A number of years ago, when looking for a centerfire block for my rimfire Stevens 44 1/2 rifle, I tried one from CPA Rifles.

My gunsmith, a vastly experienced expert with American made single shots, pronounced it unusable. Has anyone had a recent experience with their products which would indicate that they have improved?

xausa,

Maybe try here, also:

https://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl

I was researching them 10 years ago and they had a good rep. Though the downturn seemed to be affecting them (reducing services they offered, longer lead times, reduced inventory, etc).

HTH,
Steve

There ae a lot of CPA .22 and large bore BPCR rifles on the line at any 22bpcra or NRA BPCR match. I would say they have a very good reputation among BPCR shooters. I have heard of the occasional need to send an action back to CPA for minor adjustments, although my CPA has been totally trouble-free through at least 15,000 rounds of .22 ammo.

Clarence

I have currently in my shop a model 45, a higher grade version of the 44 1/2 action.
A parts case, lever has been changed, and we found out the breech block had been as as well.

So I order a new breech block from CPA, only to find out there is up to a .016" gap side to side from the breech block to the receiver ? and the receiver mortise has a taper the wrong way, it is wider by .003" at the top than the bottom.

Like you my first thought was CPA did something wrong, NO they did not.
The new breech block is only .001" different from the factory Stevens breech block in width.

I have acess to another local 44 1/2 and it is almost as bad, only .012" gap, with factory Stevens parts ?

I go back thru my Fathers CAD work as he had acess years ago to another 44 1/2, and it had about .014" side to side gap also.

Then I borrow a local 044 1/2 rifle and it has what I would consider normal about .005" side to side gap between the breech block and receiver.

So this tolerance in the factory Stevens receivers and breech block appears to be normal, and may be what your gunsmith ran into years ago.

I agree it is not right, and I am having to machine a new breech block oversize to better fit the model 45 receiver.

J Wisner

Jim is on to it. CPA has a very good reputation for making affordable, excellent quality Stevens Reproductions. They are exactly that, reproductions. Their parts are internally consistent with their own production, but may not be consistent with original Stevens parts, which varied all over the place over the years. There is very little interchangeability between original Stevens rifles.