CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Greatings all!

Im a bit of a lurker and a newby blackpowder shooter. I picked up a CVA Hawkins rifle for cheap. I was looking for some disassembly instructions. I found the for T/C ones but not for CVA. I guess my two big questions are about the wedge pins and barrel. The T/C's have one wedge pin this guy has two. Do they come all the way out or do they stay in the stock just a "tad". The other question is about the barrel - does it come off? The T/C's have the hooked breach dunno about this guy. Mine has what I think is a low serial number 0054xx6.

Thanks to all!

John

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Yours has two wedge pins your saying? To remove the barrel knock out all the way both wedge keys. Remove the ramrod as well from the thimble rib as this can hold the barrel in. Then cock your hammer all the way back off the nipple or if its a flintlock, cock that flintlock to move it off the frizzen. Now grab the barrel in front of the wood stock. Lift straight up. You CVA might have what's known as a button breech. Its still a hooked breech but looks a little different. The button on the end of the barrel goes in and under the lip of the tang (the part that is screwed to the back of the stock that the barrel locks into).

After you have the barrel off, its easy to clean. Wipe it down on the outside with oil. Take a Q-tip and put some oil in that and be sure to wipe inside the tang lock hole. That can rust. Pay special attention to the back end of the barrel and don't miss that. When your ready to put the barrel back, just reverse the steps. Put the button in the tang and as you move it down it will slide back ward into the tang and lock in there as the barrel moves down into the stock. If you done it right, the barrel and tang will close real tight and the barrel can be put back into the stock. Kind of squeeze the barrel to the stock and replace the wedge pins, ramrod, and your have re assembled it. Be fore to close the hammer or cock on the flint lock to take the pressure off the springs when you store it. And then wipe the outside of all the metal parts off and your done.

CVA does have on line manuals you can download in PDF format.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

jfg - I assume you're lloking to clean it. Just follow Cayugad's instructions. And when he said to lift the barrel straight up - lift up as if you were lifting the muzzle 90 degrees of the stock (not straight out from the butt).
If you're going to clean it, get a bucket or 3 lb coffee can and fill it about 3/4 full with hot soapy water (dawn dish detergent is great) and put the barrel in breach end first and let it soak for a few mins. I am assuming you have a percussion cap so yo will need a nipple wrench or a small wrench to take off the nipple. When you get the nipple off, put the breach end of the barrel back into the water. Put the appropriate jag on the ramrod or range rod and wet a patch and place it over the muzzle. Start working the patch throught the bore. A little at a time with short strokes. Once you reach the bottom you can begin working the patch in longer strokes. This will create a vacuum and start sucking water out of the container and flush the barrel. When you are satisfied that the barrel is clean, you can pour hot clean water down the muzzle to rinse it out. Dry the barrel thoroughly (It will be hot so a couple dry patches followed by an alcohol patch and dry patch should be sufficient.) Clean the outside of the barrel around the nipple area to remove any residue. Dry and give the entire barrel a light coat of oil. Apply some antisieze to the nipple threads and reinstall. Then coat the inside of the bore with either bore butter or a high quality gun oil. Reassemble.
Note: the wedge pins should be snug but not too tight. Try flipping them over if they are too loose or too tight. You don't want them to fall out nor do you want to have to tap them in with a mallet. A firm thumb pressure should be all that is needed. You can bend them slightly if you must by laying on a flat surface and tipping them in the center with a mallet until you get the proper fit.
Sounds like a lot of info but once you do it a couple times, its easy.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Thanks all!! One more clarification - the wedge pins are not coming all the way out. The ends that are inserted are a tad buggerd. Should I get a bigger hammer? I have tried a claw on the other end.

Im just concerned about breaking something.

John

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

jfg - the wedge pins should come out fairly easily. I don't know what you mean by buggered up. Perhaps a pic would help.
The wedge pin is simply a piece of brass that has an oval or rectangular head about 1/2" x 1/4". It is about 1 - 1 1/4" long and flat (the flat portion is about 3/8" wide x 3/32" thick). and has a hard taper on the end. (Sort of like a tiny log splitter)
I don't know why anyone would have intentionally flattened the beveled end unless they didn't intend on ever taking them out.
Did you get them out far enough to remove the barrel? Did you get them through the one brass oval screwed onto the stock that it goes through? If you got it through that it should go through the mating slot under the barrel. I suggest that you take the two little screws out of the opposite oval that the wedge pins go through and then finish removing the pins. This way you won't pull the screws out and strip the holes in the stock. Then reshape the bevel on the wedge pin with a file. Let us know it you need some more help.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Thanks again for all the help. Here is a picture of the "buggered" ends. Looks as if it has been hammered.




