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HAVE THIS PISTOL (YOU BUILD IT) KIT. IS IT WORTH BUILDING TO SHOOT OR JUST FOR DISPLAY? JUST CURIOUS.THANKS FOR ANY IMPUT.
20 YR OLD KENTUCKY PISTOL KIT
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what brand? CVA, Traditions, Ultra Hi, FIE, Armsport? What does it say on the barrel. can you post a picture of the lock and parts.
Many many years ago, Odin Int'l sold a few Kentucky pistols and kits that were strictly for "Theatrical use" A few other companies also sold look alike guns strictly as wall hangers.
CVA and Traditions were made in Spain and say so on the barrel. Armsport and a few others were made in Italy and Ultra Hi was made in Japan.
All of the CVA/Traditions, Armsport, Pedersoli & Ultra Hi etc were meant to be shooters. Although some from the late 1960s and early 1970's had some really bad internal lock parts. (the locks would fail before the barrel.) I have an several 25 to 30 yr old CVA catelogues and an old Navy Arms Cat. let us know what it says.
Many many years ago, Odin Int'l sold a few Kentucky pistols and kits that were strictly for "Theatrical use" A few other companies also sold look alike guns strictly as wall hangers.
CVA and Traditions were made in Spain and say so on the barrel. Armsport and a few others were made in Italy and Ultra Hi was made in Japan.
All of the CVA/Traditions, Armsport, Pedersoli & Ultra Hi etc were meant to be shooters. Although some from the late 1960s and early 1970's had some really bad internal lock parts. (the locks would fail before the barrel.) I have an several 25 to 30 yr old CVA catelogues and an old Navy Arms Cat. let us know what it says.
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I CAN DO THAT.I'LL POST THE INFO TOMORROW AM.THANKS FOR THE HELP.
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THE PISTOL IS MADE IN SPAIN BUT CVA. # ON THE END OF THE BOX IS KA709, 45 CAL. .440 ROUND BALL ON THE BARREL #0062651
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9,480 Posts
Sounds like you got a shooter.
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I don't know that there is a serial number guide to track down the year made for CVA.
CVA Kentucky Pistols used two different lock styles during their production. The very early ones had poorly tempered internal parts and the parts frequently wore out prematurely. They switched to a better lock with an adjustable sear around 1973. Slightly later, they used the same lock plates, but had better internal parts including a fly in the tumbler and a bridle. The later lock plates were what is commonly called a Maislin style. As CVA got further into production, they used better quality rilfling and by 1990, the rifling they used was the best of any in production guns for round ball shooting, The 1984 Catalogue Color case hardened lock plate Internal features: screw adjustable sear engagement, authenttic V-type main spring. Stock: select hardwood, Barrel 10 1/4 inch Oct, 7/8 across the flats Rifling eight lands, deep grooves
Trigger early style
Front sight: dovetail, brass blade
rear sight: fixed open dovetail
Finsish: solid brass trigger guard, nose cap and thimbles
Accessories: stainless steel nipple or flash hole liner, hardwood ram rod with brass tips
Length OA 15 1/4 inches
Weight: 40oz
45 cal perc finished $94.95
45 cal perc kit $62.95
45 Flint kit $73.95
KA709 was the manufacturer's stock/model number for the 45 perc kit
The CVA Kentucky Pistol kit (flint) that I got in 1973 had no letters or numbers engraved on the barrel. At that time is was pretty much a bag of parts inside a funky wood grained colored card board box.
Although That CVA company went through a bankruptcy and stopped production of the earlier side lock pistols. The same locks and many of the parts were used on several other CVA models and to this day on somee traditions models. So parts can usually be found.
The ram rod that comes with the kit, it pretty much for looks. I would make up a completely new range road for loading and cleaning. Get some straight grained hickory doweling about 14 inches long in 3/8 or 11/32 and firmly attach a good wooden knob or handle to one end and a combo cleaning jag ram/rod end on the other end. If you ever dry ball in that gun, you will need the sturdiesst set up possible to pull the ball.
A patched round ball, 440 or 445 and 20 grains of 3fg should be a good starter load. If it has the deep round ball rifling, I would use the 440 ball and a thick cotton flannel patch. They had some pretty deep rifling to seal. You can probably use the same ball starter that you use for your rifle.
CVA Kentucky Pistols used two different lock styles during their production. The very early ones had poorly tempered internal parts and the parts frequently wore out prematurely. They switched to a better lock with an adjustable sear around 1973. Slightly later, they used the same lock plates, but had better internal parts including a fly in the tumbler and a bridle. The later lock plates were what is commonly called a Maislin style. As CVA got further into production, they used better quality rilfling and by 1990, the rifling they used was the best of any in production guns for round ball shooting, The 1984 Catalogue Color case hardened lock plate Internal features: screw adjustable sear engagement, authenttic V-type main spring. Stock: select hardwood, Barrel 10 1/4 inch Oct, 7/8 across the flats Rifling eight lands, deep grooves
Trigger early style
Front sight: dovetail, brass blade
rear sight: fixed open dovetail
Finsish: solid brass trigger guard, nose cap and thimbles
Accessories: stainless steel nipple or flash hole liner, hardwood ram rod with brass tips
Length OA 15 1/4 inches
Weight: 40oz
45 cal perc finished $94.95
45 cal perc kit $62.95
45 Flint kit $73.95
KA709 was the manufacturer's stock/model number for the 45 perc kit
The CVA Kentucky Pistol kit (flint) that I got in 1973 had no letters or numbers engraved on the barrel. At that time is was pretty much a bag of parts inside a funky wood grained colored card board box.
