New CVA Guns With Nitride-Coated Barrels

CVA has come a long way.

At my first SHOT Show in 2001, I spoke with a CVA rep. They had just come out with their first inline muzzleloaders and were getting a late start in that realm. The rep told me that the company dismissed inline muzzleloading as a fad and almost waited too long to join the party

These days, they’re passing the competition in some ways, notably the introduction of Bergara Nitride barrels in their mid-priced Optima V2 muzzleloading rifles. Apparently, last year’s introduction of Nitride treatments to their higher-priced Accura line was well-received.

The Nitride process is more precisely called “salt bath ferritic nitrocarburizing.” It hardens the surface layer of the steel, which helps it withstand corrosion and wear and increases lubricity. Unlike painted-on finishes, you can’t chip or scratch it, and it protects the interior of the barrel too.

In fact, CVA says it forms “a barrier in the bore that is impenetrable to rust.” They also claim that “any surface rust that does develop in the barrel will wipe away easily with a bore swab.”

And get this–these barrels are guaranteed for life against rust pitting. When it comes to most muzzleloaders, that’s significant. Black powder and substitutes are corrosive, and most guns will rust quickly when used with such propellants.

These Nitride muzzleloaders are well worth a look.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.