CVA Mountain Rifle Alterations

[Top Jaw]

I have a co-worker who has an older percussion CVA Mountain Rifle at a super reasonable price.  Back when I was a young man, everyone had one of these, or a Thompson Center, Hawken.  Now we all have custom Longrifles.  I’ve considered purchasing this one and doing a few upgrades (within reason) to make it look more Hawken-esque’.   I know that’s not often practical, considering a new lock might be part of the equation.  But I am having a moment of nostalgia, and this one is dirt cheap!  😄. I have seen photos in the past of similar alterations using the base CVA rifle.  Any tips, pro cons on my idea - or pictures of your upgraded CVA creations are welcome.   Or maybe it’s best to leave nostalgia and fond memories in the past, and just shoot my two custom long guns. 

[Hungry Horse]

The guns are general pretty good, with the exception of the lock. The locks have parts that interact that are of different degrees of hardness, which leads to the softer parts wearing out quickly.Replacement locks of good quality are available, but aren’t cheap.
 I’d make sure the gun hasn’t been shot extensively with Pyrodex, or similar blackpowder substitutes, that can damage the barrel.
 No matter what you do a Mountain Rifle  it will not look like a Hawken to anybody but a novice. It does however look like many of the lesser know plains rifles, so let it be what it is.
 Hungry Horse

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

HH's advice is spot on.  CVA's Mountain rifle has many of the features of plains rifles of the percussion era but does not resemble any Hawken rifle, any more than a Lada resembles a Lincoln.

[rfd]

the only thing i don't like are those danged patent breech plugs.  the rest is good enuf.

[bgf]

10x better looking than a TC!  Should be fine in percussion if you check out the barrel and lock for basic functionality/proper cleaning, and so on.  It may not be authentic, but most of the ones I've seen are good shooting, handy rifles, and they don't turn my stomach like TCs do aesthetically!  If you have a use for it, just enjoy it for what it is.

[stuart cee dub]

   Other than a refinish job and replacing the lock... only if needed... I wouldn't spend too much time making it look like something it can't be.
Sure you could put a different trigger guard on it but it will still look like an altered Mountain rifle.
 
   Surprisingly these Mountain Rifles in good condition fetch a lot of money in the secondary used market.
Yes 300 to 450 bucks ..really ! The Made in the USA marked barrels go for a premium.
Occasionally you see one with a really good piece of curly maple too. The later Spanish guns can be good shooters but aren't worth the premium the earlier American built guns bring   

They were pretty good guns aside from the goofy-but -still-works fine breech .
I inherited one from my Dutch uncle who killed the lock with injudicious filing attempting to get the set trigger to drop the hammer.The crappy Spanish lock wasn't worth fixing IMHO the sear and tumbler were trashed ,the spring , weak .I replaced the lock with an aftermarket RPL from Track.
The barrel was pristine. 
 
 Some of the old rendezvous types wax nostalgically about these upon seeing them and they shoot better with round ball than any TC I have tried .
Unless it's really really broke don't bubba-ize it . I have built better guns but it's a decent ,honest gun. It shoots just fine for the local offhand matches and I have never been embarrassed showing up with mine .

If it's in good shape, with the lock working and a clean barrel  I would buy it from your co-worker     

[Top Jaw]

If purchased, I might consider a refinish, sculpting the edge of the cheekpiece, lock panels, maybe a Hawken trigger guard.  Beyond that, perhaps a poured nosecap, and/or some faux curl.  Just thinking and typing thoughts.  Is only feasible when one of these comes your way on the cheap.  In the end I realize it would still be a modified CVA.  This one is from the 80’s, but not a USA version.

[M. E. Pering]

Rhinodave… First, welcome to the forums.  And yes, please post more pictures please.  This style and period of rifle is not my main interest, but many here are going to be interested.  But I am still interested in the craftsmanship that goes into any period gun, so please share your pictures.  I remember back in the 70s and 80s helping friends slap these together, so I am not a stranger to them. 

And don't worry about historical correctness... It is nice to see historically correct guns, but none of us get that perfect.  I have never copied a gun, but in my work, I try and capture historical correctness, and have a philosophy that we should continue the work as much as preserve it.  To me, achieving 'close enough' is better than 'exact copy', because an exact copy is just that... A copy of some other persons work.  Again, welcome to the forums, and let's see those pictures.

