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CVA 50 question

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i just acquired a 50 cal "Connecticut Valley Arms Spain 50 Cal #040664, this gun has never been fired, and I am curious as to, how to check the rate of twist and what year it might have been made, might even be a kit gun , its old, it was a friend of mine, fathers,
if you can help
LMK
Thanks
Charlie
 
CVA was selling imported guns back in the 1970's so it could date back to that time. About the only way to know if the gun was one of the newer ones is to remove the lock and look at the inside to see the way it's made. The mainspring, a very heavy V or U shaped spring will be at the front of the lock and its free end will be pushing downward on the tumbler.
If the tumbler is just standing proud without something to support the end that's away from the lock plate, you have an older 1970's vintage lock.
If there is a bridge or support that goes over the end of the tumbler, you have a newer lock (and gun) that was probably made in the 1980's or newer.

To check the rate of twist you will need a cleaning rod with a 50 caliber cleaning jag (a grooved plug that is slightly smaller than the bore) on it, a cleaning patch, a piece of tape and a pen.
With a lightly oiled cleaning patch on the jag, push it to the bottom of the bore. Place the tape around the cleaning rod so it's lower edge is flush with the muzzle. Make a mark on the tape that lines up with the front sight.

Now, slowly and carefully, pull the cleaning rod, jag and patch back out of the barrel letting it rotate as it moves.
Pull the rod and jag out so that the mark on the tape that was in line with the front sight has rotated half way around. (180°) and stop there.
Measure the distance from the muzzle to the bottom of the tape and write the distance down. The rate of twist is twice that value.
(If the rod moved 24 inches when the mark had rotated 180° the rate of twist will be 48 inches. Dixie Gun Works catalogs of the era says the CVA Hawken had a 1:48" rate of twist.)

To shoot your gun you will need to use a .490 or .495 diameter lead ball and a tight weave cotton cloth patch that is around .015" thick along with some spit or patch lube to moisten the patch.
You can use real black powder or any of the modern synthetic black powder replacements. The gun will usually use #11 percussion caps.
 
Some time in the 80s the serial numbers were changed so they incorporated the year made. Also most of the early CVAs were 45 caliber and I believe the real early ones didn't have CVA stamped in the barrel yet. In the early 70s many companies marketed the same guns under their name. Just an educated guess but that would put your gun in the late 70s to early 80s. Not much help but pictures or at least a better description would help.
 
Hi. I have an old Dikar catalog in Spanish and I'm going to find the information you need.
 
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Hi. The CVA muzzleloading rifles and pistols were manufactured in Spain by the DIKAR company (now Bergara Barrels), in the town of Bergara (Guipúzcoa). If your rifle is a Hawken, Pennsylvania or Mountain model, the rate of twist is one turn in 66". The Kentucky rifle is one turn in 48". Twist for round ball only. Greetings from Spain.
 

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