CVA Hawken advice

[ChrisPer]

Last weekend I missed my shot on the first fox I ever whistled in at about 40 yards. Wasn't familiar enough with my set trigger, and it went off on what I thought of as 'first pressure'. I thought I was on target too, but it got away.

My CVA Hawken was bought used for a reasonable price, but the previous owner had messed with it. I plan to use this rifle for club matches and for small game. The sights are 'traditional' with a single grub screw for elevation, a locking grub and dovetail for windage. The foresight is a nickel silver blade. The square rearsight notch is only as wide as the blade looks, so no side stripes of light. I plan to cut the notch wider with a needle file; does that threaten competitive eligibility? Any other mods I should/could make? I wonder if a tang peep might be better, but not sure that would be traditional enough.

The breechplug and tang are outlined in some pale substance I think to be modern bedding compound. I dislike its 'non-traditional' implications. Should it bother me?

The trigger and lock has been 'set up' (or screwed up) so that it will only catch on full cock if the rear trigger is set. Is that as bad as I think it is? My previous CVA, 25 years ago, did not do that. I plan to shim out the trigger plate at the front screw until it lets that sear catch while un-set.

It came with impacted fouling in the nipple and duct that completely blocked it from firing until my patent sharpened wire cleared the way. The original nipple was a bit burred, but I filed it good and it goes off first shot OK. Also bought a couple of spare nipples and a nipple wrench, plus a jag.

Sadly, last night while cleaning there was a 'THONK' noise as I pulled the jag out of the barrel and the patch vanished back down the bore! I can feel it sitting on the bottom of the bore. Whats the best way to get those out? Firing a cap didn't do it, or trying either end of the ramrod or another patch on the jag trying to pick up.

The previous owner had also dicked with the lock, chipping the working edge of the sear and reassembling it with the bridle crooked. Thats fixed; the dealer just swapped it off for a good CVA lock from another rifle, to his great credit. It doesn't sound or look like much, but I would like to use it awhile until that fine handbuilt piece at an affordable price shows up!

What if any mods or small improvements are best for these?

 

[EDP1]

Try using a small caliber bore brush to get the patch out that has worked for me in the past.

 

Chris,
It's not time to panic yet. There are many double set triggers that must be set before the hammer will come to full cock. If a cleaning brush doesn't grab the patch in your breach, you can get a patch worm that is just a piece of wire attached to what amounts to a jag type fitting for your ram rod. If that is not available go to a hardware store and get a cbinet screw. They hav a machine thread on one end and a wood screw on the other. Whatever thread you have on your rod, 8X32 - 10X32, that is the size cqabinet screw you need. Use it on your rod and it should pull out the patch.
Mark

 

[Rogue River]

Your trigger is most likely inletted too deep. Take the trigger out and shim it with a couple small washers so that the trigger plate is flush with the stock!

 

[rawhide]

couple of things you can do with it. I also have a cva hawken I've had it for 12 plus years now and she's still a sweet shooter. well for one if it dose have a cva lock and trigger you can adjust both. should be a set screw between the triggers and one on the tumbler in the lock. mite back the one off in the lock first. try like a half a turn recheck. with out seeing it thats what it sounds like to me. then check the one at the trigger. I know with mine you can set the trigger VERY light!!! got mine at 8 onces of pull for comp. then I back it off to 2 lb when hunting. as for your patch stuck in bore get a patch worm to pull it out.

 

[necchi]

I plan to cut the notch wider with a needle file; does that threaten competitive eligibility?

Nope, but a wider rear may effect your ability to sight accurately.

I wonder if a tang peep might be better, but not sure that would be traditional enough.

Plenty traditional enough, but only allowed in some compitition, some difficulty aquiring the proper sight rapidly in field. Can be more accurate but no snap shots.[/quote]

The breechplug and tang are outlined in some pale substance I think to be modern bedding compound. I dislike its 'non-traditional' implications. Should it bother me?

This may very well be helping accuracy, don't worry, lot's of guns are indeed bedded in this area. It's a happy comprimise of modern techniques helping a mass produced factory job.

