I.D. a CVA pistol

[Old40Rod]

A friend brought over an older CVA .50 pistol, fairly good condition. It is styled just like a Lyman GPP with the bag grip, pewter like nose cap, single trigger, single wedge.

Any ideas on the model? I did a few searches and can't find anything.

I can post some photos if nobody has a quick answer.

 

[BadHeart]

Please post a pic, it will help a lot. It sounds like my CVA mountain pistol. A pic will help in better identifying it.

 

[bwhoffman]

sounds like an old mountain pistola.

 

[Rebel]

Yep, Mountain Pistol. :thumbsup:

 

[Old40Rod]

I think you are right on. It looks like this one, except its a .50:[url] http://www.gunsonthenet.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=80074250[/url]


The exterior is excellent... Unfortunately, I think the barrel is beyond salvage. It is heavily rusted and pitted. I told him I would see what I could do to clean it up... but maybe I can find him a new barrel for it instead.

I must say, this pistol holds and fits my hand about as nice as any BP pistol I have hoisted.

Thank you for the info!

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

Unfortunately, I think the barrel is beyond salvage. It is heavily rusted and pitted. I told him I would see what I could do to clean it up... but maybe I can find him a new barrel for it instead.

Yes, definitely Mountain Pistol. You may be able to get a barrel for it from Deer Creek. Someone here ought to have their phone number (sorry no website!) BTW, Deer Creek makes an identical copy of this pistol in kit or finished form--also in .45, .50, or .54 calibers if I remember correctly.

FWIW, I'd stick with the original .45 cal.

Regards, and good luck!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[mykeal]

Deer Creek: (765)525-6181

Here's mine:

When I bought it as a kit in the early to mid-70's it was called a Hawken; they also sold a rifle in the same style called a Mountain Rifle, and I believe they changed the name to Mountain Pistol about then.

Here's the rifle:

 

[bwhoffman]

the rifle looks like the hawken model. doesnt resemble my US barreled mt rifle at all!
maybe I was sold a bill of goods and its not a mt rifle! :wink:

 

[mykeal]

I would in no way claim that rifle is in any sense of the word a Hawken rifle. Very little if any Hawken features, so the term "Mountain" is more appropriate. Perhaps that's why they changed it. The pistol at least has iron furniture.

But those were the names on the boxes, and back then I didn't know any better...

 

[Pork Chop]

The mountain has a "pewter" nose cap (pot metal?), german silver tenon plates and patch box, and steel butt plate and trigger guard. The one in the photo is a Hawken.

 

[bwhoffman]

I would in no way claim that rifle is in any sense of the word a Hawken rifle. Very little if any Hawken features, so the term "Mountain" is more appropriate. Perhaps that's why they changed it. The pistol at least has iron furniture.

But those were the names on the boxes, and back then I didn't know any better...

coulda been a wrong box!
the mt rifle has 2 barrel tennons/wedge keysand a pewter looking nose cap and typically iron furniture along with a 32 inch barrel.

 

[mykeal]

Yeah, I probably got 'em switched around.

CVA's Hawken pistol had brass furniture, a 9 3/4" barrel and a flat on the bottom of the grip (just looked at the one on the cover of the Black Powder Digest 3rd ed. 1982). Inside they have a b&w pic of a Mountain pistol - 9" barrel, German silver furniture and a rounded grip bottom. My gun (pictured) has a 9" barrel and you can see the furniture and grip shape.

The rifle pics in the book with the Mountain Rifle caption clearly shows a two-tenon barrel and the text says it has a 32" barrel with silver furniture. They don't show a picture of the CVA Hawken rifle but the text says it has a 28" barrel with brass furniture, which fits my rifle.

I guess I was kinda holding out for the fact that the original Hawkens had iron, not brass fittings, so I just assumed the CVA rifle with brass fittings was a Mountain Rifle like the box said. Clearly the box was wrong and so was I.

Now I gotta go change all those picture captions...

 

[bwhoffman]

Thats why we all come here!
...no harm done, no foul called!

Brett

 

[Old40Rod]

Its the Mountain based on everyone's description. It has a german silver trigger guard, and doesn't have the belt hook. FYI, Deer Creek has replacement barrels for $60.00.