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CVA ,54 INFO needed please

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supatrav

32 Cal
Joined
Jun 22, 2022
Messages
8
Reaction score
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Location
Australia
Hi all i have acquired for my son a CVA in 54cal looks like a hawken style gun it in absolutely fantastic condition its been kept oiled and in a safe for
the past 20 years and show no sign of were at all some storage marks but thats it barrel looks new inside
barrel has made in spain on it 28" long
2 screws in patch box
can any one tell me what ever they know about it
like twist rate
any thing i may need to address or look out for
any mods that may help with reliability
cheers travis
 

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Nice old rifle and a great find.
I think it might be the Hawkin Hunter, probably a 1/48 twist barrel.
Get some .530 round balls and a couple different thickness of cotton shooting patches. .010, .015.
I don't think you need to try to change or modify anything.
I have an old CVA Missouri rifle, 54 caliber. Mine shoots pretty good with the 530 ball, 010 cotton patch over 80 grains of 3f Swiss black powder or 70 grains of Triple 7 2f.
If you're boy is younger, I'd recommend starting low on the powder charges, 50 grains or so until he gets used to shooting the rifle.
 
Hi all i have acquired for my son a CVA in 54cal looks like a hawken style gun it in absolutely fantastic condition its been kept oiled and in a safe for
the past 20 years and show no sign of were at all some storage marks but thats it barrel looks new inside
barrel has made in spain on it 28" long
2 screws in patch box
can any one tell me what ever they know about it
like twist rate
any thing i may need to address or look out for
any mods that may help with reliability
cheers travis
The pictures look like a Thompson Center…must be a CVA that I’m completely unfamiliar with…
 
cheers
Nice old rifle and a great find.
I think it might be the Hawkin Hunter, probably a 1/48 twist barrel.
Get some .530 round balls and a couple different thickness of cotton shooting patches. .010, .015.
I don't think you need to try to change or modify anything.
I have an old CVA Missouri rifle, 54 caliber. Mine shoots pretty good with the 530 ball, 010 cotton patch over 80 grains of 3f Swiss black powder or 70 grains of Triple 7 2f.
If you're boy is younger, I'd recommend starting low on the powder charges, 50 grains or so until he gets used to shooting the rifle.
cheers mate im looking for a mould i was going to ask what size thank you for your input
 
can any one tell me what ever they know about it
like twist rate
any thing i may need to address or look out for
any mods that may help with reliability,,
Well it's a "Hawken" and not a Mountain rifle.
Twist rate; Honestly, they mixed them up so much through the years it's hard to say without actually measuring each barrel,, early ones where a slow twist 1-60, then they used 1-48. Instructions of how to measure twist rate can be found here and all over the net,,
I'd bet your 20yr old safe queen has a 1-60.
Common issues with these older CVA/Traditions are;
1. Accumulated/dried oils at the base of the barrel/breech and drum area. Even minor fouling of oils in the flash channel of these things can/will lead to mis-fires. A good oil solvent and cleaning is very important. The use of gasoline and/or brake cleaner to break down and clear storage oils goes a long way to success.
2. Trigger base plate alignment; The Spanish made gun's use a single bolt through the tang to the trigger plate to "button up" the mechanisms. Decades of storage and Ham-handed owners leads to the dry wood becoming compressed by over tightening of that screw/bolt,, that compression makes the trigger plate ride too high in it's original mortise making the trigger cams to contact the sear arm of the lock,, what happens is the lock won't cock unless the triggers are set. A common problem that can be easily fixed with a simple spacer under the plate in front, or re-bedding the trigger plate.
3. All the goofy trigger break and lock adjustment screws,, there are 3, 4 not just one!
3a; The set triggers center adjustment for the triggers travel break
3b; The trigger main spring tension adjustment
3c; The trigger mainspring travel stop adjustment
3d: The locks tumbler/sear travel adjustment

All that stuff can be found here in multiple threads,,
You got a good gun there friend, don't fret, there is a learning curve,, but its a short one and there's plenty of help here.
Good luck, ;)


p.s. edited to add another "adjustment"
 
Last edited:
Well it's a "Hawken" and not a Mountain rifle.
Twist rate; Honestly, they mixed them up so much through the years it's hard to say without actually measuring each barrel,, early ones where a slow twist 1-60, then they used 1-48. Instructions of how to measure twist rate can be found here and all over the net,,
I'd bet your 20yr old safe queen has a 1-60.
Common issues with these older CVA/Traditions are;
1. Accumulated/dried oils at the base of the barrel/breech and drum area. Even minor fouling of oils in the flash channel of these things can/will lead to mis-fires. A good oil solvent and cleaning is very important. The use of gasoline and/or brake cleaner to break down and clear storage oils goes a long way to success.
2. Trigger base plate alignment; The Spanish made gun's use a single bolt through the tang to the trigger plate to "button up" the mechanisms. Decades of storage and Ham-handed owners leads to the dry wood becoming compressed by over tightening of that screw/bolt,, that compression makes the trigger plate ride too high in it's original mortise making the trigger cams to contact the sear arm of the lock,, what happens is the lock won't cock unless the triggers are set. A common problem that can be easily fixed with a simple spacer under the plate in front, or re-bedding the trigger plate.
3. All the goofy trigger break and lock adjustment screws,, there are 3, not just one!
3a; The set triggers center adjustment for the triggers travel break
3b; The trigger main spring tension adjustment
3c: The locks tumbler/sear travel adjustment

All that stuff can be found here in multiple threads,,
You got a good gun there friend, don't fret, there is a learning curve,, but its a short one and there's plenty of help here.
Good Luck, ;)
cheers mate thank you for your advise and input
 
cheers

cheers mate im looking for a mould i was going to ask what size thank you for your input
You will probably want a .530 or maybe a .535 (I usually shoot .530 in mine, and have a Lee .530 mold).
A .520 would work as well with a thicker patch (or for easier loading, with the same patch you would use with the others, possibly a .10 or .15 or .18 pillow ticking). Good luck, mate!
 
My CVA Lynx is a 54 made in mid/late 90s Found reference that it is 1/48
 
Okay so i have had time to really go over it
2 screws on the patch box
1/48 twist and its in really nice condition i have put a bore scope down the barrel and it absolutely perfect
has the original ram rod and a couple of small marks on stock but you really have to look closely i could not be happier
i heading over to a mate house tomorrow to cast up some round balls
and in those pics those spots just wiped of they were splats of polish or cleaner
thank you every one for your input
cheers
 
That's a pristine looking rifle and a nice one. My experience with the .54 is limited to the only one I currently own. Great accuracy with 60 grns of 3F (actually about anything I pour down the bore), a .530" ball, from a Lee mold, and a maybe .014" patch.
 
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