CVA Hawken

drache

drache

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Picked one up at the local gunshow. The triggers appear to be loose so sometimes the hammer doesn't stay back. Wondering how to tighten the triggers back up.
 
Try lossening the bolts that go through the lock and the bolt that comes up through the rear tang. Play around a bit with the bolts tensions and your hammer drop problem may go away. CVA Hawkens were often inletted a bit too much and over tighterning of the bolts can cause the problem you are describing. When you find the cause, a small shim in the correct place (often under the trigger guard) will eliminate the problem.
 
Loaded should make no difference on a muzzleloader. If it has set triggers back off the adjustment screw between the triggers.

If not boolitcaster is probably on the right track. Pull the trigger guard and play with shims and screw tension till you find the right clearance.

Happy Shooting!
 
vagrantviking said:
Loaded should make no difference on a muzzleloader. If it has set triggers back off the adjustment screw between the triggers.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the two mini screws in the picture below? They are very lose. But yeah, unloaded I cannot make the hammer fall without pulling the triggers. Loaded though we were having a tough time keeping the hammer back. The triggers have a lot of side to side play. Gun fired nicely though and I'm in love.

Paid $200 for it with about 200 cast balls, patches, and new tin of percussion caps.
 
Ok so now the gun is totally FUBAR'd. The hammer will go into half #### but not full ####. I didn't change anything when this happened. I took off the trigger guard and tried playing with the two small screws near the triggers and that doesn't change a thing.

What else can I do?
 
drache said:
Ok so now the gun is totally FUBAR'd. The hammer will go into half #### but not full ####. I didn't change anything when this happened. I took off the trigger guard and tried playing with the two small screws near the triggers and that doesn't change a thing.

What else can I do?
Click to expand...

I suspect your mainspring is broken.
This happened to my Browning Mountain Rifle.
I happened to remember watching (on TV) the muzzleloader rifle matches at Friendship, Inidiana and a repair booth run by L&R Lock Company out of SC was present.
They fixed any and all muzzleloading rifles that were brought to them.
My rifle was broken in middle November, and before XMas was here, I received it back (just the lock) repaired and a copy of the repair slip & bill of $78 US dollars. (an extra spare mainspring included at my request)
I recommend them wholeheartedly.
 
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I'm not seeing the pics. Would probably help. Its usually not too hard to figure out issues in these things when you have it in your hands if you're experienced with them. Usually... But I've seen the guys that build them scratch their heads a long too on occasion.

I can't imagine how having it loaded would change anything the triggers are doing unless the barrel is moving slightly when you ram the ball down. Are the lock and breach solidly mounted? It should be a matter of them being solid and then getting the trigger in the right spot. If its not cocking at all you should take a look at the lock internals to make sure the sear and tumbler aren't worn or chipped also.

I used the same gun for years of rendezvous and seldom had much trouble with it. Lots of fun if you can get the bugs out.
 
Ok, so I fixed the hammer. The rear screw needed to be loosened slightly and the front screw I backed off to the point it fell out. But the hammer works perfectly now. Locks very tightly and the triggers pull nicely in normal at using the rear trigger.

Then the damn ramrod wouldnt go back in. Took the barrel off to find the previous owner never installed the little "spring band" that holds the ramrod in correctly. Got that reinstalled correctly and not the ramrod goes in correctly and is held in.

There is also a part I think is called the bolster or powder drum (heard both terms used)? The part where the nipples screws into anyways. There is a clean out screw on it. Mine looks like it's ready to have the groove strip out. Wondering where I'd find a replacement on that screw.

EDIT:

Ok I thought I fixed the problem with the hammer but it started happening again. Took off the trigger guard and tightened the screw by the rear trigger down and the hammer started working again. I noticed that if the hammer is cocked and I press the rear trigger forward, the hammer drops. So maybe it has something to do with that? I really hope I don't have to send anything away :(
 
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Is it a coil spring in that lock? I'm going just by memory here and haven't even had any of my triggers apart in a few months.

The set trigger works by pulling the rear trigger against spring pressure til it locks with a click that you can feel and hear. The front trigger is the catch that holds it and the little screw between them adjusts the amount of enagement or how far you have to pull the front trigger before the rear snaps up and sets off the lock. Or the front trigger works by itself on the lock when you don't set them. Pressing the rear trigger forward does the same thing as the spring by making it act on the lock.

If you pull the lock and give us a picture of the internals we should be able to tell you if theres anything wrong with the springs. If you can get it to work by changing the tension on the screws its probably alright.
 
Many of the CVA locks (the Maslin style) have a screw on the tumbler to adjust sear engagement. It sounds like your sear is not staying engaged under some circumstances, so the first place i would look is there. A previous owner likely took it in too far.
A tenuous sear engagement could damage the nose of the sear---have a look when you have the lock out.
 
drache said:
Ok so how exactly do I take the lock out. I've gotten as far as having the barrel off. What is holding the lock in?
Click to expand...
To take out the loack there will be a screw on the left side of the gun, maybetwo.
Take theout ot and the lock can be removed.
I've skimmed through most of your posts and it sounds like your trigger group is out of adjustment.
Cat
 
Waba said:
Many of the CVA locks (the Maslin style) have a screw on the tumbler to adjust sear engagement. It sounds like your sear is not staying engaged under some circumstances, so the first place i would look is there. A previous owner likely took it in too far.
A tenuous sear engagement could damage the nose of the sear---have a look when you have the lock out.
Click to expand...

X2 It's a tiny 1 mm screw
 
Suggest you take out the lock and show us a photo of the inside of the the lock with hammer down and with hammer at full ####
The rear screw in the set trigger adjusts the pressure with which the rear trigger strikes the sear arm and needs to be only strong enough to release the sear. That doesn't take much. The screw between the triggers adjusts the engagement of the front trigger that releases the rear one when set. To properly adjust the little screw between he triggers, first set the rear trigger then turn that screw in until the trigger releases. Then back the screw out at least a half turn. Do this with the hammer down as if at half #### you can damage the half-#### notch on the tumbler. Finally, with the lock out of the gun, check the engagement of the sear into the full #### notch in the tumbler. It should fully engage and if there is an adjustment screw, make the adjustment to allow full engagement in the notch then lock the screw with Locktite, nail polish or something similar.
The nipple screws into the Patent breech "Snail". The clean-out screw is probably a metric thread but may be something a simple as a 8-32 machine screw and easily replaced if the slot is messed up. Good luck.
 
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