Sows ear CVA Hawken.

I picked up this severely botched kit gun a few weeks ago for $100 because it appeared to have never been shot. Date code in the serial number showed it was made in 1987. Whoever built it as a kit didn’t polish the casting marks out of the brass, used a belt sander or something on half the stock, didn’t crown the barrel and didn’t do much with the inletting. I just wanted a cheap lighter weight gun for hunting. Tired of beating up my nice custom guns dragging them in the brush and falling down. I removed the cold blue on the barrel and browned it and all the small parts and screws. Done the best I could do with the stock and inletting. Hit that ugly beech/birch with some leather dye and linseed oil then Polished the brass to a matt finish. It still needs a few coats on the wood and a touch up of dye where I did the last sanding. New sights are on the way from Track then I’ll be set to dial her in. These old CVAs are shooters. I know people knock these cheap guns but for some reason I just like them. I think it looks pretty good for what it is.

i have never had a CVA that didn't shoot good. if they had matched the locks with the barrels quality wise they would have been hard to beat. my old mountain rifle was used by my old buddy for years in matches. He would clean up the mens division and his wife would use it to clean up the women's .
once they combined the sexes, Rose won everything!

Looks good, I've taken home more of my share of meat and prizes with my 54.

Nice job. Great idea using it for hunting over the "expensive" ones. I broke a stock on a nice gun decades ago and still get the butterflies when I think about it. That said, wouldn't want to mess this beauty up either

did you use Fiebing's medium brown dye or the dark brown dye.thanks

rusty said:

did you use Fiebing's medium brown dye or the dark brown dye.thanks

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It was the dark brown.

That's cool. Those old CVA's good shooters.

deermanok said:

That's cool. Those old CVA's good shooters.

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Thanks. I was aiming more towards utilitarian but ended up making it look better than I expected.

it looks great.thanks

I've got a rough around the edges pawnshop hawken that is a tack driver. I would like to refinish and brown the barrel . What did you use to do yours ? Thanks

Ferryboatcaptain said:

I've got a rough around the edges pawnshop hawken that is a tack driver. I would like to refinish and brown the barrel . What did you use to do yours ? Thanks

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I used an ancient bottle of Mountain state muzzleloading barrel browning solution. I’m pretty sure it’s the same stuff as Laurel mountains solution. I used it the same as I’ve used Laurel mountain.

It looks really good. The stock finish really catches my eye.

Looks pretty dang slick!

Great rescue @TreeMan! What’s the caliber?

That beech is tuff to get a good finish the way I like but that looks nice.

Looks awesome !

Going with traditional sights ?

TDM said:

Great rescue @TreeMan! What’s the caliber?

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It’s a 50. That’s one caliber I haven’t had in years so I ordered a mold when I ordered sights from Track.

kyron4 said:

Looks awesome !

Going with traditional sights ?

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Yep. Got a brass blade coming for the front and one of the screw adjustable rear sights from track of the wolf. Those boxy rear sights that come on CVA guns are hideous.

brushblind said:

That beech is tuff to get a good finish the way I like but that looks nice.

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Yeah it is. Here are some pics of it from the auction sight I got it from. No figure in the wood and covered with chattered machine marks from when the stock was cut.