CVA Big Bore mountain rifle lock issues

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Jun 22, 2022
Messages
251
Reaction score
340
Location
Rocky Mountain House
I recently started having issues with the lock not striking the caps hard enough to fire. These are the new CCI caps but I'm not having issues with them in my Traditions or my TC Hawken. Wondering if I can buy a stronger main spring?
 
Weak springs are notoriously soft for the CVA and Traditions Rifles. Part of the problem could be the nipple which may have mushroomed a bit. A simple fix could be the replacement of the nipple or just a brief touch up with a file. A small wood wedge can be slipped in at the vee of the mainspring to add a bit more tension to the spring.
 
Traditions main springs are far from weak. Cva you can remove with a simple pair of pliers.
 
Weak springs are notoriously soft for the CVA and Traditions Rifles. Part of the problem could be the nipple which may have mushroomed a bit. A simple fix could be the replacement of the nipple or just a brief touch up with a file. A small wood wedge can be slipped in at the vee of the mainspring to add a bit more tension to the spring.

^^^ Try that first. Also check the cup of the hammer that there are no spent caps stuck in there.
 
thirty plus years of CVA shooting/gunsmithing if the gun has just developed this
1. pull the lock and check if there's a rub line on the inside of the hammer fix: grind/file off 1-2 threads on the lock bolt
2. pull the nipple and install a new one. a nipple should/is a consumable item when it doesn't go off on the first strike examine to see if the cap looks bulged if so it needs replacing (by this time chances are it has burned out the orifice)
3. If you find spent caps in hammer open the notch in the front of the hammer and shorten the rim of it along the rim so that you can clear spent
ones with a flick of your finger.
If you have one of the original locks the have the bridle to support the tumbler you have the best lock made for your gun bar none
 
First two things I thought of have been mentioned: dead cap build up in the cup and mushroomed nipple. My rifles were made before they started to cut a V-notch in the cup and stuck, fired caps is the most common cause for me. I dig them out with a patch knife. Light filing removes the mushroom bulge. Hope it is as simple as that for you.
 
Sometimes the bridal screws can be too tight and pinch the tumbler between the bridal and the lock plate assuming of course that it has a bridal.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top