This was my first and only "build/assemble/whatever" - CVA .45 cal. Kentucky

[JamesA]

My son was kind enough to take a picture of it and send it to me yesterday. He knows better than to bring it with him in a couple weeks, I'll steal it from him. It is a CVA .45 cal. Kentucky rifle. I believe another gentleman on the forum is building one from a kit he recently discovered. Mine is no raving beauty, I was the assembler, but I shot it for years and took it deer hunting at least twice. All we saw were does and at that time, doe tags were by lottery. All I ever shot with it was patched round balls, it was fairly accurate. Loved that thing, still do. I replaced the buckhorn sights with some from another rifle (unmentionable) that I had put a scope on. I am not a traditionalist. Anyway, there it is. Maybe I can talk him out of my old possibles bag, green river knife, and powder horn. Nah..........

 

[deermanok]

Ain't nothing wrong with that.
Fine looking rifle. Lots of memories to go with it, I'm sure.

 

[azmntman]

He wont give it up willingly

 

[Two Feathers]

My son was kind enough to take a picture of it and send it to me yesterday. He knows better than to bring it with him in a couple weeks, I'll steal it from him. It is a CVA .45 cal. Kentucky rifle. I believe another gentleman on the forum is building one from a kit he recently discovered. Mine is no raving beauty, I was the assembler, but I shot it for years and took it deer hunting at least twice. All we saw were does and at that time, doe tags were by lottery. All I ever shot with it was patched round balls, it was fairly accurate. Loved that thing, still do. I replaced the buckhorn sights with some from another rifle (unmentionable) that I had put a scope on. I am not a traditionalist. Anyway, there it is. Maybe I can talk him out of my old possibles bag, green river knife, and powder horn. Nah..........

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JamesA.
Nice job buddy. I built one near identical to it in 1977. Our oldest son commandeered mine. Wish I still had it. I shot competitively with it. It was a tack driver. I could nail a steel Buffalo Gong at 300 yards off hand every time and hold a 4" group at 100 yards. That was back when my eyes actually worked!! LOVED that rifle!!
Thanks for sharing.
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

I also built one when I was a young kid in the late 70s. Those were exciting times. Glad to see you still cherish and shoot yours.

 

[Bearkiller]

I built one when I was kid back in the 70's as well. Wish I still had it.....

 

[ML48]

My son was kind enough to take a picture of it and send it to me yesterday. He knows better than to bring it with him in a couple weeks, I'll steal it from him. It is a CVA .45 cal. Kentucky rifle. I believe another gentleman on the forum is building one from a kit he recently discovered. Mine is no raving beauty, I was the assembler, but I shot it for years and took it deer hunting at least twice. All we saw were does and at that time, doe tags were by lottery. All I ever shot with it was patched round balls, it was fairly accurate. Loved that thing, still do. I replaced the buckhorn sights with some from another rifle (unmentionable) that I had put a scope on. I am not a traditionalist. Anyway, there it is. Maybe I can talk him out of my old possibles bag, green river knife, and powder horn. Nah..........

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You don't have to be a tradionalist to love shooting muzzleloaders...they are all fun. you did a nice job.

 

[Eterry]

My folks bought me a kit just like that for Christmas in 1979. I assembled it in 8th grade shop class. Like you, doe tags were rare, but I killed every other critter in the county with mine. Its stowed away in the garage.
Thanks for the memories.

 

[ohio ramrod]

They were a low cost, but accurate rifle. I assembled many for the local Amish boys.

 

[Gvilleddie]

I, too, built one with a flintlock in the 70’s. I just recently started back shooting it after 40 years and I smile every time I shoot it. These old Kentucky’s are just fun.

 

[markh]

I built one I received as a graduation gift in 1987. I picked it up again a few years ago and replaced a few missing screws etc and then decided to make a few changes. Besides the tacks and patchbox I slimmed it down, cleaned up the lock panels and re-finished.

 

[davidmc62]

They do really clean up and make a nice rifle when you put in some effort ....and those old Spanish guns are usually pretty darn accurate.

 

[Plainsman53]

I have a question for the posters. What is the length of pull on these? My brother gave me one he didn't really care for. The LOP is barely 13". Is that common or maybe just a youth model?

 

[davidmc62]

I have a question for the posters. What is the length of pull on these? My brother gave me one he didn't really care for. The LOP is barely 13". Is that common or maybe just a youth model?

Thats common, they do have a shorter LOP than most. I think mine is about the same, thats one of the only real issues I have with those old rifles. Probably had to do with shipping / packaging requirements if I were a bettin man.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Looks great to me. I love those rifles.

 

[Appalachian Harry]

That gun looks great!

 

[longcruise]

They do really clean up and make a nice rifle when you put in some effort ....and those old Spanish guns are usually pretty darn accurate.

How did you deal with the brass connector?

 

[davidmc62]

Longcruise, I took it out, drilled out the pilot holes large enough to accept 2 wood dowel joiner plugs(standard cheap furniture type) to replace the brass pins provided. I squared as best I could the two mating ends of the front and rear stock and glued the devil out of it. Once I did this, all the pin holes in the front stock no longer lined up with the holes in the barrel.
Also the slots and holes in the barrel channel for the barrel lugs had to be relocated re cut and re drilled. The ramrod pipes were not spaced to my liking so I plugged them and re drilled for the new pipe locations. I used a whole different nose piece as I don't like the looks of the CVA piece.
All in all it was a lot of extra work but I like the way it turned out. This was a rebuild of a badly put together kit rifle so I was expecting to take some over the norm ideas to get the look I was after.