CVA Kentucky Rifle - No Barrel Pin

My first post. If I am in the wrong subforum I apologize.

Question:
I have a CVA Kentucky Rifle from the 70's. Long story on the origins of this gun but it is not functional in its current state and I decided I would rehabilitate it. The gun has a JUKAR .45cal barrel. The barrel has very few markings, which I think is cool. Now days they come with an entire safety manual engraved on the barrel.

The stock on this rifle is two parts and the butt stock and fore stock are joined in the middle with 2 metal pins. This is basically the same rifle as the Traditions Kentucky Rifle. In fact, I think it is exactly the same.

With respect to the barrel, I noticed that it has no pins or wedge keys to attach the barrel to the fore stock. The barrel attaches to the tang and there is a nose piece on the end and that's it.

What's more, there are no holes in the barrel lugs anyway, so I guess it was never designed to have pins.

Does anyone have experience with an old CVA Kentucky Rifle and perhaps understand why they were made this way? And is there an easy fix to give the whole thing more solid support?

I don’t think that retrofitting pins is a possibility. There is no way I could line all that up for one thing, and the lugs are quite short so there is no room to drill in a decent size hole. Honestly, I am not even sure why there are lugs on the barrel anyway. They are super short and serve no purpose that I can tell.

Thanks,
Dennis

Hello Dennis42. Welcome

I'm betting you're not the original owner, OR you bought it and stored it and finally got a good look at it?

The reason is, A) I have the same rifle, from the 1970's. and B) it sounds like it was once a "kit". It sounds that way because you are supposed to have pins through the barrel lugs. Whomever built it first, OR the guy at the factory, didn't bother to complete the rifle. IF it was a "wall hanger" the kit buyer didn't need to finish the rifle. IF it was a guy at the factory, well Quality Control messed up.

The holes through the stock and the barrel tenons need to be drilled and pins need to be used.



LD

Yes it was intended to have holes drilled through the lugs. A 1/16" pin is all you need the wood doesn't support the barrel. Actually it is just the opposite, the barrel supports the wood. You need to be careful in locating the bottom of the barrel to drill the holes for the pins. A drill press comes in handy for that but it can be done with a hand drill.

Loyalist Dave said:

Hello Dennis42. Welcome

I'm betting you're not the original owner, OR you bought it and stored it and finally got a good look at it?

The reason is, A) I have the same rifle, from the 1970's. and B) it sounds like it was once a "kit". It sounds that way because you are supposed to have pins through the barrel lugs. Whomever built it first, OR the guy at the factory, didn't bother to complete the rifle. IF it was a "wall hanger" the kit buyer didn't need to finish the rifle. IF it was a guy at the factory, well Quality Control messed up.

The holes through the stock and the barrel tenons need to be drilled and pins need to be used.

View attachment 368946

LD

Click to expand...

It was a kit and it was mine as a kid. In my defense it was about 50 years ago. My dad gave it to me but my dad wasn't the father/son project type so once I got the kit, I was on my own. My dad also didn't do anything that required tools so we had none. Needless to say, it didn't get done and what was cone was done poorly. Despite the way my dad was, I am very much a hobbyist and I dabble in blackpowder shooting a little bit as well. So when I came accross the parts and pieces of this thing, while cleaning out my mothers house, I decided to try and finish it and get it right.

So, I guess I will try and drill this out. Any suggestions on the best way to line it all up such that I get the holes in the right place on the fore stock? I did not find the original pins but I know these to be available online.

ronaldrothb49 said:

Yes it was intended to have holes drilled through the lugs. A 1/16" pin is all you need the wood doesn't support the barrel. Actually it is just the opposite, the barrel supports the wood. You need to be careful in locating the bottom of the barrel to drill the holes for the pins. A drill press comes in handy for that but it can be done with a hand drill.

Click to expand...

I do have a drill press. I don't think I will have any problem getting the holes drilled in the lugs. I just don't know how I will determine where to drill holes in the stock such that it all lines up.

Dennis42 said:

My dad gave it to me but my dad wasn't the father/son project type so once I got the kit, I was on my own. My dad also didn't do anything that required tools so we had none. Needless to say, it didn't get done and what was cone was done poorly.

So, I guess I will try and drill this out. Any suggestions on the best way to line it all up such that I get the holes in the right place on the fore stock? I did not find the original pins but I know these to be available online.

Click to expand...

AH no worries mate. You did what ya could. Time to actually get her shooting though, eh?


LD

you would drill stock with barrel installed. there are plenty of posts on this if you search the forum. there are also tools made for this that make it easier for some. i use a piece of aluminum angle on my press table, put a piece of blue tape on face of angle and the barrel in the area of the lug, hold the barrel[ top flat] against the angle and line up the lug under the drill bit, now clamp the angle to the drill press table make sure the bit is still lined up, now mark a pencil mark on each piece of tape so they line up well, put the barrel back in the stock, line up the marks, make sure top flat is flat and tight on the face of the angle and drill. p.s. first make sure you table is square [90 degrees] with the bit on you drill press.

Assuming my traditions is close enough to exactly the same, I used a straight edge to put a sharpie line around the barrel centered on the lugs. With a pencil, continue that mark down the wood.

If I recall correctly the wood comes halfway up the side flats, use the stock as a straight edge to draw a line down the length of the flat. From there, pop the barrel back out and use calipers from that line down and measure to the center of the lug. Lock down caliper with the twisty do-hickey.

Barrel back in. Zip tie, tape, or clamp the barrel into the channel. Top jaw of caliper along the wood and lightly scribe the wood with the other jaw, this will form an intersection between the vertical pencil line and scribe line. X marks the spot, drill 'er on out.

I have built several of the CVA KY rifle kits. I half a 1/2 inch square piece of square dowel rod about 8 inches long that I drilled and tapped for a 1/4-20 3” bolt. Probably really would not need to tap it but it was easier. The bolt is screwed through the dowel. I put the dowel across the stock where the lug channel is. I screw the bolt down into the lug channel. I back the bolt out until it is about 1/8” above the bottom of the lug channel. I have penciled lines on the on both sides of the stock channel where the dowel was. Place the dowel on the marks with the bolt along side the outside of the stock and the bottom of the bolt is your drill point. It sounds very complicated but it is not. Good luck.

Dennis42 said:

I do have a drill press. I don't think I will have any problem getting the holes drilled in the lugs. I just don't know how I will determine where to drill holes in the stock such that it all lines up.

Click to expand...

I have an adjustable fence set up on my drill press. If you have the sights installed you would need to remove them. I use the barrel against the fence to locate where the hole will be just slightly below the bottom of the barrel then lock the fence in place. Place the barrel on the stock and mark a line down the stock to locate the center of the lug, it doesn't have to be perfect. Install the barrel in the stock locate the mark for the lug and clamp it in place. Make sure the stock is level you will probably need a shim under the forestock

I wouldn't use those huge pins that come with the kit. 1/16" or 3/32" music wire from the hardware store will work fine.

Then file a short relief slot in the drilled hole parallel to the barrel to allow the barrel to expand from the heat of shooting or changes in local temperature.

Yep. Built my CVA in '83 from the same type kit you have. I sweated bullets and measured, measured and measured again before drilling the pin holes through the stock and small lugs with a hand drill. They lined up nicely. It's a simple rifle. But shoots accurately and the frizzen throws good sparks.