CVA Stalker breech plug tang broken

[shifty-eyed_one]

So, I purchased a .54 CVA Stalker carbine recently and got a chance to take my son out shooting :grin: :grin: :grin: with it and my reliable percussion guns. Before my first attempt at test firing it, I swabbed the barrel of the Stalker with bore butter, then a dry patch, then loaded the thing with 50 grains of Pyrodex RS, then a saboted lead wadcutter-looking bullet (I know, I know, roundballs only allowed).

So then I go to cap it, and the cap barely fits over the nipple -- I had to really push it on there, and it still wasn't on far enough to my eye. I aimed and fired at the target, and the hammer fell but didn't fire the cap. But now, the cap looks like it's clear onto the nipple. So, I cock and fire again. This time, the cap fires, but no kaboom from the barrel. I then tried about 10-15 more caps, sometimes working a few grains of powder down into the nipple. The caps kept not firing the first time the hammer fell, then not igniting the main charge. :hmm: (Are there different size diameters of nipples for #11's? I mean on the top of the nipple.)

Long story longer, I tried to remove the bullet with a puller to no avail, thinking I may have loaded without powder somehow. Couldn't get it out with my bullet worm. Tried to remove breech plug with vise and all kinds of handy tools to no avail. Took it to a gunsmith this morning, and while marring the snuffalupagus out of my barrel, he twisted the tang off the breech plug.

Now what?

I went to my local sporting goods store, purchased another bullet puller that looked a little better than my other brand new one, took it home and pulled the bullet on the first try. I then proceeded to pour about 50 grains of powder out of the barrel. The last bit of it was crusty and not hardly granulated anymore. Could the bore butter have messed it up that badly?

Anyhoo, now what? CVA's parts assembly diagram says that breech plugs only come with barrels as an assembly. Any ideas?

Feel free to tell me everything I did erroneously, as long as you have an idea of what I should do correctly at this juncture.

 

[arcticap]

I would call CVA (tel: 770-449-4687) and describe to the customer service rep. how your rifle was damaged. Ask if there is any way that they can help you out with barrel/tang replacement advice, parts or service, and whether there is any possibility of warranty coverage. If the answer's no, ask for the repair (service) dept. manager to see if he could offer any help. Ask if they would at least be willing to take a look at it.
If CVA can't or won't help you out in any way, Deer Creek (tel: 765-525-6181) claims that they have discontinued CVA parts. At least find out if there is any replacement available and the cost.
I suppose that there may be people and products that can help to rebuild your tang or barrel, and that's probably an option that you're hoping to find out more about.
If not, at least you can try to auction off your stock and damaged barrel on eBay as a last resort.

 

[arcticap]

Sometimes you can find replacement barrels on eBay too, but who knows which model's barrel (CVA, Traditions), might fit, if any?.

 

[Toomuch_36]

So, I purchased a .54 CVA Stalker carbine recently and got a chance to take my son out shooting :grin: :grin: :grin: with it and my reliable percussion guns. Before my first attempt at test firing it, I swabbed the barrel of the Stalker with bore butter, then a dry patch, then loaded the thing with 50 grains of Pyrodex RS, then a saboted lead wadcutter-looking bullet (I know, I know, roundballs only allowed).

So then I go to cap it, and the cap barely fits over the nipple -- I had to really push it on there, and it still wasn't on far enough to my eye. I aimed and fired at the target, and the hammer fell but didn't fire the cap. But now, the cap looks like it's clear onto the nipple. So, I cock and fire again. This time, the cap fires, but no kaboom from the barrel. I then tried about 10-15 more caps, sometimes working a few grains of powder down into the nipple. The caps kept not firing the first time the hammer fell, then not igniting the main charge. :hmm: (Are there different size diameters of nipples for #11's? I mean on the top of the nipple.)

Long story longer, I tried to remove the bullet with a puller to no avail, thinking I may have loaded without powder somehow. Couldn't get it out with my bullet worm. Tried to remove breech plug with vise and all kinds of handy tools to no avail. Took it to a gunsmith this morning, and while marring the snuffalupagus out of my barrel, he twisted the tang off the breech plug.

Now what?

I went to my local sporting goods store, purchased another bullet puller that looked a little better than my other brand new one, took it home and pulled the bullet on the first try. I then proceeded to pour about 50 grains of powder out of the barrel. The last bit of it was crusty and not hardly granulated anymore. Could the bore butter have messed it up that badly?

Anyhoo, now what? CVA's parts assembly diagram says that breech plugs only come with barrels as an assembly. Any ideas?

Feel free to tell me everything I did erroneously, as long as you have an idea of what I should do correctly at this juncture.

First off where did you purchase the rifle, from a dealer or from a mail order house. At the muzzleloader shop I first started out, we once encountered a CVA Mountain rifle that was purchased mail order from Cabella's. This was from Cabella's early years (about 1987 when they were still buying "seconds" and overstock from the manufacturers). The problem turned out to be that the barrel was never finished, I'll explain. On a CVA the barrel is first breached then drilled and tapped for the percussion drum, which is threaded not only through the barrel but through the breech plug also, The problem on the rifle that came to us was, after the barrel had been breeched and the drum installed the barrel was not then line-boared into the drum bolster so, there was no open path for the fire to reach the main charge.

