CONNECTICUT VALLEY ARMS (CVA)

[pwbsmokey]

CVA had 2 Hawken models. The Hawken and the St. Louis Hawken. I don't remember which model I had, but it had a 1 in 66 twist 50 cal. barrel. Dead on right out of the box with a .490 ball and 90 gr. of Pyrodex

 

[Mean Gene]

I have a CVA ST Louis Hawken, I love that rifle, it's my favorite gun I own. Usually any problems I have with it will be my fault, the lock and barrel are excellent.
It has been a great gun for making custom changes to as well, I sanded my stock down and changed the color, the hawken shop offers steel parts to replace the brass if you like or just antieque the brass.
It's been just a fun gun!

 

[Okie Hog]

Yep Clyde, i had a CVA back in the day. Won a lot of matches with that gun. Wish i had kept it.

Back then i never heard of a CVA barrel blowing up. Was at a match when the barrel of another popular brand blew up.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Back then i never heard of a CVA barrel blowing up. Was at a match when the barrel of another popular brand blew up.

The CVA's that everyone hears about "blowing up"....Were modern inlines, not their traditional rifles...But all people seem to remember is the name CVA.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Many of the problems associated with CVA guns can be attributed to 2 things...

1. They were the most affordable guns on the market, and thus were purchased by millions of unexperienced shooters.

2. They offered a plethora of kits...Allowing millions of unexperienced gun builders assemble guns.

 

[hanshi]

I enjoyed great hunting success with the only - built from cheap kit - CVA I've owned. Same goes for the two Traditions I've owned. They were all percussions, so I can't comment on their flint locks.

 

[OLUT]

Colorado Clyde, as you mentioned the kits were very popular. I got one at auction in the 1990's for next to nothing. Assembly was minimal on my "FRONTIER", but the butt curvature did not fit right, even firing from the upper arm, as I am very tall. I "upgraded" with a $12 auction site CVA stock with a shotgun type butt plate and have since fired hundreds of .50 caliber loads through it. NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM. Nothing fancy, but it "keeps going, and going, and going". I've got other muzzleloaders, but I don't worry about taking this CVA out and banging it up in the woods

 

[coloradoclyde]

$5000.00 art hangs on the wall....

$100.00 beaters get used and enjoyed.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Yep...never could call any of them pretty but they won a fair share of matches back when and filled the freezer with Bambi burgers each year!

 

[azmntman]

CVA had 2 Hawken models. The Hawken and the St. Louis Hawken. I don't remember which model I had, but it had a 1 in 66 twist 50 cal. barrel. Dead on right out of the box with a .490 ball and 90 gr. of Pyrodex

:metoo: Mines the St Louis model. :thumbsup:

 

[Wes/Tex]

There's been a lot of confusion about CVA and their 'Hawken' models. The St. Louis Hawken actually changed over the years...these old catalog pics may help.
Original St. Louis Hawken style with large patch box cover...bottom
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/eNgAAOSwu59ZX6dX/s-l1600.jpg

Later style with small cap box...top
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/olYAAOSwSv1Xl9kq/s-l1600.jpg

What is now called CVA Hawken was referred to by CVA as a Springfield Hawken...a name like the St. Louis Hawken that Traditions is now using as well :wink:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/mgm-conte...1259149_01_springfield_hawken_50_cal__640.jpg

Add to this they had vaguely 'Hawken' looking rifles in the Mountain Rifle, the Plainsman and the Frontier adn things get rather confusing!

 

[coloradoclyde]

If I recall correctly, CVA has had numerous manufacturers of the years....
Jukar, Dikar, Ardesa, ....I think even Euroarms made some....

 

[Wes/Tex]

If I recall correctly, CVA has had numerous manufacturers of the years....
Jukar, Dikar, Ardesa, ....I think even Euroarms made some....

OH good lord yes, it's amazing they did so well with stuff coming from all over. Then again, many European makers have centuries of background. Sadly, I've seen 'American Made' that would take 2nd place to any of them.

 

[Mr. Troll]

I rescued one of the early "St Louis Hawken" versions with the big and fancy patch box. The ad says 15/16" barrel, but I just measured mine (three different places) and it's a 1" barrel. I do believe it has a 1:66 twist. I put a lyman globe on it and it's a 75 yd. tack driver with .490 ball, .018 pillow ticking patches and 70 gr of T-7 The serial # on the barrel starts with 84, then a space and then the rest of the number...and Made in Spain.

 

[Wes/Tex]

may be an year of manufacture code, I wasn't aware that was done but it's certainly possible.

 

[Danny Ross]

To answer the barrel length question, the answer is No and Yes, and a lot depends on the shooter. A shorter barrel is easier to be off target than a longer barrel. Think of it this way: If you have a line of lets say 15 people holding hands side by side and they were all going to move in a circle as a line. The person in center or the third person out will only have to take 1-3 steps to travel the same amount of degrees (remember a circle is measured in degrees) as compared to the person on the outside end of the line that may have to take 10-15 steps to travel the same distance in degrees (remember this is an example not exact). A shorter barrel will take less movement to be off at a longer distance than a longer barrel will and how fine you have to hold. You mentioned 24 inch (shortest) and 33 inch (longest) barrel length in your question. That is only a total of 9 inches of difference in aiming plane and barrel length, in degree of deer (meaning keeping the shot in the chest cavity) at 100yds leaning up against a tree as a rest, it is not that much, unless you really have the shakes. Shooting at a paper target for competition it could be depending on how steady you as a shooter can hold and how small the target. DANNY

 

[mooman76]

may be an year of manufacture code, I wasn't aware that was done but it's certainly possible.

It wasn't until later years they incorporated the year in the serial number. I don't know exactly when, but at one point they did. I have several that way but most are not and they are the older ones. Too bad they took so long to think that one out.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

A quick review, if the ramrod is junk, so is the gun!

IF THAT WAS THE CAVEATE....then more than 50% of the models of Pedersoli brand rifles and smooth bores would be considered junk. I've yet to find one of their guns or rifles with a wooden ramrod that didn't sport a common, commercial dowel with run-out. :haha:

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Anyway, my experience with CVA traditional rifles is that they were inconsistent...., meaning, your Mountain Rifle or Long Rifle from them might shoot very well, while the next guy's rifle in the same model might be trunk-junk. When the do shoot well they are good.

LD

 

[timothy prouty]

I have a squirrel rifle with an 82 on it don't really know when they start dating them but that's the earliest one I found