FWIW, I have shot roughly 2-300 basic hollow point bullets (Remington L9MM1 and Federal 9BP 115 gr JHP) through 2 1970's vintage Hi Powers and not had a problem. The second of the two, the one I have now, looks like the feed ramp has been worked over and polished, though it still retains a humped shape (and proper headspace, thankfully; the work looks amateur, but still safe). The angle at which the magazine feeds is important to reliable chambering as well, so be sure to use quality mags, if not just for the sake of general reliability. Mec Gars should do fine.
As a Hi-Power owner it's almost a must to check Stephen Camp's website, especially since I'm not sure how much longer it will be around since his passing was not too long ago, may he rest in peace, but it's a great resource to any Hi-Power owner, old or new.
Getting a new barrel is expensive and may require fitting, and in the end it's mostly a way of eliminating a possible statistical zero in terms of reliability. Predator's advice is the soundest; test the gun and see how well it does feeding your loads and go from there. Be careful making home alterations too, they could end up costing you more than the new barrel in the end if you aren't totally adept. I've derped many a project myself and it's not a great feeling.
Good luck and enjoy your new Hi-Power (especially 800 rounds worth). As I said before, welcome to the club.
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