I've been a member of this form for sometime and this is my first post so bare with me. I've been in muzzle loading for fifty plus years and never have I owned a CVA gun until today. I bought a .45 cal mountain hawken style rifle never been shot I was told and im pretty sure it hasn't been either. Written on the barrel it said made in the USA. I was under the impression all CVA guns were made in Italy or spain. Could this be true? I went to clean the bore and it seems grossly over size for a .45 calibre. It took a .50 cal cleaning jag to clean the rifling. Most .45 rifles I've own shoot a .440 RB but a .440 with the patch just fell down the bore. I then tried a .451 RB same thing. I tried my ROA .457 and they seem a much better fit. Has anyone else experienced this situation? Seemed rather odd to me. I only paid $100 for the rifle so don't think I got hurt at all just hope it shoots straight. I hope to hear from someone on this matter. Thanks much.
New CVA mountain rifle
- Thread starter Larry P
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Hey sounds like an early CVA rifle. I would guess it’s probably a .50 cal then.? Take a Calibers to it and measure it. Do you have a picture? Does it have octagon or round ramrod thimbles?. Can’t beat the price that’s for sure. I picked up a CVA 58 caliber big bore a few weeks back from my local gun shop. 150 bucks no brainer. In the process of refinishing it now.
Wrong forum this is for forum help and support. Post this in percussion or flintlock rifles in the firearms section.
Sure it could
It's also possible but unlikely that the company making the barrels stamped a .50 barrel with ".45".
The first scenario is a much better bet. And quite inexpensive to do.
I will bet a .490 ball and a .015 patch will work just fine. Sounds like a rebored and re-rifled barrel.
LD
CVA were made in Spain with the exception of some of the Mountain rifles. This is the best gun CVA ever marketed so you got an exceptional buy. In your's condition it could easily go for 4 or 500 on todays market.
ohio ramrod
75 Cal.
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It is my personal opinion that the CVA mountain rifle with the made in USA barrel was the best gun they ever sold. While the barrels were made in USA the rifles were made in Spain. The proto type rifle had a Douglas barrel . But who actually made the production barrels is debated some think Sharron made them, They seem to be a harder steel than the leaded steel Douglas used.. Who ever made the barrels they are very good barrels
Actually, the Spanish barrels that were used in the later CVA Mountain Rifles are very good barrels too.
The early Mountain Rifle barrels stamped "made in USA" were said to be Douglas barrels I think, and they were known to be good shooters. That being said, yours appears to have been bored out to a bigger caliber.
My first order of business would be to measure the bore diameter and check what rate of twist it has.
My first order of business would be to measure the bore diameter and check what rate of twist it has.
Honestly, I found they shot just as well as the USA ones!
