CVA Hawken Breach Plug

[n.h.schmidt]

Hi
This is for anybody with experience in removeing the breach plug from one of these barrels. I have already removed the drum. That was a job all by itself . The plug has nothing left sticking out of the back.(got it that way). I have soaked the breach end in Kroil for many days. I have drilled notches in the rear of the plug to have something to hit with a punch to unscrew it with. I don't care anymore if the plug is ruined but I want to save the barrel.I use heat from a propain torch with no movement. Did Cva use something to lock these in?
Thanks
n.h.schmidt

 

[Rogue River]

The Drum is drilled and tapped into the breech plug. I think drilling and tapping thru the plug most likely locked the breech plug in the barrel. With nothing to grab a hold of I doubt you can get the plug to unscrew. The only way I see you removing the plug is to try to drill it out or shorten the barrel a bit and install a new breech plug!

 

[necchi]

Well that's kinda the hang too, If ya do get it out, Where are ya gonna find another plug?

Their metric,,and every place I have talked to gave an adament NO to selling or even installing another plug and defer all breech plug/drum work to CVA.

They didn't use anything besides the drum to secure the plug any different than any other plug,,you could try drilling one hole and use a big easy-out of some type.

Tis the bane of Traditons and CVA breeches,,if something bad happens too'm, it's either back to the factory or out to the garden to hold up tomato plants. I have seen guy's that are good with a forge turn them into nice pipe tomahawks and tent stake pullers.

 

[Old Salt]

If your plan is to save the barrel to put in a new stock then you might consider cutting the barrel just in front of the drum then rebreaching the barrel from scratch.

IMHO that would be a better way to reemploy a CVA barrel. That CVA drum setup really complicates things.

Salt

 

[rafterob]

If you don't manage to salvage it. Deer Creek will have replacement barrels for a little over $100. Just save all the other pieces from your existing barrel to put on the replacement. As mentioned, even if you get it out, you will not find a replacement. You would have to buy something "close" and then machine it to accept the drum. If it were me, I would bite the bullet and get the replacement barrel.Saw up the other one and sell on ebay for pistol barrels.

 

[necchi]

Saw up the other one and sell on ebay for pistol barrels.

:rotf: Yup, That's an option too :rotf:
I guess there's always buy'ers!
Start the bid at .01 and charge $10.00 shipping :haha:

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Thanks Guys
If I can get it out all will be well. I can make another breach plug. My lathe can do metric threads. I have made a metric thread breach plug for a Lyman GPR barrel. I ended up using that barrel on a CVA Mountain Rifle with a really badly pitted barrel on it. It sounds like others have tried before me. Someone said cva used a thread locker on these to really hold them in. I have already had it hot enough to break any thread locker loose .Still no go.
If all else fails .I will cut it off and re breach.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I assume someone has tried before and broke off the end of the breech plug and probably damaged the threads holding in the drum by trying to remove the breech plug with out removing the drum first. I would assume then that the remaining part of the breech plug is secure. Since you seem to have the equipment I suggest you drill and tap the remaining part of the breech plug and make a new part with a "steped" thread to fit into the hole you tapped. I had to do this with a gun a few years back that someone had broken off the end of the breech plug. My repair has held since then.Your replacement won't take the stress of the powder charge, just the recoil stress.

 

[kanati]

"My lathe can do metric threads."

Just throw it in the lathe, drill it out, then bore it until you reach the old threads.

-Ron

 

[Old Salt]

I built a flintlock kit that uses an old CVA barrel. It is a boy's trade rifle that uses a 33" CVA .45 rifle barrel.

There is more than just the drum that locks the breech plug in place. The drum threads into another larger diameter @ "5/8" cross breech" for lack of a better word. On a flintlock it is a hollow bolt that screws in horizontally across the barrel through the breech plug. The touch hole liner threads into that "cross breech". On a percussion rifle the drum threads into that "cross breech".

I was told by the supplier that CVA intstalled this threaded piece and then connected the bore to the flash hole with a long drill inserted through the muzzle.

When I built this kit, that CVA breech/drum became a problem. Fortunately the "cross breech" was loose which enabled me to enlarge the opening toward the muzzle and to cone the inside of the touch hole liner before final installation.

I finally got it to work with the help of a Navy welder. But if I had it to do over and had a machinist skills I would not hesitate to cut the barrel off at the "cross breech" and install a normal breech plug.

In the end I am certain you would end up with more reliable ignition.

I apologize for not knowing the proper term for the "cross breech" but I doubt the correct term is commonly known or used.

Salt

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Victory is at hand
Many thanks for all the suggestions. My lathe isn't big enough to mount the barrel to bore the plug out. The drum is a long hollow bolt that goes in so deep that it crosses the center and into the outer wall of the plug ,but not into the the plug thread .Removeing that takes the lock out. The small plug inside the big plug is a good idea. I had already done too much dammage by then to do that.
What I finally did was to drill the plug out from the back with a 1/2" drill bit and a hand held powerfull slow turning electric drill. I then weakened the wall of the hollow plug with a small dia. abrasive drum and my Dremel tool. With a punch and hammer ,I caved in the thin wall and things came loose. There appears to be nothing holding the plug tight except the drum and burs from the drum . Plus rust and a very tight fit on the threads in the back half.
n.h schmidt