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Planet of the Apes Gun: Hi-Point 995-B 9x19mm Carbine  In the 1968 Charlton Heston movie the Planet of the Apes, the gorillas were the soldiers of the ape race. Do you remember the carbine they used? The one with which they kept trying to shoot Heston. At one point in the movie, Heston’s character stated that the apes were not sophisticated enough to develop and manufacture something as intricate as a rifle. The carbine the gorillas carried looked like a monkey slapped some wood around a metal barrel and called it a gun. In fact, the Hollywood props people took old US military M1, .30 caliber carbines and put some very chunky wood on the old Army carbine actions to make them look futuristic. However, they still looked like apes made them. My wife the Colonel got me a new Hi-Point Model 995, 9mm carbine (www.hi-pointfirearms.com) for Christmas and at first blush, it looks like a Planet of the Apes rifle, despite being made in the USA. It has a one-piece polymer (read plastic) stock and a shape that would make you think the designer had been watching Chuck Heston battling for his life against primates just prior to going to the drawing board on this firearm. The Model 995 just does not look like most of the other rifles or carbines on the market. Here are some basic specifications for the Hi-Point Model 995-B carbine.
A carbine by nature is shorter and lighter then a regular battle rifle. The US military introduced their M1 carbine in WW II as a substitute for the (more expensive and harder to master) Model 1911 pistol. Soldiers who needed a firearm to protect themselves from the enemy, but were not in infantry combat, were issued a carbine. The Marines found the M 1 carbine very handy to use in the close quarters combat of the Pacific jungles. If you have to fight your enemy up close and personal (for instance, in your home at 2:00 AM), a little carbine that handles quickly in tight spaces can help keep you alive. That is how I felt about this little Hi-Point 9mm carbine. It could be of great advantage to me in a up-close encounter with bad guys trying to destroy my family’s peaceful way of life. Most rifles and shotguns in this country are purchased for hunting; most handguns are not. When I was in the retail firearms business back in the 1970's, I found that most people buy handguns to protect themselves, but then do not really learn to use the firearm proficiently. A short-barreled carbine, where you use two hands to aim the firearm, can improve you ability to hit what you are pointing at. I am old enough to have been trained on the old Thompson sub-machine gun. The "Tommy-Gun," the gun that made the Roaring 20's roar. What I liked about the Thompson was it was short and had a pistol grip that allowed me to shoot the firearm with one hand if I placed the shoulder stock in my armpit. That is exactly what I can do with my Hi-Point 9mm carbine. I can use both hands for accurate firing or I can shoot it with one hand in an emergency. By the way, I am not being paid an endorsement fee for plugging this firearm. What I am trying to tell you is that it is a dangerous world and with the economy getting much worse by the day, criminals are getting more desperate. The other problem is that many “haves” are becoming “have-nots” and they do not know how to defend themselves. Violent home invasions are on the rise in this country. Do a web search on border violence in Texas or California. Don’t even think about going south of the US border right now. When people are stressed-out (an over used phrase), they can react violently. Remember psychology 101, the fight or flight fear factor is in everyone. American men have a moral obligation to protect their family and loved ones. American women, please don’t stand about with a cell phone dialing 911 and expecting someone else to save you. Assurance not insurance, you must be ever vigilant. Both men and women need to be prepared to repel the wolf at the door. Maybe a Hi-Point carbine can help with that. |