I studied many of Scottjua's posts before I ever got started. I opened a new thread here several months back when I began and I was quite appreciative when he found my posting and interjected along the way. My DL-44 is up and running now and I am just waiting for Todd's Costumes to finish their run of scopes. It has turned out quite good and I figured I would start weathering while wait. Thanks for your help.
Todd's scope mount is all steel. Scott concurred that mount is one of the strongest out there. So far while waiting for the scope, I have run over 50 rounds through my gun with the bull barrel and flash hider mounted with no reliability issues. I went with DEC steel bull barrel and the aluminum flash hider. Here is a link to the thread I started if you are interested.
http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=263703
The harmonic and balance change with the mount and scope one, and the recoil changes. It does effect cycling... or at least it has on a couple of the ones I've done.
Argh! Then it looks like I might have more "fun" to look forward to...
I wonder if hand loading the 7.63 with a lighter powder charge and heavier bullet would increase reliability? The 9mm Luger typically runs a 115gr-147gr bullet where as the 7.63 runs around 88gr. You could maybe find a sweet spot in the harmonic frequency of the cycling. As if the project is not complex enough! Ha!!I know it's rarely able to be a consideration, but I would highly recommend converting a 9mm rather than 7.63 x 25mm pistol. Much lower compression and hence recoil to factor, which I believe causes the majority of issues with a DL-44 conversion. The 7.63 x 25mm is a very hot load. Essentially a necked-down rifle cartridge.
When speaking of vintage and surplus ammo you are correct to a degree. However, original Mauser 7.63 loads were higher pressure than today's newly manufactured by PPU/Prvi Partisan and Fiocchi. Those new loads are below what the original German spec was for the 7.63 Mauser. PPU currently makes their Tokarev ammo at about what the original spec Mauser WAS. Now I wouldn't trust anything but newly made 7.63 Tok from PPU or Fiocchi in a Mauser, and avoid the surplus and Sub gun ammo at all costs, but the pressure for the new brass is pretty much in line with what the original Mauser ammo was. These days the new 7.63 Mauser is loaded lighter than it used to be.
The problem is the new lighter loads and hand loads you'll find will cycle a Mauser action just fine, until you start adding Han Solo parts to it. Then you are dealing with springs wear on the original parts, tolerances, etc. Each of those guns is completely different. The lighter loads just won't do it with any extra weight with 100% reliability.
Anyway, I still haven't found a single real documented account of a Mauser blowing up due to ammo, that wasn't already in iffy condition or a mix match of parts.
The biggest thing to look for are the locking block lug (make sure there are no cracks or wear), the bolt stop (best to use a newly made one if firing regularly), and the upper receiver frame wear around where the bolt stop sits.
I have been thinking about trying to put the correct serial number on the DL-44 that I am building. How did you go about doing it?
If yours already has ser numbers it could be difficult. Not sure of the laws where you are but changing ser numbers could be ilegal.
I elecrto etched mine. I made a homemade electro etch machine and etching stencils from the actual prop to get the off line stamping and aged worn character to the numbers.
If legal, you may need to weld over the originals, file smooth and re etch or stamp.j