Help Locating Bolt for CVA 1851 Kit

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Hawthorn1213

45 Cal.
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Howdy Folks,

I acquired an old CVA kit for an 1851 Navy in .36 cal. The only piece that is missing is the bolt and I can't seem to find one that fits. I heard ASM used to make these kits for CVA but the bolt from Deer Creek didn't work. I also tried a Pietta and no luck either. Both bolts either didn't fit the slot in the frame, wouldn't lock up the cylinder, and wouldn't catch on the hammer.

Asking around for ideas or advice.

Thanks in advance.
 
It is not uncommon for parts to need fitting. Do you think that these can be made to work? Maybe bring it to a gunsmith for his opinion.
The problem is the parts aren't even close to fitting and both Pietta and ASM are on the small/short side instead of being on the large/long side that would let me remove material to fit. The ASM bolt wasn't long enough to properly fit through the frame slot and the Pietta bolt wasn't long enough to catch the hammer.
 
I'll give Uberti a shot and after that maybe also trying to replace the hammer to go along with a Pietta bolt? Numrich gun parts actually shows a CVA 1851 bolt as well but at $40 bucks, I'd hate to be wrong.

I'm almost positive it's a CVA kit. I inherited it along with a handful of other unfinished CVA kits but all the markings were filed off.
 
That seems a bit odd that the ASM bolt doesn't work. A lot of the CVA pistols are ASM, You may have a early Uberti. The bolt that was too large for the slot in the frame may be right. You might try thinning it to fit the slot and see if the legs are the right length.
 
You may also want to try a commonly available 1873 Colt SAA bolt. Many gunsmith shops have them in stock.
As many have suggested you may have to thin or reshape them to fit.
 
That seems a bit odd that the ASM bolt doesn't work. A lot of the CVA pistols are ASM, You may have a early Uberti. The bolt that was too large for the slot in the frame may be right. You might try thinning it to fit the slot and see if the legs are the right length.
That was my thought too. I was under the impression that ASM provided the parts for the older CVA kits. Here is a picture of what I mean by the ASM bolt sitting too far aft in the frame. I have not tried a Uberti bolt yet but maybe that's the next move?

All markings have been defarbed so no way of knowing what it originally was (unless there is some other characteristic I'm not aware of.)
 

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I take it it won't lock the cylinder, The other consideration is the hole for the pivot screw being oversize. I would try the Uberti bolt first.
 
By some weird coincidence, my grandson was rooting around in the attic last week and found an old CVA/ASM 1851 Colt Navy kit. I started it 40 odd years ago and broke the hand-and-spring-lever. I found a hand-and-spring-lever at Dixie Gun Works, but I am missing two pins that fit into the frame to connect it to the barrel. 1) Does anyone have the spec on those pins? 2) Does the Pietta screw set SP1020 for their kit fit the ASM kit? Thanx in advance for any information.
 
Maybe see if the bolt from that kit will work? I can measure the pins on an old ASM kit gun I have as my experimental shop gun. I will get back to you on that.
 
I bought these at Deercreek Products. I think I got the last set they had. I have them installed on a ASM frame and it works good. I just can't find grip, trigger guard, cylinder and barrel.
 

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By some weird coincidence, my grandson was rooting around in the attic last week and found an old CVA/ASM 1851 Colt Navy kit. I started it 40 odd years ago and broke the hand-and-spring-lever. I found a hand-and-spring-lever at Dixie Gun Works, but I am missing two pins that fit into the frame to connect it to the barrel. 1) Does anyone have the spec on those pins? 2) Does the Pietta screw set SP1020 for their kit fit the ASM kit? Thanx in advance for any information.
FWIW I tried a couple of pietta screws on mine and the thread pitch wasn't correct.

I also noticed the geometry where the bolt locks into the hammer isn't quite right with the ASM parts. The hand pin hole is also oversized on the ASM hammer. Interestingly, the ASM hammer seems to fit the frame better though.
 
The early ASM screws are not metric, at least on the horse pistols. I got side tracked today and forgot about measuring those pins. Will do it tomorrow.
 
Just compared an ASM and Pietta arbor diameters. The Pietta is actually the larger measuring at .433. The ASM comes in at .425.
 


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