an interesting "score"...

[necchi]

They're not any "older" than the others.
They are the First and Second ones off the line.
These are the originals everyone talks about when they start the disection of where the Mountain Rifle was made and how.
These where/are spec,, Blue Print.

This thread has 88 responces; http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/239421/post/773823/hl//fromsearch/1/

And here's another one; http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/239569/post/775431/hl//fromsearch/1/

 

[bubba.50]

interestin' threads necchi, but if you'll notice every one of those posters are shootin' those guns just as they were meant to be. as are the guns in question in this post.

 

[cynthialee]

I wouldn't shoot them.

 

[Matt85]

i would probably sell them to one of the people here that are saying dont shoot them. they seem to think they are valuable.

if i was gonna keep it i would shoot em. i dont see anything special about a CVA gun regardless of what the serial number is. its a cheap knockoff of an old gun.

value is in the eye of the beholder.

-matt

 

[necchi]

The thing is BobW already has a Mountain Rifle ,,,
And other Traditional Rifles,,
Flint and Percussion.

Yeah, and I don't think theres one with an SN# under 20,000.
bubba you barter guns on a regular basis,
If you had any of these you wouldn't part with'm for under 400 each.(maybe more)
If they got fired then they would be just another gun.
Mountain Rifle going rate? Under 200.
Payed 160 for mine 5 years ago and guys are finding them in pawn shops for 100.

I give up, shoot'm, beat the manure out of the frizzen, scrub'm down with a brass brush and coat the thing with bore butter,,, :shake:

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

After reading all the responses to shoot the rifles, I would leave them be... unfired. That would drive everyone crazy. :slap: :stir:

I'd still leave them unfired. :thumbsup:

 

[Trot]

Yeah, I can't see much collector value, never be anything like an old Colt or long rifle. I just never had much success with CVAs so I don't really see much value as a shooter either. I'd surely try them out and if they didn't work out I'd see what I could get out of them.

 

[Coot]

The guns will never be worth more or easier to sell than in mint unfired condition. You have gotten lots of opinions but instead of guessing what they might be worth or whether there is any collector interest, why not list them on gunbroker (you can set a reserve at whatever they are worth to you) & find out what the market for them really is? IF the bids are for less than they are worth to you as shooters, keep them as shooters. If the bids are high enough to pay for a custom gun, I would cheerfully sell. :idunno:

 

[cynthialee]

coot has a good point

 

[Little Wattsy]

I've been out of here for quite a bit of time, but not away from my BP guns. Just needing to take a moment to gloat a bit... :stir:

Through some twist of luck, I just took ownership of 3 guns...

CVA Mountain Big Bore .58 Flint (brass nose cap, brass hardware, no patch box)
CVA Mountain Big Bore .54 Flint (brass nose cap, brass hardware & patch box)
CVA Mountain Big Bore .54 percussion (brass nose cap, brass hardware & patch box)

Guns are from January of 1977, and are the USA made guns from Connecticut...

here is the best part - serial #'s are #2, #1, and #1 respectively!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shocked2:

These were the personal collection of the QC Manager for CVA (his name/signature is on laminated business/info cards attached to them). Woods are striped maple (the .54's are finished, and the .58 is in the raw... and just stunning)

Hopefully I can tease you folks with pics in the near future, but I can't at this time.

Now comes the hard decision: to use them, or hang them. They are unfired!

Quite different from my CVA .58 perc. Big Bore Mountain Rifle (pewter nose cap, black furnature, browned barrel, no patch box).

Yah.. Id glass case them and get a small plaque to describe thier geneology... Cool "Set"!!

 

[hoochiepapa]

I won't have anything I can't use. My dad once gave me an 1873 Winchester rifle in .44/40. I couldn't shoot it, because it wasn't safe. So I took it down to the local gun collector and traded it for something I could use. :idunno:

 

[S.Kenton]

I've been out of here for quite a bit of time, but not away from my BP guns. Just needing to take a moment to gloat a bit... :stir:

Through some twist of luck, I just took ownership of 3 guns...

CVA Mountain Big Bore .58 Flint (brass nose cap, brass hardware, no patch box)
CVA Mountain Big Bore .54 Flint (brass nose cap, brass hardware & patch box)
CVA Mountain Big Bore .54 percussion (brass nose cap, brass hardware & patch box)

Guns are from January of 1977, and are the USA made guns from Connecticut...

here is the best part - serial #'s are #2, #1, and #1 respectively!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shocked2:

These were the personal collection of the QC Manager for CVA (his name/signature is on laminated business/info cards attached to them). Woods are striped maple (the .54's are finished, and the .58 is in the raw... and just stunning)

Hopefully I can tease you folks with pics in the near future, but I can't at this time.

Now comes the hard decision: to use them, or hang them. They are unfired!

Quite different from my CVA .58 perc. Big Bore Mountain Rifle (pewter nose cap, black furnature, browned barrel, no patch box).

Yah.. Id glass case them and get a small plaque to describe thier geneology... Cool "Set"!!

What Wattsy said!
Brand name put aside.. these are special rifles. FIRST off the production line and in unfired condition?! I'd inspect the bores and apply a liberal coating of Universal Gun Rig in them. Then stuff them away.. or sell them to someone who would apprecieate them! But I would NEVER fire any one of them.

 

[S.Kenton]

I won't have anything I can't use. My dad once gave me an 1873 Winchester rifle in .44/40. I couldn't shoot it, because it wasn't safe. So I took it down to the local gun collector and traded it for something I could use. :idunno:

MAN... I'da loved to have had that!

 

[bubba.50]

this whole "don't shoot'em" philosophy makes as much sense as goin' down to the car lot, buyin' the biggest baddest four-wheel drive pick-up on the lot then havin' it hauled to yer garage on a flatbed so ya don't depreciate it by gettin' mud on the tires.

 

[necchi]

No,
It's like a guy that has 5 4-wheelers already, then finds one 46yrs old at a bargin rate in mint condition, that's just like another 46yr old model he already has,,
Then taking it out and boggin with it just to see what it'll do,,,

 

[Little Wattsy]

No,
It's like a guy that has 5 4-wheelers already, then finds one 46yrs old at a bargin rate in mint condition, that's just like another 46yr old model he already has,,
Then taking it out and boggin with it just to see what it'll do,,,

Touche!! :wink:

 

[M. De Land]

Being an ole farmer in my youth I liken CVA firearms to a new plow. They work but is the first plow off the assembly line worth any more than the last.They are utilitarian guns for the masses to use and learn about muzzle loading, they are not precision made guns of high quality parts and have no inherent collector value in my opinion. MD

 

[bubba.50]

what m.d. said about says it all.

 

[swathdiver]

So where's the pics? :idunno:

 

[Captjoel]

I would not say these three CVA rifles are the same as the later production off the line guns. They are definately special models having high grade stock wood and brass nose caps. I wouldn't even be suprised if they had proto type locks and hardware. Pictures would be nice. I once became the owner of a cased brass barreled flintlock pistol made by Pedersoli. It was serial #1 and also unfired. I took it in trade for a pieta colt sherrif model. Kept it for a couple of years and later sold it on Gunbroker for 400.00. I remember seeing it again on GB a short while later and it resold for 750.00. From this I can honestly say that there is a collector market for these modern repro's. I would not shoot these rifles.