I personally wouldn't want a Hi-Point, but a lot of people say they are reliable, and they are probably better than nothing. Some people in this country are making daily decisions on whether to buy medicine or food, and to criticize someone for making a gun choice for self-defense when that's all they can afford at the moment is not something I would do.

I don't care for Taurus guns, primarily based on bad experiences and the fact that even though they have a lifetime warranty, their service is slow and you have to pay to ship the gun to them. S&W only warrants their guns to the original purchaser...but you are probably less likely to have a problem with a used S&W than you will have with either a new or used Taurus (who covers the gun, for any subsequent owners too.) Also, Taurus generally will not sell parts for their guns...they are selling parts now for the TCP, I believe, but in general, other than magazines and recoil springs, you have to send the gun to them (according to most reports and reviews.)

I've gone back and forth over this...Taurus has some guns I'd really like to like...the PT111 Millennium G2, for example. The PT92 has a frame mounted safety, whereas the Beretta 92FS doesn't...and I like that better. No matter what, for me, the issue still comes down to the fact that it's ridiculous for a company that provides a lifetime warranty not to pay for shipping. When you can spend $300 on a S&W (you can buy a brand new SD9VE for around $300) that's a much better choice.