This is also why you twisted off the hook tennion when you tried to remove the breech. To remove the breech plug, you first have to remove the the percussion drum which is inter-threaded through the barrel and breech plug both. As a note the flint barrels are made the same way, as a percussion first then the drum is milled off then the bolster is drilled and tapped for the touch hole liner. As a result, your barrel will have to be either re-breeched or replaced.

The nipple problem likely resulted from the rifle being repeatedly "dry fired" without a cap on the nipple which will peen, or mushroom, the end of the nipple. The solution to this is to simply replace the nipple.

Toomuch
...........
Shoot Flint

 

[john12865]

I'd be looking to have the gun smith make it right .
CVA isn't going to cover it under warranty because it sounds as if it's obvious that someone was trying to break into the barrel.
They won't send you the parts, you'll have to send them the barrel due to liability reasons.
You probably should have changed the nipple.
I bought CVA's new out of the box. Won't fire. Pulled the nipple and put on a TC nipple and they fired first time ever since. CVA nipples = feces. :grin:
CVA's are inenxpensive guns and I don't know how much you have wrapped up in it. I wouldn't spend too much.
I'm not taking anything away from CVA,I own several and love them but for just a few bucks more a Lyman/Investarms deer stalker is the better buy. For just a few bucks more the quality of the Lyman is excellent.
I used to live in Clackamas OR about 6 years ago.
I think I'm one of two people in NY that say Oregon right! :rotf: I miss Oregon alot, but not the high rate of unemployment and pay nothing jobs. Maybe that will change some day so that I could afford to come back.
Good luck with the CVA.

 

[boar]

Toomuch has it right,I knew right away.. On CVA you have to take drum off first. I would take off drum and try to get breech plug out and replace. I probably try to drill out or drill hole and use easy out or weld bolt to it, maybe there is enought left to get hold of to take out. Looks like the air trick would have been in order. Dilly

 

[Slake]

Deer Creek is a great source for CVA stuff, they know them and they sell all kinds of parts for them......all the trouble you had was probably due to a tiny piece of something between the nipple and the chamber

 

[jabberwacky]

Toomuch, thanks for all the information. I have to admit, I wondered for a fleeting second somewhere during the process if the percussion drum was removable or if it was soldered in place. The smith was pretty disgusted with himself and said he would make it right, but he was also busy telling me never to buy a used muzzleloader, so I knew his heart wasn't in it.

I'll contact CVA tomorrow and take it from there.

Thanks guys, and come see ORYGUN anytime!

shifty/jabberwacky

 

[cayugad]

So, I purchased a .54 CVA Stalker carbine recently and got a chance to take my son out shooting :grin: :grin: :grin: with it and my reliable percussion guns. Before my first attempt at test firing it, I swabbed the barrel of the Stalker with bore butter, then a dry patch, then loaded the thing with 50 grains of Pyrodex RS, then a saboted lead wadcutter-looking bullet (I know, I know, roundballs only allowed).

So then I go to cap it, and the cap barely fits over the nipple -- I had to really push it on there, and it still wasn't on far enough to my eye. I aimed and fired at the target, and the hammer fell but didn't fire the cap. But now, the cap looks like it's clear onto the nipple. So, I cock and fire again. This time, the cap fires, but no kaboom from the barrel. I then tried about 10-15 more caps, sometimes working a few grains of powder down into the nipple. The caps kept not firing the first time the hammer fell, then not igniting the main charge. :hmm: (Are there different size diameters of nipples for #11's? I mean on the top of the nipple.)

Long story longer, I tried to remove the bullet with a puller to no avail, thinking I may have loaded without powder somehow. Couldn't get it out with my bullet worm. Tried to remove breech plug with vise and all kinds of handy tools to no avail. Took it to a gunsmith this morning, and while marring the snuffalupagus out of my barrel, he twisted the tang off the breech plug.

Now what?

I went to my local sporting goods store, purchased another bullet puller that looked a little better than my other brand new one, took it home and pulled the bullet on the first try. I then proceeded to pour about 50 grains of powder out of the barrel. The last bit of it was crusty and not hardly granulated anymore. Could the bore butter have messed it up that badly?

Anyhoo, now what? CVA's parts assembly diagram says that breech plugs only come with barrels as an assembly. Any ideas?

Feel free to tell me everything I did erroneously, as long as you have an idea of what I should do correctly at this juncture.

First off I am sure you cleaned the rifle real well since it was new. There was a lot of gun packing grease in my CVA Stalker Carbine when I got mine. It took a while to clean out.

Before you shot, you swabbed the barrel and checked to make sure the fire channel was clear. I do this by pushing a patch down to the breech and fire a cap. Pull the patch and make sure it is fire charred. If the fire channel is clear, and the breech clean and dry, there is no reason why it will not fire.

I also would never bore butter a barrel. I know there are a lot of bore butter lovers out there. Fine, your rifle. That stuff will not go into my rifles other then a conical lube (and even then I use something els).

The breech plug I do not think was made to come out. I would have dumped oil down the barrel to kill the charge, and called CVA.

I think if the tang is broken and the breech plug all messed up, I would pack the rifle up and send it to CVA. Try calling Dave Meredith the manager of Customer Service for CVA and see what he suggests...

Hope your rifle is going to be OK...