Hammer and Nipple Not lined Up

I bet if CVA (now Traditions) would abandon their breech plug design and use conventional plugs and drums, their sales would quadruple.

Hylander said:

So far the outcome is fine, just what I was hoping.

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Glad to hear that, because I was thinking we had failed you.

Carbon 6 said:

I bet if CVA (now Traditions) would abandon their breech plug design and use conventional plugs and drums, their sales would quadruple.

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Kinda doubtful that the typical buyer gives any consideration to that aspect of the rifle. Based on the questions asked here about these guns, nobody who owns one paid any attention when they were buying.

Hammer came off without issue.
I may use the original drum, but was not in the original plan.
As I said I did read how the drums were installed.
As far as the TOW drums being not usable, I have read two threads were they were used with no issues.
Again I may try to reuse the original drum.
And again, this is a project for me, so if it doesn't work out, no loss.

It appeared to me that the original drum had been overclocked or overtightened at some point. If so, Id think the OP done right to remove it. Because if it was indeed overtightened the chamber hole would not have been aligned properly and may have been a sludge trap causing problems.

If it all goes south you can replace the complete barrel.

http://www.deercreekproducts.net/store/p1674/Mountain_Rifle_Barrel_.50_Caliber_Percussion.html

poker said:

It appeared to me that the original drum had been overclocked or overtightened at some point. If so, Id think the OP done right to remove it. Because if it was indeed overtightened the chamber hole would not have been aligned properly and may have been a sludge trap causing problems.

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I would expect that CVA/Traditions did not drill the hole from the barrel through the drum until the drum had been installed. The drum may have been overclocked at the factory or done later. I do know that hammer to nipple alignment was a concern to the extent that in the book "Black Powder Gunsmithing" from 1978 that the process of heating the hammer to adjust the hammer to nipple alignment was written up for two different kits from two manufacturers.

Hammers were also a problem on T/Cs and they don't have a bolster to over-clock.
Bent or warped castings is quite common.
The wrench and torch method works like a charm for straightening.

longcruise said:

If it all goes south you can replace the complete barrel.

http://www.deercreekproducts.net/store/p1674/Mountain_Rifle_Barrel_.50_Caliber_Percussion.html

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He'll probably have to bend the hammer.

Carbon 6 said:

I don't understand your fear of bending the hammer, they are ridiculously easy to bend when heated,

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Carbon6 is correct, just like putty, and a simple propane torch will do the trick

Carbon 6 said:

Glad to hear that, because I was thinking we had failed you.

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Nope, didn't fail me at all.
I'm still taking in all the advise and if all goes well this rifle will be shooting Tuesday

All Done, lines up great now.
Will take it out Tuesday to see how it shoots.
Cleaned up the original drum, cleaned up nicely.
Had to take a few thousandths off of the shoulder of the drum.
I marked the center of the hole and it is still lined up well.
It was way over tightened the first time, gorilla bob must have installed it.

Actually, they used to tout their breech plug design in the print ads.

Carbon 6 said:

I bet if CVA (now Traditions) would abandon their breech plug design and use conventional plugs and drums, their sales would quadruple.

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All worked out better than I hoped for
Range report in Percussion Rifle section

To answer the op's question. Yes you can heat the hammer but you most heat quench and temper. I heat to a cherry red, bend quench in oil and temper in a toaster oven 400* for 2 hours let cool then repeat one time..
Edit. This hammer from a Seneca rifle was used on a Cva squirrel rifle

Did the same thing Zonie suggested to solve that issue on my Mtn. Rifle. I did put a thin leather pad between the wrench and the drum/nipple. Barrel out of the rifle and in a padded vise. Apply heat to the barrel around the drum. Oh, I almost forgot. Do not use the nipple for this operation. Get a 6x1mm bolt long enough to thread all the way to the bottom of the drum and stick out enough to provide the needed leverage. It provides extra stability and helps to prevent and possible damage to the threads in the drum.

Why harden a hammer? It likely came dead soft. Trying to make it hard, if the alloy permits, is only inviting it to break in use.

Scota@4570 said:

Why harden a hammer? It likely came dead soft. Trying to make it hard, if the alloy permits, is only inviting it to break in use.

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Without tempering, I agree but after heating and twisting you have made it annealed and weak. Quenching makes it hard and the tempering adds the strength back to it.

Ames`s reponse is what I would do done in your case. I helped a friend of mine put a new drum on a CVA a couple of years ago and it works fine. He made a really long drill bit that fit into the tiny breech leading to the drum. Took about 5 minutes.

I don`t understand the reverence and disdain that CVAs are held in at the same time . They are not worth repairing if you listened to most people here, not necessarily this thread.
But if someone wants to repair one, its a lot of “don`t do that, you`ll ruin it “when its already ruined.

Yes, I understand that re-aligning the old drum or a predrilled drum could be a fools errand.

If it was made by some guy, chances are it can be repaired by some other guy. Never know unless you try.

Breech plugs, bolsters etc. YIKESI love side locks. I got away from them a while back and got a couple of in lines. The issue now is I do not want the hassles associated with most plugs. Grandchildren use the guns and then I have to do the cleaning, often the next day due to time constraints. With a side lock this could be fatal for the gun.
I want another one or two but the breech plugs are always in the back of my mind.
I am glad this ended in a satisfying manner for you Hylander!