Although That CVA company went through a bankruptcy and stopped production of the earlier side lock pistols. The same locks and many of the parts were used on several other CVA models and to this day on somee traditions models. So parts can usually be found.
The ram rod that comes with the kit, it pretty much for looks. I would make up a completely new range road for loading and cleaning. Get some straight grained hickory doweling about 14 inches long in 3/8 or 11/32 and firmly attach a good wooden knob or handle to one end and a combo cleaning jag ram/rod end on the other end. If you ever dry ball in that gun, you will need the sturdiesst set up possible to pull the ball.
A patched round ball, 440 or 445 and 20 grains of 3fg should be a good starter load. If it has the deep round ball rifling, I would use the 440 ball and a thick cotton flannel patch. They had some pretty deep rifling to seal. You can probably use the same ball starter that you use for your rifle.
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12,138 Posts
Incidentally, I can't think of a better kit for an introduction to putting a muzzleloader together. and finishing the stock and metal.
The primary tool is patience. The worst mistake you can make is using a power tool on it. (Except maybe a buffing wheel on the brass and barrel. )
Sometimes, with CVA kits it was a little difficult to line up the tang bolt and tang with the trigger plate, so that the bolt would screw in.
The primary tool is patience. The worst mistake you can make is using a power tool on it. (Except maybe a buffing wheel on the brass and barrel. )
Sometimes, with CVA kits it was a little difficult to line up the tang bolt and tang with the trigger plate, so that the bolt would screw in.
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WOW THANKS FOR ALL THE INFO.MY FATHER GAVE THIS TO ME A WHILE AGO. OF COURSE THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS AND THE BARRAL HAS SURFACE RUST IT IS SOAKING AS I SPEAK.I'M GONNA PRINT OUT THIS COMMENTARY OF WHAT YOU WROTE FOR WHEN I GO HOME.I HAVE EMAILED CVA WITH THE INFO FROM THE PISTOL TO SEE IF I CAN GET THE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS.IS THERE A CERTAIN STAIN FOR THE STOCK AND DOES THE BARRAL NEED BLUEING? I WOULD TAKE YOU NEED EXTRA FINE SAND PAPER TOO.
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CVA JUST EMAILED ME BACK THEY SAY THEY DISCONTIUED THE "SIDE LOCK" AND SOLD IN 2004 ALL PARTS TO DEER CREEK PRODUCTS 765-525-6181. THEY ARE IN INDIANA.
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12,138 Posts
The stain and finish process is the same for a large gun as a pistol, you are just working with smaller length pieces. Chuck Dixon wrote a book about building Muzzleloaders about 30 yrs ago. I think it costs about 24 bucks. Seriously get or borrow a copy. I suppose it may be available through some libraries. It is almost in a comic book format, but gives excellent instructions and illustrations on how to draw file the barrel and to do the finish inletting, on stains etc.
I guarantee that the book is worth the money and covers things far better than CVA instructions ever did.
Figure it this way. If you really concentrate on doing a super primo job, which will take around 15 hours if you really get persnickity. Figure your time at $10 an hour. The book will save you at least 2 or 3 hours. I really went all out when I did mine. It probably took me 20 hours. (My dad had been a cabinet maker and when it came to inlets and finishing, he really made me do a good job. I sanded that stock several times, down to the point of using 800 grit emery cloth. The barrel was draw filed, polished with 800 grit and then carefully buffed with flitz to a mirror finish, before I browned the barrel. I polished the brass, cleaned it and sprayed it with a thin coating of poly something, so the brass wouldn't tarnish. It worked. I was offerred a Lyman GPR for the finished pistol ten years later, and swapped. The Lyman was a good gun, but I should have kept the pistol.
I guarantee that the book is worth the money and covers things far better than CVA instructions ever did.
Figure it this way. If you really concentrate on doing a super primo job, which will take around 15 hours if you really get persnickity. Figure your time at $10 an hour. The book will save you at least 2 or 3 hours. I really went all out when I did mine. It probably took me 20 hours. (My dad had been a cabinet maker and when it came to inlets and finishing, he really made me do a good job. I sanded that stock several times, down to the point of using 800 grit emery cloth. The barrel was draw filed, polished with 800 grit and then carefully buffed with flitz to a mirror finish, before I browned the barrel. I polished the brass, cleaned it and sprayed it with a thin coating of poly something, so the brass wouldn't tarnish. It worked. I was offerred a Lyman GPR for the finished pistol ten years later, and swapped. The Lyman was a good gun, but I should have kept the pistol.
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What a coincidence! I inherited a CVA Kentucky pistol kit a couple of years ago and finally got around to working on it just the other day. One thing I'm scratching my head over is that the recess for the tang seems to be too deep. When the barrel is set into the stock, the tang is depressed well below the wood, causing the barrel to ride at a bit of an angle in the stock. That also makes the touch hole set too low in the pan, and makes the tang bolt fit in too long so that it interferes with the trigger guard. Any thoughts on how to build the recess back up? Wood shim? Epoxy? (Who knows what work may have been started on this before I got it?)
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