.32 Caliber Rifle

[smoothshooter]

Would like to hear from anyone with experience with the Percussion CVA Crockett half stocked rifle in .32 caliber.

Did you like the gun?

I have been looking at pictures of one and am a little intrigued with what I see.

However, the buttstock looks pretty bad to me regarding architecture and excessive drop.

I am under no illusions as to what the quality level may be compared to the custom guns I own.
If I were to buy one, it would be strictly a rough use gun, and I might even saw the buttstock off just behind the trigger guard, and make another one with better architecture and attach it to the existing stock using glue and a long dowel rod.

Do these guns have the reduced powder chamber that seems to be increasimgly catching on with
foreign manufacturers?
I don't like them at all.

 

[don hepler]

If I disliked a gun, so much, as to have to change the stock, then I'd be searching for something else.

I have an old Thompson/Center Cherokee, in .32 cal. and it's like shooting a kids BB rifle.

Some other guns have been mentioned on this site, that might offer better a more suitable shape. Perhaps someone might step up that remembers them.

I also have a .36 and I like it about as well. The .32 uses a tiny ram rod, and subject to fowling. However, I use Black MZ powder, in mine, and that eliminates the fowling. I have one rifle in .32 and two in .36, and I seem to favor the .36, but wouldn't sell either one, because they are difficult to find.

 

[Shifty]

I don't have a CVA Crockett but i do have a Traditions Crockett and this is a great little rifle,the drop in the stock is perfect for me it gets my face,eyes, down for perfect sight alignment. This Crockett rifle is very accurate ,light ,carries real well loads and cleans easily,only thing i did was replace the aluminum ram rod with a brass one.Have taken several squirrels with it ,to me it is kinda like shooting them with a 22 magnum.I have read where some people will remove the bluing on the metal and brown them and refinnish the stock ,but i see no need for that on this rifle not for me anyway.I really like these little guns.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I have a Traditions Deerhunter in 32 and it is a fun little gun. It is not traditional in looks as it has a plastic shotgun type butt plate and aluminum ramrod. It seems to shoot well with about 20 grains of powder. I'm still working up a good load that isn't too hot for squirrels etc.

 

[Boomerang]

Does the Crockett have a coil or leaf spring in the lock?

 

[Shifty]

Mine has the Vee (leaf) spring.

 

[jethro224]

As far as I know the Crockett is a Traditions rifle, not a CVA. I owned one several years ago and really liked it. Light and accurate. Death on squirrels! Like Shifty said, about like shooting them with a .22 magnum.
The stock fit me fine and was comfortable to shoot. Came right up to my eye. The one I had even had some pretty figure in the stock.
Kinda wish I hadn't have let it go. If the price had not doubled since I bought the one I had, I might look at another.

These guns do not have a reduced powder chamber. It would be hard to reduce it under the .32 bore. In fact they have exactly the opposite, which was the only thing I did not like about the rifle.
The breech was actually a hair larger than the bore! This causes a problem when cleaning with a patched jag. What happens is the jag head goes down into the breech and the patch swells out and makes it darn near impossible to pull back out.
The "fix" that I came up with was to use a slightly smaller than bore size brush with a patch over it instead of the jag for cleaning. If I recall, it was a .25 or .30 caliber brush. Worked just like a jag but didn't drop all the way into the chamber and had some flex to allow it to come back out easier.

Others I have heard from had problems with the locks. Broken main springs seem to be the issue. I never had any problems with mine.

 

[hanshi]

I bought a Traditions Crockett about 14 years ago. It has killed many squirrels and is capable of sub 1" groups at 50 yards. They are actually nice little rifles and mine fit me like a glove. I now have a .32 flintlock; a .32 is a fine round.

 

[airborne1]

I put one together from a kit and although I haven't shot it yet because of deer season, I found it to be visually appealing, and it shoulders and fits me great. I believe the local squirrel population will be in decline come next fall!!

 

[Gene L]

Many years ago, I had a TC Cherokee, which I believe was in .36 caliber, but may have been a .32. They're bringing a good price nowadays.

I have a Cabela's .32 rifle, which I bought 20 years ago. I think it was a Blue Ridge style, brass furniture. The trigger guard broke off, it was unsecured properly originally, so I turned into a southern style rifle with an iron buttplate and trigger guard. It looks 100% better, IMO. Quite accurate.

I also have a .36 H&A "Offhand". I'm not a fan of the underhammers; the percussion caps want to fall off and I have to pinch them.

 

[marsh trapper]

.32 is a great caliber .I have a pedersoli frontier flintlock like others said it is like a 22 mag on everything ive shot ..a 32 can get nust about anything from a squirrel to a coyote :hatsoff:

 

[huff]

I bought one for my son and wish I had got one. Tree griz and a 32 makes for some big fun.

 

[Bear Rider]

I got a .32 Traditions at an estate sale. Thus far, the only difficulty has been getting the proper accessories. The stores around here barely carry any muzzle loading items. Those that do, cater to the pretend muzzle loaders in .45 and larger calibers.

The only complaint that I have about mine is that the configuration results in a ramrod channel that is so short that the ramrod is too short to get a grip on during cleaning. I had one made with 10-32 threads on each end, and have a handle that I can attach if a patch binds.

 

[KansasSmokePole]

I have a .32 T/C Cherokee that I really enjoy shooting. Like others have said, it is like shooting a 22 rifle with maybe just a smigdeon more recoil. My .32 is extremely accurate (I bet most are!) and a lot of fun to shoot. Every time I take it to the local rifle range I get many comments about it.

With regard to the drop, I wish my mine had slightly more drop since I really need to get down on the stock to line up the sights. Therefore I am not sure that the drop is that bad of an issue.

I would say that if you dislike the stock enough to plan on sawing it off, then I would pass on it and wait for one that interests you more.