CVA Kentucky rifle

[Skinny 1950]

I bought a .45 cal. CVA rifle kit which came with a Jukar barrel,the question that I have is about the tube that sticks out which holds the nipple. This tube has flats on it that indicate that it is screwed into the side of the barrel at the breach end. I am having trouble with ignition and suspect that there is a build up of crud in the breach so the question is : Is it part of normal maintenance to unscrew this tube thing or is it going to break off when I try???
This is a picture of the lock from a similar rifle.

 

[Dantforth]

That "tube" is called a nipple. Yes, you can screw it out to make sure it's clear. It should also come out every time you clean the rifle and be put back in with teflon tape on the threads so it will remove easily. If this is a used rifle then you need to make sure that the previous owner has not left a charge in it. You should drop a cleaning rod down until it stops and then take it out and gauge the distance on the outside of the barrel. If the rod is going down to the nipple then the rifle is unloaded. Sometimes the channel which runs from the nipple to the barrel may also be blocked with crud according to whether or not it was ever cleaned properly. Your best bet would be to take the rifle to someone who shoots black powder rifle regularly and have them "school" you. Good luck. Proper cleaning is the life blood of any muzzle loader so get some instructions on that as well. Dave

 

[catnthehatt]

I think he means the drum, Dave, nit the nipple!
The drum can be screwed out, yes, and it sounds like the rifle was not cleaned properly and crudded up, or the hammer spring is a tad weak.
is the cap igniting but not the powder?
If that is the case,make sure before you fire it that you have let the hammer down on the cap and pushed it as far as it will go onto the nipple.
A soft spring and a cap not seated well will mess up ignition as well.
By the picture, the nipple and hammer are not aligned very well, and the cap may not be getting a proper hit by the hammer, more on its side than its edge, that also would cause inconsistent ignition....

Cat

 

[mooncoon]

I suspect that the drum is screwed almost all the way through the barrel to the far side. If it is that kind of drum, there is a small hole in the side of the threads (inside the bore) and that hole plugs up fairly quickly. Probably important to use 3F to reduce fouling. Not much else you can do other than clean with lots of warm water to try to flush out the flash channel.

cheers mooncoon

 

[Papaclaude]

trying to remove the drum could cause you problems. Let it soak in penetrating oil for a good long time before trying. One problem i can see is that the nipple and hammer are not square to each other. If you do get the drum out, try to align the hammer so it strikes the nipple squarely.

 

[Skinny 1950]

The lock in the first picture is not from my rifle, it is an old example of the same one that I have.
The rifle that I have is "brand new " from a kit that has sat around for about 20 years unassembled. The barrel was unused when I got it and I have put about 50 rounds through it so far. The drum was already installed on the barrel when I got it, either by the previous owner or the factory.
I spent a lot of time getting the hammer-nipple alignment just right and the caps go off every time.
After a few shots the "crud" builds up in the drum and prevents the charge from going off. Taking the screw out reveals a solid wall of caked on stuff which can be cleared with a pick.
Maybe what I need are some pipe cleaners from a tobacco store to clean out the passage and then I wont have to take the drum off.
Here is a picture of the actual lock in question:

 

[nessy357]

I've seen this happen on other rifles and fixed the problem by cleaning it differently.
Remove the barrel, and place it in a container with your cleaning solution, making sure the drum is submerged. Let it soak for 30 mins, then using a cleaning patch on your ramrod jagger, siphon the cleaning solution up the barrel, then expel the solution into the container, if you leave the nipple on it will create more pressure which will clean out the drum.
Cheers nessy

 

[Ol' Flinter]

If the drum is plugging up with fouling, remove the end-screw for cleaning and the hot water flush should remove fouling but it may take a bit of fiddling to determine why it plugs up after a few shots because it should be good for dozens or even a hundred shots before it plugs. The hole through the drum should be at last 1/8" diameter and the end of the clean-out screw should not impinge on the nipple. Having said that, if you decide to run a drill into the drum to enlarge that hole, then proof fire the gun before using it again to ensure you haven't weakened the connection between the drum and barrel. It should never be necessary to remove the drum from thr barrel for cleaning but removing the nipple is a standard practice. Teflon tape should not be required anywhere, however a light application of grease on the nipple threads make subsequent removal easy.

 

[Skinny 1950]

Some good suggestions here thanks for the response.
Next Sunday is black powder day at the range ( PCDHFC ) and I am hoping to get some more powder and get a few shots off with the rifle. I will try to remember to take a camera and get a few pictures.