Not happy with CVA guns!

[frogomatic]

Ok, so I'm a gunsmith, and a customer brought me a cva wolf magnum to repair. the locking latch had broken, and I called CVA to get a replacement. The individual I spoke to was not coopertive, to the point of being rude. He made it abundantly clear that there was no way in hell he was going to sell me the part I needed to do the job. He kept saying "it has to be done by a gunsmith, and you aren't a gunsmith", and "it's part of the reciver you'd have to buy a new reciever", despite the fact that I had the broken part in my hand at the time, and it most certainly was not part of the reciever. Needless to say this did not make me a happy camper. I thanked the man for his time and hung up. Now I have to tell my customer the bad news. I'm very displeased with CVA's customer service. With the problems of getting parts for repairs, I won't be buying any CVA guns, and cannot reccomend them to anyone I know.

 

[ArmedBear]

CVA is cheap junk.

Why is that a surprise?

 

[frogomatic]

untill now, i've had no experience with CVA or their guns. I knew nothing about them. Just wanted to pass on the word to those who are/were like myself and knew nothing about the company.

 

[Yo Mama]

I just called them, because even reading your post I got pissed off.

They basically told me that they won't give out parts due to "Legal" concerns. I told them no other manufacturer I know of is concerned about this, and access to all parts of a gun is necessary.

Guy said that I could have some parts, but no receiver or trigger housing parts? We're talking pins here as well! ***??

In the end, told guy I'd never buy one.

 

[ArmedBear]

they probably don't have any of the parts. just import the guns and sell them in blister packs.

How sorry do I feel for someone who gets a cheap "magnum" muzzleloader just so they can get in on the "primitive" season with a 200-yard rifle? I don't.

Won't work in this state, anyway.

 

[dusty14u]

I have had the same experience with them as well. I will never buy another CVA product in my life.

I bought an Optima Pro and took it to the range a few months before opening muzzle loader season to sight the scope in. No worries or problems. Took it two weeks before season to double check zero.

I loaded the gun and primed it and pulled the trigger. Nothing. I start looking and the tranfer safety bar dowel pin has backed out and the safety bar has fallen out. I find the safety bar and start to look at how the trigger assembly is held in. I am a tool & die machinist and build intricate assemblies for aerospace, nuclear subs etc.. I look in the manual to see if there is an exploded view and it says the trigger assembly has to be sent to the factory and if you do the work yourself it voids the warranty.

I sent the gun to them on my dime. 2 weeks before opening season. I call to make sure they had received it. Got a bunch of attitude and little info. They can't or won't tell me when I will get the receiver back. I did get it back 3 days before the season opener but I never received an email or any response other than attitudes and rudeness from their CS dept.

I think their trigger assembly design is garbage and I will remake the assembly the next time something happens to, either that or just throwe the gun in the trash but it does have a nice Bergera barrel on it.

Their poor customer service has cost them a person who is loyal to a brand if treated well. I am like that with Ruger. I can't say enough good things about Rugers customer service dept. With their(CVA) performance I would expect to see them suffer greatly in the coming economic times if they continue the way they have in the past.

 

[Scott30]

Pony up the extra cash and get a Thompson Center. Problem solved now and in the future.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

How sorry do I feel for someone who gets a cheap "magnum" muzzleloader just so they can get in on the "primitive" season with a 200-yard rifle? I don't

As an owner of a couple of cheapies (2 traditions, 1 cva), in addition to some better ones (T/C, Savage, & Knight), I can tell you that THIS PERSON at least does not consider them "magnums" despite what the owner's manual and marketing say. I use a maximum load of 100 grains BP equiv. in the spanish-made guns. Usually 80 or 90 grains.

And I wouldn't try to shoot more than 150 yards with an ML, even scoped. But that's just me.

But that's reason enough not to buy one, if there was any doubt previously; sorry for your difficulties.

The cheapies ARE reasonably accurate however.

 

[Nicodemus38]

no offense intended, but cant you simply BUILD the replacement latch yourself? my grandpas always taught me to use the gunsmith who could take a few simple tools and some metal and make a replacement part if the factory couldnt provide the real deal.

the first obvious reason for their refusal to send you any parts is because your not a gunsmith who paid/pays CVA to be an official retailer of their product line.

The second obvious reason is that they would rather sell you a completely assembled reciever with a probable 120.00 price tag instead of a 10 dollar latch. economics. and most likely, they would have sent an unnassembled reciever requiring more phone calls to them for the latch.

