High Point 9mm, bulge in barrel, is this normal?

I doubt that it is in anyway "normal". Off the cuff, guessing, a round was fired with some sort of obstruction near the muzzle. As if the muzzle had been pushed into the dirt. A 9mm doesn't have enough pressure to explode the barrel into strips, as would many rifle cartridges.

Art Eatman said:

I doubt that it is in anyway "normal". Off the cuff, guessing, a round was fired with some sort of obstruction near the muzzle. As if the muzzle had been pushed into the dirt.

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I was wondering this, too.

Contact Hi Point and they will have you send it back to have the barrel replaced. They have lifetime warranties.

And they'll throw in a couple free mags, or at least they used to back when I owned one. Had a friend send his back for some extractor issue and he got extras in the box.

Hi-Point will PROBABLY replace the barrel, even though it is obviously a user issue. Not long ago I called Hi-Point and asked why they didn't make them to accept the Glock magazine. The lady replied that as of now they sell every gun they can make and there is always a backorder. She said to redesign, retool, and start making them they would have to close down and for a small company would cost them too much money.

I had a carbine and it was PERFECT.

Walkalong said:

Is there a corresponding bulge on the inside of the barrel?

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This is what I was going to post. Run a tight patch through the bore. If there is a bulge on the inside you should feel it. You might also be able to see it with a bore light.

It might just be a slight lathe bulge.

luger fan said:

even though it is obviously a user issue.

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Not to start an argument, but how do we know that without further detail?

My 995 is smooth all the way out. As others have said get in contact with hi-point....and be patient, I'm pretty sure it's only a couple of people answering phones....might just be one, I got the same nice lady twice.

Hasaf said:

A few months ago I got a High Point 9mm to put in a Hightower Bullpup stock. Yesterday I was taking it out of the stock to adjust the trigger travel and I noticed, about 2 1/2 inches back from the muzzle, there is a symmetrical bulge, not much; but running my hand down the barrel, I can feel it (yes, I should have made measurements, I may make, and post, them later).

I do not have another High Point to compare to. Is this normal on High Points?

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Barrel bulge is only caused from a bore obstruction of some sort i heard so you might of had a squid stop in the barrel and followed up with a round pushing it out
heres a bad one on the carbine

Squib

Labguy47 said:

Squib

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If he's going to shoot reloads topped with calamari, that's his decision. Can't you just live and let live?

Matt

I saw a show once , maybe guns and ammo TV, where they shot a gun underwater for a torture test. It functioned fine. But when they measured the barrel it had bulged due to the water not being able to exit the barrel fast enough. Pretty sure it was a full size 1911, so I'd assume that a longer barrel would be worse? My dad's old JC Higgins 12 ga has had a pronounced bulge near the end of the barrel since he bought it new at Sears in the 70s. So squibs aren't the only cause. But regardless, my carbines have smooth barrels, I'd send it in.

And yes a 10mm carbine that took glock 20 mags would be about the only way I see me buying another hi point. The carbines are good guns though imo.

If you are sending the rifle back, put the original stock back, otherwise, they likely will replace your non-OE stock with an OE one.

Any bulge is not normal

a squib is where one bullet gets lodged in the barrel and sometimes is pushed out by the next. the bulge is where they collided and pressure builds behind the second bullet. attached is an example of a .22 with multiple squibs

One of the issues with semi-automatics is that you can fire quicker than you can perceive the shots or problems with them. A bit harder to lodge a bullet in a bolt action or single shot. I've had one bullet lodged due to a squib loaded by someone else. No longer use anyone else's handloads for that reason. But it was a revolver and I noticed it immediately as the bullet lodged in the forcing cone.

Once bought a semi-auto .22LR that was a beautiful rifle with a bulged barrels such as yours really cheap at a pawn shop. My guess is that the person did not notice no hits on the target and the barrel did not give way due to a lodged bullet (pretty bad bulge). Fortunately, it occurred just past the 16 inch mark so easy fix.

HiPoint's service, like KelTec has a pretty good rep. Call them and they should make it good.

Just curious were you shooting factory ammo or reloads?

It's possible that the carbine shipped with a budged barrel, I had a Mossberg 590 that came new with a definite shadow ring in the bore that could also be felt from the outside. More likely is that you shot out a squib.

9mmP is not a super high pressure round, but I'd send it back for a new barrel just the same. The bulge indicates that the barrel was stretched beyond the elastic limit of the steel and is compromised.

BSW

I seriously doubt that it was machined with a bulge on the barrel. However, just for my own satisfaction I would slug the barrel before doing anything. Dollars to donuts it's going to be loose where the bulge is but you won't actually know until you check by slugging it. Who knows, you might actually get lucky and find the bore is fine.

I get to fire right at 1000 different guns a year, give or take a few.. The guns range from new to junk. Of the 6000 or so that I have fired since 2012 the only ones that have had worn out barrels were a few Hi Points.
Hi Point does not use top quality steel to make their barrels. But they give you a lifetime warranty. No need to play with it, it has a bulge in the barrel that is not supposed to be there. Just send it back and it will get fixed. They will replace the barrel or just send you a new gun.