CVA Mtn Rifle questions.

I see these now priced sky high. Was wondering if there's any ranking of "desirability" based on age, caliber ect.

Age, no. Caliber yes with the 54 being most desirable. There is a big Bore version in 58 that is desirable but really shouldn't carry that much of a price premium.

Didn't some of the early CVAs have barrels made in the USA? That should be desirable. Or was that before the Mountain model?

Yes , thought USA made were more valuable. Seen them listed as high or higher than TC Hawkens.

Very desirable rifles!

45 to 58cal.

For big game hunters, the 54 and 58 bring in much higher prices.

I like my .58 mountain rifle!

Mine is a 77-78 (Made in USA stamped). I bought it on a whim and doubt I'll ever shoot it.
Kind of leaning more towards flinters now. Nice light rifle though.

pacanis said:

Mine is a 77-78 (Made in USA stamped). I bought it on a whim and doubt I'll ever shoot it.
Kind of leaning more towards flinters now. Nice light rifle though.

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Shoot that sucker...!!!! You will be very pleased. Never understood anyone buying a gun and never shooting it...That's like having blue balls and never shooting your wad lol.

The two “Made in USA” Mountain Rifles I have, a .45 and a .50, both shoot very, very well. At least I shoot them well, particularly the .45. This rifle never ceases to amaze me and make me look good. Even stranger to me is how well I shoot the “matching” Mountain Pistols I picked up. That said, and as much as I like them, I am not sure they are worth what I see people asking for them. I just did a little figuring and think I have the princely sum of $700 in all four. I have had the .50 rifle for many years but bought the .45 rifle and both pistols in the last couple of years.

My Hawkin is the most accurate I ever had. HOWSOEVER. I did once have a mnt pistol that at 25 yds won me MUCHOOO molah shooting quarters at $5.00 a shot. NEVER missed. 30 yds started getting pretyy squirlly, 35 yds 6" + group, 25yd MAN XXX all day

The Made in the USA mountain rifles in .45 and .50 were made just the first couple of years like 1976 to 78. The Made in USA rifles had four screw patch boxes, hexagonal ram rod thimbles, and were browned. I like the hexagonal thimbles. The .54 came out in 1978 I think and it had no USA or Spain on the barrel, a two screw patch box, were blued, and round thimbles. Just the CVA and address for the first couple of years and then around 1980 they said made in Spain on all three calibers. The early ones usually do command a higher price than the Spanish ones.

I bought a mtn rifle kit from Deer Creek late '90's or early '00's. It had a made in USA barrel and a curly maple stock. Nice looking gun and shot a clover leaf at 50 yards first three shots benched. Would buy another if they still existed

I have two, Made in USA models in .45 and .50. One has a figured maple stock, the other is plain but also maple. I gave a later one to my son. They are great rifles. They shoot as well as any of my customs, Pedersolis, TCs .. all good. Dale [Polecat ] Edit. I also have five Mountain pistols, like 'em a lot]

Even the "Made in Spain" rifles are very accurate.

My CVA mountain rifles, both made in USA are my favorites. They are 45 and 50 cal. I prefer them to my Thompsons and investarms rifles.

vintovka said:

I see these now priced sky high. Was wondering if there's any ranking of "desirability" based on age, caliber ect.

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They have become today what many of the T/C models are,, a hodge-podge of mixed salvage parts that make one rifle. It's simply a matter of finding the components that fit together smoothly.
Desirable? Yeah,, the older model components,,
* stocks that have a 4 screw pewter patch box (that actually have the patch box)
* octagon ramrod guides
* original rods with pewter ends,(or just the ends,who cares about the wood?)
* original adjustable long plane rear sight
* 4 digit SN that does not say Made in USA 45 or 50 that have no proof marks,,

So yeah, there are details, I listed just some.

p.s. the whole "Made in USA" barrel stamp thing has been beat to death and morphed into about 5 different myth. There is nobody alive today to tell the truth about that, the children of those people are dead. There are only people that actually talked too those people that are alive today. And those people are old.

Ballshooter said:

I like my .58 mountain rifle!

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That's a beautiful rifle.

Dudley mcgarity of cva clearly states that cva used USA barrels.

A CVA Mountain rifle of any caliber in Flint brings a premium here in PA, due to our flint only season. The 54 and 58 being most desired. I have considered getting a percussion model and converting it to flint. I thick L&R made some replacement flint locks for the CVA models. The Mountain rifle and their early Frontier rifle were IMO, the best mass production guns sold in the US. Even the early squirrel rifles have been climbing in value.

.54 caliber markings