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CVA Flintlock
coachs
Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
I have a cva 50Cal flintlock which I can't get it to spark. I have changed frizzen spring, flints but still can't get it to spark. What does everyone thing the problem is? Thanks
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I have a cva 50Cal flintlock which I can't get it to spark. I have changed frizzen spring, flints but still can't get it to spark. What does everyone thing the problem is? Thanks
If you're using new flints of the correct size, and the lock won't spark, odds are that either the face of your frizzen has worn through the hardened exterior, or that your hammer fall is weak. The frizzen spring helps with sparking, but I've snapped locks with no frizzen spring installed and if the flint is sharp and the frizzen properly hardened there will still be a decent amount of sparks. I build and work on muzzleloaders as a sort of profitable hobby, so I've had the good fortune to be able to play around with a larger number of different locks than most shooters.
I don't know if CVA frizzens are hardened all the way through or are simply casehardened. In the latter case, with enough use the casehardening will wear away, leaving soft metal exposed that won't create sparks. Have you noticed your flints wearing out quicker than normal, or the face of your frizzen showing distinct gouges where the flint strikes it? Either or both cases would be symptoms of a soft frizzen.
If your hammer fall is weak, there are a couple of possible causes for this. One, the tumbler, mainspring, or the hammer itself are coming in contact with the wood of your stock, creating a drag that will slow the hammer fall. Rifles that are outdoors a lot, especially in damp-to-wet weather, can have slight swelling of the wood occur in the area of the lock. Take your lock off and check the mortice for signs of any moving parts coming in contact with the wood. Usually a slight amount of scoring or polishing, from the metal rubbing the wood, will be visible. A small, sharp chisel used CAREFULLY is ideal for scraping the swollen wood down.
The other major cause of slow hammer fall is a weak mainspring. The line of rifles marketed under the CVA, Traditions, Jukar, and other brand names are inexpensive guns, good for the price but not of the highest quality, and their springs aren't the most powerful to begin with. A new mainspring is an easy fix -- Dixie Gun Works sells CVA springs that are usually close to being a drop-in replacement. I would check that the lock parts aren't in contact with the wood, and that the flints you're using are sharp and of correct size (and that the frizzen face is still good) before actually buying any more parts.
If you don't mind spending quite a few bucks to enhance your rifle's performance, L&R sells a line of locks designed to be replacements for the factory units on CVA, Lyman, T/C, and other rifles. They're called RPL locks and are carried by most of the major muzzleloading parts distributors (Dixie, Track Of The Wolf, and others). A search for "L&R RPL locks" ought to turn up several sources, so you can compare prices -- expect to pay somewhat over a hundred dollars for a flint lock, and my understanding is that they usually take a little re-inletting of the lock mortice to fit, due to differences in the shape and size of the internal parts.
Hope this is of some help.