CVA pistol barrel

[hugh]

My son gave me a CVA Kentucky pistol to redo for him when he left for army basic last year, well I want to convert it from percussion to flint where would I get a breechplug or do I need to make the plug myself? It is a .45 also.

[Hawken62_flint]

Will try to give you some sort of answer, but I'm not sure from your description what you are trying to do--barrel wise.  Are you replacing the original barrel?  If so, then Track of the Wolf or Cain's Outdoors or any other muzzleloader supplier can provide you with a breech plug.  If you are using the original percussion barrel, you would have to find a touch hole liner big enough and with metric threads to replace the drum.  Haven't done this, but assume that there is a liner available from the same outlets.  That being the case, I am not sure why you would be wanting to replace the breech plug.  I am by no means an expert when it comes to this and am only thinking logically.  Someone else on the forum will have probably done exactly what you are doing and will know if the answer I gave is good or not.  Hope this helps or at least gets the suggestions flowing for you.

[JB2]

Uh-oh!  Hate to say this, but you'll probably get advice to not mess with converting it.  CVA used an odd breech/drum configuration that is not easily changed.   Please do a search on CVA DRUM in the Gun Building section, I think you'll find plenty of info. 

[hugh]

Yes, I am wanting to use the same barrel that came with the pistol, but when trying to remove the nipple it broke off. It then got me to thinking that I would like to convert it to flintlock, read here some time back it could be tough, something about the breechplug being different somehow. I thought I might replace it with a different plug and was wondering if it is possible to buy the new plug or do I need to make it? If I need to make it what size threads do I need? Want to use as much of the original parts as possible he got the pistol from his mother after his grandfather passed away. Sorry for being so long winded.

[T*O*F]

Hugh,
Does the gun have a patent breech or a drum screwed into the side of the barrel?

Did you break off the nipple or the drum?

Everything on that gun is metric threaded.

Even if you replace the breechplug, 99% of those who attempt to do so will break the tang off of it.  They are a bugger to remove.

If you do succeed and then replace the breechplug, there is no guarantee that the barrel will fit back into the same location without large gaps.  Also, there is no guarantee that the flint lock will line up with the touch hole properly.  Also, the replacement lock could cost you as much as $100.

You are better served searching the auction sites for a CVA flint kit.  They can usually be had for less then $200. 

[hugh]

Was/maybe going to tap hole on side of barrel and drill new touch hole. No it is not a patent breech. And yes I do agree it is a bugger to take off any suggestions on how to remove it. If I destroy it I will just buy a new barrel and plug.

[ottawa]

the CVA with the drum set up is almost impossible to remove the breech they were made so you could not they use and impact setup and if you do get it off the threads on the .45 ae usely 16mm by 1.24 nobody I have found sell them . so your best bet is to drill out the old drumm and put in a vent liner and forget about taking out the breech. if you have a flint lock for a CVA cool but like they said they are not cheap just made that way.
I went down this road thats how I know all the efort and money to convert one is close too the same price as new parts not CVA

[LehighBrad]

I'm glad I read this thread.....I have a CVA Kentucky pistol in .45 caliber that I built from their kit back when I was a teenager. Up until just a few years back I decided I wanted to convert it over to flintlock ignition. I wasn't worried about marring or nicking up the drum so I proceeded to TRY and unscrew it from the barrel with a pair of channel lock pliers. I just figured once I got it off I'd just make a touch hole liner for whatever threaded hole I had. Well, needless to say, I never was able to twist that drum off!! So I gave up. That thing seemed like it was welded in there and I really didn't want to snap it off in the barrel. But if I do ever manage to unscrew the drum....will a CVA flintlock's plate even match the lock inlet on the pistol anyway??

[T*O*F]

I do agree it is a bugger to take off any suggestions on how to remove it. If I destroy it I will just buy a new barrel and plug.

Look, this has been discussed zillions of times on scores of lists over the years.  The question is usually asked by a beginner who has never built a gun, but has an old CVA.  They almost never succeed and end up with a trashed barrel and you never hear from them again.  Listen to the voices of experience.

Call Irwin Fagel who still has CVA parts and order a flint barrel and lock from him.  That way you will have a convertible pistol with two barrels and two locks and none of them are screwed up.

[hugh]

Does anyone have Irwin Fagel's contact info, would be great. Also any info about L&R rpl flintlocks pros and cons. Trying to have his pistol ready for him by Christmas, before he deploys to Afghanistan, I know he will want to shoot it.

[Ky-Flinter]

I don't know if all CVA percussion drums/barrels are this way, but the ones I have seen removed were not your usual drum.... they had a long threaded shank that went across the barrel and into a blind hole in the offside barrel wall.  They have a hole drilled about mid-way in the shank (maybe drilled from the muzzle end after installation?) to admit powder into the flash channel.  

Lots of threads and lots of areas to corrode, bind and in general become very difficult to remove.

I don't know this first hand, but I've been told this long drum actually threads into/thru the installed breech plug.  If that's the case, even more trouble waiting.

-Ron

[T*O*F]

I don't know if all CVA percussion drums/barrels are this way, but the ones I have seen removed were not your usual drum.... they had a long threaded shank that went across the barrel and into a blind hole in the offside barrel wall.  They have a hole drilled about mid-way in the shank (maybe drilled from the muzzle end after installation?) to admit powder into the flash channel. 

Ron,
You are entirely correct and this is but one of the pitfalls.  They are not all like this, but there is no way of knowing until it's too late.  The one I successfully converted was purchased in 1973 and was a Jukar. The drum only went into the flash channel, not clear across as you describe.  All others I've seen are made as you describe and were purchased later.