My New To Me CVA Mountain Rifle

[KCSO]

THe breech is a weird combination with a drum installed after the plug is in and THEN drilled for the flash hole. The drum is not made to remove. I had one of these in 1977 and shot it a lot and won matches with it, the stock was a little to straight for me but it sure would shoot!

[sharps4590]

Congrats on a good, representative rifle!! Are those ramrod thimbles really 6 sided, hexagonal?

Decades ago I shot the same rifle that I built from a kit and, as others have said, it was a shooter. Won a few matches and took a few deer. My aon has it now, some 35 years later and it still shoots!

[rfd]

THe breech is a weird combination with a drum installed after the plug is in and THEN drilled for the flash hole. The drum is not made to remove. I had one of these in 1977 and shot it a lot and won matches with it, the stock was a little to straight for me but it sure would shoot!

a patent breech with flue.

[megasupermagnum]

Your post inspired me to finally get around to fixing my uncles CVA mountain rifle. It has been sitting in the corner for about a decade since they broke off the hook trying to remove the breech plug.

I don't remember who gave me the idea to weld it back on, but it turned out great so far. I haven't shot it yet, so fingers crossed, but it looks strong.

The original hook is long gone, so I had to mill my own from bar stock. Here it is after machining, made to fit the tang.


Here is just after welding. I beveled the bottom, and tried to get as much weld into it as I could. I did a good job, and didn't get the barrel at all. It's only welded to the breech plug. I also beveled the tang so that I didn't have to file the weld perfectly flat. Hopefully this makes it stronger.


Here is filed to shape


Here is fitted to the tang


And finally, we have a complete, functional rifle again. I'll shoot it, clean it up, and give it back to my Uncle this year. It's definately a CVA, nothing fits that great. But the barrel is a made in USA douglas. Even being left loaded for 20 years, there is not a speck of rust in it that I can see. I bet it shoots great.

[indian joe]

what kind of breech plug in that CVA MR - patent or flat faced?

All the ones I have (and had), the breech plug screws in flush with the end of the barrel, nipple drum screws clear through the plug and into a little shallow recess in the far side barrel wall, nipple drum thread = 10mm metric, (from memory), unscrew the nipple drum and fit a coned touch hole liner to convert to flinter.
Kentucky model has a short tang and pinned barrel 7/8" inch x 32 inch - small lockplate
Pennnslyvania model tang and pinned barrel 7/8th inch x 42 inch - small lockplate
Mountain Rifle has two wedge pins, 15/16th inch barrel x 32 inch - I think had the small lockplate ?
Other sidelocks (Hawken, Missouri,etc ) single wedge pin 15/16th inch barrel x 28inch - some of these single wedge models had the large lockplate - some the small
There was a Squirrel rifle too in 32 cal

I would guess the earlier Douglas Barrels would have American threads - likely the nipple drum would be 7/16th UNC???

Number one problem with the sidelock CVA's ? there were two different locks (innards) lets call em long sear and short sear - the toe of the sear on some was long and flimsy (and quite soft steel) and would gradually bend so it fouled the half cock notch - break if you kept at it - its an easy enough fix with a brazing torch and files - I posted my fix in a sticky at the top of the ML threads -----other than that I have not seen any more breakages (springs) with CVA locks than I have seen with L & R - their flinter lock is similar to other cheap small flintlocks - needs tuning and a frizzen harden - works some without, works fine after - but its a little lock - never gonna light up the countryside like a big old Siler or such.

[indian joe]

what kind of breech plug in that CVA MR - patent or flat faced?

All the ones I have (and had), the breech plug screws in flush with the end of the barrel, nipple drum screws clear through the plug and into a little shallow recess in the far side barrel wall, nipple drum thread = 10mm metric, (from memory), unscrew the nipple drum and fit a coned touch hole liner to convert to flinter.
Kentucky model has a short tang and pinned barrel 7/8" inch x 32 inch - small lockplate
Pennnslyvania model tang and pinned barrel 7/8th inch x 42 inch - small lockplate
Mountain Rifle has two wedge pins, 15/16th inch barrel x 32 inch - I think had the small lockplate ?
Other sidelocks (Hawken, Missouri,etc ) single wedge pin 15/16th inch barrel x 28inch - some of these single wedge models had the large lockplate - some the small
There was a Squirrel rifle too in 32 cal

I would guess the earlier Douglas Barrels would have American threads - likely the nipple drum would be 7/16th UNC???

Number one problem with the sidelock CVA's ? there were two different locks (innards) lets call em long sear and short sear - the toe of the sear on some was long and flimsy (and quite soft steel) and would gradually bend so it fouled the half cock notch - break if you kept at it - its an easy enough fix with a brazing torch and files - I posted my fix in a sticky at the top of the ML threads -----other than that I have not seen any more breakages (springs) with CVA locks than I have seen with L & R - their flinter lock is similar to other cheap small flintlocks - needs tuning and a frizzen harden - works some without, works fine after - but its a little lock - never gonna light up the countryside like a big old Siler or such.