The dangers of buying a used muzzleloader

[bedbugbilly]

Indian Joe - I agree it's an easy fixed - I have re-breeched a number of barrels over the years . Just a mystery as to why anyone would go to the trouble to mill the slot - not a brilliant move to do it on the underside if intended to "de-mil" the piece and not mark it somewhere so someone would know. But who knows? Conjurs up the scheme of an angry wife who has her machines lover do the work so her husband get's a "fatal surprise the next time he goes shooting!

[pietro]

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FWIW, CVS breeching is different from most other muzzleloaders - for one thing, they install the drum/ignition channel after the breech block is installed, thereby locking the breech to the barrel.

There is a reason why famed (read: expert) muzzleloader barrel gunsmith Bobby Hoyt refuses to work on CVA barrels.

[indian joe]

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FWIW, CVS breeching is different from most other muzzleloaders - for one thing, they install the drum/ignition channel after the breech block is installed, thereby locking the breech to the barrel.

There is a reason why famed (read: expert) muzzleloader barrel gunsmith Bobby Hoyt refuses to work on CVA barrels.

That reason may not be what you surmise it is ?

In any case this gun is a different kettle if fish
The only CVA flinters I have seen were conversions - some folk sawed the nipple drum off flush and tapped a liner into the flash channel - makes for slow ignition
Mine I removed the nipple drum, made a coned touch hole liner threaded to suit and away we went

Before you scream about weakening the breech end take a look at whats there (or better still measure it) you see that even with this modification there is as much thread engagement with the remaining breech plug as other "properly breeched" barrels have - I dont see a safety issue here.

If you are careful you can unbreech a CVA and put it back together just fine - just requires properly indexing the plug to the barrel so the nipple drum threads engage

-----none of which matters with this particular gun cuz he is gonna saw the damaged end off the barrel and rethread it for the salvaged breech plug (which I proly would trim back to solid and eliminate the fancy bit where the drum locks it all up) What makes this job easy is the two piece stock of the Kentucky model - dont need to refit all the front end stuff just cut the forend wood back same amount as the barrel is cut and it all pops back together

[yeahbub]

Another point about the CVA barrels made in Spain is that they were button-rifled. This work-hardened the bore surfaces and reduced wear, but they were difficult barrels to fresh out. Also, the deepest rifling achievable with the steel and equipment of the day was .008" rather than the preferred .010. I had three Mountain rifles and all shot well enough. A fellow I knew had a CVA in .54 cal and when he freshed the barrel, he wound up having a carbide cutter made so it would do the job. Happily, he got it done without chipping off and embedding carbide in the steel which would have instantly converted it to junk. I though the breech design, cross-pinning the breech plug with the long nipple drum into the opposite barrel wall was a very strong arrangement, but probably over-built and presented alignment problems if it was ever unbreeched. The breech plug had to be tightened just the right amount so there wasn't any interference when screwing the drum back in. Tough to do without mangling the soft breech hook while trying to get it adjusted just right. Of course, they didn't use any anti-seize compound to seal the crevices in the threads, so unbreaching one after years of use was such a joy.

[Jackrabbit1957]

Indeed, I have de breeched a couple of CVAs, they are not fun!

[indian joe]

Another point about the CVA barrels made in Spain is that they were button-rifled. This work-hardened the bore surfaces and reduced wear, but they were difficult barrels to fresh out. Also, the deepest rifling achievable with the steel and equipment of the day was .008" rather than the preferred .010. I had three Mountain rifles and all shot well enough. A fellow I knew had a CVA in .54 cal and when he freshed the barrel, he wound up having a carbide cutter made so it would do the job. Happily, he got it done without chipping off and embedding carbide in the steel which would have instantly converted it to junk. I though the breech design, cross-pinning the breech plug with the long nipple drum into the opposite barrel wall was a very strong arrangement, but probably over-built and presented alignment problems if it was ever unbreeched. The breech plug had to be tightened just the right amount so there wasn't any interference when screwing the drum back in. Tough to do without mangling the soft breech hook while trying to get it adjusted just right. Of course, they didn't use any anti-seize compound to seal the crevices in the threads, so unbreaching one after years of use was such a joy.

Interesting! I much prefer the .008" rifling depth of the CVA over deeper such as green mountain - have had a couple of those - good barrels but not as easy to get shooting as a CVA. deeper rifling to accomodate blackpowder fouling was the story I got told - never made much sense to me .

[indian joe]

Indeed, I have de breeched a couple of CVAs, they are not fun!

yeahbut the op is on a different tack with this one - shorten up and re-breech ........

[n.h.schmidt]

To you guys that have removed the CVA breaches. How did you do it? You don't have much to grab onto with the hook.Especially the button hook. I have done it a couple of times but had to use a torch and get them red hot. If once you get the breech plug out You can't just saw off the drum part for a conversion or you get about two threads left on the plug.

[indian joe]

To you guys that have removed the CVA breaches. How did you do it? You don't have much to grab onto with the hook.Especially the button hook. I have done it a couple of times but had to use a torch and get them red hot. If once you get the breech plug out You can't just saw off the drum part for a conversion or you get about two threads left on the plug.

only done one - a bloke gave me - needed a torch - old barrel had been "rode hard and put away wet" more often than not - did it to see what was in there (years ago) --for this project I think I would proly cut the dodgy piece of barrel off then split it off the tang/plug - dremel cut longwise almost into the threads then drive a wedge into the cut till the plug screws out easy -- just thinking of saving the tang so it doesnt need a new one re fitting ----what did that feller say about shortcuts???????

[Life Member]

Maybe he hid something in there.

[DaveM]

Good grief.

It's a good example of why it's handy to have one of those cheap borescopes you can buy on Amazon.

[Baltimoreed]

Not a big deal to make the old barrel work. Good thing you looked.