Before youwrap your CVA Firewhatever around a tree...

What primer and powder where you shooting????

Good advise thus far, I'll add...

Keep the CVA. You own it, you will get next to nothing if you try to sell it and it's good to have an extra ML around as either a backup or as aloaner for a friend.

Any of the break or drop action or the knight bolt DISCML's shooting209 shotgun primerwill be more reliable than an exposed 11 cap.

In my view, you get what you pay for and I would not look much farther than T/C or Knight. There are others. If buying new, forget money to begin with, then go with the ML that feels the best to youwhen you shoulder it along with it's and the company that makes it reputation.

Back to your ill-behaved CVA...

Perhaps a couple of things happened other than what has already been mentioned. By the way, any of these things can cause any ML to mis-fire.
1) Your powder charge could have been slightly moisture or lubecompromised the time when you initally loaded up if you did not remove everything from the bore prior to loading. I've both done and seen this happen. Or the breech plug or nipple was clogged slightly. A nipple-pick is a very handy gizmo. I use one every time after loading the main charge before placing a primer - even with my modern inlines.
2) Could have had a bad cap?
3) Powder might not be as fresh and could have drawn moisture over time, which makes ignition more difficult.
4) Too much or incorrect lube on the bolt/plunger/firing pin assembly. As the temperature get's colder, the viscosity of the lube you are using increases. I have seen ML's (and other weapons) either not fire or cycle correctly as a result of over-lubrication and lubes that are not suited for colder temperatures.
5) Should have changed the cap when you dumped in the snow.
6)Can get a very inexpensive breech cover that works like champ and is much less than the cost of a new ML.
7) Combination of thingsthat resultin a mis-fire.

If dead set on a new ML, get what you really want first and you will never regret it. If can't afford due to optics, then go a year or so with open sights until you can get the best opitcs you can afford.

You will rarelyhear ofa cheaper rifle setup fail because of decent optics, but you often hear of a cheap optics failure regardless of the quality of the rifle.

M2C,

Tahquamenon