Refinished CVA .45 Mountain Rifle with L & R lock & the CVA Hawken project

I took my .45 CVA Mountain Rifle that I had refinished the stock and reblued and browned the barrel on and replaced the original, worn out lock with an L & R lock to the range. I was using .440" roundballs, 55 grains of FFFG Goex powder, and .010" patches and even though they were lubed with T/C Bore Butter the night before, that load was VERY tight loading it, more so than any other .45 muzzleloader I have. The ranges were 35 yards and 125 yards from a rest.
I also go into my next project, redoing a .50 CVA Hawken rifle I picked up recently for $100 as a project that anyone can do.

[@stuartwear89]

These are great rifles once you replace the cheap locks CVA used . I did the same using an RPL lock.

[@reloadNshoot]

At 2:02 you mention a tenth of an inch patch was used. Thats approximately .100" thick 😮

[@randallross7683]

I have a 54 caliber big bore mountain rifle that I bought back in 1987 it shoots better than me.

[@stuartwear89]

When you replaced the lock

[@johnndavis7647]

That's not a factory CVA barrel is it?

[@Bayan1905]

Factory CVA barrel, L & R lock.

[@johnndavis7647]

@@Bayan1905 So, that rifle was made in 1977 or 78. They only made 45s for the first two years.
Story goes that they used Douglas Barrels in those first rifles.
After they moved production to Spain they only made 50s in the regular mountain rifle.
I started my muzzle-loading career with a Spanish rifle. I wore out the lock and got rid of the gun. This was about 1985.
I've had more than a dozen rifles since then.
I picked up Unfired 45 CVA mountain rifle last year. I bought it just for old times sake. I didn't really need another muzzleloader.
I put a dab of Gunslick grease in the lock. Maybe it will last awhile if I keep it well lubed.
Thanks for the video.