Walmart CVA muzzleloaders

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UPtrapper

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I just purchased my first inline muzzleloader a CVA optima v2 camo with a scope. Ive been doing a bunch of researching and ive owned another CVA in the past and been happy with it so I decided that the optima met my needs and price range. Imagine my delight when I happened upon one at walmart on clearance for $249, I thought it was almost too good to be true. I knew that was a great price so I told them to box it up. I got home with my new gun and started playing with it, ive never seen the nitride finish before but the finish on this one seemed like the finish on my old cva. I ran a patch down the barrel and rust came out along with a bunch of greese. I took a magnet to the barrel and it stuck just like regular steel, checked a ss AR barrel and my 500 S&W the magnet stuck but with not much force. I searched the model number on the box and didnt find anything. I now know something isnt right, this is a regular steel gun without a nitride finish. According to CVA's web site all CVA optima v2's have SS barrels. Went back to Walmart to return it but they will not allow firearm returns so Im stuck with it.

I called CVA customer service, and told them my findings. They asked for pictures of the gun and of the serial number. After sending that information a few minutes later I got a call back from the same guy explaing that I did indeed have a blued regular steel model. He told me that Walmart Optimas arent necessarily made to the same specs as Optimas from other sources. So I'm thinking I stuck with it again.

From there on CVA was a delight to work with They sent me out a prepaid shipping label for me to send the walmart gun back and a tracking number for a new camo nitride treated optima. So everything worked out in the end. I've not had to deal with many customer service departments in the past, but have heard horror stories from other people, definitely have to give a thanks to CVA for really standing up and making this right, Ill definitely be looking for another CVA when the time comes to get another one. I will be getting my next one from a more reliable source though.
 
I've only had to deal with CVA customer service one time. It was on an older model Optima several years back. They took care of the issue with no fuss at all and I was a happy camper. Haven't had to contact them on anything since but it's good to hear they're still taking care of their customers.
 
I just purchased my first inline muzzleloader a CVA optima v2 camo with a scope. Ive been doing a bunch of researching and ive owned another CVA in the past and been happy with it so I decided that the optima met my needs and price range. Imagine my delight when I happened upon one at walmart on clearance for $249, I thought it was almost too good to be true. I knew that was a great price so I told them to box it up. I got home with my new gun and started playing with it, ive never seen the nitride finish before but the finish on this one seemed like the finish on my old cva. I ran a patch down the barrel and rust came out along with a bunch of greese. I took a magnet to the barrel and it stuck just like regular steel, checked a ss AR barrel and my 500 S&W the magnet stuck but with not much force. I searched the model number on the box and didnt find anything. I now know something isnt right, this is a regular steel gun without a nitride finish. According to CVA's web site all CVA optima v2's have SS barrels. Went back to Walmart to return it but they will not allow firearm returns so Im stuck with it.

I called CVA customer service, and told them my findings. They asked for pictures of the gun and of the serial number. After sending that information a few minutes later I got a call back from the same guy explaing that I did indeed have a blued regular steel model. He told me that Walmart Optimas arent necessarily made to the same specs as Optimas from other sources. So I'm thinking I stuck with it again.

From there on CVA was a delight to work with They sent me out a prepaid shipping label for me to send the walmart gun back and a tracking number for a new camo nitride treated optima. So everything worked out in the end. I've not had to deal with many customer service departments in the past, but have heard horror stories from other people, definitely have to give a thanks to CVA for really standing up and making this right, Ill definitely be looking for another CVA when the time comes to get another one. I will be getting my next one from a more reliable source though.

Im not doubting you may have had an issue with said rifle, but I call into question Walmart Optimas not made to the same "specs" as other Optimas from other sources...You mean to say, that CVA produces sub-standard "rifles" just for walmart??...All of CVA ML's are designed and assembled in the same place. Spain!!!!
 
Im not doubting you may have had an issue with said rifle, but I call into question Walmart Optimas not made to the same "specs" as other Optimas from other sources...You mean to say, that CVA produces sub-standard "rifles" just for walmart??...All of CVA ML's are designed and assembled in the same place. Spain!!!!
It is common knowledge that walmart uses their extreme buying power to force some suppliers and manufacturers to build to their lower price point. Like packages that hold fewer ounces, or products that don't come with certain features that other stores similar products do have. Makes their lower $ look great even tho you actually get less for your money. Bigger companies than CVA have bowed to the pressure of walmart, just to get their products on the walmart shelves.
 