This is as far as the pins come out.



When I look into the hole it does not appear as if it clears anything. The barrel is fast in place. No wiggle or movement. I am trying to raise the barrel up like when you are removing the barrel/action from an M14. I got nuthin.

It was a cheap buy (100$ from a pawn shop). If nothing it will look good on the fireplace!

John

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

thats a cva mountain rifle. looks to be a maple stock and beat to hell[&:]

Call this place to replacement parts, Deer Creek - 765-525-6181

Also visit here to learn how to take the mountain rifle down and clean it.
http://thepowerbeltforum.powerguild....-have-t358.htm

Those mountain rifles are EXCELLENT rifles! I own one now in .58cal and a spare .54cal barrel.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Well, you know what I would do? On the side where you got the wedge pins out, remove those brass ovals then take a hacksaw and cut the heads off the wedge pins and push them back through.There is a bigger hole in the stock for them to come back through. Replacements are only a couple bucks. That will save you alot of grief.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

WOW! that has seen some hammering. Normally those will slide through the escutcheon plates. I am wondering if you took a thin blade ora ice pick of sort, ifyou could not drive then out. And when you get them out, REPLACE them.

Since they did fit through one side of the escutcheon plate they "should" fit through the other, but I hate to tell to drive them through in case something is damaged.

So I will leave it to you. Normally they do side through and out. Its up to you if you want to try to drive them through. And yes that is one of the old Mountain Rifles.. you have a great rifle there.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Cayugad - looks like he is bending those plates. I think removing the plates and cutting the heads off is the safest route. Those wedge pins are a mess. New ones are definately in order.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

plates--> 3.50each
wedge pins --> 3.50 each

I am on the back side of build. can tell you same good sellers on ebay that are carrying those parts.

track of the wolf has those parts too as well dixie gun works.

I'll go with bronko, cut those wedge pins off. order an stock from deer creek.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

bronko your right. I did not see that. I would pound them back in as far and they would go, and out would come the dremel tool.. after that I would sent them back through and get some new ones.

I wonder how they ever got so buggered up like that?

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Yeah - like I said it was beat to hell when I bought it. The plates have been battered. I will cut the pins off and let you folks know. I really appreciate the info. Big extra thanks for the links!

John

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

I cut the pins and pushed them through. Barrel cam right out! I will order replacement parts tomorrow.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

sounds like a good start on that rifle. Could you get of more pics of it? I love the mountain rifles.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Sure - Here are more pictures. Again - I picked up the rifle from a pawn shop last week. I think I got a good deal. A couple of years ago I found a mountain pistol at a antique/flea market. It was in the original box with the what I believe is everything in it. It is kinda funny that I found two Mountain models for my collection - a matched set. Hmmmm... what other mountain things do I need now?















Hi-res images can be found here

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e7...owder/highres/

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

Awesome find on the mtn pistol!! They are hard to come by these days.

Yep that mountain rifles got a curly maple stock to boot! If you ever refinish it, get rid of that ring thats around the cheek piece, thats a kit rifle and that ugly curve was left there for us to deal with.

Heres my .58/.54 combo Mountain rifle. I used a different trigger guard to allow the use of my glove. Mine is an early model mountain rifle with a toe plate and a differently shaped stock.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

That definately is a CVA mountain rifle. It appears that what has happened is the pin had been hammered on (Opposite end from the head of the pin) so much that it has expanded to the point that it will not pass through the tennon under the barrel. Pull the pins out enough to saw off the heads and push them through from the opposite side.. You can buy replacemant wedges and other CVA parts at: thegunworks.com

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

The close-up photo of theends of the pins makes it look as though the underside of the forestock is cracked. If that is a crack and not a long scratch, I'd say someone bent the pins to try to suck the barrel down into the stock, but ended up putting so much stress on the wood that it cracked. Could also be that the barrel channel isn't inlet properly or the forestock was very warped.

If it is a crack, I would get some epoxy in there and find a way to clamp it until the glue dries, then figure out if the stock is straight or can be corrected. If not, you can get another stock.

RE: CVA Hawkins Disassembly?
 

One additional thing I'll mention is that barrel has a 1:66 twist which is a roundball shooter. Once you get it fixed up you will have a fine rifle. I built a big bore mountain rifle in 54 caliber from a kit back about 1980. It is still a very accurate and powerful rifle.