Walmart CVA muzzleloaders

[Busta]

This must be a regional thing? I haven't seen a blued Optima V2 in years, anywhere. All the Optima V2 rifles I've seen at Wally World are the same Stainless Steel barrels made by Bergara as anywhere else that sells them. Either that or Nitride treated stainless steel.

Are you sure this was an Optima V2 with the QRBP? Sounds like the old Optima from 10 years ago? Was the breeching lever in the back part of the trigger guard, or in front of the trigger guard like the Wolf?

Customer Service went above and beyond for you, IMO.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Our Walmart handles their muzzleloaders like they are toys, a while back they were taking them off the wire rack (usually scratches on the barrels from the rack) after hunting season, one guy had 6 guns in his arms, all stacked together, I said to them " you guys are killing me, your scratching those guns all up", they just shrugged their shoulders and kept at it.

Seems to me, before all the nitriding, Optima's were sold in stainless steel and blued. I wonder if you got some old stock? Bergara branded barrels, IIRC, had an extra honing process applied to them, I believe they are all made in the same factory.

 

[Chick]

Optimas do not have the Bergara barrels, only the Accura. I know all the black barrels in southwestern Louisiana, are blued steel. The model number is in sequence with the models on the CVA website, but, it is not listed.

 

[treepotato]

I looked over a CVA at Walmart a couple weeks ago. It caught my eye because the barrel looked different than my nitride Optima V2 barrel, and it was indeed a surface blueing not a nitride bath.

 

[wild willy]

Lots of larger gunshops and stores get gun built the way they want them.I think when he said specs he meant finish and barrel length etc not the actual safety specs like some seem to be assuming.Seems to me you bought a gun not really knowing what is was and then complained to CVA. I think your are very lucky they exchanged it for the gun you wanted.

 

[SteveH]

For this reason, I am always suspicious of any product, especially a firearm, that is advertised a "special edition," only available at D!cks/WW/Cabelas/Bass Pro/whatever. IMO, it always has something to do with money and aften it's a cost savings for the store.

 

[Squeeze]

Look at all the power tools, and appliances at the depot or lowes. Manufacturers serial numbers are different, and just enough parts are created cheaper to accommodate. It happens all the time.

 

[GM54-120]

Ive seen some "special editions" though that were rather nice too. Its not always a dud and occasionally it might even be better for the same money. Pretty unlikely you will see that at Wally World but the ML-BP at Cabelas had improvements over the previous MLIIs and Sportsmans Guide had a light contour Wolverine 45 ive never seen anywhere else.

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/knight-wolverine-45-cal-black-powder-rifle?a=1845062

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Something that i have wondered about, on the CVA site it doesn't actually say that Optimas have a Bergara barrel. They state that it has the same trigger and stainless and nitride stuff. And other features. But on the Accura's the "Custom Quality Bergara barrel" is one of the first things listed. Does that mean the Wolf and Optima line don't even have a Bergara barrel? My old Optima Elite and Kodiak Pro both had Bergara stamped right on the barrels. I don't remember what the old hunter bolt said

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Optimas do not have the Bergara barrels, only the Accura. I know all the black barrels in southwestern Louisiana, are blued steel. The model number is in sequence with the models on the CVA website, but, it is not listed.

Do you know who does make those barrels?

 

[GM54-120]

All the CVA barrels are made at the same factory in Spain. The ones stamped with Bergara just go through an additional "honing" process. Old Elite barrels and im pretty sure the old Electra barrels both had Bergara stamped on them. Never seen a Kodiak with the stamp but its possible some did.

Bergara bought tooling from or through Shilen at some point. Probably in the mid 2000s and all the barrels from that point on are made on the same equipment at the same plant owned by Dikar. They are the parent company for all things related to CVA and Bergara.

Around 2003 the muzzleloader market began to taper off, so McGarity looked for ways to sustain BPI’s growth. CVA was hamstrung by the growing price and the shortage of barrels it purchased from third-party suppliers. So he, Hendricks and Treadaway pow-wowed with Dikar’s execs. They had a manufacturing plant in Spain … what if they expanded it … and made their own barrels?

It sounds like a no-brainer, but there’s a reason only a handful of good barrel makers exist. It’s tough to do on a large scale with quality and consistency. Regardless, Dikar invested heavily in state-of-the-art CNC barrel machinery and hired legendary barrelmaker Ed Shilen to consult. What ensued was a computerized, repeatable system of milling, drilling, honing and rifling—i.e. barrel production. (McGarity credits its triple honing process as key to Bergara barrels’ accuracy.)

What BPI had now were quality barrels, manufactured en mass, produced exactly like it wanted them with no mark-up. It named its barrel-making company Bergara after the town in north-central Spain from which it hails.

Now, in regard to the present, the guns that are being marketed under the CVA brand in 2010 bear little if any design similarity to those that were recalled in 1997. In fact, none of the barrels we use today are sourced from outside vendors. (CVA muzzleloaders built as late as 2004, such as the Kodiak, were still using extruded steel barrels. -Editor.) Rather, they are all made in the Bergara Barrels factory, a facility that is wholly owned by our parent company. In addition to building the barrels for all CVA guns, Bergara Barrels also makes after-market barrels, as well as providing barrels to other gun manufacturers. The bores of all barrels are all drilled on site at the factory from cylindrical bar stock.

 

[sabotloader]

I would like to add to GM's comments, as I was about to enter into the record the same information that Scott has placed in his thread... Bergara is not a barrel maker but a barrel finishing process that makes a higher quality bore.

 

[Highoctane]

Never mind

 

[ShawnT]

Another Add on to GM's post. I was told at a BR match back at the time Gm stated, that Ed Shilen went over there when those machines were sold to them and taught them how he made Shilen Barrels when they set up the machines.

 

[Chick]

Do you know who does make those barrels?

Dikar

 

[Chick]

I looked over a CVA at Walmart a couple weeks ago. It caught my eye because the barrel looked different than my nitride Optima V2 barrel, and it was indeed a surface blueing not a nitride bath.

Correct. The Optimas at Walmart, are not the standard CVA Optimas. If you look at the model number of the blued barrel model, they were not on the CVA line up. They were suppose to add them this morning, after many calls to them. I looked after lunch and they were not there, but maybe now.

 

[Far Sighted]

I purchased my CVA Optima V2 Elite last December at the local WM. It has all the bells and whistles. I like it because it's easy to load, great balance, great trigger, good scope, accurate, easy to clean, and a beast pounder. I took the doe to the left with it.
It's important that one pays attention to what they purchase. When I first saw the item I wasn't sure it was the one so I researched on the net and found it was before I made the purchase.

 

[GM54-120]

The Optima Elite hasn't been made in a very long time. You have an Optima V2. The Elite was their switch barrel rifle before the Apex.

 

[treepotato]

FWIW, I bought an Optima V2 from muzzleloaders.com this past fall, and the nitride barrel is stamped with Dikar, not a Bergara finished barrel. But, so far it is providing decent groups for this new to muzzleloading hunter. 300 gr XTPs and 300 gr MZ Expanders are giving groups right at 3/4" at 50 yards without a lot of effort. Need to spend more time at 100 yards now to see what it can do.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

All the CVA barrels are made at the same factory in Spain. The ones stamped with Bergara just go through an additional "honing" process. Old Elite barrels and im pretty sure the old Electra barrels both had Bergara stamped on them. Never seen a Kodiak with the stamp but its possible some did.

You are correct, i thought my Kodiak was stamped bergara but it isn't. Did anyone ever actually buy an Electra? Seemed like a terrible idea, even with a great barrel.