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I'm going to try to build a shotgun, a 12 ga CVA Hawken

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tom in nc

45 Cal.
Joined
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I am bidding on a CVA 12 ga Hawken barrel. Anyone built one and documented it on here? Or have one already built and will post a good pic, or three? Any tips or advice to offer? Thanks.
 
I know now that I might not want the barrel that I have bid on after all. I read on the builders forum that the missing drum is not intended to be removed from these barrels. I assumed it could simply be replaced. Apparently not so. Not as good a deal as I thought?
Does the "pass on barrels with drums removed" apply to shotgun barrels too?
Longcruise, I note your post on the subject recently. Can you tell me more?
 
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I don't recall ever seeing a CVA single barrel 12 guage offered but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Because I'm not familure with such a barrel all I can do is to give a few opinions.

The breech on a CVA rifle barrel has a hole drilled crossways thru it and threaded. The drum screws thru this hole locking the breechplug in place.
CVA-BREECH-web-01.jpg

The drum can be removed but if the barrel you are buying has one in place, why not leave it there and build the gun as a percussion lock style gun?
If you want to build a flintlock, you can saw the drum off flush with the side of the barrel and drill and thread what's left of the old drum to accept a vent liner.
 
The one I'm bidding on has "missing drum", but has "excellent bore". I have a gunsmith buddy with machinery and experience to do whatever needed to fix the barrel I suppose. Because of my good fortune in knowing him I might be able to use some Ebay barrels that others would not be able to, huh?
Can most be salvaged by cutting them off and replugging the breech end to fix the missing drum problem? Thanks.
 
Until you have the barrel in your hands you don't know whether the barrel is using the breech design shown above or a more simple breech plug that has a regular "screw it thru the side of the barrel" type of drum installed directly in the barrel.

Then, there is the breeches used on the CVA double barrel shotgun. These don't have a "drum". Rather, the nipple is threaded directly into the breech plug.
CVA-12-guage.jpg
 
CVA made a "trapper" model 12 gauge single barrel shotgun, it also went by some other names, however it did not have a side bolster it was a patent style breech.

What the OP seems to be describing is a Hawken that was bored out. I would be very cautious of such.

Pictures are golden.

The trapper looks like this.
upload_2019-8-26_21-16-44.jpeg


upload_2019-8-26_21-18-24.jpeg
 
Please do post pics, thanks. The barrel I'm looking at does not appear to be from a Trapper model.
Maybe I figured out how to post a pic of the barrel, let's see...
s-l400 CVA barrel.jpg

The threads where the drum screws in look a little rusty, huh? The breech plug is still screwed in. What's with the "knob thingie" on the rear of the breech plug? What else is obvious in the pic, good, bad, and ugly? Tell me about it, please. Did I buy a paperweight? Might I be able to use a replacement drum that is not drilled and threaded for a nipple and then drill and tap for the nipple where it needs to be?
If I can't use it this doesn't matter but here's a shot of the bore.
s-l64 (1) Hawken bore.jpg

Thanks.
 
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I took a 45 cal shot out Hawken barrel and bored and polished it out to as near to 28g as I can at this time. It's around .515 now and actually shoots thick patched .500 pretty good. As soon as I can get a .550 or hopefully a .548/.549 reamer I'll finish it. But as is powder, shot and an inverted wedge thick card disk over shot works fine.
 
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