Here in North Carolina we have an old expression: "It looks like it fell out of the ugly tree--and hit every branch on the way down!" With this pearl of wisdom in mind, I don't believe that anyone will hazard the opinion that the pistols to be discussed in this article are actually pretty. But then again, they weren't designed to be lookers.

The idea of a blowback-operated pistol chambered for high-pressure cartridges goes back to the early 20th century. Several designers toyed with the concept, and while most of the resulting products were less than successful, others featured prominently in the history of modern handguns. The first of note was the Spanish 1913-16 Campo-Giro, which was chambered for the powerful 9mm Largo cartridge. It was followed by the Astra 400 and 600 pistols, which fired the same round. Less notable designs included the Beretta 1915-19 and 1923 (9mm Glisenti); Germany's Dreyse Heeres Pistole and Walther Mod. 6 (9mm Parabellum); and the Danish Schouboe, which fired a unique 11.35mm jacketed wooden bullet!

All of these pistols used very heavy recoil springs to hold the slide forward until chamber pressures had dropped to safe levels and large, heavy frames to absorb recoil energy. Most suffered from severe recoil, difficult operation, and, except for the Astra pistols, mediocre reliability. It should come as no surprise then that all, except for those made by Astra, were commercial failures. Since the 1920s it has been assumed that for reliable operation, a pistol firing a high-pressure cartridge must utilize some form of locked breech.

For the last decade or so Hi-Point Firearms (Dept. ST, 8611-A North Dixie Dr., Dayton, OH 45414; 877-425-4867; www.hi-pointfirearms.com) has been offering blowback-operated pistols and carbines chambered for the .380 ACP, 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. In an effort to enlighten information-hungry Shooting Times readers, Editor Joel Hutchcroft supplied me with two of Hi-Point's most popular pistols: the .40 S&W Model JCP and the .45 ACP Model JHP.

SPECIFICATIONS Hi-Point Model JHP .45 ACP Semiautomatic Pistol
MAKER:	Hi-Point Firearms Co.
MODEL:	JHP
OPERATION:	Blowback Autoloader
CALIBER:	.45 ACP
CAPACITY:	10 rounds
BARREL LENGTH:	4.5 inches
OVERALL LENGTH:	7.72 inches
WEIGHT, EMPTY:	32 ounces
SIGHTS:	3-dot system; fully adjustable rear; blade front
STOCKS:	Integral polymer frame
SAFETY:	Manual thumb safety; magazine disconnect safety; sear drop safety
FINISH:	Black Powder Coat
PRICE:	$169

After the parcel delivery service truck had left, I opened the two packages I had received and my first thought was, "Hmmm...well, they certainly are different looking." In fact, I would say that they were two of the stranger looking pistols I have beheld in quite some time. It was obvious that in the case of the Hi-Point pistol form follows function.

The first thing I noticed was the massive, slab-sided slide with its black, powder coat finish and a rather large ejection port on the right side. These are die cast from an aluminum/zinc alloy with steel inserts reinforcing the entire breech area and other stress points. When I queried Charlie Brown of Hi-Point Firearms about this method of construction, he said: "Blowback firearms are simple and inexpensive to make and will handle a wide spectrum of ammo without problems. In the area of Ohio where we are located, there are many shops that specialize in die casting for the auto industry. We utilize this resource.

"Hi-Point was one of the first American manufacturers to use a polymer frame for firearms. In 1992-93 we offered our 9mm in polymer, then the .380, and lastly the .40 and .45 pistols. It just worked out that way because polymer offers many consumer benefits, such as reduced recoil, ease of maintenance, and a longer service life. Polymer by nature is 'slicker' than steel/alloy and is therefore easier to care for, requiring less oil, etc."

SPECIFICATIONS Hi-Point Model JCP .40 S&W Semiautomatic Pistol
MAKER:	Hi-Point Firearms Co.
MODEL:	JCP
OPERATION:	Blowback Autoloader
CALIBER:	.40 S&W
CAPACITY:	9 rounds
BARREL LENGTH:	4.5 inches
OVERALL LENGTH:	7.72 inches
WEIGHT, EMPTY:	32 ounces
SIGHTS:	3-dot system; fully adjustable rear; blade front
STOCKS:	Integral polymer frame
SAFETY:	Manual thumb safety; magazine disconnect safety; sear drop safety
FINISH:	Black Powder Coat
PRICE:	$169

The Hi-Point polymer frame features an integral trigger guard and accessory rail for mounting an optional laser sight. The barrel is mounted permanently to the frame while the recoil spring is located in a groove beneath the barrel where a downward extension of the slide bears upon it during recoil. Separate grip panels are held in place by screws and tabs on their bottom edges that enter cutouts in the frame.

This design depends primarily upon the slide's mass to prevent it from moving to the rear until chamber pressure has dropped to a safe level while the recoil spring provides a secondary means of preventing slide movement. Unlike those pistols mentioned at the beginning of this article, because of the weight of the slide, the spring does not have to be so strong as to make manual retraction of the slide difficult. I had several persons of varying stature, hand sizes, and strength rack the Hi-Point's slide and none experienced any difficulty.

Hi-Point pistols are striker fired and utilize a single-action trigger mechanism. A thumb safety on the left side of the frame blocks the sear when engaged. To provide additional protection, the design includes a spring-loaded sear block that falls under the sear pin arm and prevents sear movement if the pistol is dropped while a weight counteracts sear movement.