3 muzzle loaders looking for information

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saitek11

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I picked these up from someone with some other firearms. I kept 2 that I like, but I would like to sell these 3. Black powder or muzzle loaders are not my area of expertise. any help in identifying them and their value would be helpful. I am told they are Connecticut valley arms, one is flintlock, the others are percussion. The orginal owner has passed away so that avenue is not available to me.
Thanks in advance.



 
If they are CVA, it will say so somewhere on the barrel. the two with the tiger maple stocks are nice and do not represent a CVA to me, but they could be. the percussion with the tiger stripe looks like it has a replacement lock plate and has nice detail work on it. the lefty flint gun is also not screaming CVA either, but does lack a cheek piece and has a thin butt plate. i could be wrong. pull the barrels off and most of the info you need will be on there. the walnut stocked one definatly looks CVA but with some custom inlays, but once again, i could be wrong. i like that .40 cal and the lefty flinter
 
gunsaholic said:
On that 40 caliber percussion, what is stamped on the barrel in front of the number 40?
Click to expand...

I can't make that out either but it sort of looks like the Green Mountain symbol.

The lock plate on maple percussion looks L&R to me with the hammer possibly being CVA.

While not very familiar with the CVA models and history those don't look like their stuff to me at all. Seems really unlikely they would have made a lefty flinter or anything in .40 caliber.

More clear pictures of the markings and features might help.
 
vagrantviking said:
I can't make that out either but it sort of looks like the Green Mountain symbol.

The lock plate on maple percussion looks L&R to me with the hammer possibly being CVA.

While not very familiar with the CVA models and history those don't look like their stuff to me at all. Seems really unlikely they would have made a lefty flinter or anything in .40 caliber.

More clear pictures of the markings and features might help.
Click to expand...

I agree. I don't think any of them are CVA rifles.If they were, there would be CVA identification on them somewhere. Usually right on the barrel it would say Connecticut Valley Arms. Early guns would be marked "Made in USA" and later guns would have Spanish markings on them somewhere, such as Spanish proof marks or the word "Spain". The inside of the locks would also have Spanish markings if the guns were Spanish origin, unless of course the lock was replaced. To me anyway, nothing really indicates CVA. I think the percussion gun with the tiger stripes is a gun built by somebody.
 
They all seem to possibly be hand made, I like the lefty as I am a lefty, looks like it may not have been finished, the brass on the right side hasn't been inlaid andcmaybe shouldn't be, not sure but the way it is attached looks a bit odd.
 
bobdbldr said:
They all seem to possibly be hand made, I like the lefty as I am a lefty, looks like it may not have been finished, the brass on the right side hasn't been inlaid andcmaybe shouldn't be, not sure but the way it is attached looks a bit odd.
Click to expand...

There were rifles made where the plate on the opposite side wasn't inlaid. Whether that is the case with this gun or the builder just didn't take the time, who knows. But I also think they are hand built guns.
 
i`ve been studying the few photos, and have to agree that the lefty flinter at least is handmade. the side plate is located in an odd position, and the area around the lock itself is not very well done. easy enough for anyone with a little woodworking skill to balance out and refine. i`d like to see more pics, and the brassiere is a nice touch.....
 
The lock in the first pic looks like a small Siler that has had the hammer replaced with one from a (maybe) factory gun - it's stamped or cast that way (doesn't look like real engraving/case hardened unlike the lock itself.

The last pic clearly shows a Green Mountain 40 cal barrel.

The sight shown in a couple of the pics looks like a Jaeger style sight that is sold by many of the builders supply places.

I would say these are "homemade" whether by a hobby builder or semi-pro (sells a few). With the gaps in the inletting that is apparent, particularly around the lock in the first pick it didn't come from the bench of one of the many notable contemporary builders.

So what you may have is about $800 bucks worth of parts, assembled into a rifle(s) by an unknown builder.

If it's done well it may be worth the cost of the parts. If not, or if the bores are not in great shape you have rifles worth a couple hundred bucks.

If that same collection of parts was put together by a respected builder you could have rifles that start at 3K and go up from there...
 
if you are going to use them for beat around guns, they are fine. if you want nice beat around guns, they need to be restocked. a lot of wood is left on except where too much wood was removed like around the locks and at the breech area where the barrel is inlet. not sure you could fix the gaps in maple like that. if they were walnut you could do it and have an almost invisible repair.
 
Yes, lot's of work to fix the gaps. Personally (and only if the gun had sentimental value to me, ie. was dad's gun or something) I would pull the lock, fill in the whole mortise with another piece of maple (epoxy in place - would never match but) and then re-inlet the lock.

It will function with the gap, just looks (amateur).

More than likely, if I had stumbled upon these I would tear them down, recycle the parts and restock (but I hobby build so not a big deal for me). If you could ascertain "for sure" the brand/make of the parts you could get a precarved stock from a place like Track of the Wolf - still lot's of work to do with one of those, but it's doable if you have some woodworking skills...
 
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