Aftermarket barrel for CZ 97B

[czfan714]

Just curious...Has anyone installed any Aftermarket barrel CZ 97B on his/her CZ 97B? and where to order one? I just feel the urge to have an extra barrel for my beloved 97B...

[Otto N Sure]

I'm really unaware of any other company besides CZ that manufactures barrels for our 97's.  I suppose you could contact CZ-USA to see if you could purchase just a barrel, but I'm totally clueless about what the cost would be.

Otto

[2000569]

2000569 here,

I cotantact EKF about making a barrel and they said they would look into it further, but have not heard back from them for several months. I contact Storm as well, but didn't hear back.

I suspect business is going well enough that the R&D for a new barrel for the CZ97 isn't worth it.

Brian

[2000569]

After doing some research, the following gunsmith. Bitsofpieces, is willing to produce a match barrel for the CZ97.  There is a discount if several of us want one.  The price is a lot for match barrel but not out of this world.

I'm thinking about it.

I wanted to share this information with the forum for information purposes. I have not interest in the company.

"Manufacturing them using a premium barrel blank in CrMo(blue) would be $315-00 and $345-00 for stainless steel." - figures are in CDN dollars

www.bitsofpieces.com

Brian

[schmeky]

2000569,

Are you going to send your slide to have the barrel fitted?  The 97 uses a 4 point lock-up.

[2000569]

That will likely be required, or have the barrel made oversized and have it fitted loaclly.

 - I suspect I will ship the whole pistol and they can function test/accuracy test the pistol.

[schmeky]

2000569,

CZ makes an excellent barrel, so I'm not sure what you're after, so I would assume increased accuracy.  You can get the stock barrel to work exceedingly well.  The 97 uses a single vertical locking lug as the primary fixture.  The problem with the 97, in my opinion, is the loose front screw in bushing threads and subsequent barrel/bushing clearance.  The rear of the barrel is very stable and bears no similarity to a 1911.

There's a gold mine of accuracy potential in the bushing.

[blh]

I'd like to have a longer barrel for addition of a suppressor.  That is just me though. 

[2000569]

schmeky,

I am indeed after greater accuracy and agree with you there is a lot of accuracy to be gained in the bushing. I'm still not sure if the stock barrel can produce sub 2" groups at 50 yards.

My thinking is as follows, the barrel to bushing fit will be better as the new barrel with be larger. I'm hoping this will ensure the pistol locks up the same way everytime. I agree with you the rear locking is very good. For the bushing to frame fit, I'm simply not sure how much play is there.

I'm looking at things such as a match crown on the new barrel (possible on the stock barrel).

Brian

[schmeky]

2000569,

By modifying the front barrel bushing, I have achieved a best 25 yard group of 5 rounds in 9/16" (see the bottom picture).  The attached picture is 6 rounds in 7/8".  Does this equate to 2" @ 50 yards?  I don't know, but the potential may exist.  Don't know if you read about my modifications I did on my 97,, but I installed a match 1911 barrel bushing with .001" clearance.  After over 2,000 rounds, the fit is still tight and the picture of this group is recent.  You'll spend less money on a bushing, and be able to replace the stock barrel if you ever shear a bottom lug, experience damage, or just wear one out.  As I state earlier, the stock barrel is excellent, it just needs to be match fitted.  If you look at the attached picture carefully, you can see the SS 1911 barrel bushing on my 97.




Here's the 5 rounds in 9/16" @ 25 yards, from a sandbag rest of course.

[czfan714]

I'd like to have a longer barrel for addition of a suppressor.  That is just me though. 

+1 on that, but I'd like a 5'' or 6'' match barrel for range practice or as a sidearm for small gume hunting...

[kottesen]

Has anyone considered, or is it feasible to install a bull barrel or a coned barrel into a 97B and elimiate the need for a bushing at all?  I am not familiar enough with the lockup / unlocking and delay necessary to function, however is this possible (i.e. like a full custom heavy barreled race gun?).

I would love to pick up another 97B, have it converted to comeptition hammer, sao trigger, round the trigger guard, quality competition sights, extended safety and mag release with a bull barell and then use it for IPSC standard......  maybe even a magwell....?  Any thoughts?

[schmeky]

kotteson,

The problem would be finding someone to cut such a barrel, then cost would be a factor.  Nearly all aftermarket barrel manufacturers use CNC equipment to make complex parts, such as bull barrels.  These machines are programmed to take a blank steel forging/casting, and make pre-programmed cuts, delivering a near finished, or completely finished final product.  This keeps the cost reasonable.  (I worked at a machine shop like this when I was in college; I was a floor sweeper/clean-up flunkie).

If in fact you could find someone to make a CZ-97 bull barrel, you would still have to fit it to the slide, and unless you are capable of doing this, you'll be looking at another pretty big expense.   You could easily spend much more than the cost of the pistol to be able to fire that first shot.

[kottesen]

Hi Schmeky

It would be possible to simply have the stock CZ97B barell threaded and then a cromoly or stainless oversized sleeve screwed on to it.  THen the contour could be cut on a lathe and fit to the slide.  Any thoughts?

[schmeky]

kotesson,

I guess I would have respectfully ask "why"?  I have no idea about machining a sleeve and threading the barrel, which would be a lot of tedious machine work.