Ugly Is As Ugly Does...

Lordy help me but I want one of these. Hi-Point .40 S&W carbine. My lunatic friend Jay has one, and he chronographed Cor-Bon 135 grainers clicking along at over 2000 fps from this ugly rifle. 165's are spitting out around 1800, and 200 grain gold dots topping 1650. That isn't 30.06 territory, but it is closing in on 30-30 neck of the woods and is nothing to sneeze at, especially when considering the fact that virtually all modern .40 caliber rounds are specifically designed to be anti-personnel ammunition, not deer-cartridges. I've several lever action carbines but let's face it, they're for play or hunting, because anyone who wishes to employ a defensive rifle and believes he has the time to lever-up over and over again has watched far too many episodes of Chuck Connors doing his thang.

Jay has owned his for about a year and a half with nary a glitch, and while one rifle says nothing about the breed, 8 or 9 thousand trouble-free discharges is a good indicator that Hi-Point is at least capable of manufacturing a good carbine.

Under $300 out the door. Only downside to all this is the skimpy little 10-round magazines, but I wouldn't be surprised if some after-marketers had higher capacity bottom-feeders for sale.