Matt

[rhinodave]

Well I somehow managed to delete my orginal post instead of editing it. Once again, new poster here. Been lurking for a long time. I've decided to post some pictures of my mountain rifle refinish because I did many of the things the OP has thought about doing. The last time I posted pictures of this refinish on a traditional site, I got roasted pretty good for not following traditional forms. It is what it is so fire away on any criticisms.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Dave:  first, a hearty welcome to this site!  You are amongst friends here.

Your retro on the CVA is completely contemporary in that it is unlike anything from the 19th C.  But that said, your skill at wire inlay has produced a personal firearm to be proud of.  These little rifles, in my experience, have proven to be very good shooters, and with the make-over, you have set it apart from the ordinary.
Good job!

[stuart cee dub]

I second the nice job on the wire inlay .It looks well executed
The toeplate and the cheekpiece inlay are tasteful too.

[duca]

I know this is an older post but just seen this.  Nice job on this rifle! I just Acquired a .58 cal big bore and refined mine as well. Especially that dreaded router groove around the cheek piece. The cva mountain rifle always held a special place in my heart. My good friend PJ Willams had one when we were young “late 70s early 80s” I had a Markwell arms Kentucky and we had such fun in the woods with those guns. Sadly PJ died in a auto accident when we where 25, sure miss my friend.





latane brown

[borderdogs]

I never owned one of these but in the old local gun shops (that seemed to have disappeared over the years) there was always one kicking around. Its been a long time since I handled one but what I remember is I didn't like the drop on them. I liked the John Browning Mountain rifle better but back then it was out of my price range. I did buy one a number of years ago which I like but don't shoot a lot. But Top Jaw, it seems to me a minimum of time and material you can make is yours as Taylor said.
Good lck,
Rob

[Dphariss]

Well I somehow managed to delete my orginal post instead of editing it. Once again, new poster here. Been lurking for a long time. I've decided to post some pictures of my mountain rifle refinish because I did many of the things the OP has thought about doing. The last time I posted pictures of this refinish on a traditional site, I got roasted pretty good for not following traditional forms. It is what it is so fire away on any criticisms.

Nice work on the inlays and wire.
Welcome to the site.
By the era of the percussion rifle, and this rifle is more like 1840s-1850s, the  “traditional forms” were not what they were in the 1750-1820 period. I looked at it and at first thought the wire work was too modern. I try to stay to traditional forms for the most part. Though as the photo shows I do tend to do some modernistic stuff from time to time for special occasions. But if we look to the percussion era we find a lot of things that are pretty modern. AND its YOUR work. So while the modernistic deer would be it of place on a Flintlock longrifle here I do not see a problem with it.

[Prairie dog shooter]

Here is my very first muzzleloader.  CVA mountain rifle kit.  I had no idea what I was doing.  The lock eventually wore out.  I replaced it with the L&R lock.  My eldest son has it now. 

[Prairie dog shooter]

This is a Deer Creek version of the CVA mountain rifle.  It was a poorly finished kit I got on a trade.  I did a total refinish with a lock upgrade,  L&R again.  I shot it for a few years and passed it on to my youngest son.  You can't make them look like a Hawken, but they can resemble a Plains Rifle. 
The darn things all shoot very well.

[Prairie dog shooter]

A before and after of a CVA "Hawken" flint rifle I restored.  I was still thinking I could learn to build a rifle by re-working those old kit guns.  I learned I would never reach the skill level to match my expectations.  Gave it up and now I hire good gun builders to do my personal guns.

[Prairie dog shooter]

What I learned from all that previous foolishness is I don't and never will have the skills to build a proper rifle. 
This is my current Hawken rifle built by a good friend who does have skills.

[Cherrybow]

This is my first 3 builds made from half stock blanks of cherry, walnut and maple using a lot of CVA parts. The walnut is all CVA mountain rifle except the barrel which is their “hawken” barrel.

[duca]

Nice guns guys!! I to have a Deer Creek. .50cal kit I bought in the early 2000’s. I’ll post a pic tomorrow

Anthony

[duca]

Here’s mine, Deer Creek Muzzleloading. Put this together in the early 2000’s Never fired.