[FunYet]

I bought a brand new Springfield XD-9mm 3" yesterday. Took it to the range and ran 200 rounds through it. All ammo was factory ammo, 124 grain Winchester standard pressure. Tonight I was cleaning the gun and noticed that the outside of the muzzle appears to have a "bulge". It's so slight that I can't really get a photgraph of it but I can certainly feel it when I run my had over it. Imagine the muzzle to about 1/2 inch from the muzzle feels just a bit thicker than the rest of the barell. There is surface wear around the barrel at the point where the bulge begins. The inside does not look any different though it does look like there's some unever wear at the crown of the muzzle. Although the barell may have looked like this when I bought it, I doubt it. I cleaned and lubed the gun before takinging it to the range and assume I would have noticed this. I'm pretty careful about checking out a gun before buying it and/or shooting it. What the heck could have happened? The gun seemed to function flawlessly and was dead-on accurate.

[Boats]

Normal. ;)

[Kruzr]

Not only normal but necessary.

[FunYet]

Thanks for the quick replies. I don't have the same feature on the barell of any of my other semi autos. What purpose does it serve? Thanks in advance for your help. I learn something new every day here.

FunYet

[PowderBurn]

Perhaps it's just semantics, but it seems to me that you are describing a slight flare in the barrel towards the muzzle, which is, as already stated by other posters, normal. It allows a tighter lockup of the barrel, slide, and frame, which aids accuracy.

A bulge to me refers to an asymmetrical "bump" on the barrel, which is a sign of abnormal wear or pressure - and could be very dangerous.

[Old Fuff]

Fun ...

Your barrel has to be able to tip down to unlock. After the slide travels back behing the bulge the barrel's smaller diameter allows it to tip within the slide. The alternative would be to have a larger hole in the front of the slide, which would work, but the pistol would be less accurate. As you pointed out, your new pistol is a "tack driver." and that little bulge is part of the reason why.

Generally, all of the better pistols that have the Browning locked-breech system will be made along the lines of your XD. Other designs don't require it.