Well, now you know. Most likely the ball scooted forward do to it not be ensnuggened about the bore since it was missing its patch.
Also there could be a seam in the metal.for the top of the barrel to have split well forward of the sight, the pressure would have to be generated past that point.
I would like to see the brass ram rod. that is if he found it.
I had a bad experiance with my cva 44 cal kentucky kit BP rifle
I bought it in 1975 at kittery trading post
I used to shoot at (turkey target) shoots for many years.
My work life took over so it was stored for last 30 years
I decided to clean it up and take it to the range and for safety sake decided to do a test shot with 120 gr 3 f black powder
first I dropped 50 grains down the barrel and tamped it a bit with the rod then placed a cap and BANG all is good with no old load left in
then I loaded 120 gr with one round ball with no patch which slipped down the barrel easy
I strapped it to the shooting stand placed a cap had string on the trigger paced back 30 ft and pulled BIG bang blew gun in two
I also noticed a crack full length of the barrel
It’s odd that such protections were taken for a routine “safety check”. Almost as if the exploding barrel was anticipated
A pity. Some of us on lower incomes would cherish such a rifle, CVA or otherwise.120 grains of 3 F powder with a lose ball…. Yeap, this was purposely done.
Soling,Nothing strange I tested with 60g black first with no ball to make sure no blockage after long storage and flashed it iff with a cap to ensure it was clear
Proof loads are usually maximum published (from a recognized source), load + 10%, fired 3 times. That is what I have always done. It’s not really that hard to make one come apart. Is there a chance the ball moved away from the charge before you touched it off? Save the schrapnel and splinters, they may fit somewhere some day.I had a bad experiance with my cva 44 cal kentucky kit BP rifle
I bought it in 1975 at kittery trading post
I used to shoot at (turkey target) shoots for many years.
My work life took over so it was stored for last 30 years
I decided to clean it up and take it to the range and for safety sake decided to do a test shot with 120 gr 3 f black powder
first I dropped 50 grains down the barrel and tamped it a bit with the rod then placed a cap and BANG all is good with no old load left in
then I loaded 120 gr with one round ball with no patch which slipped down the barrel easy
I strapped it to the shooting stand placed a cap had string on the trigger paced back 30 ft and pulled BIG bang blew gun in two
I also noticed a crack full length of the barrel
See that's the problem. You followed the black sheep off a cliff lol. Their breech plug issue was one ONE model and that was the 1995-96 cva Apollo.I built a CVA flintlock kit in 1977. It worked just ok, but ate flints fast. Later I read that some of these Spanish built CVA rifles had poorly threaded breach plugs. So with a potentially badly thread breach plug I quit using the rifle.
I still have it I just won’t shoot it any more.
I believe the OP was intentionally trying to kaboom his rifle, and he succeeded perfectly. Job well done bravo.
Really? I think you will find a proof load is about double the standard charge.Proof loads are usually maximum published (from a recognized source), load + 10%, fired 3 times. That is what I have always done. It’s not really that hard to make one come apart. Is there a chance the ball moved away from the charge before you touched it off? Save the schrapnel and splinters, they may fit somewhere some day.
My Hodgdon manual (25 edition) shows 90 grains of fff as a maximum load with a round ball for the 45 cal rifle; plus 10% is about 100 grains.Really? I think you will find a proof load is about double the standard charge.
Saying a 45 with a service charge of 60gn is proofed with just 66gn is crazy!
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