CVA Mountain Rifle... salvageable?

[Hylander]

Wow, nice job.
Waiting patiently for a range report.

 

[firestick]

Well done!

 

[bang]

The period correct thing would be to fresh out the barrel. Sometime in the past there was a post on it. You could probably run a slug through it and coat the slug with abrasive. The freshing had two small files fit into a wood ramrod and I think after a couple of passes a paper shim was put under the bit of file to raise it slightly.

Yep have done it on two barrels.

 

[Traddawg]

Looking to get a CVA mountain rifle online. I am thinking of offering $100 to $140 for it. It needs some work. The barre is my main concern if I can clean it out and make it shoot well. Looks like rust and some build up. Thinking of soaking in rust remover and hitting the barrel with some steel brushes.
View attachment 60006I

It needs some new pins that hold the barrel in. And the trigger and lock need some work. The hair trigger doesn’t seem to be working.
View attachment 60007
Do you guys think this is salvageable? It’s an older on with a 50k serial number and USA barrel.

Did you have any pitting on the outside of the barrel and if so how did you fix it?

 

[bwiggins1985]

Did you have any pitting on the outside of the barrel and if so how did you fix it?

There was a little bit by the flash hole and a tiny bit by the rear sight. To prep the barrel for new bluing I sanded it down with my sanding sponges, the blue ones from home depot. Then I used 150 grit sand paper on the flats after that to get as much of the pitting out as possible. This was after I took the breach plug and bolster off the barrel so I could run it all the way down. After that I used Birchwood Casey's rust and bluing remover to take it down to bare steel as possible. I did that twice and rinsed with rubbing alcohol so it wouldn't flash rust. It took most of it out. You can see it a little in the bluing but I’m totally ok with it!

 

[Traddawg]

There was a little bit by the flash hole and a tiny bit by the rear sight. To prep the barrel for new bluing I sanded it down with my sanding sponges, the blue ones from home depot. Then I used 150 grit sand paper on the flats after that to get as much of the pitting out as possible. This was after I took the breach plug and bolster off the barrel so I could run it all the way down. After that I used Birchwood Casey's rust and bluing remover to take it down to bare steel as possible. I did that twice and rinsed with rubbing alcohol so it wouldn't flash rust. It took most of it out. You can see it a little in the bluing but I’m totally ok with it!
View attachment 63364View attachment 63365View attachment 63366

That turned out great!

 

[S.Kenton]

Very very nice!!! Although I would never in a 100 kazillion years put a ( cough) fiber optic sight on this!! Especially since you’ve went through the trouble of bringing it back to great condition. However it’s yours, do as you wish, I love those nice little projectS like yours! I’d shoot it for a bit,then see what the bore looks like, you might be pleasantly surprised as to what simply shooting the rifle does to help clean up a bore.

 

[bwiggins1985]

Well I found this brass bead front sight. It’s more classic and easy to see with a rear peep sight. I might grab it

 

[appalichian hunter]

Go with that sight. Much more better than a fiber optic.

 

[bwiggins1985]

Grabbed that front sight and a buckhorn for now until I can try to figure out the rear peep or tang sight I want to install.

 

[vintovka]

Rear Tang peeps can be very expensive nowadays. Some are way more than what you have in $ and time in your new rifle. I would shoot it a bunch first to see if it merits the peep,

 

[hawkeye2]

As a result of your work you have a nice rifle and new skill sets that will carry over to your next project,

 

[William Lincoln]

Brass beads can be hard to see. I put a very small dab of white paint on them and it helps
me, you might try it if the bead is fading into the sight picture on you. Also on some
revolvers, I file the front blade sight rear surface flat for a bit and paint it white. Big difference.

 

[bwiggins1985]

Got the new barrel pins today! Cut them down and peened the barrel lugs down for a nice tight fit!

 

[firestick]

I find peep sights a PITA unless I am target shooting only.

 

[bwiggins1985]

I want a larger field of view when shooting at game IMPO. I feel the rear sight blade blocks a lot of view.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Good job! A lot of work but worth it. What did you use to blue the barrel?
n.h.schmidt

 

[bwiggins1985]

Good job! A lot of work but worth it. What did you use to blue the barrel?
n.h.schmidt

Super Blue from Birchwood Casey. I have done several barrel with it and if you prep it correctly and apply plenty of coats it turns out pretty darn nice I think!

 

[S.Kenton]

View attachment 63884
Super Blue from Birchwood Casey. I have done several barrel with it and if you prep it correctly and apply plenty of coats it turns out pretty darn nice I think!

That’s my go-to bluing as well... good prep and a few layers to get the shade you want. Then card it back and it looks great everytime! It also seems to be very durable