[HOSSFLY]

Originally Posted by Jericho1911u22

I know how difficult it will be. There is no aftermarket barrel in this caliber and having a 1 off barrel would cost more than a gun most likely. It's not impossible though. I figured asking here may give me some useful information. Input from somebody who has done such a thing. But I should have known better. I know everything can be done with a basic lathe setup and I know I can build a basic lathe to do the cuts for almost nothing.

I'm going to do it anyway because I like building stuff. Was hoping for input from somebody older and wiser who may have some experience. It is sad how most people assume only professionals can do things. I think it results in a lot of loss of knowledge that can be handed down from people who have actually done things. Or collaboration on figuring out how to do things.

Arrogance can be a dangerous thing--
Lotsa luck

[BillM]

Well--anything is possible. Grab a chunk of decent barrel steel and have at it. You could
do the whole job with hand tools, no lathe required. You will be a master filer by the time
you get done, but it's possible. Rifling. One of the Foxfire books (Foxfire 5?) has a pretty
good write-up on how they did the bore honing and rifling WAY back in the day. You are probably
going to learn how to make D reamers and do heat treating along the way. One other skill
you will need is how to tie down a pistol so you can fire it with a L-O-N-G string.

Oh yes--pull your head out and work on your attitude. You DID get good advise here, no reason to
get snarky if you choose not to accept it.

[regload]

If you think you can build a lathe to do the job then you have proven that you don't have the tiniest amount of knowledge to tackle what you want. Give up while you still have all your appendages in place. The most anyone could do if they already had a lathe would be to modify/alter an existing rifled barrel from something else, IF they had the specs for the barrel they wanted to replace. Since you don't already have a lathe, or know how to use one (you wouldn't have started this thread if you did), you should focus on something else. Or, are you what's called a "troll" in forum-speak? Or some kind of federal agent?

[deadsp0t]

They say 'anything is possible...' I don't think so.. I don't believe anyone will be ridding a giraffe to the moon... Ever..

[HockaLouis]

I think you should buy a commercial 9x18mm Makarov barrel. Then a registered frame through an FFL. Then get a slide and all the other parts necessary to complete the gun. It is probably cheaper to buy them all at once though.

Obviously it isn't hard to make them in the first place if the Soviets could do it in the 50's. Yes, they had the benefit of stealing the Walther PP design. And yes, they stole the cartridge design too as well as the whole factories the things were made in making their job easier than yours would be. And, yes, their cheapened version of the guns were obsolete from the start, but, it would still be easier to get a job and spend a whole coupla hundred dollars than try to do it by hand. And safer as has been said. Plus you don't have the inspiring threat of being exiled to a gulag, don't have access to slave labor (I presume), and a Five Year Plan that takes 15 may be longer than you want to wait, so...