New CVA Hawken....

[GANGGREEN]

My brother purchased a .50 CVA Hawken at an auction recently. He called me and asked what it was worth and I told him that it might be worth $150 if it was in really nice shape. He said that it was clean and that he paid $120 for it. I told him that he probably made a good deal but that it wasn't a really highly desirable or high quality gun and asked what he was doing with it. He said that he was going to try to resell it to make a few bucks and I offered him $150 just out of curiosity. I doubt that he could have gotten much more than that for it anyway unless he found some chump that would give him more but he delivered it to me today and it looks like it may be in unfired condition. There's one minor scratch on the barrel but otherwise it looks as new and I see no evidence that it's ever had a flint in it or ever been sparked.

The last two digits of the serial number are 99, would that indicate the year of manufacture? It says CVA Hawken, made in Spain on the barrel but doesn't say anything else regarding who would have made the barrel (there are some proof marks on it). I see a few minor fit and finish issues with it which I had expected from a CVA (I've never previously owned one but always thought that there reputation was that of a so-so factory made gun). In general, what should I expect, were those barrels decent in the accuracy department? I'm really leaning towards trading it with a friend who's looking for a flintlock for his 17 year old son and who has an older imported 20 guage side by side that I think he'd trade me even up for the CVA. I'd appreciate any general thoughts on the quality of the gun, the lock or the barrel from those who have owned them or who are intimately familiar with that vintage CVA flintlock.

 

[bpd303]

The last 2 in the serial number is not the year it was made. Try this link to see if any proofs match.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/236956/

I have had several early CVAs and they were accurate. I would say you got a good deal in that condition.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

$225+ IMO, it all depends on the shape the bore is in and how well the frizzen sparks. They've been great guns for me, I built my 58cal on a cva hawken stock and love that sucker.

 

[GANGGREEN]

Thanks for the thoughts gents. Sadly, the proofmark page (while a great resource), didn't seem to be applicable to this firearm as I couldn't find any matches. I do have the instruction book that apparently came with the gun and there are several items, including the mention of the unmentionable guns, that make me think that it was a fairly recent manufacture, say in the last 20 years or so.

 

[GANGGREEN]

I just pulled the key to see if there might be proof marks on the underside of the barrel and there are not but I'm now even more convinced that the gun has almost certainly never been fired. There are a few light scratches on the barrel from handling but otherwise it's in like new condition. I think I'll shoot it tomorrow if the weather's decent and see what I've got.

 

[Zonie]

The information in the above link are about proof marks and the date the gun was tested are for Italian guns.

The Spanish don't have anything in their marking system that would indicate when the gun was made.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

sure they do, the last 2 digits in the serial number on most cva's and this one will fall into that category, is the year it was made. 99 = 1999

Traditions uses the same thing as well.

 

[Leatherbark]

If your CVA has a 1 inch diameter barrel you have their original Hawken that they first marketed back in the early eighties. The first CVA Hawken had a walnut stock and the rear sight was further out on the barrel and they had a 1/66 twist. Later in the Eighties they changed the design and went with a 15/16ths barrel with a 1/48 twist and birch stock and the sight closer to the breech and called it a "St Louis Hawken" Both shot pretty dang good.

Bob

 

[GANGGREEN]

Yeah, mine is the "St. Louis Hawken" apparently made in 1999. Thanks guys.

 

[SgtSchutzen]

sure they do, the last 2 digits in the serial number on most cva's and this one will fall into that category, is the year it was made. 99 = 1999

Traditions uses the same thing as well.

Interesting theory. If true it would indicate that 4 of my 5 CVA guns were made between 1922 and 1947 :rotf:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

sure they do, the last 2 digits in the serial number on most cva's and this one will fall into that category, is the year it was made. 99 = 1999

Traditions uses the same thing as well.

Interesting theory. If true it would indicate that 4 of my 5 CVA guns were made between 1922 and 1947 :rotf:

Thats why i said MOST cvas. Some of the earlier ones did not have this until the new owner took over. One some of the old ones, the first 2 digits were the date. Even cva cant tell you what years some of the rifles were made exactly.

 

[necchi]

sure they do, the last 2 digits in the serial number on most cva's and this one will fall into that category, is the year it was made. 99 = 1999

Traditions uses the same thing as well.

Where on earth did you get that idea.
Before you go creating some myth that may well be spread across the internet, can you provide the actual source of that information?

 

[GANGGREEN]

The bad news is that the brand spanking new lock won't spark. I've tried a black English flint and a cut agate flint, both bevel up and bevel down. The flint wants to dig into the frizzen and it only knocks it back half way, rather than knocking it back completely and scraping down the face.

