My "new" Traditions .54 cal Deerhunter.

[tom in nc]

I've had .45 and .50 cal rifles for some time now but have been watching for smaller and larger calibers. Today I picked up a .54 cal Traditions Deerhunter. The bore looks great and overall the gun is pretty nice. It did have two issues, the trigger is broken and the spring inside the stock that holds tension on the ramrod was out of place. I fixed the ramrod spring and I have some scrap brass that I will make a new trigger from.

 

[William Lincoln]

Looks like a fine restoration project--with little to do. The Spanish
barrels on some Traditions are very accurate. Be interesting to hear
a range report on it when done.

 

[CumberlandRiver]

I had 2 deerhunters, a flint and a percussion. Both .50s and both very accurate.

 

[William Lincoln]

I think BPI of Georgia owns and imports CVA and Traditions from Spain.
The top European barrel maker is Bergara in Spain. Those will probably
have Bergara barrels, which are very accurate. Spanish guns got a bum rap
for years due to shotgun barrel defects and CVA breech plug failures,
but are proving out to be top notch quality these days. I think you have
a diamond in the rough--polish it up.

 

[deermanok]

How cool. I never knew they had a 54. I have a 50 cal. and last year I found a new "old stock " deerhunter rifle in 45 caliber. It's a 1/66 twist round ball barrel. She shoots pretty good with a .445 ball and .015 patch. In fact, I had it out hunting this morning.
I'm pretty sure that you can get a trigger assembly from The Gun Works/Muzzleloading Emporium.

 

[hanshi]

I got one in .50 about 30 years ago and used it to kill quite a few deer. It was accurate and I liked it a lot. It stayed with me for over 20 years before I used it as part of a trade on a hand built .45. I have zero complaints on those nice little rifles.

 

[William Lincoln]

Spanish gun making comes from the Basque region of Spain. Like the
Brescia Italian area the guns were made in small shops originally.
You have heard of Jukar-Dikar from early times. Early guns were
poor quality. I had a Damascus barreled shotgun that could only
handle weak loads. However, Dikar, CVA ,BPI got together and started
making barrels that today are famous for sniper rifles that are used
by many US Police Depts & Military. It is in Bergara Spain. If you have
a CVA or Traditions made in the last 15 years it will have a Bergara
made barrel and you cannot get better for the money. They are
tackdrivers.

 

[tom in nc]

I'll try it out in a couple of days, gotta pick up some .54 cal ammo.

 

[tom in nc]

I'll try it out in a couple of days, gotta pick up some .54 cal ammo.

Well, it has been more than a couple of days, more like a year and a half +, but I finally made a new trigger for the Traditions and installed it. I'll try it out tomorrow. I had misplaced the brass I intended to use, so it is black metal.