cva blunderbuss

[MosinRob]

got this in a package deal. It's a .69 CVA blunderbuss. What kind of loads can the brass barrel handle? whats it worth?

 

[larryp]

That's the first I've seen or heard of a CVA blunderbuss. I like the looks of it! Cool gun! :thumbsup:

 

[PA.1740]

VERY COOL :thumbsup: Where would I get one?
Have Fun
Phil

 

[Alden]

Cool. Didn't know they did either...

I treat my brass blunderbus like a pistol. Which is really what they were; really big pistols with a funnel built in.



And as a pistol I would always load fewer grains of 2F (in this case) than the bore, and for brass I would probably urge half the bore in grains.

 

[MosinRob]

Yeah I was thinking 45gr of F and then my shot/rb

 

[Alden]

Well, Fg might be a LITTLE more course (like swivel gun, mortar, howitzer, cannon course, and possibly overbore) than I was thinking but if you're going to use 45 grains of it I bet it'd work fairly well actually even in that short barrel with its heavy ball or shot charge. 30-35 grains of 2f is more like what I was thinking but I am overly cautious (if there is such a thing, especially with brass and bronze tubes).

Somebody here'll have the manufacturer's suggestion and I'll bet we're not far off...

 

[Wes/Tex]

I believe CVA picked up the makers surplus when Navy Arms decided to discontinue importing brass barreled blunderbusses and, with a minor change to the muzzle(have never heard why), carried on with them a few more years. Another version of the story goes that CVA used the same maker but different construction specs...who knows! One of the guys in the old group I ran with had one, mine was one of the steel barreled versions with the trumpet looking, bell muzzle from Stoeger, or somebody. We both used charges in the 45 to 55 grains of FFg in both guns. You don't need big loads for these. Remember, you're dealing with a gun make for "across the table"...in actual fact, they were the sawed-off shotguns of their day, and little else. We soon discovered the longer brass barrel with the cannon muzzle shot just as wide open patterns as the 4 inch shorter, big bell muzzle. These are the two blunderbeasts we spent an afternoon shredding old paper oil cans with handfuls of .22 LR cases we found all around the range! Having said that, I don't believe these guns were used as much with nails, glass, etc. like everybody likes to relate. Did it ever happen? Yeah, probably, but about 3 rounds convinced me that any kind of shot is much more effective! Have fun! :thumbsup:

 

[hawkeye2]

I haven't seen one of those since about '79. A friend had one and he used to shoot a handful of dried peas in it. Sure would tear up a paper target at 15'. I never believed those tales of them being loaded with nails and other junk. Think about the damage a handful of iron nails would do to a bore. Then there is always the chance of a few nails wedging cross ways in the bore stopping the load, instant bore obstruction.

 

[Wes/Tex]

This is my thought exactly. The load it full scrap is a great story but the nail and glass theory would have to be a touch & shoot proposition at best. yes, I'm sure somebody tried it and it may have worked once or twice but it'd be tough on even steel bores!