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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.