CVA mfg date

[sackettboys]

Is there any way to date a CVA mountain rifle? Picked one up online for a decent price ($120) Only markings on the barrel are "Connecticut Valley Arms, Inc. Black Powder Only .50 Cal" serial # 0117952 and the intials "DFG" stamped under the rear sight. 2 screw German silver patchbox and the ramrod thimbles are round not octagon like I've seen on some. Looks like a kit gun as the metal wasn't browned or blued. Gonna need some TLC, missing a barrel wedge, has an ugly finish on it begging to be stripped off and it looks like it spent time neglected in a closet. Just what I've been looking for, a project rifle.

 

[Fingers McGee]

There should be a date code somewhere on the barrel near the breech. Here's the conversion chart:



FM

 

[Acorn Mush]

Fingers, are you sure the table you provided is the correct one? It looks kind of like the table of date codes for Italian-made BP revolvers. I don't think CVA was even in business back in 1945.

 

[Oyeboten]

Yahhhhhh...


'CVA' is 'Spain', also...if memory serve...so it'd be Spanish Date Codes.

 

[mykeal]

I don't believe there are any Spanish date codes, and no, there's no way to accurately date a CVA Mountain Rifle. In addition, the early Mountain Rifles were US made.

A thread is devoted to the subject on The Muzzleloading Forum; a member there is attempting to come up with a serial number based method of dating the Mountain Rifle by asking owners to provide the serial numbers on their guns and the date they were purchased new. While he has collected several pieces of data no clear picture has yet emerged.

 

[frontiergander]

2 patch screw box = newer models. the original usa made mtn rifles used 4 patch box screws.

Your serial # sounds like it was a kit rifle

 

[sackettboys]

mykeal- thanks for The Muzzleloading Forum tip, checked it out, lots of good info on the CVA over there. BTW where do you come up with this stuff, you must never sleep, constantly surfing the web?.......

 

[mykeal]

I was here before the web.

However, believe me, I don't have near the experience that guys like Arcticap and Gatofeo have. They've forgotten more than I'll ever know.

 

[Fingers McGee]

The CVA Hawken that I bought in 1990 had a date code of 1986. I don't believe that the date codes are strictly Italian and know they're not just for reviolvers. All of my Uberti lever action Winchesters and Armi Sport Sharps have date codes on them.

 

[Oyeboten]

- A Chart of Spanish Date Codes ( not sure if all portions of Spain used the same Codes though...)


http://9mmlargo.com/year_codes.htm

 

[mykeal]

Very interesting. I learned something today. Thanks, Oyeboten.

That same chart is provided on the Star firearms web site, along with the caveat:

Though this system works fine for the Eibar-based Star, use care when trying to proof-date a gun by another Spanish maker. Other regions have different proof houses with different marks and codes.

So, is Ardesa located in the Eibar region, and do they use this set of date codes? I've been all over my CVA guns (4 pistols, 2 rifles and a shotgun), all of which were made from kits in the period 1975-1984 and all of which state "Made in Spain", and I don't find any of the codes in either the Star chart or the Italian proof date codes

Fingers 1986 CVA Hawken is a mystery to me; I've never heard of a CVA gun with an Italian proof date code. Does it have Italian or Spanish proof house stamps?

 

[frontiergander]

first 2 digits on an 80s model cva is the date. Example 87

newer cva's, the date is the last 2 digits. My inline is an 08 my mtn stalker is 99

 

[mykeal]

Hmm. The mystery deepens. The first four digits of the serial numbers on my CVA hardware are:
Mountain pistol: 0050
Philly Derringer pistol: 2255
Colonial pistol: 2163
Kentucky pistol: 0047
Kentucky rifle: 0062
Hawken rifle: 0466
All were kit guns; all say Made in Spain; some were made in the late 70's, other in the early 80's. I don't see any date information there.

 

[frontiergander]

Kit guns normally wont have the build date on them.

 

[Fingers McGee]

Mykeal, et al - My memory isnt what it used to be, so I'm not 100% sure on the date code on the Hawken. I don't have the rifle anymore; but know who has it & can double check. My records indicated that it was a 1986 mfg; but at this point, I'm not sure where that came from. I'm learning a bit from this thread also.

FM

 

[Smokin_Gun]

No date code on my CVA Zouave ... they go by year and SN I do believe. Mine was made and bought new in 1988 sn is 88 539568, so I guess ifin ya have a SN on yur Mountain then that may be the year made at them first two digits.
my $.02 ...