I think I'll try polishing the surface of the frizzen spring and the frizzen where they meet and I'll probably also try to harden the frizzen, though, for the life of me, I can't imagine why they'd send out a soft frizzen to begin with. Hopefully I can get it to spark reliably.

I know that I'd also have the option of an L&R replacement lock and I am an L&R fan but I really didn't buy this gun so I could dump a bunch of money into it, though I'm sure it would be quite reliable with the replacement lock. We'll see, I'm going to have to think on this for a while.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

sure they do, the last 2 digits in the serial number on most cva's and this one will fall into that category, is the year it was made. 99 = 1999

Traditions uses the same thing as well.

Where on earth did you get that idea.
Before you go creating some myth that may well be spread across the internet, can you provide the actual source of that information?

The fact I used to do review work for cva as well as getting some education on the back ground of the older cvas and the fact that cva still uses this last two digits = year built.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

The bad news is that the brand spanking new lock won't spark. I've tried a black English flint and a cut agate flint, both bevel up and bevel down. The flint wants to dig into the frizzen and it only knocks it back half way, rather than knocking it back completely and scraping down the face.

I think I'll try polishing the surface of the frizzen spring and the frizzen where they meet and I'll probably also try to harden the frizzen, though, for the life of me, I can't imagine why they'd send out a soft frizzen to begin with. Hopefully I can get it to spark reliably.

I know that I'd also have the option of an L&R replacement lock and I am an L&R fan but I really didn't buy this gun so I could dump a bunch of money into it, though I'm sure it would be quite reliable with the replacement lock. We'll see, I'm going to have to think on this for a while.

Heat it up cherry red and throw it into a bucket of cold water. Easy fix.

 

[necchi]

sure they do, the last 2 digits in the serial number on most cva's and this one will fall into that category, is the year it was made. 99 = 1999

Traditions uses the same thing as well.

Where on earth did you get that idea.
Before you go creating some myth that may well be spread across the internet, can you provide the actual source of that information?

The fact I used to do review work for cva as well as getting some education on the back ground of the older cvas and the fact that cva still uses this last two digits = year built.

Well, that's all meaningless
I've been reading your reviews for awhile now bigblock, and your education on CVA was done here.
:idunno:
You can't claim to be an Ex spert just yet, especially around folks that remember when you where asking the questions instead of giving the answers.

 

[Rusty_Nail]

sure they do, the last 2 digits in the serial number on most cva's and this one will fall into that category, is the year it was made. 99 = 1999

Traditions uses the same thing as well.

Does that mean my serial # 0000001 Frontier was made in 2001? :rotf:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

sure they do, the last 2 digits in the serial number on most cva's and this one will fall into that category, is the year it was made. 99 = 1999

Traditions uses the same thing as well.

Where on earth did you get that idea.
Before you go creating some myth that may well be spread across the internet, can you provide the actual source of that information?

The fact I used to do review work for cva as well as getting some education on the back ground of the older cvas and the fact that cva still uses this last two digits = year built.

Well, that's all meaningless
I've been reading your reviews for awhile now bigblock, and your education on CVA was done here.
:idunno:
You can't claim to be an Ex spert just yet, especially around folks that remember when you where asking the questions instead of giving the answers.

You are about as arrogant a person i ever have known. Go give cva a call tomorrow jack and then come back with your tail tucked between you legs.

After a certain year all cva rifles use the 2 digit code as the year they were built.

Now go show some smarts and prove that i am wrong.

traditions uses this method now as well.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

ooooh here its on the website for one of the recalled years. Gosh was i not right or what.


CVA VOLUNTARY RECALL NOTICE:
In August 1997 CVA implemented a Voluntary Recall of In-Line rifle models with serial numbers ending in -95 and -96. If you have a CVA In-Line model with such a serial number, DO NOT USE OR ALLOW ANYONE ELSE TO USE THE GUN. If you have one of these rifles, please call CVA immediately at 770-449-4687 for complete details and a free replacement gun. Example serial numbers: 61-13-XXXXXX-95 or 61-13-XXXXXX-96.

 

[Rusty_Nail]

Actually, when I was conversating with Dudley's 2nd in command, he stated that there are NO records prior to the 1997 fire in the plant. They said all of the information they (BPI/CVA) have garnered since has come from what he said are old timers on the computer boards, private individuals, and old literature at resellers!

So a call to BPI/CVA would be a waste of time!