Rebarrel Question

[tx50cal]

I have an old CVA .50 Cal. Hawken Rifle that my dad put together from a kit in the 70's. It is a hook breech with a snail, not a drum. I want to build a new barrel for it since the on that I have is damaged in the breech threads. I measured the barrel with my calipers and came up with .886" this is between 7/8" and 15/16". Should I go with the 15/16 barrel and do a small amount of inletting on the stock or go with the 7/8" and live with the small gap on each side of the barrel?
I am going to get a Green Mountain barrel. I am looking at a .40 and .45. I don't know which to get. It looks as if the .40 round balls might be harder to find. Also the .40 round balls are .395 is a .010 patch thick enough with these? Thanks for the help.
Rob

 

[pathfinderifh]

Go with the 15/16" and get some practice on inleting a barrel if this is your first time. If your like any of us that build,it won't be your last! .40 is a good choice, but Wally's world and such probably won't carrie them. I use a .015 patch in th Green mt. barrels I've used, with home made wonder lube for hunting and spit for trail walks. Good luck :hatsoff:

Pathfinder

 

[shmrck1]

I'm no expert by any means but I would go with the 15/16". You could almost sand out the difference I would think.
I don't think you can go wrong with the Green
Mountain barrels. Don't be disappointed by
early accurecy from them though, as it has been
my experience that it takes more than a few rounds
thru them to get the best results.
I don't think you will go wrong with either the
.40 or .45. Mine is a .45 but I know of guys that
get excellent accurecy with .40. Good luck with
whatever choice you make and let us know the
results when your done.
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[flintlockmdj]

If component avalability is a consideration you might want to consider a .50 cal. in 15/16. Or the .45 in 7/8 and glass bed the barrell channel.

 

[tx50cal]

The old barrel was a .50 cal. I measured the barrel channel last night at several points. The 7/8 barrel will be .0075" gap on each side. I don't think this will look too weird. I don't think I will need to bed the barrel. Thanks for the help. I will probably go with the 7/8 barrel because the wood on the sides of the barrel channel is pretty thin now, I don't want it any thinner because it mught crack or split easily.

 

[Toomuch_36]

The old barrel was a .50 cal. I measured the barrel channel last night at several points. The 7/8 barrel will be .0075" gap on each side. I don't think this will look too weird. I don't think I will need to bed the barrel. Thanks for the help. I will probably go with the 7/8 barrel because the wood on the sides of the barrel channel is pretty thin now, I don't want it any thinner because it mught crack or split easily.

Sounds like you're on the right track with the 7/8 barrel.

If you opt for the .40 barrel you might also want to try a .390 ball and .015 patch as a .010 might not be thick enough to fill the depth of Green Mountain's rifling.

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

 

[tx50cal]

I was thinking about the .390 myself. I will have to cast them. I haven't seen any for sale anywhere. I guess that I will have to learn to cast.

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Good Morning Mrfishnhunt,

A 7/8" barrel will measure 0.875 in decimal equivalent. A 15/16 is 0.9375".

The 7/8" barrel will be a closer and better fit for your breech and current stock barrel inlet.

If you are planning to use a basic GM barrel blank and do your own fitting of CVA parts, be sure you remove the drum and nipple first before attempting to remove the breech.

The drum screws through BOTH the barrel and breech, thereby locking the breech in place.

I also believe the breech threads are a metric size, but do not recall which size.

Best regards and good shootting,

John L. Hinnant

If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.