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Connecticut Valley Arms help

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GkmBlade

32 Cal
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Hi new to the group just recieved this old cva and cant find any info about how old if it's a kit what its value any help would be greatly appreciated
 

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Looks like a CVA Frontier Carbine. They had a 24" barrel with 1/48 twist if memory serves. Made in the mid to late 80s. Mine shot both RBs and conicals real good. Wish I still had it. Prices vary allot depending on where you are at and time of year. They seem to be worth more just before state M/L season. Probably worth in the $150-200 range.
 
I bleeve that the kits had a different range of serial numbers, recalling a post here a while back. Needless to say, I'm not exactly au fait with them in kit form.
 
I built a Frontier kit in the 1990's and still hunt with it. If you do not have CVA's instruction book, go on line to CVA.com for their "Sidelock Warrantee Book" . It will give you all you need to start shooting it AND also their major note NOT TO REMOVE THE BREECH PLUG OR BOLSTER ( yes you can do it, but it is tricky)
 
It looks like a St Louis Hawken model due to the patch box, double set triggers and the larger Hawken style lock instead of the smaller maslin style lock.
It may be a kit from the early 90's
Barrel should be about 27" long, 15/16" dia
 
I should have caught that. I didn't notice the double trigger which Frontier carbine did not have. There for awhile CVA was coming out with different models left and right. They would make minor changes and give it a new name. I have one named "Deerhunter" which is 32 cal so go figure.
 
It looks like a St Louis Hawken model due to the patch box, double set triggers and the larger Hawken style lock instead of the smaller maslin style lock.
It may be a kit from the early 90's
Barrel should be about 27" long, 15/16" dia

Yep looks exactly like mine, albeit mine is a lefty version. It is from the early 80s IIRC, a birthday present from my mother.

From the looks of that one compared to mine, which was a finished rifle, I am thinking your guess about it being a kit is correct, as the stock is a much different color and there seem to be no proof marks on t he barrel ahead of the Serial Number, as there are on mine, and I seem to recall kit barrels were not required proofing in Spain. Someone seemed to do a pretty decent job of finishing it though.
 
Hello GkmBlade,

CVA introduced their Hawken Rifle in 1981. It was available in .50 & .54 caliber Percussion or Flintlock with 1:66 twist 28" x 1" barrel.

AntiqueSledMan.
 
I have a CVA "Hawken" in 54 and it looks the same except my sight is not so bulky. I assumed the twist to be 48 but it could be 66.

The barrel is marked "Spain". What would be the transition date from USA made and Spanish made?
 
When they were first introduced they were 1:66, many changes & different Hawken Models followed.
I believe the only CVA's which had the Made in the U.S.A. mark on the barrels were the early Mountain Rifles.
I posted a PDF, CVA rifle identification

AntiqueSledMan.
 
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I believe the kit rifles all had a K st the start of the serial number, and a K stamped into the lock mortise. At least all of the ones I built or worked on did. I assembled many of the kits for the local Amish boys.
 
I believe the kit rifles all had a K st the start of the serial number, and a K stamped into the lock mortise. At least all of the ones I built or worked on did. I assembled many of the kits for the local Amish boys.

The K prefix on the serial number is true for Thompson Center, but I don't know about CVA kits. I have a CVA pistol kit and it doesn't have a K prefix.
 
The K prefix on the serial number is true for Thompson Center, but I don't know about CVA kits. I have a CVA pistol kit and it doesn't have a K prefix.

Mine is a trade show rescue that surely was a kit. It still had the ridge below the cheek rest where the machine scooped it out. Lots of little things that needed fixing. But it's close to 100% now. No K on it.
 
I was only aware of TC using the "K" in the serial number for a kit gun.

LD
I recall from the instruction material in my T/C Hawken kit that the K in the serial number was for warranty purposes. Kit guns were not covered under the lifetime warranty. A builder could open up a dovetail too much and submit a claim for a new barrel. Or other damage could be done to the stock. Of course now none of the T/C lifetime warranties are still in effect.
 
My memory may be getting bad, I built both CVA and TC kits. So I may be wrong about the K on CVA kits.It isn't the first time my memory has got mixed up.
 

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