Got my new/old CVA Mountain Rifle today

[BE Wild Willy]

Got my new/old CVA Mountain Rifle today (Pics Added)

Hello Gents,

I've been eagerly anticipating the arrival of what is to be my new roundball gun, an older MR I purchased off of GB. Well it showed up today and I'm very pleased thus far. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow, ran out of light today before I could snap some.

The gun is in great shape overall, no Made in USA or Spain on the barrel, and the bore looks very nice. Only markings on the browned barrel are Connecticut Valley Arms Inc., Black Powder Only .50 cal., and the serial number 00770xx. Lock is a tiny little thing that is case colored with Spain marked inside. Stock is in great shape with a pewter forearm cap, and I believe that it's maple. Escutcheons, wedges, and 4 screw patchbox are German silver. Hex ramrod ferrules, butt plate, and trigger guard are browned like the barrel and rear sight. Ramrod looks original with both ends, that are pinned, appearing to be GS also.

The only downside is that the clean out screw on the drum is a little buggered doesn't seem to want to budge. And the nipple is a little mushroomed and feels a little funny the last 32nd of an inch when you snug it down. I'm going to replace the nipple, what is the proper size and type? Any suggestions on getting that rascally screw out?

Once I've addressed these two items it's off to the range, I can't wait. Any comments or info about my new smokepole will be greatly appreciated.

 

[mykeal]

Nipple thread is M6X1, Treso p/n 11-50-05, Track of the Wolf catalog number CVA-A.

Forget the cleanout screw; it's not worth bothering with. You can try Kroil or the like but it's unlikely they'll help much. If you really want to tackle it just drill it out.

 

[arcticap]

Any suggestions on getting that rascally screw out?

It can be soaked in penetrating oil, and it can be placed in heated oil or in hot water.
It's important to bear down hard on the screw driver so that it can bite into the screw slot enough to be able to place some reverse torque on it.
Since they can be very stubborn it can take perseverance to get it out.
There's also trying an impact wrench, and as a last resort an easy out screw removal tool.
A variety of impact wrenches are sold on eBay at lower prices with shipping.
It's debatable whether the value of the gun is lessened or not by the clean out screw being stuck. IMO it's more desirable to be able to remove it to have direct & straight access into the flash channel.

 

[frontiergander]

Leave it alone, the hole is so tiny that its worthless trying to put powder in, much easier to pull the nipple.

 

[BE Wild Willy]

For your viewing pleasure...






Is this crown like your USA or Spain model?

 

[junkman_01]

Looks really nice. The Spanish locks that CVA uses are not real good though. The tumbler is not secured by a bridal, so the hole for the tumbler to go through to the hammer will get oblonged eventually. I has on my two CVA rifles.

 

[Jaymo]

Nice. In some ways, the stock looks like maple, in some ways it looks like beech.
I like them both. If beech is good enough for CZ, Diana, and Weihrauch, Lee Enfields, and Swedish Mausers, it's good enough for me.

 

[Skinny 1950]

I have an older and much cheaper CVA .45 cal. kit rifle with the same drum screw, I find that I need to use the screw to clean out the passage quite often as crud gets packed in there and prevents ignition.
If you heat the screw with a torch it should come out, then replace it with a new one in case the heat has weakened the old one.

 

[4v50 Gary]

The cheek piece side of the stock is really pretty.

 

[Chawbaccer]

Handsome looking rifle. I notice in the next to last picture that it is resting on a piece of wood that would make a good looking knife handle.

 

[BE Wild Willy]

Thanks Gents for the kind words, hoping to shoot tomorrow.

 

[Coyote Hunter]

I have one in .45 and flintlock. It is a serious tack driver, but I'd like to convert it to percussion, only because I like to BP deer season hunt with hawkins look-a-likes instead of the inlines. My Kentucky weather during deer season is wet a lot of the time and I have to use my Traditions instead of my CVA.

 

[BE Wild Willy]

Shot the gun today, and I must say, their reputation for being a tack driver is well deserved.

 

[Stormin.40]

I am really wishing I hadn't ruined my barrel!

Yours is very nice, pictures are great too.

 

[BE Wild Willy]

Thanks Stormin.40, pictures were hastily taken, but the gun still looks good in 'em. What happened to your barrel? I heard that you can get replacement barrels of very good quality for about $120 through Deer Creek.

 

[Stormin.40]

My Stupidity happened to my barrel. I tried to take the breech plug out and found out that our guns don't have a removable plug, even if done right.

I called Deer Creek and do plan to get a replacement barrel from then. I hope it is as good as the original Made in USA barrel that I had. I wanted to pull the plug so I could inspect the bores condition, bad idea, turn out after ruining it the bore was in great condition.

 

[frontiergander]

deer creek barrels are made on the original douglas rifling machine.