Another Rifle Build

[Jeff Higgins]

This one is an old (probably 1980's era) "Kentucky Rifle" kit from CVA, or Connecticut Valley Arms. It was, at the time, one of the cheapest of the cheap Spanish imports, when a number of companies were selling imported kits from both there and Italy. Pretty low quality hardware, wood better suited to a canoe paddle. None of these were in any way representative any historical piece from any period or location, even if they were a "Kentucky", or "Pennsylvania", or "Hawken", or whatever. Not even close. Just cheap knock-offs at best.

These were marketed to folks with no skills or prior experience, touted as being complete enough that all they had to do was apply the wood finish of their choice, finish the barrel, drill a few holes, and assemble. It could certainly be done that way, and maybe some (or most) who purchased a kit of this quality would be happy with it. It would at least be functional and safe, and maybe ultimately pique an interest in exploring the "deeper end of the pool" in muzzle loading, which is never a bad thing.

A buddy's wife picked it up maybe a decade ago at a garage sale for $25. She thought it would be a fun project for him. He took one look and decided there was nothing he could do with it. On top of the overall quality of the kit, it was missing some key parts. So it sat until last fall, when he asked me if maybe I can salvage something from it. So I went to work.

This thing was actually a much bigger challenge than the Hawken build I chronicled here. It was, unfortunately, "fully inletted", which was a big selling point of these lower end kits. The stock was "fully shaped" as well, which presented its own problems, because both were so poorly executed. That, and the barrel having sat unprotected for so long, it was pretty rusty and pitted.

I told him I would do my best. I was able to source parts online. I have a few tricks up my sleeve for making up for the poor work done at the factory. As much work as the Hawken was, due to its lack of shaping and inletting, it's actually easier to get good results if we are left more of it to do. Correcting problems is harder than if they didn't try at all.

Anyway, enough of that. Here it is, in all its glory. I plan on shooting it next week and getting it zeroed for him before I present it to him. Hopefully I can find a load it likes. It's a .45 caliber round ball shooter. Its maximum loads are apparently on the low side, but that's o.k. It will never be anything more than just a fun plinker. And, well, if he likes shooting it and catches the bug, maybe I'll get to build something really nice for him...

[herr_oberst]

I think it's pretty cool. You could call it a "Working Kentucky rifle-shaped object in 3D"

Nice of you to put the effort in and get a good result.

Any chance you have any build sequence photos?

[HardDrive]

Nice work! The wood indeed looks like Ikea grade lumber.

[Jeff Higgins]

Sorry, no build pics on this one. I just wasn't inspired to take any. This was a favor for a friend, and I just wasn't all that excited about all the cool stuff that came with it. Because there wasn't any.

I did manage to impart some "personality" to the wood. It is far, far more plain than it came out. Some tricks with staining it and such. It quite literally could have been an Ikea bed frame or something.

Notice the piece of brass halfway between the lock and the ramrod entry pipe. The stock is actually two pieces. Not even from the same tree, they shaped and sanded differently, absorbed the stain differently, and other challenges. This was done to cut costs in manufacturing and shipping. A single piece of good gunstock wood of the length required for a "full stock" rifle would have not met the price point they sought. So, there are two steel dowel pins joining the front and back, with a brass plate in-between. Ingenious, in a way, I guess.

[pwd72s]

Considering what you had to work with? Well done!