Hi-Point 995 Carbine

The Hi-Point carbine is a series of carbines chambered for 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. They are very inexpensive, constructed using polymers and alloyed metals as much as possible, resulting in a reduction of production costs and sale price. The Hi-Point carbine is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an assault rifle; in fact, it is just a semiautomatic pistol-caliber carbine. It functions via a simple direct blowback action.

Origin
Developed during the now-defunct 1994 Federal assault weapons ban, the Hi-Point carbine comes with a ten-round magazine that fits into the pistol grip. With the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban in 2004, aftermarket fifteen-round magazines are now also available in most states. The magazines used are a proprietary design only usable with Hi-Point firearms. The pistol-style magazines for the 4095 .40 S&W carbine are fully interchangeable with the Hi-Point .40 S&W pistol. No such compatibility was advertised by Hi-Point regarding the original 995 carbine and the 9mm Hi-Point C-9 pistol; owners of both designs have reported that they are not completely interchangeable. The shorter pistol magazine is not long enough to fit the carbine; however, the longer carbine magazine will fit into the pistol.

Development
Despite its appearance, the Hi-Point carbine was developed for the civilian market and not specifically aimed at police department use. Nevertheless, it has been approved and purchased by a small number of local police departments that cannot easily afford to outfit all of their officers with more expensive long guns.

Suggested retail price for the most basic version of the carbine is USD$220. Gun shops have prices ranging from twenty to thirty dollars lower than that, bringing the cost down to nearly half the price of other inexpensive pistol-caliber carbines.

In the first quarter of 2009, a new model of the 995 carbine was released, the 995TS, which features a new stock and last round hold open. The TS model is slightly more expensive than the "995 Classic". The 4095 model in .40 S&W and the newest model, the Model 4595 in .45 ACP, are available only in the new TS configuration. As of September 2010, the "995 Classic" is no longer featured on the Hi-Point website.

Popularity
The carbine has proven popular, and has established a solid reputation as a plinking rifle or knockabout camp or truck gun. Some 28,000 were made and sold in 1998 alone, and it continues to sell well. After the success of the Model 995, the original 9mm version, the Model 4095 was created in the .40 S&W caliber. It shares much of the success of the Model 995. The newest model, the 4595, is poised to share in the success of its smaller-caliber siblings.

Hi-Point has developed a strong following despite the 'ugliness' of their products. A frequently heard epithet refers to the original Hi-Point configuration as "that Planet of the Apes gun." Their guns consistently score high in evaluations run by the "Consumer Reports of the firearms industry," Gun Tests Magazine. All Hi-Point firearms include a lifetime "no questions asked" warranty that transfers to anyone who purchases a used Hi-Point firearm.



The Hi-Point Carbine became more widely known after the Columbine High School massacre. Eric Harris, one of the two shooters, used a Carbine during the shooting.