If your CVA is the Made in USA variety (it should say so on the barrel) then you have a fine shooter. If it's made in Spain, not so high a quality but still a good intro-rifle. As long as you use black powder or Pyrodex, it will hold the pressures quite nicely - as long as it's in good shape.īEFORE YOU SHOOT IT. To check, remove the ramrod under the barrel and push it down the barrel until it stops solid.Ĭheck to see if it's still loaded! Don't laugh, a lot of people are surprised to find that a muzzleloading rifle still contains powder and projectile. Now, make a tiny mark on the ramrod at the end of the muzzle. Remove the ramrod and lay it alongside the barrel, with your tiny mark matched up to the muzzle. If there's a gap or 2 inches or more between the end of the ramrod and the nipple (percussion) or touchhole (flintlock) then chances are it's still loaded. It's not unknown to find an old, original rifle with a load still in it that may be century or two old. And yes, black powder is still active even after centuries. Ensure there is no copper cap on the nipple or remove the powder from the flintlock's pan.

Then, call your local gunsmith and ask if he can remove the load. I don't suggest you shoot it out, because the bore may have rusted heavily since it was loaded. The friction of a rusted, pitted bore can raise pressures. Plus, you have NO idea what the load is.Īlernatively, you can buy a screw that threads into the end of your ramrod, called a worm. You can push this down the bore, turn the screw so it bites and embeds itself deeply into the lead ball, then drag out the ball. To make this easier, squirt a little WD-40 or other penetrating oil down the bore and let the rifle sit overnight upright. This will loosen the load, probably deaden the powder, and make removal of the ball and patch easier. It sounds easy but for a beginner it may be best to spend a few bucks and have a gunsmith remove the load.

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