All of your suggestions are appreciated and valuable.

Here's the plan.

1) I will attempt to remove the rib screws. If they come easily, I'll vice and trim with a hacksaw. This may give me the courage to remove the rib of my old CVA so I can tighten the ramrod retainers from the backside.

2) I will pull the tang and lay the barrel in the channel to check for hammer and wedge alignment. My measurements suggest all ahould be fine but nothing like laying it in there.

3) Once I verify a tang is available for this Cabela's Hawken, I'll remove the blueing with a file from either side of the tang interior walls. Shouldn't take much more than that. If tangs are available and under $20, I may just get one to go with the 54 barrel to remove any doubt about accuracy.

4) I will put some SW's and 100 gr down the bore!


Now, who knows a good way to find a crack in an engine block!?