Turning a 50 into a 58

I have a old cva 50 cal that I would like to change into a 58 cal.I have a Cabelas 58 cal barrel that is same size but has no breech plug would a cva breech plug fit it?does anyone know if they are same size?dont want to take apart my 50 barrel want to keep it so I can swap back if wanting to.any help would be great.

Don't know about CVAs but in general a .50 and a .58 would have different sized breechplug thread diameters.

Do you know if CVA made a 58 hawken?The Cabelas is like the T/C and that would through off the barrel lugit ads a inch.

To the best of my knowledge, the .58 in a CVA was called a Big Bore Mountain rifle, not a Hawkin. I have one I built in the 70's, it is more of a plains style of rifle.

Do you know if it was a 15/16 barrel?The Cabelas is 15/16 the breech plug may fit it and I could just drill a hole for flintlockspark.

The .58 in the CVA is a 1" barrel, measured across the flats.

Birddog6 said:

To the best of my knowledge, the .58 in a CVA was called a Big Bore Mountain rifle, not a Hawkin. I have one I built in the 70's, it is more of a plains style of rifle.

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They always called their rifle a Mountain rifle. I've always thought it was the best gun CVA ever made, and they got my respect by not jumping on the band wagon and calling it a Hawken. I had a chance to shoot one a few weeks back that had a replacement lock on it and the made in America barrel, and it was a great shooter. We were killing old golf balls at 40 to 50 yards with it off hand and had a grand old time! :thumbsup:

Mine sat in the safe for 17 years. One day was going deer hunting & meeting someone at the camp so I took it as a backup. Thousht I better test fire it since I had not shot it in 17 years. This is the first 3 shots after sitting all that time.



Moved the sight up & over a tad & was dead on. Decided to hunt with it the next day & shot 2 deer with it that day. :grin:

So your .58 barrel does not have the patten breech or the plug the screws in the back?
I would take it somewhere to find the thread size and pitch.
There is a company called Deer Creek that I here still has CVA parts, find them they might know the thread and pitch of a CVA plug.
I searched Numrich Arms,VTI, Tow and Dixie, they don't seem to have breech plugs for CVA.
Awhile back there was a gent I think it was 50cal Cliff that was doing some conversion work on a CVA hawken.
I got a wild hair to a .58 Cabela's barrel in a TC stock, won't do that again. They are close but there are enough differences to take the fun out of it.
Good luck on the project, Bernie

DIRTYDAVE,

You might try contacting, John Taylor at:
johntaylormachine

He may be able to help.

Bruce

Dave, as another option, TOW recommended a custom breeching shop to me in Las Cruces, New Mexico...owner is Dennis McCandless...had him make & install patent breechplugs for me on Rice .58 and .62cal barrels, drilled & tapped for 1/4" x 28tpi vent liners...outstanding job...have to squint to see the seam where the plug mates to the barrel...
http://cap-n-ball.com/McC/index.htm