Percussion to Flintlock Conversion

[deggers]

I have 1970s CVA .45 cal kit rifle and a new Traditions .50 cal Hawken kit I am building. Both are percussion.

Is there an easy (safe) way to convert these to flintlock?

 

[RC]

You can try CVA, they used to convert perc to flint for $25,and it kept the factory warranty still in effect,that was last fall,I'd imagine they still do,after workin on their current selling (in)line of guns,betcha they'd be real happy to see a real gun again..RC :winking:

 

[TN.Frank]

I'm thinking about the same thing with a couple percussion guns that I have. Both CVA and Traditions use drum and nipples so you should be able to unscrew the drum and replace it with a vent then just replace the lock and you'll be "good to go". By the by, does anyone know what size vent you'd use to replace the drum? I'm thinking 5/16's but I'm not really sure. :hmm:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Traditions nipple drums are "about" 5/16 but in a metric thread, and I expect CVA is the same. I don't believe it would be safe to just re-tap to 5/16X18. If you can't locate a vent liner in the correct metric thread you would have to step up to 3/8" to get full thread depth.

 

[TN.Frank]

So a re-drill and tap for a 3/8" vent liner should work ok. Thanks. :hatsoff:

 

[Two Trails]

Be careful here on screw sizes. These are Metric threads and if you force a SAE (USA) into the threads they are shot. Most hardwares around here now carry a full line of metric screws and bolts.
The Dixie catalog gives the replacement parts for these locks and with a little slipping and sliding you can fit the whole thing.
Hope this helps,
Two Trails

 

[Toomuch_36]

I have 1970s CVA .45 cal kit rifle and a new Traditions .50 cal Hawken kit I am building. Both are percussion.

Is there an easy (safe) way to convert these to flintlock?

The most effective way to accomplist this is to do it the way CVA & Traditions do it themselves. If you are good with moderate machineing skills.

The first thing is to remove the drum (a milling machine is best but it can be accomplished with a hacksaw and file). Then the bolster will be drilled and tapped for the standard CVA/Triditions touch-hole liner (6x1.00mm) and counter bored for the cap of the liner (9/32).

This conversion is the method used by both CVA and Triditions when making their flint-lock rifles origionaly.

Toomuch
..............
Shoot Flint

 

[Toomuch_36]

I'm thinking about the same thing with a couple percussion guns that I have. Both CVA and Traditions use drum and nipples so you should be able to unscrew the drum and replace it with a vent then just replace the lock and you'll be "good to go". By the by, does anyone know what size vent you'd use to replace the drum? I'm thinking 5/16's but I'm not really sure. :hmm:

On CVA/Traditions firearms the percussion drum is cross-drilled from one side of the barrel through the breach plug and into the opposing wall of the barrel. To simply unscrew the drum and re-tap for a touch-hole liner would render the gun unsafe because of the irregular cavity created by completely removing the drum and bolster.
The convertable squirel rifle used a some-what different arrangement, as I have learned, and is not compatable with converting any of their other firearms.

Toomuch
...........
Shoot Flint

 

[TN.Frank]

So you have to leave the thread part of the drum in the barrel and just drill it and tap it for the new liner? :hmm:

 

[Toomuch_36]

So you have to leave the thread part of the drum in the barrel and just drill it and tap it for the new liner? :hmm:

Correct. :thumbsup:

Toomuch
...........
Shoot Flint

 

[deggers]

Thank you all for the excellent feedback! As suspected there is much more to consider than simply getting the hardware on to the gun.

Thanks again!

 

[MikeChapin]

I thought about doing that on a CVA Colonial kit I have had hanging around for about 20 years. I had a CVA touch hole liner and a couple of old flint lock so it sounded like a good idea.

I unscrewed the bolster and it was real obvious that this was not going to be a straight forward job. The only way I could see to do it would be to cut off the bolster from the threaded area then drill and tap the touch hole liner into what was left of the bolster.

I decided it was more trouble than it was worth and just decided to keep it percussion.

 

[RC]

IF I remember right...(?) I think CVA said something about an angle..drilling at an angle,something like that,that's why it was easier (and I think, cheap!) to have the factory do it..besides the warranty still being good,the $25 they charged included shipping back to you..don't know about the traditions gun, but seems a call to CVA may be worth it,just to know..sorry mind ain't what it used to be....RC

 

[Sudsy]

Thank you.
This looks like it's a bit out of my wheelhouse. I'm good with wood - metal and machining not so comfortable.

I thought it was an unscrew the drum and screw in a liner. Nope !

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/percussion-to-flintlock-conversion.21703/