CVA Derringer

[Electric Miner]

Another project gun. I bought it at a yard sale for 20 or 25 bucks. Ever since I've had it, the trigger pull has been so heavy as to be unshootable. Took it apart this week and examined the lock. I noticed that someone had stuck a washer under one of the screws. It is the only washer on the whole gun. It was causing the screw it was under to flex and throwing off the lock geometry. Removed the washer, reassembled the gun. The trigger is now much better, though not terrific. It's acceptable for a cheap Spanish pistol, though.


This is the lock. The red circle is the screw the washer was under.





This is the pistol.

[Ike Kant]

Nice catch.  I built one of those in 1975 and gave it to a girlfriend.  I should have hit her over the head with it instead.

[Captainkirk]

Nice pistola, EM! You do come across the deals, don'cha?

[Electric Miner]

I've had this one for awhile, but the trigger pull was so stiff, it was unshootable. I put it aside in my 'repair in my spare time' drawer. It only took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on. I just can't figure out why someone would have added a washer to one screw on the lock. The trigger pull is still a little heavy, but, as this was a pocket pistol, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[mazo kid]

Great price! I built a kit in the early 70s, cost about $20.00 from Dixie at that time. I then traded a buddy for another one a while back, so have two now. The last one is a Jukar, which, I believe is the maker for the CVA guns. Hey, if you want to check out how well you did, just check the price at Dixie now!

[Electric Miner]

To be fair, the one Dixie sells is considerably higher quality, and much closer to the original in size and shape.

[mazo kid]

I didn't know that about the quality. Maybe the screw wasn't threaded quite long enough to snug the sear to the plate? Not too snug, but enough not to "flex".