Good evening,
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience in converting an existing 380 or 9 mm Makarov CZ 82/83 over to 7.65 Browning/32 ACP? In the end I'd like to have a CZ 82/83 in 32 ACP with an extended threaded barrel to be shot suppressed.
The two ways I have considered making the conversion are:
1) swap on a 7.65 slide, 7.65 mag and 7.65 barrel. This seems to be the most straight forward, but I would still need to have the barrel extended and threaded for a suppressor. I'm aware this would prevent me from quickly removing the slide off the front of the barrel for take down.
2) get a chunk of 30 cal barrel blank and a reamer and make a barrel to the required overall length and diameter. Have it threaded then press it in. I believe I would be able to use the existing slide (9mm Mak), and would still have to use 7.65 mags. This is not a problem.
In trying to figure this project out I've come up with a number of questions:
1) what dimensional differences there are between a 7.65 slide and a 9mm Mak slide?
2) are the "bolt faces" dimensionally different??
3) are the extractors substantially different?
4) Is there a difference in the mass of the slide? This does not really worry me as the gun can be tuned to cycle with the recoil and hammer springs. Also, a suppressor will provide additional back-pressure such that a (blowback) gun which might not function otherwise would cycle with the suppressor on. Example is an extremely short Ruger MK3 (2" bbl or less) which will only cycle with the suppressor on. If this makes the pistol so "specialized" such that it's only able to cycle with the suppressor I'm ok with that, it's not ideal, but would be fine with me.
If anyone has both a 7.65 and a 9 mm Mak slide that they're able to take and post detailed pictures of side by side, I would really appreciate it. Also of a 32 acp case against the "bolt face" of a 9mm mak slide and vice-versa. I'm trying to understand if there is anything I'm not thinking of that would prevent my proposed caliber swap from working.
The suppressor would be constructed on a Form 1 specific to this project. This is legal in my state of residence. I would prefer to stick with the 7.65 as opposed to the 380 or 9mm Mak as it has a smaller bore diameter and operates at a lower pressure. This should make it "easier" to suppress relative to the other two rounds.
Thanks for any help and/or info anyone is able to provide
Edited to add (01/13/15 6:34 CT):
If anyone would be able to measure and post the outer diameter of the barrel at its end, of both the 7.65 version and the 9 mm Mak version, that would be helpful.
Thanks again
