Can a CVA Squirrel rifle be converted to flintlock?

[badwolf]

Have a CVA Squirrel percussion rifle was wondering if it could be converted to flintlock? I've  heard there is an issue with the breech plug or bolster? Anyone know?

[k morgan]

bolster runs through into other side of barrel won't get good ignition

[Rawhide Rick]

You should do a search on that issue, I’m pretty sure it’s been covered in detail (at least it has been on another forum) And yes, people have done it, but I’ve seen no one report back on how it turned out.

[Capt Steve]

I have a .32 cal cva flintlock squirrel rifle. I asked cva if I could just buy a lock and screw in a new drum and nipple to convert mine to a cap lock. They told me I could not as their setup wasn’t that simple. I never took it apart to see why.
I had already acquired a percussion lock from somewhere. I have all the parts sitting in a bag.
I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t help you much.

[Hank01]

It can but not without a little bit of work. Pic below is of a breech plug and drum from a CVA 50 cal percussion barrel:



CVA adopted a weird version of the "patent" breech plug for their percussion barrels. The way it's made will not allow good ignition if the drum is simply removed and replaced with a vent. So, to make it work right as a flint the breech plug must be replaced with a standard flint type plug. Hope this helps.

Hank

[taterbug]

i don't know if the .32 squirrel is the same as what Hank shows, but the .45 cal CVA I took apart had the same set-up as far as the drum.  I never tried to take the plug out.  One thing to check would be the volume of the 'antechamber' (?) in the front of the plug.  It is the diameter and depth of that hole drilled into the front of the breech plug.  It also gets drilled into the end of the drum, as you can see in Hanks pic. 

On the .45 cal CVA I took apart, that hole was about .25" and about 1" deep.  It was hard to clean, and would fill with residue after a few shots.  I drilled the hole out to 3/8", same depth, and this required a minimum of about 45 grains of powder to fill that hole so the ball would seat on the powder with no air gap. 

If you make any modifications to the drum, you might also effectively increase the volume of that chamber, which would require more powder to get the ball to seat on the powder.  This may not be a big concern on a .32 caliber with a larger barrel, but it would be good to know before proceeding.  Air gap in this caliber might not be a safety issue, but it will probably not help with accuracy.  It may also create a 'trap' for fouling that is difficult to remove, and may cause misfires after just a few shots.  Just some of the things to watch out for. 

Not impossible, just have to know what you are working with, and what the changes will do.

[BarryE]

On a 54 caliber CVA Big Bore Mountain Rifle I cut off the entire CVA breech, made a new breech plug and hook, converted it from flint to percussion with a new drum and lock, set the entire barrel with new tenon positions back an inch, and there you go.  I’d never bother to do it again.  The CVA breech is a royal pain to deal with.