that the outcome will be your untimely demise.  Seriously, it’s your life.  Take the extra couple of dollars you could save and buy something you can at least not have to wonder about when the local air circulator begins to distribute the solid waste.

Truly, take my advice and you’ll forever thank me for this wisdom.

My name is Euroranger and I approved this message.