Cva Hawken .50 rifle

[hawken1983]

Hey guys im new to these forums and muzzle loaders all together and today i got passed down to me a CVA Hawken 50 caliber rifle that was made in spain. My dad bought this gun back when i was maybe 14 yrs old (i am 32 now) and i have always dreamed of getting this gun from him cause i thought it was a cool looking gun. I have never shot it. My dad shot it maybe 5 times back 15 or so years ago. Its been sitting in his gun cabinet ever since. I dont know anything about these guns at all, he passed it down to me and i would just like to know a little about it and maybe be able to get it to shoot again. My dad has always takin good care of his guns and its in pretty good shape from what i can see. He gave me everything he had for it and im missing the primers and the powder, but im assuming since it has been a long time i may need to buy new stuff. I am aware that these guns are not worth much now so im fine with that. I would just like to get some info on what i can do or what i should do before attempting to shoot it. He did tell me i should clean it first and the pin that goes through the barrel is missing but theres a wooden wedge in there now to keep it together. Anyone know where i can get parts for this gun and maybe give me some pointers or give me advise on what i should get for powder and primers? I read something on line about how they have an adaptor so i can use 209 primers. Is this true? Any help would be greatly apreciated. Im new and im willing to learn. Here are some pics of what i have.




any one know what this is?

 

[mooman76]

It should be fine as is after you clean it. You can get powder/primer for a gun store so you'll have to look around. If you can't find real BP you can use a substitute like Pyrodex. Get a book and read up on it and/or look and see if there is a black powder club in your area. You can get the wedge from a dealer that sells BP supplies, pretty common item. Track of the wolf or cainsoutdoors are a couple places. Happy shooting!

By the way, I'd get some .490 roundballs and cloth patch like .015 thick to shoot out of it.

 

[hawken1983]

thanks moon, i apreciate the quick response. im looking around on the web for as much info as possible.. my dad got this gun when i was like 124 and im 32 now so its been a while.. hes only shot it 3-5 times max and this was like 15 or so yrs ago.. is there anything i should worry about?

 

[mooman76]

Nothing to worry about. You said your dad took good care of his guns and it looks pretty much bran new. Read here and you will learn allot.

 

[hawken1983]

thanks.. i have always liked this gun.. it sat in his gun cabinet its whole life and always had been well cared for.. i remember when he bought it, i was there and i couldnt believe how nice it was.. im aware its not worth much but i still want to get it shooting again. do u reccomend i use round balls or the slugs i have in the pics?

 

[mooman76]

Since you have the slugs already you can go ahead and shoot them or save for hunting if you want but it's cheaper to shoot patched RBs and they will shoot as well or better and are cheaper to use. I wouldn't underestimate it's value. Not that it's worth allot but they are getting harder to come by and some companys including CVA quit making the sidelocks and switched to the inlines which by they way we don't discus here.

 

[crockett]

If that CVA warranty booklet is like mine it ought to have listings of various powder charges etc.
Those conicals could be difficult to load and they can leave lead streaking/fouling in the barrel. Try writing on a sheet of paper with a pure lead ball or conical- you'll learn how easy it will streak a gun's bore. Conicals cost a lot of money these days so I'd just hold on to them for later and start off shooting a patched round ball. I know you might want to get going right away but I'd buy the round balls. I am not sure about the wood wedge. it probably is strong enough but you will want to eventually get a metal wedge. I've made wedges however wedges are inexpensive.
If you shoot a patched round ball there will be no lead fouling in the bore and black powder fouling in the bore can be cleaned up with soapy water. A ramrod is sort of short for cleaning the bore so use a regular cleaning rod if you have one. If you have lead fouling NEVER use a bronze wire brush to clean the bore, as you push in the brush the wires will all angle back towards the muzzle THEN when you try to pull the brush backwards- it will jam, you won't be able to get it out. There are just so many advantages to using the traditional patched round ball that using anything else doesn't make sense.
If you are going to be shooting from a bench, toss a towel over a powder flask or powder horn prior to shooting, that protects it from stray sparks, etc.

 

[hawken1983]

awesome info guys.. i really appreciate it.. i was just looking at my gun and i noticed that the hammer doesnt realy line up right with the nipple.. can i loosen the flat head screw and turn back the nipple to line it up? i havent messed with the gun nor have i cleaned it yet.. my dad said its been sitting since the early 90s so it should be cleaned.. im just trying to read up on stuff before i start working on it..

 

[crockett]

There are a lot of directions the nipple can be off, front to back, side to side, the angle it is slanted at, etc. If the gun was fired a few times then it must work as is.

 

[hawken1983]

Its positioned so when the hammer comes down its just barely on the edge of the nipple. The cap wouldnt be able to sit indide of the hammer due to the nipple being to far forward. I am Thinking i can maybe turn the thing the nipple screws into back just a hair. Is this adjustable?

