Was gifted a CVA Mnt Rifle

[darkcloud]

I have been gifted a CVA Mountain Rifle in .50 cal. percussion. It is a kit he put together 30 years or more ago. He said he shot it once then cleaned it and has been stored since. Outside has a tiny bit of pitting but inside the barrel looks great.Not a spec of rust or residue when I cleaned it with Ed's Red and followed up with Ballistol. I gave my son a 45 I built around 1984 from parts I had bought. I still have the possible bag. powder horn, capper and such I built for it. Even have a genuine brain tanned leather ball bag though my medicine bag was left at the Medicine Wheel in the Bighorn National Forest for a prayer offering. I always shot GEOX FFFg black and would love to do so again but I can't get black here so Pyrodex will have to do. Is Pyrodex P the equiv of FFFg? I have read the max load of FFFg for this rifle with PRB is 85 grains of black. What would Pyro P weigh out in equivalent volume? I have never messed with black substitutes before. I do need the ramrod thimbles as he never installed them and lost them over the years. Hoping Ebay has a good used set to match the aged look of the rifle.

 

[troy fairweather]

I have been gifted a CVA Mountain Rifle in .50 cal. percussion. It is a kit he put together 30 years or more ago. He said he shot it once then cleaned it and has been stored since. Outside has a tiny bit of pitting but inside the barrel looks great.Not a spec of rust or residue when I cleaned it with Ed's Red and followed up with Ballistol. I gave my son a 45 I built around 1984 from parts I had bought. I still have the possible bag. powder horn, capper and such I built for it. Even have a genuine brain tanned leather ball bag though my medicine bag was left at the Medicine Wheel in the Bighorn National Forest for a prayer offering. I always shot GEOX FFFg black and would love to do so again but I can't get black here so Pyrodex will have to do. Is Pyrodex P the equiv of FFFg? I have read the max load of FFFg for this rifle with PRB is 85 grains of black. What would Pyro P weigh out in equivalent volume? I have never messed with black substitutes before. I do need the ramrod thimbles as he never installed them and lost them over the years. Hoping Ebay has a good used set to match the aged look of the rifle.

i think its like 10 to 15 % reduction for pyro see what the gun likes and what patch it likes

 

[Loyalist Dave]

ENSURE that you clean it out well after using Pyrodex. It's a variation on black powder, and will be corrosive.
LD

 

[ThomasT]

Mountain Rifle parts. https://www.deercreekproducts.net/store/c4/CVA_Mountain_Rifle_Parts.html

I just bought 6 pounds of this powder. $10 a pound. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com.../Powder-and-Primers/prod99999030268/cat100011

Since you don't list where you live I don't know if real BP can be mailed to you or not. I buy my BP from PowderInc and have it shipped to my door.

 

[darkcloud]

I saw the Alliant substitute online the other night. I may run out and check our SW store that opened recently. I Wonder what the shipping would run to have it shipped to the store. Need to see if locals sell Ballistol too. The one gunshop/gunsmith that sold it here closed up and retired. I use it on all my weapons and sporting goods but with BP I consider it an essential. I am sure BP can be shipped to Wyoming but the haz mat fees would kill yah on a couple pounds. You can get BP in Casper but that is a 4hr trip. I know of Deer Creek and may have to order from them as they do have the thimbles in stock but I'd like some slightly aged looking ones (used) to match the rifle.

 

[ThomasT]

The 6 pounds of MZ cost me just under $80 with shipping. If you order real BP from powderinc buy 25 pounds for free hazmat. Get a bud or two to split the order with you. Thats what I did.

 

[darkcloud]

"I just bought 6 pounds of this powder. $10 a pound. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com.../Powder-and-Primers/prod99999030268/cat100011"

Tells me it is free shipping to the store for a couple pounds. Guess I may have to try it. No luck with finding used iron thimbles so I guess I'll go Deer creek with new ones. Everything is original iron except the nose cap which is black pewter but even that may be original as well by looking at pics of the rifle on the 'net'.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Track of the Wolf also has a good selection of ramrod thimbles. It's easy to give iron ones an aged look as well.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Or you can make your own.

 

[paul harm]

Any acid will age iron or steel. Onions and tomatoes have it. Throw the thimbles in a plastic bag with the onions and/or tomatoes in it and they'll age. Easier yet is mustard. I made a lot of knives at one time for MLers and to age them I'd dab mustard on the blades and let it dry. Make it light and heavy spots. Eight hours or so after it dries, get a rag and under running water rub it off. You'll probably won't get it right the first time so do it again. And again if necessary. It'll come out right after a couple of times. One time I had around 20 knives laid out at a Gun and Knife show and a gentleman was looking at them for quite some time. So I ask him if I could answer any questions and he said " where did you get all these old knives that look so nice "? I said " thank you, I just made them this last year and they're suppose to look old ". He didn't want to believe me. Or maybe just rub them with a cleaning patch that has BP fouling on it.