Re: MtMan-List: Old CVA Pistols

[mxhbc@TTACS.TTU.EDU (Henry B. Crawford)]

Since I started this discussion, I'd better jump in here.  I must have been
darn lucky.  I've been shooting my CVA mountain rifle for 11 years with no
problems.  Even took a deer with it.

I must beg to differ with my colleagues on CVA quality.  The two CVA guns I
have are not junk.  I am sorry to offend, but both turned out to be good
shooters.  Maybe my standards are not as high, or I just have a way with
"inferior" guns.  It's like taking a stray dog and turning him into a
champion.  All it takes is work.

As for the pistol, I took it apart, cleaned and oiled everything, check all
parts for signs of fatigue (always do that when you buy a used firearm) and
took it out for a trial shoot over the weekend.  I used a low charge of 15
grains of 2F without a bullet to test ignition a couple of times, then the
same thing with 25 grains.  Next I cleaned it out and used 25 grains with a
patched ball, and again it worked fine.  I fired two more times with
patched balls and no problems.  Then I took it completely apart and checked
all parts again.

I wasn't target shooting, per se.  I was firing at a small prickly-pear
cactus and hit it twice.  It performed ok.  Just think what I can do after
I set the sights and practice.  We all know that pistols don't generally
hit much beyond 30-40 feet, so I wasn't looking for this one to perform
great first time out.

The moral is treat your guns right and they'll treat you right.  Anyone can
shoot well with a superior rifle, but the person that can take a mediocre
firearm and work with it to make it perform well, is no slouch either.  If
it works for you, that's all that matters.  And CVA guns (so far) work for
me.

BTW, among my fur trade era guns I have a Navy Arms flinter, which also
shoots well.

Cheers,
HBC

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Henry B. Crawford        Curator of History
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