CVA Kentucky Pistol

[Gibbs44]

Hey guys, I was given a CVA Kentucky Pistol. No paperwork or anything. I'm trying to figure out the maximum charge. CVA apparently doesn't make them anymore, I guess. I just looked at their site and did not find anything on them. If anyone has any information on the max, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

[Fly]

What cal. is it?Most in a 50 cal. 40 grains & 45 cal. 35 grains.I have shot more in my
.50 cal but you stand to crack the wood frame.The barrel can stand more, but the frame
can't.Beleave me those are bad a$$ loads for a hand gun.

Have fun with it, & shoot it at night if you want a real rush.
Fly

[Gibbs44]

Thanks, it's a 45. Good info to have.

[nhrifle]

Put a shoulder stock on her and load her up. No problems with short barrelled rifles with black powder! 150 grains of BP through a short barrel will make a heck of a flash!

[Fly]

Put a shoulder stock on her and load her up. No problems with short barrelled rifles with black powder! 150 grains of BP through a short barrel will make a heck of a flash!

Ya & bust your stock in into match sticks.

Fly

[I'll Make Mine]

You'll want .440 round balls, and .014" patch, as I recall (I built one of those from a kit in 1979). I had a 20 grain measure on my powder flask, and fired a number of double charges (at least one with double balls as well) and had no trouble, other than I couldn't hit anything because it shot at least a foot high at 25 feet (warped barrel from a lug reweld, I think).

[firefly1957]

I have two that were built from kits in the mid 1970's the paper work called for a 30 gr Maximum we often loaded much more and never cracked a stock but this could very well happen if it was not inletted into the wood well. I can tell you that while noise and recoil go way up over 30 grains velocities tend to go down in the shorter pistol barrel. I have never got much accuracy from them and have not shot them in quite a few years now.

[fouronesix]

I built one about that time, 1975 or 76. 45 cal. Not much good for anything except fun, low expectation shooting. Took it out of the safe a year or two ago- kind of forgotten I had it! Loaded with 22 gr FF BP and a .445 patched roundball the thing shot a one ragged hole 7 shot group from a rest at 10 yards!

Nice to use a loading stand for them. Reduces the fumbling around when swabbing and loading.

[fcvan]

I built one in 1984 as a winter project. I shot it with 25 grains of Pyrodex and a cloth patch. A buddy had built the Kentucky rifle and did a dandy job of carving his stock, very ornate. Anyway, he fired maxi balls with I think 75 grains in the rifle. We went out together and he wanted to try patched balls. Loading the first one was a chore as he had fired some maxi balls and there was a lot of fouling in the bore. After that first shot the rest loaded easier. He put 5 into 3" at 100 yards from a standing position. Not bad considering there's a lot of iron swinging in a cap lock action, not to mention the ignition lag vs a center fire. The best I could do with my pistol was 6" at 100, and he had to show me up by putting them in 5" with my pistol. That guy was a heck of a shooter.