CVA Kentucky Pistol?

[vtbuck223]

I have been looking for a percussion pistol for awhile...to bang around with at primitive biathlons. I didn't want to spend a fortune...just a good starter pistol. I like Pedersolis and primarily use their Kentucky rifle in the biathlons. I missed out on a used Pedersoli Kentucky pistol...and was looking at other options. I saw the traditions crocket pistol and a CVA .50 cal kentucky. I ended up getting the CVA. Primarily because it had 1 in 30 in. twist as opposed to the 1 in 48 in twist in the Crocket. Does it really make a difference? I know it is a little late...probably should have asked before hand...but got a decent price on the CVA...it was used but unfired...in like brand new condition....did I make the right choice? Should I have held out for the Pedersoli?

 

[Don]

I have four CVA pistols and all are good shooters.

Don

 

[zimmerstutzen]

My first muzzy was a CVA Kentucky pistol, in flint.

The trigger pull usually needs a little work. An acquaintance got a CVA Kentucky kit cheap, and replaced the perc lock with one that had a fly and replaced the trigger with a single set. He was shooting darn good groups with that thing.

A weak coil spring from the hardware store can be put in to prevent the factory trigger from rattling around. I'm not sure if any black powder gun smiths would work on a CVA lock to tune it. They are good guns, but for any kind of target work need a bit of tweaking.

The very early CVA kentucky pistols had very shallow rifling and the bores still showed alot of machine work. The later ones had very good round ball barrels.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I have an older CVA Kentucky Pistol in .45. It shoots dead on at 25 yards with a .440 ball and 20 grains of FFFg Goex :thumbsup:

 

[vtbuck223]

Sweeeeeet! Sounds like I made a good choice. I really like the look and feel of it...seems like it will be a good shooter. Pistols are definitely a challenge at the biathlons...I have seen a lot of good rifle shooters have some difficulty. I'm not sure about the sights...will have to try them out...but the bore looks really good...I hope it's accurate. I'm looking forward to sending a few balls downrange. Thanks All.

 

[Blackpowdersmoke]

I have an older CVA Kentucky Pistol in .45. It shoots dead on at 25 yards with a .440 ball and 20 grains of FFFg Goex :thumbsup:

Same here. I built mine from a kit back in the late 70's. Got it out and dusted it off for a little shootin' a week ago and I use the same load. Had to tap the rear sight just a tich to get her tweeked but it shot a 1-1/2" three shot group (from a rest) all in a 3" bull at about one o'clock. A guy I used to shoot with won a pound of powder at a shoot with it about a year or so after I built it. It's always been a good shooter....BPS

 

[Nappers]

I bought the Traditions Trapper model. Looked at the kentucky model, didn't like the way it felt.

have yet to shoot it, but can't wait. Life getting in the way at the moment, but will soon!

It's like buying cars, Ford, Chevy, Dodge Imports, it's what you like and feels comfortable.

I would love a custom English model someday with saw handle stock.....

Either way, you got a nice shooter and what others have said, it will shoot good! and you like it that's what counts!

 

[rawhide]

I got a traditions kentucky pistol in .50 alot like the cva. shoots realy well.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I suspect that the Traditions was made in the same factory as the CVA with the same tooling. Many of the parts interchange.

 

[Zonie]

Almost all of the CVA, Traditions and other imported muzzleloading guns from Spain are made by Ardesa.

 

[junkman_01]

Zonie,

Ever heard of 'Replica Arms'? I have a pretty nice Kentucky pistol by them that I built from a kit in the 80's.

 

[rawhide]

I beleave they do. I could be wrong thuogh

 

[BEP]

CVa Kentucky pistols are what they are - a very basic pistol. I have two; one in flint, one percussion. The only caution that I would mention is the way the barrel is held in the stock. There is the tang bolt and the stock wood under that brass nosecap; and we're not talking very much wood there. There are no wedges or pins securing the barrel to the stock.

And this, in itself, isn't necessarily a bad thing. I would only caution you about using stout loads in that pistol. Not because there is any question about the strength of the barrel, but because you don't have that much holding the barrel to the stock. And the stocks on my two pistols are made of a wood that's kind of soft.

But they are loads of fun to shoot and hold up well. Mine go back about 30 years or so with no problems. Have fun.

 

[vtbuck223]

Thanks for the heads up...from what I read here it sounds like 20 grains is a good place to start. I have never shot a pistol with round ball before. It sounds like 20 is plenty out to about 20 yards? With an .490 ball and 20 grains at 40 yards are you likely to get a great deal of drop?

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Some powder is hotter than others and results between Goex and Swiss will probably be largely different. Also, a great many of the CVA kentucky pistols have rear sights that are lower than the front sights. So many have only been shot a few times and never really sighted in that you should probably check the height of the sights before expecting to hit the paper. A large number of them shot "down hill" with the sights as made.

I just got a CVA Mtn Pistol. the front sight is about a millimeter higher than the rear sight. Which, assuming the bore is straight, with just under six inches sight radius, means the gun will probably shoot about 150 millimeters low at 25 yds. (about 5 or 6 inches)

If it is typical like that, don't go filing on it yet though. Save that for after a couple dozen or so shots at the range to see where it groups first.

 

[Wolfgang4570]

They are not bad pistols and the one I have shoots well and is fairly accurate. Beware, Sneezy speaks the truth as you can see...

Schutzenkette

 

[junkman_01]

I don't see ****!

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Junkman, apparently, you are not amongst the esteemed members who are permitted to see the photos. Send $500 to Senior Claud and all will become clear.

Actually the photo was there earlier today. It showed a CVA pistol stock with the wood tab that sticks between the nose cap and the barrel as having been broken off.

 

[Wolfgang4570]

Sorry about that Junkman. I got to fooling around with my photobucket account and moved those pictures. Here they are...

 

[nmdd]

My Pedersoli Kentucky Flintlock pistol is built that way and I wondered about the strength of it..so I have always just loaded with 20grs... :shocked2: