Need Help Restoring My First Rifle - CVA Hawken

[ChrisHarris]

I bought a used CVA Hawken 50 cal rifle.  Needs work.  I'm hoping the membership here will take pity on me and walk me through a restoration.  I've been shooting muzzleloaders for all of 3 or 4 months and I know nothing about restoring a rifle.  I realize a lot of people (not all) on this website are into custom guns that resemble works of art.  I know my 'el cheapo' CVA is nothing special and I don't expect to turn a pigs ear into a $3500 work of art.  Currently, there's probably more wrong with this gun than right.    Gotta start somewhere and a cheap Spanish rifle is a good place to make the mistakes that I know are bound to happen.

My goals are fairly simple.  I'd like to use this gun to learn some basic principals about building and repairing a muzzleloader.  I'd like to end up with a decent shooter that I can hunt with.   Goals subject to change at my whim.  

Stock condition:
It's actually in pretty good shape.  No major dings or nicks.  No cracks.  It wasn't sanded down very well.  The tang sits down below the stock.  The lock isn't flush.  Trigger guard isn't flush.  On the right side there is a wave that somebody sanded into the wood.

Barrel condition:
The bore looks to be in good shape.  I see no pitting.  I'm told these things have a 1:48 twist.  The underlug on the barrel is so loose that it slides right out.  I need to solder it back on but I don't know how to do it.

Sights resemble a TC Hawken - which I don't like.   The sloping Vee on the rear sight drives me nuts.  I prefer a rear sight that is FLAT across the top with a square notch in the middle -  similar to TC Patriot pistol or the Williams sights that come on a Green Mountain barrel.   Will definitely be replacing the sights.  Front sight is loose.

Lock condition:
Resembles a TC Hawken lock with a coil spring.  Seams to function fine.

Trigger condition:
Seams to function fine.  Has double set triggers and an adjustment screw.

Where do I start?
Need to get an outline or plan together and start at step #1.

I know there has to be an establish set of procedures or order in which to begin -  maybe something  like "always start with the stock and work the rest of the gun from there"  OR "Always get the mechanical stuff working first - solder your underlug on - THEN inlet your lock"

Could anybody tell me the basic procedure for building a new gun or rebuilding an old one?

Thanks very much.

Underlug:



Stock:



Lock:

[Bob Roller]

Take a small flat punch and restake the dovetail in the barrel by tapping the edges and then the wedge tenon will be as tight as it needs to be.

Bob Roller

[ChrisHarris]

Thank you Bob.

How do I keep it from moving when I'm hitting the punch? 

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Chris, Just put the tenon in the dovetail slot and using the punch on the barrel just in fron and behind the dovetail bend the barrel metal so that it will pinch against the dovetail on the tenon. you will be amazed at how much metal you can move with a punch ..but get right next to the edge of the dovetail slot. If it is so loose that it won't sit there while you stake it you can put some Elmer's glue on it...doesn't need to dry..or s piece of paper as a temporary shim to hold it...  or see how much your wife trusts you and ask her to hold it...or wrap a piece of wire or tape around it to hold it in place long enough to stake it.

[ChrisHarris]

Thanks Dr Tim

Alright, so fixing the rear wedge tennon is easy enough.

Where do I start with restoration of the barrel and stock? 

[Bob Roller]

Punch the edges of the dovetail and THEN put the loop in. A light tap is all that is needed to bend the edges down on that barrel

Bob Roller

[Keb]

Them old CVAs were shooters. My nephew had one & he could hit a bird flying.
Some may tell you it's a CVA and will be nothing more than a CVA when you are done. That's a fact.
You could remove some of the extra wood. There is a lot of it that can be removed. You may wanna replace the trigger guard & butt plate too. Fix the trough around the cheek. I don't remember if the sight is in a dovetail or screwed on but you may wanna look at a different rear sight and a finer front.
Remember, it's always gonna be what it started out being.

[Longknife]

Chris---I started just like this  but there is just too much to do to go in to detail right now. Here is what I would do:

1) Fix the lug, get the sights you want and install them, then shoot it and verify that it is all operational and worthy of a restoration.
2) Order any parts you have decided to replace and the stain and finish you prefer. Also order some barrel browning.
3) Remove all metal parts, strip the stock with a liquid stripper available from your local hardware store. NO sandpaper yet!
3) Strip the blued steel parts. You can use a blueing remover or a fine emery cloth. The metal does not have to be shiney, it will brown better with a matt finish. Use a sanding block to keep the metal edges crisp.