 

[ArmedBear]

90 grains?

Hell, you can shoot that in a real muzzleloader, and it's a lot more fun.

 

[frogomatic]

no offense intended, but cant you simply BUILD the replacement latch yourself? my grandpas always taught me to use the gunsmith who could take a few simple tools and some metal and make a replacement part if the factory couldnt provide the real deal.

yes of course I could make a new part. However, to make and fit the part would require about a full day of work (it's not as simple a part as one might think, and becuase it's a locking engagement it must be precise...and precision takes time and skill) Perhaps you should ask yourself if would you pay me $30/hour for 8 or so hours of work to hand-make a $10 part to put in a $150 gun? It's not a matter of not being able to make the part, it's a matter of what it would cost the customer for me to do so. The cost for my time to make the part would be more than the gun is worth.

 

[smokey262]

Perhaps you should ask yourself if would you pay me $30/hour for 8 or so hours of work to hand-make a $10 part to put in a $150 gun?

Well said

 

[garyhan]

I have no personal experience with CVA, however I have recently learned that there have been serious questions of the safety of some of their products; and that CVA products are banned from sale in parts of Europe due to safety issues. A google search of this should be illuminating.

gary

 

[Hot brass]

I bought a CVA muzzle loader and have had problems with it from the start. It won`t happen again. CVA has got its last penny from me.

 

[atblis]

http://www.chuckhawks.com/muzzleloading_tragedy.htm

Wow. Was not aware of CVA's history. Making me rethink my Buck horn magnum (which has been a great gun for 89 bucks).

 

[moooose102]

well, the original purpose of this post was to inform others of us who may be thinking about buying one of their products. and i for one appreciate the thought. unfortunatly, i already have one sitting in the gun safe already. i haven't shot it much, maybe 150 rounds or so. but so far, everything has worked right. even when i overloaded it with 150 grains of 777. cva sounds like they are part of taurus intl. a bunch of do-dos who do not know what they are doing, and couldn't care less about anything but their paycheck at the end of the week.

 

[justashooter in pa]

would you pay me $30/hour for 8 or so hours of work to hand-make a $10 part to put in a $150 gun?
The cost for my time to make the part would be more than the gun is worth.

this is why there are so few true gunsmiths in the Dunlap style left in the business. those of us who make their own parts are all amateurs. our time is of no consequence, as our objective is not income.

 

[frogomatic]

this is why there are so few true gunsmiths in the Dunlap style left in the business. those of us who make their own parts are all amateurs. our time is of no consequence, as our objective is not income.

gunsmithing is my job, it's what pays the bills, pays for my shop, my machinery, my insurance, my food, my house, ect. I can't work for minimum wage and still support myself and my family. I do make my own parts, but generally it's for my own guns in my free time. I couldn't make said part, charge a small enough fee to make it affordable, and not lose money in the process. My time is valuable and there are other customers waiting for me to work on their guns and are willing to pay me well for my time and expertise. If this was a hobby, I'd be plenty happy to make whatever parts are nessecary, but this isn't a hobby for me, it's my livelyhood.

 

[courtgreene]

OK, so I just got off the phone with BPI's customer service department. I needed a bolt handle for an older model CVA Muzzleloader, and was a little worried about the possibility of getting one after reading this thread. After holding for about six minutes (not long compared to other manufacturers I've held for) I talked to a guy and said "I lost it at the gun range, and I tried to buy one from the site but they weren't there." He asked for my address and said one would be on its way. I asked if there was a charge and he said "no sir." Not only was I tremendously pleased with the customer service, but I will be hunting with the rifle that I was just talking about this season, and buying another CVA for next season because I want a break action and am very pleased with their support services. Maybe you just got them on some poor SOB's last day on the job and he wanted to mess with you... or maybe I did and he just wanted to screw the company... either way I am pleased. Sorry your experience sucked though.

 

[courtgreene]

Also, in response to moooooooose, I have a taurus 24/7 pro. When I bought it the mags wouldn't feed correctly and all it took was a phone call for a free mag to be sent my way. It seems that I am either incredibly lucky or y'all just had really bad days.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Wow. I have a Optima Elite that I have been pleased with so far. I am religious about cleaning and properly maintaining it, so it hasn't given me any trouble so far. After reading this post, I surely won't buy another and hope this one doesn't screw up.