New... old CVA .50 sidelock. Got's me some questions.

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ApacheCoTodd

ApacheCoTodd

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So this thing came my way with a blanket full o' air rifles. I've always liked the look of this basic layout rifle. Puts me ta mind of Jeremiah Johnson and the like...

Anyhow, knowing naught about them I got to looking and found that "Made in Spain" .50s from the mid 90's were prone to catastrophic failure and recalled.

I called the number and the fella after a bit of back and forth said that the recall of the rifles ending in either ...95 or ...96 was for in-lines only and not side locks.

Can anyone confirm this as I wish to keep my vision, hell, my brain intact.



After that, I get to playing with it and can't seem to cypher out how this double trigger is supposed to function. There are two screws for adjustment and the front one seems to dictate front trigger take-up. The rear trigger appears to have no function whatsoever as currently adjusted.

I looked about the algore-electro-highway and found no instruction manuals for this and in fact don't even know what the model's "name" is.

Any insight as to this particular beast?

Made in Spain
.50
Serial number: 058996
27 1/4 inch barrel.

Do I have a pretty (to me at least) wall hanger or something more?

Todd.
 

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ApacheCoTodd said:
...the recall of the rifles ending in either ...95 or ...96 was for in-lines only...
Click to expand...

That was for the Connecticut valley Arms Apollo Inline only, and as far as I know the only problems that actually showed up were with folk exceeding the max load substantially and or using smokeless.

I had one of those purchased brand new in 1995 I believe that I shot at least 500 rounds through with 85 grains of BP and it functioned flawlessly. I received a replacement barrel and swapped it out "just in case" several years later, but I really wasn't worried.
 
Thanks Mal..

He just didn't sound too sure of himself and almost unaware of the earlier CVA sidelocks.


Todd.
 
OK. Bucked up, opened it up and found...

Nothing more than a poorly adjusted set trigger assemble with the rear on the wrong side of the spring.

So.

That solved, are these worth a toot?

Todd.
 
It's a "Hawken" style gun. The CVA Hawken goes for $100-$150 round these parts, but why sell it? Mine is an excellent shooter with a .490 round ball and 60 grains of the holy black (90 gn when hunting)
 
Thanks Steve.

I hated to jump straight to "Hawken" as it gets thrown around so much but if that's the general reference name, so be it.

Seems to me in checking, that this 27+ inch barrel is kinda short. I like the proportions just the same and am looking forward to having a blast with it.

Thanks for the loading data.
Todd.
 
My favorite rifle! Thats a CVA Hawken and perfectly safe to shoot if the bore is in good shape. Its a kit rifle though, poorly put together IMO.

This is the last one I built up. A also have another on the way.
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I have a .50 Hawkin that I used to shoot on a regular basis. 93 gr FFFG with a round ball and .020 patch
 
I own a cheap CVA "Plainsman", or that's what was listed on Gunbroker. It's so plain it hurts. LOL Doesn't even have a butt plate, no checkering, plain as dirt. 1:48 twist does decent with PRB, .490 with a .015 patch. I load real light to play with. Damned thing hurts, light and the stock isn't well fitted to me. But, it was 80 bucks and decorates my mantle. :D I didn't want to decorate with something I didn't wanna lose if the house got broke in to. Not sayin' I'd wanna lose this gun to a thief, but I have others that would hurt more to lose.
 
frontiergander said:
lol yeah Marlin 3030 rear sight and a german silver front blade sight. HUGE upgrade!
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Certainly much nicer than this crap-tacular lump of anachronism that looks like it was lifted from a Crossman pellet gun.

I don't care to throw too many $s into it but the pot-metal airsoft components just look like pooh.

The front is OK, barely. The real pity is that I was just at the Las Vegas Antique Arms show and trays of sights were thick on the ground.

Todd.

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frontiergander said:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marlin-80-G...147?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item566ed19413

You'll have to file down that 3/8" dovetail a good deal to fit in the CVA dovetail but its well worth the time! Replace that front sight with a german silver blade sight in .050" and you're set.

Hows the bore condition on that hawken?
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As soon as I find a pretty, durable and suitable sight - I'll do just that.

The bore? I can only check up to 17 inches into it but looks about new to me with ever so little surface rust at the muzzle. The quality of the rifling is not the greatest but then it's not a high end rifle anyhow.

Gonna be fun, for a free one. Of course, at this point it's already becoming the dreaded "free" dog or boat.:D

Todd.

A pic now. This will give me a reason to figure out camera settings to take bore photos through my "Hawkeye" bore scopes. This one's kinda off but I'll keep at 'er.
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So, a revisit...

My ram-rod seems to have no stick-to-itiveness.
I'm happy that it is very smooth and straight but it simply will not stay put.

Any angle at all and it wants to slide right out - also if fired.

Any tricks out there to keep these rascals in place?

Todd.
 
I made a spring, but you can't beet that price!
Took mine to the range today for the first time sense I bought it in January, the old girl and my old eyes did alright!
 
cva

Mine is 35 year old Mountain, with two wedge pins.
German silver nose, butt, and trigger guard and front blade sight. Brass patchbox.
Mine never had a rod spring, was just a tight fit.
My rear sight just a plain old buckhorn. windage driftable in a dovetail slot like the front, and an elevation screw. simple primitive, but works great as is.
1:48 twist and prefers the conical as do I.
 
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