The parts and finish can be ordered froim most M-L suppliers on line......

Come back when you get this far and I will help you out with the stock re-shape. In the mean time look at as many original rifles as you can and note the differences in them....Good Luck''''Ed

[ChrisHarris]

Chris---I started just like this  butthere is just too much to do to go in to detail right now Here is what I would do:

1) Fix the lug, get the sights you want and install them, then shoot it and verify that it is all operational and worthy of a restoration.
2) Order any parts you have decided to replace and the stain and finish you prefer.
3) Remove all metal parts, strip the stock with a liquid stripper, NO sandpaper yet!
3) Strip the blued steel parts.

Come back when you get this far and I will help you out with the stock re-shape. In the mean time look at as many original rifles as you can and note the differences in them....Good Luck''''Ed

Thank you Longknife.  I'll do that.

I'll take some pictures of the lug after I get it punched into place.
I can live with the sights as they are - only to confirm it does shoot and is fully operational.  I'll have to use a punch and tighten the front sight so I can shoot it.

Then I'll set about tearing it apart and restoring it, if it will shoot decent.  I'll bet it does.  The lock and triggers feel good.  Smooth and no binding.  I set it to half-cock and tried to bump it off - trying to cause a dangerous failure.  It held fast and did not come off half-cock even with me slapping the butt  plate on the floor and smacking the side of the stock with my closed fist.  I put a block of wood behind the hammer and shoved oon it pretty good.  Did not disengage from half-cock.

Excellent suggestions Longknife.  Again, my thanks to you.

[54ball]

 Search on line for original examples.  Some of the later percussion era riles look remarkably like the CVA/TC Hawken.  Most had a different style of nose cap. The poured pewter cap seems to be the most common.

  Search for Plains Rifles in images and you should fine many originals of this style on Google.
 
 Do not forget to look at the museum here as there may be some examples here.  Look for mid western, western and new england type rifles.

[Dogshirt]

The rear sight is screwd into a block in a dovetail. The ones I've seen are loose fit
and tightened with the screw. There should be no problem replacing it with something else.

[JoeG]

If my memory serves me right; back in the late 1970's the buckskin report did an article
on reworking a CVA Hawken to make it look more period.
They called a cat and rat rifle as it was only .45 cal.
I can't remember who did the rework but he was a montana gunsmith

Maybe someone  here has a copy of the article and can post it on the board.
I remember that the rifle looked real good after the rework.

[Ray Nelson]

JoeG,

The article I remember concerned a CVA Mountain Rifle. A long Hawken tang was welded on to the hook; The trigger guard front spur was removed; Poured a pewter nose cap; slimmed the comb to a narrow one; made lock panels look like lock panels; fit round ramrod pipes to the rib; replaced sights as well with Hawken type sights too I do believe?

The picture of completed transformation looked pretty good as I recall.

Ray

[54ball]

http://www.mcpheetersantiquemilitaria.com/02_firearms/02images/plains_10.JPG

 http://www.icollector.com/American-half-stock-plains-rifle-signed-W-Cooper-on-barrel-36-caliber-rifle-nicely-artifici_i11292276

 Here is some examples.

[JoeG]

 [/quote]
The article I remember concerned a CVA Mountain Rifle. A long Hawken tang was welded on to the hook; The trigger guard front spur was removed; Poured a pewter nose cap; slimmed the comb to a narrow one; made lock panels look like lock panels; fit round ramrod pipes to the rib; replaced sights as well with Hawken type sights too I do believe?

The picture of completed transformation looked pretty good as I recall.

Ray

[/quote]

Thats the one I was talking about
You must be as old as me if you remember it
 Does anyone still have he article?
And can they post it

As I recall it turned that CVA into a nice looking rifle

[Ray Nelson]

Yeah, I was young back then...good ML days!

I'm looking thru my back issues of the Report and the article has thus far eluded me? I organized my issues of ML magazines last winter and the new location for another box that I logically put it in seems to have become non-logical to my memory this spring!!!

I'll keep on looking thou.

Ray

[Eric Krewson]

Not  a CVA hawkins but this should  give you a few ideas on what you might change on your rifle.

http://www.tradrag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=5418