Hi-Point CF-380

I recently had a customer bring me in a small baggie containing the parts for a Hi-Point CF-380 semiautomatic pistol that had been completely disassembled. His goal had been to replace the trigger and firing pin with new ones. However, once the gun had been taken apart, he could not get it back together again.

As with any firearm brought to me disassembled and in a bag or box, I asked at least three times, "Are all of the parts accounted for?" I was quickly told, "Yes, I made sure they were all in there." For me, missing parts in these types of circumstances is more the norm rather than the exception. Before I move on, the Hi-Point CF- 380 is a .380 ACP with a barrel length of 3.5" and an overall length of 6.75" and weight of 25 ounces.

The finish is a black powder coat with chrome slide, the sights area three-dot type with adjustable rear, and the magazine holds eight rounds with a last round hold open feature. Once at the bench, I immediately inventoried and placed all parts on a mat and photographed them prior to methodically reassembling the gun. I quickly found that it was missing one critical part (as is the norm) and had a broken magazine catch spring.

Once I had ordered and received the missing and broken parts directly from Hi-Point, the gun was ready for the reassembly process. I didn’t find much information about this particular gun concerning disassembly and reassembly and decided a detailed account of this process was warranted. Since the gun was already disassembled, I decided to reassemble it first and then go through the entire disassembly and reassembly operation to best describe it here.

First, remove the magazine and work the slide a few times and inspect visually to ensure no live rounds are in the chamber. Once unloaded and confirmed clear, draw the slide fully to the rear and lock it open with the safety (#13). With the slide locked back, look at the rear of the frame to find a roll pin. This pin must be removed to disassemble the gun. Using a roll pin punch, drift the pin out of the frame from left to right. Pull the slide to the rear and drop the safety down.

Slowly push the slide forward while lifting the slide at the rear so the slide retainer (#8) comes up and out of the hole it rides in. Once that is clear, move the slide forward and over the barrel to remove it. Go slow here as the recoil spring and recoil spring guide rod (#15 and #16) can fly out from the front of the frame.

Once the slide is off the frame without losing the recoil spring and/or guide, turn the slide over and pull the slide retainer (#8), the larger firing pin coil spring (not shown in the schematic), the longer and smaller diameter firing pin spring (#6), and the firing pin (#5) rearward and out of the slide from the track they ride in. This completes disassembly for detail cleaning the gun. If taking it down further, continue on by drifting the extractor pin out of the slide.

Drift this pin out from inside the bottom of the slide and out through the top. This will release the extractor key (#2) and extractor key spring (#3) from the slide. This only needs to be performed when replacing the extractor key and/ or spring or when cleaning that area is necessary. With the slide disassembled, move on to the frame. The following is not super difficult, however, when removing the grip panels parts can/will fall out.

That is because the grips serve to hold a number of parts in place in the frame. Begin by removing the left side grip panel. Remove the grip panel screw (#19) and lift the grip (#20) off the frame’s side by pulling it up from the top and out in order to release the locking lugs on bottom of the grip that interlock into the bottom of the frame grip area. Once the grip panel has been removed, the safety (#13) comes right off. The grip holds it in place.

Next, unhook the small hold open spring (#34) from the hold open (#33)

and then from the magazine release button (#21). The hold open pin (#33) is one of two pins that secure the barrel to the frame. Unless you just have to, there is no need to remove this pin. Note how the spring is attached to the hold open (#33) with the open end of the spring facing out from the frame. Turn the frame over to access the right side grip panel.

Remove the grip panel screw and grip panel, carefully lifting it up at the top and pulling it up and out from the interlocking lugs from the bottom of the grip frame area. There are three parts held in place only by the grip panel itself: The magazine catch spring (#27), the sear cam (#11), and the magazine lockout The spring is in proper position with the hook facing out at the top. (#35). Remove these from the side of the frame.

The magazine catch spring has a small 90-degree bend on one end that gets inserted into the small hole in the magazine catch assembly (#21). Note how it just lays in the slot cut into the frame for it. The sear cam (#11) only sits over the sear assembly pin (#12) and the magazine lockout is just lying on the side of the frame. Note the magazine lockout is only held in place by the grip and the small coil spring that holds it in place is secured to the inside bottom of the right grip panel.

If this spring is not attached to the grip panel (i.e., missing), you will need to get one to properly reassemble this gun. With the above parts removed from the right side of the frame, turn your attention to the inside top frame area. Begin by pulling the sear assembly (#12) and sear assembly spring (#10) out of the small metal insert in the top of the frame. With the sear assembly removed, lift the sear block (#24) and sear block spring (#23) from the inside left of the receiver and out the top of the frame.

Be careful not to lose the spring and take note how the assembly goes back into place when reinstalling it. Looking inside the frame from the top, you’ll see a pin that has a 90degree bend in it on one end. This is the counter weight pivot pin (#25) that hooks onto the counter weight (#26) that fits inside the magazine well along the back of the frame. Just lift the counterweight upwards into the top of the frame and unhook the pivot pin from the hole in the counterweight that retains it.

Pull the pivot pin out from the top and drop the counterweight out the bottom of the frame. Note that the counterweight rides in a groove inside the back of the magazine well and the flat side goes to the back of the magazine well area. If needed, remove the magazine catch assembly (#21) by pushing it out of the frame from the left side of the frame to the right. It is held in place by the hold open spring removed on the left side of the frame previously.

Just push the pin out after taking the magazine catch release button cap off of the pin from the left side of the frame. The magazine catch cap or button is just pressed on. Reinstall in reverse. Remember that the last round hold open spring (#34) hooks onto the magazine catch just below the cap and the spring must be installed to the hold open (#33) with the hook of the spring facing up. Finally, to remove the trigger, drift the trigger pin (#17) out of the frame from left to right.

