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CVA flintlock conversion

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Stevey30

32 Cal
Joined
May 28, 2020
Messages
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I am new to BP pistols but jumped in head first. I purchased a gun lot from a gentleman that included a 1970’s Pietta 1858 Navy 36 cal, a CVA Philadelphia derringer, a CVA Kentucky pistol and a CVA mountain rifle kit still new in box from 1979. My question is can I convert the Kentucky pistol to flintlock if I want? I didn’t know if there was a simple bolt on kit to do this, I enjoy shooting percussion but would like to try flintlock at some point and thought this would be a good dinner gun for it.
 
The lock would have to fit so that the pan is under and centered (somewhat) on the location of the vent. If the CVA made a flintlock Kentucky pistol, all you need is a the lock from one of those pistols. If not, it would be better to trade it for a flintlock pistol IMHO.
 
If you are lucky, you have the CVA Kentucky pistol built with the standard drum and not the chambered breech version with the bolt for the drum drilled through the breech plug. Look on the Gun Builder's Bench for the CVA thread for pictures of the through breech system and a discussion of the conversion process.

I was lucky. I had a CVA flint lock and a CVA flint barrel with touch hole installed. No problem but to change parts. If you have a CVA with a conventional drum with short threads installed just ahead of the face of the breech plug, you may have to make your own touch hole liner from a bolt with the same threads as the drum.
 
The last post requires buying a lock. when done this would allow the OP to switch from flint to percussion and back again. Nice solution if a lock can be found for a fair dollar.

This forum is into the old stuff, and seems to favor flint or caplock. My first two flintlocks were a bust. That was very pre-internet. One I convered to caplock and still have that gun. I have no desire to ever re-convert that back. The other one was a fine shooter all summer and proved worhtless in frosty morning air. The later, I sold. I regret that now. Such is life. Yes, I was ignorant. Hopefully I will learn better. My point, there is a learning curve with any shooting decipline. The caplock guns are a good start. The flintlocks are a next level of difficulty. Be more patient than I was.
 
Thanks for all the reply’s, yeah this was not going to be a tomorrow conversion. Figure I’ll shoot percussion for a bit and maybe look into the flintlock later on, was just trying to decide if buying over converting would be cheaper.
 
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