The Optimas I've seen at Walmart, are all blued steel. The only nitride ML I saw, were the Traditions. You probably got the 2025 model, which is blued steel.
 
It is common knowledge that walmart uses their extreme buying power to force some suppliers and manufacturers to build to their lower price point. Like packages that hold fewer ounces, or products that don't come with certain features that other stores similar products do have. Makes their lower $ look great even tho you actually get less for your money. Bigger companies than CVA have bowed to the pressure of walmart, just to get their products on the walmart shelves.

Im not arguing "less ounces, smaller boxes"!!!! A Walmart Savage Axis, Remmy, 783, or whatever is the same rifle that Academy or Dicks would sell. What rifle company would knowingly use substandard or inferior parts in their rifles
 
The Optimas I've seen at Walmart, are all blued steel. The only nitride ML I saw, were the Traditions. You probably got the 2025 model, which is blued steel.

I got an Optima V2 LR stainless fluted from wally world 2-3 weeks ago...
 
I cant believe CVA would tell you Wal Mart guns aren't made to the same specs as any others, that would be just plain dumb for a company to do that.
 
I cant believe CVA would tell you Wal Mart guns aren't made to the same specs as any others, that would be just plain dumb for a company to do that.

I agree 10,000 percent.....If it is true, CVA needs retrain that agent or fire his arse for knowingly or unknowingly misleading customers
 
Im not arguing "less ounces, smaller boxes"!!!! A Walmart Savage Axis, Remmy, 783, or whatever is the same rifle that Academy or Dicks would sell. What rifle company would knowingly use substandard or inferior parts in their rifles
I dont know if its true or not. Ive just heard about it happening. I never spend my money at walmart if i can find what i want anywhere else. I hope it was just an employee saying something that's wrong.
 
Sportmans Guide has gotten many "exclusives" in the past you cant buy anywhere else. They have far less buying power than Wally World. I saw Knight light contour plunger guns, DISC Elites with TH stocks and cheaper triggers. Ive seen Cabelas get some too like the Savage ML-BP although it was more or less a MLII with a longer barrel. How about the Omega's. Thats no secret that WW got some cheaper versions.

Looks like SG had that Optima model too at one time.
https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...-powder-rifle-with-scope-blued-camo?a=1542332
 
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I got an Optima V2 LR stainless fluted from wally world 2-3 weeks ago...

Yes, they have the stainless steel, but the black barrel ones, I've seen, are not nitride, but rather blued steel. The number on the box, is not listed on the CVA website. A friend scoured 6 Walmarts yesterday, and he found 2 SS models and all the rest were the blued steel barrels.
 
My customer service with CVA has been quite good, actually excellent.
 
I sure hope the black horn powder that guy got at ww goes bang , I doubt they would sell sub standard powder, might be cut with black pepper
 
The model is pr2026wp on the box, its not listed on the CVA web site or anywhere else I could find. If there is any question that its a blued regular steel barrel I can assure you thats exactly what it was. Barrel is made by Dikar, not Bergara as they are supposed to be. The etching on the barrel was rusty where it was scribed. The mistake I made was buying it and just assuming walmart had the same one everyone else had, once I got it home it was easy to see it wasnt right.

CVA told me they didnt have one with a scope and asked if I could just remove scope and keep it, then put it on the new one when it arrived. I thought that it was more than fair since they were sending me the gun I thought I was buying.

Ive always been of the opinion that anyone can make a mistake its how you deal with them that counts, and Im a happy customer now.
 
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All I can tell you is what I was told. He said walmart buys enough of them that they can get them made how they want. He didnt say the words "its a different gun", but it obviously is with a regular steel barrel instead of stainless. Its even made by dikar, and not bergara. I cant say for sure if this gun was a one of a kind screw up or not, but it sounds like other members on here have seen or heard of them too, so I would say its not likely a screw up. The gun I bought at walmart is a different gun than the one that is described on the CVA website. I was also told they would not be able to send me a gun with the same camo patern because the walmart ones have a different camo. I just looked at the picture I took of the walmart gun it says realtree edge on it, which is different from the cva site.
 
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