Questions about my new CVA Hawken flintlock .50

[Pvt.Joker]

Hi, all.  After reading a bunch of posts here, I finally decided to get a flintlock rifle, and bought a CVA Hawken from a guy I know over on 1919a4.com.  The rifle was owned by his dad, who supposedly only fired it 4 times and it does look like new.  But I have a couple of questions about it.  I realize that my knowledge of flintlocks is limited, but the frizzen seems weird.  When it is open, it sits securely in place.  but when it is closed and the rifle is on half- or full-cock, the frizzen will wiggle around loose enough that if it had powder in it, it would spill out if the rifle was slightly turned off perfectly level and it also can be moved side-to-side.  I can post photos if need be, to help.  Could it be the spring is set too low or otherwise wrong, to not give it tension when in the closed position?  It does make a decent spark when operated, but it just seems to me like it should not be flopping around up there.  Is that normal?  and if not, how do I go about correcting it?  Thanks.

[Cuts Crooked]

Donno about the flathead screw thing, but yer frizzen spring should keep the bottom flat part of the frizzen firmly down over the pan.

Hmmmm? Could what you are seeing in the touch hole be a liner? One of my touch hole liners has a slot for removal with a screwdriver.

[Pvt.Joker]

Cuts, I took the rifle apart before reading this, and the flathead screw is indeed the liner for the touchhole.  The hole in it was plugged with some sort of white residue, which is why I thought it was just a regular screw at first. But I cleaned it with the nipple pick for my revolver, and that seems to have opened it up OK.  But the Frizzen is definitely still wallowing around, even after I bent the spring up slightly to try and tighten it up a bit.  I took out the little screw it pivots on, and the frizzen seems to be too narrow for the channel in the lockplate that it fits in.  Do I need to order a new frizzen and/or spring, or is there some other adjustment that I should be making that I am not aware of?  Thanks.

[Pvt.Joker]

  I *think* I may have figured out part of the problem...  It looks like the frizzen musthave been changed out at some point, and the dang fool used one for a CVA Hawken with the lock on the LEFT-HAND side.  I mean, here's some pictures of it, but you tell me- doesn't that look like it is Bass-Ackwards?





So much for "only shot it 4 times since new", eh?  I'm surprised he could get it to shoot at all, if I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing.

[Cuts Crooked]

I can't see the pics right now because I'm at work and most picture hosts are censored on this system. But you should be able to get a new one from Traditions that will fit it.

Still, you might try it as is to see how it works as is. Wouldn't good fer huntin' but it might be ok fer workin' up loads until you can get a proper one.

[Trapper-Jack]

I think you are right.  It is a frizzen made for a left hand lock.

[necchi]

You got it right alright, that's a left hand frizzen. some friutcake rally had his head where the sun don't shine.

All is not lost, call Deer Creek Products;; 765-525-6181

They picked up all of CVA products and aftermarket stuff after CVA went to in-lines only, they'll have what ya need, probabaly around 20$,, great people to deal with,,no on-web site though.

[Pvt.Joker]

OK; I ordered the correct frizzen and frizzen spring from Deer Creek this morning (along with some accessories) so hopefully in a week or so, I will have something better to work with.  Thanks again, all.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

what in the heck are people thinking when they do something dumb like that? LOL! Man thats the first time i have ever seen something like that!

For flints, CVA may use 1/2" wide flints. I know my cva plainsman did. Measure the width of the frizzen and order either 1/2" or 5/8" depending on how wide it comes up as.

I highly recommend this guy for flints. I bought only a dozen of these and they are still sparking like a SOB!

Made from local white to gray rock, these are rough, tough, and sparky.
1/2" wide x 5/8" long are $8 per dozen.
5/8" wide x 3/4" long are $10 per dozen
3/4" wide x 7/8" long are $12 per dozen
7/8" wide x 1" long are $12 per dozen
1" wide x 1 and 1/8" long are $15 per dozen
1 and 1/8" wide x 1 and 1/4" long are $15 per dozen.
Shipping and handling is generally $1 per dozen, more for larger sizes.
I'll need your name and address in an email with "flints" in the subject
line, and will send you the flints for your inspection with an invoice.  If
these work for you, you can pay by check.  If not what you need, just return them, no questions asked.
Please email me directly: rpierce@im.wustl.edu

[flintlock]

That's funny right there...Just goes to show that you can't fix stupid...

[Pvt.Joker]

That's funny right there...Just goes to show that you can't fix stupid...

Well, I'm going to have to try, in this example...    I just hope that once I get the new one in and fit it to the pan, that it fixes the problem.  But according to the seller, his dad bought it new and only tried to use it the 4 times, so that (according to him) is how it came from the factory.  And judging from the lack of wear on the rest of the parts, maybe it did.  If that IS the case, then all the talk of how the quality control stunk on the Spanish CVA guns is even worse than I thought.  I guess maybe Paublo just grabbed whatever piece was handy when it was being assembled?

[Pvt.Joker]

OK; got the new frizzen in and installed.  Also bought a new frizzen spring, but it was so tight that the hammer had problems kicking it all the way open when firing, so I am going to try the old spring with the new correct side frizzen and see what I get (once I get a chance to take it out to the range).  I also bought some Hornaday .490 lead balls, some Goex 4f for priming and 3f for the main charge (and also for my cap and ball revolver), a starting ball, a cleaning accessory kit, a flintock primer tube and a measured loading tube.  So I guess now all I need to shoot it otherwise is some pillow ticking from Wal-Mart, right?

Well, that and enough luck not to blow my extremites off...      Anything I am forgetting?  Also, any suggestions as to what to start for a load on the 3f main charge, and for the prime charge on the CVA Hawken?  How much recoil should I expect from this?  And what about the CVA 1860 Army with the 3f powder?  These are my first black powder guns, so bear with me please on the noob questions, thanks.

[necchi]

60-65 grns will get ya started, work loads up or down in 5grn icrements to find the best load for your gun.
Kicks less than a 12 ga shotgun, these guns are heavy,, they "push" more than kick.
The key to a flintlock aka;rocktosser is getting the flint/frizzen to spark good,,others should chime in with help for that.
You won't need any more than 85-90 grains of 3f in that thing,,you'll be pushing recommened max load at 90. You'll find a "most accurate load" before you reach that point.
Good luck,,have fun

p.s. DON'T wipe the frizzen with your thumb,,and watch out for people or open powder containers to your right! fire and burnin stuff WILL shoot out that little hole buy the lock called the "vent",,oh, and pick the vent after loading the powder and before ya prime,,it needs to be open and not plugged with powder.