Tenderfoot has a project

[Freezer]

I'm new to the world of ML, Never owned one, never shot one. I did build a beautiful T/C Hawken for a co-worker (see my intro) and he gave me a CVA Kentucky rifle kit as a “Thank You”. I found this site when a read an article from 2007 "Does CVA equal junk" which is what I've been told. There are screws and a flint missing that I have found online. I want this rifle to hunt Pa's ML season. I have the talent and enough tools for this project, but have a lot to learn and many questions. I have been doing some research and really don't want to spend $265 on a new lock.

This is a CVA Kentucky Rifle kit made by Jukar in Spain. The first thing I noticed is the tang doesn't match up with the stock. I believe I need to heat and bend it to get the correct alignment. The second is there is a primer hole and not an insert. Would I be better off drilling and taping it for an insert?

The serial number is 125xxx, When was this made? Is it one of the early models that had major problems? Outside of replacing the lock, can I make this more reliable? Can I harden the necessary parts myself, or can I replace soft suspect parts?

 

[Kansas Jake]

I would shape the tang using some heat and then build the rifle. The week point on these is often the lock but it may function okay. I built one 40+ years ago along with a pistol. The lock on the pistol was fine for a cheap lock but the frizzen on the rifle was manure and I never could get it to harden. I think I still have the frizzen in a junk drawer after replacing it. Both guns are long gone. They were my first muzzleloaders.

 

[ord sgt]

The tang is off a little bit. It can be cold bent if you have a good strong bench vice. Lock the tang in the vice and pull the barrel in the direction that you want to align the tang with the barrel. Work slowly, don't overbend the tang.

 

[Colonialnerd]

Is the tang tempered? If not then I’d imagine heating the metal, bending it then a couple thermocycles would be better than bending cold…. Of course I could well be talking out of my ignorant butt.

 

[HSmithTX]

I’d cold bend the tang. No sense getting anything that’s part of the breach plug hot.

 

[oldwood]

Welcome from Pa..

 

[user 48679]

Can I harden the necessary parts myself, or can I replace soft suspect parts?

Case hardening powders are readily available online (google)

 

[ronaldrothb49]

You have the 2nd model of this rifle that CVA put out. The difference is a different style lock and instead of a brass sheet you wrapped around the joint on the stock it has a brass plate that goes between them. No real increase in quality the lock was still manure. L & R locks makes a rep[acement lock but that is going to be $250. Bend the tang cold, it doesn't have to be bent that much to work. Run a dowel down the barrel to the breech plug, mark it at the muzzle. Lay it on the flat with the touch hole to see where the face of the breech is in relation to the touch hole. All of these I have seen the breech plug is too long and the touch hole has been drilled at an angle. If that is the case with yours you would be drilling into the breech plug trying to put a vent liner in, not recommended. You have lots of wood that needs to be taken off to make it look right. CVA hasn't sold these in a long time but the same basic kit is still being sold under a different name. The quality isn't any better it just costs 10 times more.

 

[BEP]

As others have said, just cold bend that tang. As for the lock, yeah, some leave a lot to be desired but there are also some that work very well. I have one on a CVA Kentucky style pistol that's a really old but sparks just fine. Back then both the Kentucky pistol and rifle used the same lock and you might have one of the good ones. You won't know until you try it. People who experienced bad locks are quick to call them "manure" and I guess they can't be blamed but they all weren't junk. Try it out before you look for a solution to a problem that you just might not have.