CVA Mountain rifle with stainless barrel?

[muzzlecap]

Does anyone know if CVA ever offered a limited run of mountain rifles with stainless barrels or offered optional stainless barrels? Here's the scoop. Last year I picked up a CVA mountain rifle in 58 caliber at auction. It was advertised as having a 28" stainless steel barrel. I figured yeah right, it is likely a barrel that has been cut and left in the white. I don't know if the consignor told the auction house it was stainless or if they just figured that because it wasn't blued. Anyhow I bought it. Looking at it I'm not so sure. The barrel is 28". If someone cut the barrel the work was very well done. The muzzle is crowned very well and the the front sight dovetail well cut. It has a peep sight installed so the rear sight dovetail has a filler installed that matches the barrel. Plus it has one ram rod thimble and it is not in the position that either are on the 32" barrels . It is about 1 1/2" back of where the front thimble would be on a 32" barrel. A fair bit of work to remove and reinstall a thimble for 1 1/2". The barrel is stamped Connecticut Valley Arms and has a serial number so it's not a after market barrel. It does not say Spain on it. There is no rusting on the outside of the barrel or really much age related patina. So I figured maybe the previous owner sprayed it with a coating. However it has some scratches from use but there is no rusting in any of the scratches. Also the bore is spotless. No pitting or even age related staining of any kind. Plus I thought okay, I removed the barrel and tried some Oxpho Blue on the underside. I cleaned the area first and lightly steel wooled the area to remove any coating. All the bluing did was kind of tarnish the area a bit and most of that wiped off. So I was wondering was a stainless steel barrel ever offered for these? I'm still not sure if it is indeed stainless. I was thinking when I bought it that I would brown the barrel etc. But looking at the bore and after my "blue test" I think I might be opening a can of worms if I try to brown or blue it. I also have a CVA flintlock mountain rifle here that the barrel was left in the white. It shows patina and age related coloring from time like a normal steel barrel would show.

 

[Dixieshedhunter]

I'd say someone built that up with parts from Deer Creek. Looks like a Hawken barrel on a Mtn Rifle stock. Utilitarian for sure! Interesting.

 

[smokeum54]

I'm guessing it's a coating. I find this interesting, just last weekend i was thinking about a 54 hawken barrel on a new old stock Mt rifle stock i have.

 

[muzzlecap]

The one on mine is not a Hawken barrel. It is a 58 caliber Connecticut Valley Arms barrel with the two barrel tennons. The CVA Hawken only had one barrel tennon and I don't think they were 58 caliber.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Could be stainless. Some stainless WILL take a blue but won't come out "blue" like CM.
I prefer the SS.

 

[1sgt]

Will a magnet stick to it. Most stainless steel is non-magnetic. Depends on the alloy,

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Again, depends on the alloy.
A magnet will pick up some stainless steel pins used for tumbler cleaning.

 

[muzzlecap]

Yes, a magnet will stick on it. I read up on that and it depends on the alloy. It also said that most stainless steel gun barrels are magnetic.

 

[bptactical]

I'm going to say its carbon steel that has never been blued/browned. It doesnt have the sheen of stainless.

 

[muzzlecap]

I'm going to say its carbon steel that has never been blued/browned. It doesnt have the sheen of stainless.

Funny, I actually thought it has a fair bit of sheen to it. More than my Stainless Savage has or my inline had. It certainly may not be stainless but I'm really surprised at the condition of the bore and not sure why the Oxphoblue didn't really do anything.
I was also just searching on the net. I found a discussion where various members supplied the serial numbers for mountain rifles that were marked as "made in USA". My serial number is lower than a lot of those that were listed. But maybe there is no rhyme or reason to CVA serian numbers from back then.

 

[Rebel bull]

the amount of polish determines how will a left in the white barrel will resist corrosion and then the amount of preservatives that are used to wipe it down with . if you want to truly get it to blue you would boil it with a cleaner at least 2 times

 

[tallPercshooter]

I noticed several CVA new rifles on GB that sellers claim are stainless. They are just carbon steel that is polished and no finish yet.

 

[Frontier's]

All mountain rifles were 32"

An ultra rare cva hawken had a 28" barrel.

Considering you only have 1 ramrod thimble, I'd say it's a cut down barrel.

No sidelock by cva was offered with a stainless steel barrel. Your barrel is in the white. Not finished

 

[muzzlecap]

I guess I will have to go with the opinion of it being in the white. But I have to say whoever did the work shortening the barrel did a first rate job. It's a nice bush gun.

 

[Dixieshedhunter]

I think it's a Deer Creek Kit.

 

[MTguy]

Put a drop of water on it and see if you get rust

 

[Frontier's]

I think it's a Deer Creek Kit.

No the deer creek kit had a different style trigger guard.

 

[Frontier's]

Put a drop of water on it and see if you get rust

Knowing that cva never made stainless steel barrels makes it kind of pointless.

 

[Frontier's]

I guess I will have to go with the opinion of it being in the white. But I have to say whoever did the work shortening the barrel did a first rate job. It's a nice bush gun.

Take a pic of the muzzle

 

[muzzlecap]

Here are a couple of pics of the muzzle and bore. The camera does pick up scratches on the muzzle.
In regards to putting water on it to see if it rusts, the gun has the typical CVA tang. Over time, there was rust on the face of the tang and where the hook sits into. There was a tiny bit of rust on the barrel hook but nothing on the face of the barrel where it sits against the tang. Because of scratches on the muzzle, I would say shortened barrel.