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tacticool wrote:I don't think anyone should recommend any gun (or restaurant, etc.) unless they have personal experience.

I think that's the most wise advice out of all given to me. Since I have no experience with Hi Points, I'm going to recommend that my friend gets a Kel-Tec P3AT for HD. That is the only handgun that is decent for home defense that costs less than $200 which I have experience with.

I think that he'll be better off with a shotgun since he does not plan to conceal carry. However, he wants to carry it around inside his apartment in his pocket to answer the door with, so he doesn't like the shotgun.

380 ammo is hard to find and expensive, so I'll be a good friend and give him some ammo for Christmas.

That said, I think Hi Points should be OK. I mean, they do have a lifetime warranty. However, guns are investments as well as tools. Hi Points have terrible resale value, so they make terrible investments. If you buy a Hi Point from Cabela's for $190, I'll bet you'll be lucky if you get $50-90 for it if you sell it. Aside from Cabela's, I've never seen anyone sell a Hi Point. That's over a 50% financial loss. However, if you buy a KelTec from someone on the forum for $200, I'll be you can sell it for $200 later if you need cash. That's a good investment. You get self-defense for free (you're selling at the same price that you bought it for). Based on this, I'm going to recommend the Kel-Tec P3AT.

Well, another one of my friends want to buy a gun for self defense. Many apartments around him were broken into and one was a home invasion robbery because they knocked and thought the resident wasn't home but they actually were home (just real deep sleepers). However, his budget is only $200. Should I recommend a Hi Point? I know lots of people knock them on the web, but they do come with a LIFETIME warranty that applies not only to the original owner, but ANYONE who owns a Hi Point. They also come with a drop safety, too. It is made of pot metal, but the barrel is made of steel and most home defense guns will not get dropped on concrete nor used much, for that matter. Anyone own a Hi Point and have some experiences to share? Thanks, .

P.S. The only guns for under $200 that I can think of would be;
1. Mosin Nagant (another friend of mine uses this for home defense per my recommendation and he loves it) $100 cabelas sale
2. Heritage Arms .22 LR single action revolver (another friend of mine uses this for home defense per my recommendation and she loves it) $100 black friday academy sale
3. Any HI Point .40 or .45 cabelas current sale $190
4. Nagant Revolver $95 online, not including your FFL's transfer fee and shipping (ammo is hard to find)
5. Marlin 795 frequently on sale at Dick's or Cabela's for $100
6. Mossberg AR22 Cabela's for $200
7. SKS, look for a gun shows for $200-400
8. Makarov, look for at gun shows for $200-350
9. Mossberg Plinkster $200 black friday gander mountain
10. Rossi 357 magnum $200 academy's black friday sale

I am leaning towards the SKS as a recommendation for home defense for my friend, but he wants a semi-auto pistol, so I'm thinking Makarov, but we didn't see any at a gun show for under $200. Online, they're more than $200 because of shipping and FFL fees. $200 38 cal revolvers are usually junked and without any waranty and Academy was sold out of Rossis before we made it to the gun counter. He doesn't like single action 22lr Heritage Arms either, 22lr is not powerful enough for him. So, he's thinking Hi Point, but I'm skeptical of those ugly pot metal guns....