No this is not a joke. The 9mm compact is not that big, and the one I shot did quite well. A friend has a Glock .40 and we were shooting at the same time. The Glock kept jamming and the Hi-Point never jammed. I just don't have mega-bucks to spend and I'm not planning on entering any shooting contests with the thing. I already have a S&W 38 special and I just want a second gun for back up.