CVA Kentucky pistol questions

got ammo? · December 6, 2011, 12:48 AM

Hey folks,
My father was recently given a .50 caliber CVA Kentucky pistol (1:48 twist) as payment for helping one of his friends move. It is new condition, unfired and is all there, but a manual didn't come with it. He wants to fire it, but neither of us know much about frontstuffer pistols. I like all my fingers in their current location, and really dislike using my face for a shrapnel mitt. Here are some questions I have, forgive me if they sound silly, but I'm asking because I don't know.

I assume these take musket caps, not #11's, correct?

Something tells me I cannot feed it the same diet as my Knight LRH. So dropping a triple seven pellet down the barrel and shoving a powerbelt down there is not the way I want to go about introducing myself to that cute nurse, but can sabots be shot out of this thing? or just .490 balls with 10.000 patch?

How much of a pyrodex charge is sufficient for this gun? (as black podwer is kind of hard to come by around here.)

Hawg · December 6, 2011, 05:01 AM

It takes a #11 cap and you can use the 777 pellet and powerbelt but IMHO ignition won't be reliable. 30 -40 grains of Pyrodex P should work well in it. You can use RS with good results also. Either a conical or a patched round ball will work but the 1:48 twist isn't ideal with either one. Your powerbelts may do ok or they may tumble. Just have to try them and see. Personally I wouldn't waste the money on them.

got ammo? · December 6, 2011, 05:40 PM

Thanx Hawg,

Just come back from shooting the thing, right before the rain set in. Just winging it, we used 50 grains of Pyrodex P, Speer .490 round balls and patches we greased with bore butter. the rusults were suprising, shooting a shoe box at 30 yards, my first shot was just right of center, my dad took the second shot, his hitting just left of center. THe third hit the high right corner, and the fourth was over the top of the box. That was the last shot, as it was getting difficult to seat a shot with that stubby little ramrod.

But just for the heck of it , I compared it with a couple shots from my .44 Ruger Super Redhawk, and the Kentucky seemed slightly more accurate than the Ruger. I see your point about using the power belts for it, as those aren't cheap, and the round balls and musket caps came with the gun. (it had a musket nipple on it), and the Pyrodex P was something the old man had hanging around his ammo locker.

Hawg · December 6, 2011, 06:30 PM

Cool, now clean her up with hot soapy water and put a thin coat of Bore Butter in the bore.

December 6, 2011, 12:48 AM	#1
got ammo? Member Join Date: June 2, 2009 Location: gun hating Massachusetts Posts: 78	CVA Kentucky pistol questions Hey folks, My father was recently given a .50 caliber CVA Kentucky pistol (1:48 twist) as payment for helping one of his friends move. It is new condition, unfired and is all there, but a manual didn't come with it. He wants to fire it, but neither of us know much about frontstuffer pistols. I like all my fingers in their current location, and really dislike using my face for a shrapnel mitt. Here are some questions I have, forgive me if they sound silly, but I'm asking because I don't know. I assume these take musket caps, not #11's, correct? Something tells me I cannot feed it the same diet as my Knight LRH. So dropping a triple seven pellet down the barrel and shoving a powerbelt down there is not the way I want to go about introducing myself to that cute nurse, but can sabots be shot out of this thing? or just .490 balls with 10.000 patch? How much of a pyrodex charge is sufficient for this gun? (as black podwer is kind of hard to come by around here.) Last edited by got ammo?; December 6, 2011 at 12:52 AM. Reason: Missed word

December 6, 2011, 05:01 AM	#2
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	It takes a #11 cap and you can use the 777 pellet and powerbelt but IMHO ignition won't be reliable. 30 -40 grains of Pyrodex P should work well in it. You can use RS with good results also. Either a conical or a patched round ball will work but the 1:48 twist isn't ideal with either one. Your powerbelts may do ok or they may tumble. Just have to try them and see. Personally I wouldn't waste the money on them.

December 6, 2011, 05:40 PM	#3
got ammo? Member Join Date: June 2, 2009 Location: gun hating Massachusetts Posts: 78	Thanx Hawg, Just come back from shooting the thing, right before the rain set in. Just winging it, we used 50 grains of Pyrodex P, Speer .490 round balls and patches we greased with bore butter. the rusults were suprising, shooting a shoe box at 30 yards, my first shot was just right of center, my dad took the second shot, his hitting just left of center. THe third hit the high right corner, and the fourth was over the top of the box. That was the last shot, as it was getting difficult to seat a shot with that stubby little ramrod. But just for the heck of it , I compared it with a couple shots from my .44 Ruger Super Redhawk, and the Kentucky seemed slightly more accurate than the Ruger. I see your point about using the power belts for it, as those aren't cheap, and the round balls and musket caps came with the gun. (it had a musket nipple on it), and the Pyrodex P was something the old man had hanging around his ammo locker.

December 6, 2011, 06:30 PM	#4
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	Cool, now clean her up with hot soapy water and put a thin coat of Bore Butter in the bore.