 

[hawken1983]

If you zoom into this pic u can see what i mean

 

[bpd303]

The thing the nipple screws into is called the bolster. From the picture the nipple is not seated down, use the t-handle nipple wrench to seat it, but don't over tighten it. The bolster is not adjustable, however if someone has over torqued it you may be able to back it off a little but it still needs to be tight. The screw in the end is called a clean out screw and has nothing to do with holding the bolster. If you have a Dremel a small stone could be used to relieve the hammer nose to give clearance for the cap.

 

[ccmountainman]

Hey guys im new to these forums and muzzle loaders all together and today i got passed down to me a CVA Hawken 50 caliber rifle that was made in spain. My dad bought this gun back when i was maybe 14 yrs old (i am 32 now) and i have always dreamed of getting this gun from him cause i thought it was a cool looking gun. I have never shot it. My dad shot it maybe 5 times back 15 or so years ago. Its been sitting in his gun cabinet ever since. I dont know anything about these guns at all, he passed it down to me and i would just like to know a little about it and maybe be able to get it to shoot again. My dad has always takin good care of his guns and its in pretty good shape from what i can see. He gave me everything he had for it and im missing the primers and the powder, but im assuming since it has been a long time i may need to buy new stuff. I am aware that these guns are not worth much now so im fine with that. I would just like to get some info on what i can do or what i should do before attempting to shoot it. He did tell me i should clean it first and the pin that goes through the barrel is missing but theres a wooden wedge in there now to keep it together. Anyone know where i can get parts for this gun and maybe give me some pointers or give me advise on what i should get for powder and primers? I read something on line about how they have an adaptor so i can use 209 primers. Is this true? Any help would be greatly apreciated. Im new and im willing to learn. Here are some pics of what i have.




any one know what this is?

I PMed you with some info hope it helps you.
the 700 kp etc is Metric for the pressure testing. The pressure the barrel will with stand.
I might have a wedge for the barrel Most CVA were silver. I will need the side to side measurement ( the total distance through the slot left to right.
The thickness and width of the opening.

Possible shop, Track of the wolf and Dixie may also have some for it.
Looks like in the picture you have everything to get started. Except the caps and powder.
Some states don't allow use of 209's for hunting
check your state regulations.
Some also do NOT allow scopes either
CVA does NOT recomment turning the bolster which is also called a DRUM. It and the breech plug are mated at the factory.
I would look carefully at the hammer see if it has been bent side ways. Plus NOT having the correct barrel wedge can cause the barrel to be slightly twisted. Don't do anything until you get the wedge in place.
Also apply a dab of antisieze to the nipple threads before tightening the nipple down.
Also you don't normally use a patch with a conical.
Some people will use a wad, but that is different than a patch.

 

[hawken1983]

Wow good info. I sent u a pm

 

[Zonie]

With the hammer tipped slightly inward towards the barrel it indicates the lock is slightly too far out at the bottom.

This can be caused by the wood surfaces under the bottom area of the lock either being not deep enough or they have some stock finish on them. (It takes very little change at the bottom of the lock to have quite a big effect on the hammers position).

You might try carefully scraping the areas of wood at the bottom of the lock mortise to remove any stock finish or to increase the depth of the locating faces. A good very sharp knife will work.

 

[hawken1983]

You are right.. The nipple wasnt all the way down. I screwed it in all the way and the hammer seats perfectly. That was a worry of mine. I thought maybe it got hit or something. I apreciate the help.

 

[Rick Boylan]

Nice rifle. I have one exactly like that. It was my first BP rifle. They are great shooters and very accurate. I know you'll enjoy it. I only shoot patched round ball through mine. Have fun with it.

 

[hawken1983]

How do u like the round balls? Was thinking about doing the same. Is there a brand thats better then others?

 

[Rick Boylan]

Well, I have nothing to compare them too as they are all I shoot. But they are easy to load, and accurate. I bought my CVA back in the late 80s from a coworker. Paid $200 for it. He just hung it over his fireplace and never shot it. I also own a Pedersoli Kentucky flintlock in .45. I only shoot round ball in it too. For me, it is the only way to fly. :grin:

I use Hornady balls so far. I say so far because I've been getting the gear together to start casting my own round balls. But for me Hornady is a great bullet.

 

[hawken1983]

Nice i will look them up. I have conacle bullets now in .385 gr i wanna try the round balls cause some people say they work good and are pretty acurate. What grain would u suggest i get for round balls? Im making a list of things i need to get to get me started. From the pics you see , can u suggest anything i may need? I know i need powder and primers for sure. I heard somethinf about being able to upgrade the # 11 primers to the 209 primers. Does anyone know where i can get the upgrade or conversion/adaptor to do it?