Remove the trigger assembly (#18) by pulling it rearwards and working it out of the frame. Reinstall in reverse. Go cautiously here as you can

damage the plastic trigger by forcing the trigger pin into the frame during reassembly. I suggest using a slave pin to line up the trigger pin holes in the trigger and frame first, then drift the pin into the frame. That completes the disassembly of the pistol. Reassembly Tips A couple of reassembly tips as you put the gun back together in the reverse sequence. Begin by installing the trigger assembly, magazine catch assembly, then hold open and hold open spring.

This will secure the magazine release catch to the frame. Next, install the sear block (#24) and sear block spring (#23) in the slot in the top left side of the frame. Install the counterweight inside the magazine well opening (inside back of magazine well) of the frame and then hook the counterweight pivot pin into the small retaining hole at the top of the counterweight. Lay the counterweight pivot pin down inside the slot at the top right inside of the frame.

With those in place, install the sear assembly (#12) and sear coil spring (#10) into the metal sleeve in the top of the frame. The arms or pins of the sear assembly sit on and over the top of the sear block (#24) and counterweight pivot pin (#25). Also make sure the sear assembly is installed properly. Place the frame down on your bench with the right side up and lay the sear cam (#11) in place, making sure the sear assembly pin or arm fits into the hole in the sear cam. It will press into place.

Next, hook the bent end of the magazine catch spring (#27) into the magazine catch hole and lay the spring down in the slot provided for it in the frame. Finally, lay the magazine lockout (#35) on the side of the frame. With all right side parts in place, insert the bottom lugs of the right side grip panel into the bottom frame lug holes and press the grip panel on the frame, making sure it secures all parts. You should feel spring pressure when covering the magazine catch spring.

The grip panel must lay flat against the frame. Install the grip panel screw. Turn the frame over and make sure the magazine release catch button cap is in place, as well as the hold open (#33) and hold open spring (#34). Lay the safety (#13) in place on the left side of the frame and install the left side grip panel over it. You will again hook the grip panel lugs into the holes located at the bottom of the grip frame first, and then press the grip panel in place over the safety.

To clear the safety, move it fully upwards so that the grip panel clears and then allows the safety tab to fit into the slot for the safety on the top of the grip panel before finally attaching the grip panel with the grip panel screw. This completes the assembly of the frame. Turning our attention back to the slide, turn it over and insert the firing pin (#5) and then the firing pin coil spring (#6).

Place the shorter, larger-diameter firing pin spring (not shown in the schematic) over #6, and install the slide retainer (#8) into the track. Note how the slide retainer gets placed in the slide track. The small hole in the retainer must be situated so that the frame takedown roll pin can pass through it during reassembly of that pin. Note, the schematic shows a firing pin spring cup (#7).

Contact with Hi-Point revealed the cup is no longer utilized and has been replaced by adding the second, shorter, larger diameter firing pin spring and that spring is not pictured or identified in the schematic. Install the recoil spring (#15) and recoil spring guide rod (#16) into the

front of the frame under the barrel. The coil spring fits into a hole that retains it in place in the front of the frame under the barrel. The recoil rod guide attaches to the spring on the end facing the front. To install the slide, begin by aligning the barrel with the barrel hole in the slide and place the flat portion of the front of the slide over the recoil guide rod, keeping them in place as you work the slide back over the barrel and onto the frame. As you move the slide to the rear, lift up on it.

When the slide is nearly to the rear, watch to make sure the slide retainer (#8) fits into the hole of the frame made for it at the rear of the frame. Once it seats into this hole, drop the slide down fully onto the frame. Once the slide is down and seated, pull the slide all the way to the rear and lock it open with the safety (#13). This allows insertion of the slide retainer roll pin (#9) back into the pin hole in the frame.

Note, the roll pin goes through the frame and through the hole provided in the slide retainer (#8), so make sure the slide retainer is installed properly. Use a slave pin if needed here. Drift and seat the slide retainer roll pin into the frame so that it is not sticking out past the sides of the frame on either side.

Pull the slide back, drop the safety catch, and the slide can be worked back and forth 1 Ejection Pin 2 Ejection Key 3 Ejection Spring 4 Slide 5 Firing Pin 6 Firing Pin Spring 7 Firing Pin Spring Cup 8 Slide Retainer 9 Slide Retainer Pin 10 Sear Spring 11 Sear Cam 12 Sear Assembly to ensure proper operation. You will need to install the magazine to ensure the gun functions properly due to the magazine lockout system in this gun.

This job is not too difficult to perform and my hopes here are to 13 Safety 14 Frame 15 Recoil Spring 16 Recoil Spring Guide Rod 17 Trigger Pin 18 Trigger Assembly 19 Grip Screw (2) 20 Grip (2) 21 Magazine Catch Assembly 22 8 Shot Magazine Assembly 23 Sear Block Spring 24 Sear Block provide readers with a detailed reassembly "firing order" just in case you encounter one in a baggie as I did. This should quickly help you determine if all of the parts are accounted for and improve your reassembly time at the bench.

AG Hi-Point CF-380 (Speci ications subject to change without notice) 25 Counter Weight Pivot Pin 26 Counter Weight 27 Magazine Catch Spring 28 Adjustable Rear Sight Assembly 29 Elevation Screw 30 Sight Pivot Screw 31 Adjustable Sight Spring 32 Hold Open Pin 33 Hold Open 34 Hold Open Spring 35 Magazine Lockout 36 Magazine Lockout Spring