Had Some real problems

[MikeChapin]

My CVA mountain rifle plays up also. For hunting, a little powder under the nipple for the first shot is mandatory. After that it's all good. Which can only mean that I am getting the flash channel clogged after cleaning. I do pop a couple of caps prior to the first load of the day. ...

I have had a Mountain Rifle for over thirty years and found the breech design was a problem early on. After I clean the barrel I remove the cleanout screw and run pipe cleaners through the channel until they come out clean. That is the only way I have found to keep the rifle shooting reliably. It is the only percussion rifle I have where I remove the cleanout screw.

I don't use the pump method of cleaning but it should clean the channel as well. I would still run a pipe cleaner in there to make sure everything is dry.

The Ampco nipples are nice for not only the reason that smokin .50 said. The materiel also resists gas cutting better than steel, stainless or otherwise. I really like it for touch hole liners.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

It seems that a lot of the imports have problematic breechplug designs. Necci's illustration is actually one of the better ones. Here are a couple of photos of one of the worse. The powder chamber in this Pedersoi plug measures only .225" diameter. RS Pyrodex will not flow into it at all.

On my own Pedersoli Blue Ridge .45 flint I removed the plug and bored out the powder chamber to 7/16" diameter. I don't worry about weakening the breech because there is a full 1/2" of solid plug behind the chamber.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Firing a cap off in a CVA gun will NOT burn out oil- either still liquid, nor if its congealed. You need to flush that tight spot with alcohol to DISSOLVE the oil and remove it. Dave, and Jim are right about storing guns Muzzle DOWN, so that oils in the barrel Drain out the muzzle, rather than go down into those small holes.

Pipe cleaners are also a fast way to clean these guns, if you dip them in alcohol, before running them into the flash channel.

You do have to use 3Fg or Pyrodex P powder in these guns, BECAUSE the holes are so small. The large 2Fg, or Pyrodex RS( and other substitute powders) simply are too coarse in granular sizing, to be sure they don't clog in that small flash channel and the hole into the powder chamber. You do have to "rap" the side of the barrel, after pouring the powder charge into the barrel to get some powder into that small flash channel. If you don't get any powder into that channel, you risk misfires, and hang fires, no matter what kind of percussion cap you use.

With that clean out screw removed, you can improve everything about this gun's ignition by using the next size drill bit to open up that flash channel so its larger. That will also "shorten" the length of that small hole into the powder chamber, which makes it less likely for powder to clog there, too. :thumbsup:

 

[Kapow]

Thanks Dave, No Thanksgiving here, but plenty of turkeys - mostly in parliament house..

 

[Bill Hall]

Nice pics Coyote Joe. The CVA breech system I was refering too earlier was actually a WORSE design than the breech you have shown. As I recall, the sub chamber was contained within the threaded portion of the drum, and had to line up with the hole that lead to the face of the plug, and the hole in the face was quite a bit SMALLER than the one you posted. It was like looking at the winner of the "Worst design of a breechplug" contest. I'm thinkng this is what the original poster, and all those who own older CVA's are up against. If you all can picture what I'm describing, it's easy to understand the importance of thorough cleaning and drying to overcome the design flaw.

I don't think it would take an engineering degree to be able to see this breech and think to yourself "Ok, this just aint right". :idunno: Bill

 

Hey there Guy!

I believe that your problem was moisture. Anything that wants to fire, hates moisture.
Once your moisture was removed your ML was just fine.

I'd keep my rifle wrapped or encased until I was ready to fire it.

Of course, you could always just keep a small piece of plastic or moisture resistant cloth over the breech area and always point the barrel downwards when it's raining.

Good Luck! :thumbsup: