Hammer and nipple doesn't align

[Tom Stewart]

I pick up this older CVA Kentucky pistol. Cleaned it all up, but the hammer and nipple doesn't quite align up. What is the easiest way to correct this. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[Phil Coffins]

It’s rare for the hammer and nipple to line up on a CVA, if it works don’t worry about it. There’s lots of threads here on bending hammers to get them to work and a search will keep you reading all day.

 

[JHB]

Inlet the barrel farther back into the stock. I had to shim an investarms forward to get to line up.

 

[64Springer]

Not quite line up appears to be an understatement.

From the picture it looks like the hammer would sit on top of the nipple.

Speaking for myself here, I'd have no problem removing that drum and installing a shim between the drum and barrel. That would retard the indexing and allow you to tighten it into correct alignment.

Track of the Wolf sells drums with no nipple hole. So you can drill and tap for existing hammer location.

There are several routes you can take.

 

[64Springer]

Inlet the barrel farther back into the stock. I had to shim an investarms forward to get to line up.

That will move the drum back and out of the lock plate bolster/support cut out.

Not to mention having to rework the nose cap/barrel screws. As they will be moved rearward too.

When working on guns, Newton's Third Law applies.

 

[Eutycus]

I have a CVA derringer that had that problem. Just by inletting the wood a little deeper the hammer and the nipple then lined up. The solution would depend on how and which direction your's are not aligning.Oh and don't try bending the hammer cold. Heat it up first but don't melt it. From what I've seen CVA hammers are not made of steel.

 

[64Springer]

I will add: Disassemble the lock before heating the hammer.

This may sound like unneeded advice, but not to someone who's never done this operation before.

We all assume everyone else knows what we know.

 

[JHB]

That will move the drum back and out of the lock plate bolster/support cut out.

Not to mention having to rework the nose cap/barrel screws. As they will be moved rearward too.

When working on guns, Newton's Third Law applies.

On that one yes. Filling and redrilling holes is easy for me. The first thing I would try is shimming the drum it may end up close enough.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I pick up this older CVA Kentucky pistol. Cleaned it all up, but the hammer and nipple doesn't quite align up. What is the easiest way to correct this. Thanks for the help in advance.

I didn’t zoom in on your pistol at first. That is not “quite aline” it’s very far off! There isn’t an easy way that is also a good way. The issue with turning the drum back is it is drilled from inside the barrel after being installed at the factory. Setting the barrel back is also going to make a lot of work for you. Good luck.

 

[64Springer]

Here ya go.

 

[Tom Stewart]

Here are some better pics

 

[64Springer]

Bust out the torch.

 

[M. De Land]

I pick up this older CVA Kentucky pistol. Cleaned it all up, but the hammer and nipple doesn't quite align up. What is the easiest way to correct this. Thanks for the help in advance.

I pick up this older CVA Kentucky pistol. Cleaned it all up, but the hammer and nipple doesn't quite align up. What is the easiest way to correct this. Thanks for the help in advance.

I had to make this correction on a TC Hawken rifle. I heated the hammer in a neutral Acetylene flame and bent the S curve inward and outward a bit until it hit center of nipple. I then had to mill the cup bottom that encloses the nipple on the hammers end to match the nipple crown surface so as not to batter the cone top hitting on an angle.
I also re-hardened it if I remember correctly so it would hold it's new shape and not wallow out the tumbler square hole being left annealed from the re-shaping.
Still going strong 35-40 years later !