CVA - Sidehammers Gone...

[DMURPHY317]

I too have talked to CVA about the sidelocks. No more as of 2005. Most of their parts have been purchased by Deer Creek Products. I talked to them and they still have a good stock of 36 cal Bobcats with wood stocks for $149.

Sad to see them go this route as many, like me, have used their products as starter MLers due to affordability.

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

I don't know for sure. Most of the places that usually stocked the CVAs now show them as "sold out", or "out of stock", or "discontinued", "no back order"... you get the idea.

I may be dense, but I'm not sure I understand your comment about having a rifle kit that "hurt you to buy" -- unless you mean that it was an expensive kit?

What particular model CVA are you looking for? I can keep my eyes open for one and let you know where it is.

You could go with a Traditions sidehammer gun, unless you MUST have a CVA (BTW, I am currently waiting for a reply from their public relations department as to their status regarding continued production of sidehammer guns.) I've found both CVA and Traditions to be virtually the same in quality.

Good luck on your search.

Shoot Safely!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[cayugad]

I personally feel this could be the start of the end for CVA. Their decision I am sure was based of market sales, yet sometimes they need to look further then that.

What they should look at is all the bad press out there on their inlines selections. I have talked to different people in message board chatrooms such as these that are scared to death of CVA rifles.. actually BPI rifles because of the barrel pressure issues. They refuse to own them.

There is a concern by many out there that CVA/BPI really has never addressed to the satisfaction of all the sporting equipment buying public. That being the proof testing of BPI's Spanish made barrels. And I do not mean to get off on a rant here of how you feel about BPI barrels.

If CVA/BPI is going after the inline market shares, they have some stiff competition out there. Many well respected gun makers are offering a low end rifle of excellent quality with no safety concerns to the gun buying public through promotions and sales. CVA/BPI is going to have to take steps to regain confidence in their products safety and reliabilty, also make sure their warranty is equal or better then their competition if they want to make it in the gun sales department. I am sure selling some low end rifles will keep them in the game but not winning the game.

It is also my understanding that they are going to offer center fire barrels to attach to the new Optima like Thompson Center does for the Encore. I have mixed feeling on this issue also.

Personally, how many complaints about the quality of their sidelock rifles or safety concerns did we hear? Sure they could have put a better lock on some, but we knew that when we bought the CVA rifles for $59.00 at Wal Mart. Many stayed loyal to CVA because of their love of the Traditional Style of rifle. The Hawkins, Bobcat, Mountian Rifle, not to mention many other models that came down their line, all were very well accepted.

I think besides addressing the BPI barrel pressure issues of their inlines, they should have turned their attention on the sidelock phase of the market, produced a quality sidelock, both flint and percussion, and smoothbore, for a reasonable price, and went after that end of the market.

It was always special to get your kid a CVA sidelock rifle when he turned 12 and had completed Hunter's Safety. Then went out and taught him some of the skills necessary for shooting that rifle in a safe manner, and fine tuning his safety and hunting skills.

As stated, many people can not afford to get into the traditional aspect of the sport but can slip into the inline side of the game. I just think they made a mistake, and perhaps Tradition's will pick up the over flow with new product lines.....

 

[Rebel]

I think you should send this letter to CVA customer service, along with a lot of other people. Not likely, but maybe it will get some attention from them if enough people write or call them and complain about them dropping their sidelocks.

 

[RedFeather]

When I first got into ML in the early 70's, I did so because the BP guns were so affordable compared to smokeless. What's happened isn't due to high inflation, but to the exchange rates between European countries (now the Euro) and the US dollar. We've been taking it on the checkbook for years now. I recently picked up a Pedersolu double that someone bought around '92 from Cabelas. When I looked it up to see what they are going for now, the price was $899, on sale for $769. These were always pricey, but you could get a decent bolt action Remington or Winchester for about the same general price. Not any more. The tables have turned to the domestic guns for some time.

On the domestics, I'm not convinced that the current knock-offs (underhammers, Deer Creek's and Mowrey's) are in the same quality league as the originals. Seen some particularly negative posts on the Deer Creeks. Also, some outfit advertising Douglas target barrels that are simply barrels made on what is purported to be ex-Douglas machinery. I think you get what you pay for still holds true.

One thing I have noticed in the past fifteen or so years is the demise of the traditionals. Look at how the number of offerings have shrunk. And the retailers are gone, too, like Mountain State Muzzleloaders. Dixie's catalouge used to be fun to leaf through. Now it's about as entertaining as a phone book.

But cheer up. There's a ton of used, often unfired, pieces on the market out there. And the cheap $150 inlines will keep the competition and prices for them down.

RedFeather

 

[Tahquamenon]

cayugad, I was thinking the same thing about CVA/BPI.

I also think by dropping the sidlocks from the product offering, they will greatly distance themselves from loyal CVA customers.

I've had a few CVA rifles and they were ok.

I would also expect to the basically the same products that were offered by CVA/BPI to emerge from some other company. There is a great deal of tooling and labor force in spain and sidelocks are quite popular throughout Europe and elsewhere. As you see them dissapear from CVA you might see them appear from someone else.

On a positive note; Traditions, Thompson/Center, Lyman, Pedersoli and a few others are still offering sidelock rifles.

 

[Don]

Deer Creek Products carries a lot of CVA stuff. In fact they told me they bought up much of the sidelock stuff CVA still had in their warehouse. They don't have a web site so you will have to write or call for their catalogue.

P.O. Box246 Waldron Indiana 46182
(765)525-6181

Leave something for me!

Don

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

Had a glitch and lost my reply... got to to eat dinner now (venison and taters) wish y'all could join me... I'll be back with some more info later this evening.

WV_Hillbilly

 

[Zonie]

Some of the Traditions guns look a lot like the CVA sidelocks of yesteryear.
There might be a chanch that Traditions will pick up some of the dropped CVA guns. I think they were all made in Spain in the same plant that Traditions gets it's guns from.