The trigger and lock has been,,, will only catch on full cock if the rear trigger is set.
,,, I plan to shim out the trigger plate at the front screw until it lets that sear catch while un-set.

Your on the right track there. That's the fix. Some of the CVA had so much wood removed in that area that after all the years and dry the wood is compressed. It's actually another place where accraglass or epoxy bedding can help. I had to do the same to my CVA Mountain Rifle, it got quit involved, going into the tang bolt and tang area also on my gun.

patch vanished back down the bore! Whats the best way to get those out?

Good advise from Papa here, a "patch worm".
When cleaning remove the nipple too let the it "breath" better, but loosing a patch every once in awhile is part of the game.

the lock,,,
What if any mods or small improvements are best for these?

The CVA locks are just stamped out parts assembled, the factory never spent any time doing finish work to the lock.
Fully disassembling the lock and polishing the bearing surfaces with a fine honeing stone removes all the burrs left from stamping. This will leave the lock smooth, suprisingly fast and reliable. It's a good lock if you do the finish work the factory never did.
Some work on the inside of the hammer cup with a dremel grinding stone too get the hammer too strike the nipple flat/squarely is another improvement, open the "V" in front helps ease fired cap removal.
There's a fine balance that can be acheived with the trigger/lock sensitivity useing the trigger set and the tumbler screw adjustment.
It's a double throw trigger, in hunting situations you don't need to set the rear trigger, just pull the front. Adjusting the screw in the tumbler helps take precieved weight off the trigger. Not too far though, keep it safe man.

 

[Steve Adams]

Don't feel bad, I bought a "looks never fired single shot pistol" and of couse all sales are final. The half cock notch was fine but full cock was not. 25.00 plus shipping to a B.P. gunsmith fixed it. So my bargin was not. Used gun byers beware. If you can not hold it in your hand and test/check everything you are probably going to be sorry later. At least when bying get something of a return 7 day period... .

 

[ChrisPer]

Thanks, I dont feel bad, I CHOSE the more dodgy looking rifle in the dealership so I would learn more, and pay a lower price... only lower to start though! :grin:

Many thanks for all your suggestions. I will experiment with the grub screws and shims to see what happens.

Later I plan to polish the lock internals as suggested. Might order a mainspring vise first!

 

[rr11]

Do order the mainspring vice. You can remove the mainspring with vicegrips but it can cause the spring to fail at the bend.

 

[ChrisPer]

Well thanks everybody for your excellent help.

I tried shimming and packing under the set trigger plate with tape, but it still had the problem. The bearing timber area is quite small considering the tension of the tang bolt is right on it. That routed inlet is way too big.

As I shimmed up it unknowingly became quite dangerous - I could take it to full cock, but a push on the spur caused the hammer to drop. I didn't know that could happen - for a while. As a result I had an unauthorised discharge as I raised the capped rifle to shoulder, and a hole in the roof of the firing line at my club.
:surrender:

I continued up to a 3mm (1/8") thick packer at the front and a 2mm at the back, and now it cocks and stays safely on the full cock notch. Its a good 1/4" of pull to take up the slack for the un-set trigger, but thats OK - I mostly use the set triggers.

The nice thing was that I shot a match - my first with the rifle, first muzzleloader match in almost 30 years. It was an elimination match, and all the other guys were kind enough to let me win it! One guy who had been knocked out gave me enough round balls to shoot the last stage. The other finalist, who is a regular at the World Champs offered me a bet beforehand too, so I won a tin of caps to tackle the next match with! :hatsoff:

Thanks guys! Club shooting is great - it seems you meet the best people there.

 

[rafterob]

You can remove the mainspring with vicegrips but it can cause the spring to fail at the bend

Yep, I learned that lesson the hard way. Tried it again though (slow learner)the second time it shot outta the grips and ricocheted around my newly painted room and gouged 3 walls. Hark! I hear my Wife shouting "what the H*ll was that noise". "Oh nothing dear" as I quickly was getting out the spackling and hoping by God she wouldn't see it till i got it painted.