# Response from Blackhorn 209 Customer Service



## Titan34 (Dec 7, 2009)

My new CVA Accura V2 will not shoot blackhorn 209 consistently. Out of seven attemps only one was a clean shot. The rest were hang fires. I paired this powder with a very tight fitting barnes 250 tmz and CCI magnum primers. I even used a # 32 drill bit to keep the flash channel clean. I even went as far to clean the tiny .028 hole with a wire pick, needless to say no luck. :sad:I contacted customer service and this is their response.

Steve,​ ​ Thank you for the e-mail. There have been many problems reported with this breech plug. I would love to be able to tell you that we could drill the flash hole out to 0.035" but in some instances this doesn't even help. Can you send the gun back? We just don't have these kind of issues with the T/C Impact, Omega, Triumph or Encore! This is a frustrating issue for us. I will keep your e-mail and let you know when or if we come up with a solution.​ ​  Best regards,
Don Luhr
Western Powders


Well I am kind of bummed. I do not feel comfortable modifying the plug myself. Does anyone have suggestions? I had good results shooting 2 777 pellets with a 250 grain barnes tmz. I just hated the crud ring it gave me. I love the idea of a consistent swab free day at the range!!
​


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Titan34 said:


> My new CVA Accura V2 will not shoot blackhorn 209 consistently. Out of seven attemps only one was a clean shot. The rest were hang fires. I paired this powder with a very tight fitting barnes 250 tmz and CCI magnum primers. I even used a # 32 drill bit to keep the flash channel clean. I even went as far to clean the tiny .028 hole with a wire pick, needless to say no luck. :sad:I contacted customer service and this is their response.
> 
> Steve,
> 
> ...


Looks like a friend of mine might be in the same boat. He's taking his breech plug to a machine shop in the morning. He's having it drilled out and hopefully I'll have it soon (season starts Friday) We'll see what it does (or what happens).

One would think that CVA would get on the wagon and start producing a capable breech plug that will shoot BH2009 and certainly manufacture a replacement for its existing firearms already in the hands of shooters. I see in one of the other posts, that someone just shot his Apex today. I asked the question of the flash hole size on his rifle.


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## BUSTA'YOTE (Aug 26, 2003)

Titan 34,

I know a guy in SD that will modify your breech by opening up the flame channel to .159" (#21 wire drill), and tapping it for a vent liner. This would only cost $9, $15 if you want his vent liner installed. He doesn't really make any money doing this, he just enjoys doing it. That would also get it mailed back to you. But you better hurry if you want this done, because his muzzleloader season starts on December 11th, and he won't want to be messing with it then. 

He also has some new QRBP's that have been modified, I can't remember the price off the top of my head, but I think they were around $35 with the vent liner installed. The plugs cost around $20-$25 alone, I think.

I guarantee you will have a lifetime of trouble free shooting with BH209 with this modification. If you get ahold of him soon, you could have it sent out right away with a pay-pal payment. He does take pay-pal, check, or money order.

I can't get to his information right now, there is a server error on the site I have the information stored on. Just let me know if you would want it done, I will get you the info.


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## Titan34 (Dec 7, 2009)

Thanks Yote,

Can you explain what a vent liner is and its benefits. I was told not to widen the flame channel because of the unwanted back pressure. This is my first with a breech plug so excuse my ignorance.

Carlos Vilorio Replied,
Sorry to hear about your problems, but if you open the flash hole up from .028 to .035 like I have done to all my muzzle loaders it will help tremendously with the fowling in the flash channel and it you use your # 32 drill bit to get the carbon out you will not have any problems. I just came back from my IL. hunt where I got a 140 class buck and the Accura I took with me had been fire 40 times with out cleaning, when I got there I shot it again to check the zero, I took the breech plug out and check the fire channel which it was clean, loaded it went out the next day shot the buck that morning at 190 yrds, reloaded it and shot my doe that after noon at 137 yrds. and I loaded it again and she is ready to go for tomorrow morning. So what I'm trying to say is that if you open the breech plug flash hole up to .035 using a # 65 drill bit and keep the flash channel clean with the number 32 drill bit you won't have any more problems. Don't know where you live at but if you send me the breech plug I will be more than glad to do it.
Thx.
Carlos



He is the one that said not to open up thge flame channel. I am going to see if my machine shop can widen the Flame hole to .035. If that doesnt work then off to SD my breech plug goes. I do not know when I will have time to get to the range so testing the widened breech plug may take some time.


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## Titan34 (Dec 7, 2009)

A pic of Carlos with his Illinois Buck!! Looks like he is shooting the same gun I have without the problems.


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## BUSTA'YOTE (Aug 26, 2003)

If you go back and read my post in that other thread, I did mention that Western recommends that. To open up the flash hole to .035", all it takes is a drill. If that don't work, not all is lost, as that plug can be drilled out for a vent liner.

I know it will work with the vent liner. But, as I said his ML Season starts Dec 11th (this Sat), and ends on Jan 31. 

A vent liner is a removable and replacable flash hole. You can have several in different sizes if you wish. Mine are .031" to .032", and all work great. This proceedure also opens up the flame channel, which in my opinion is the best for shooting Blackhorn 209. I don't just shoot Blackhorn 209, I also TEST it with several custom breech plug designs, I know what works.


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## BUSTA'YOTE (Aug 26, 2003)

Also need to add, what works in mild weather does not always work in our December ML Season when temps can dip down below Zero.

I have tested in all types of weather.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Boys, I've had one heck of a busy day. Never thought I'd be done and on this computer this early.............

NOW...... for the *CVA Accura (V1)*that was left with me........

I was given the breech plug back this afternoon. Buddy had taken it to a machine shop to have it drilled to .035 this morning. He drove in the driveway, rolled down his window and handed it to me, told the story and headed out (and I thought I was busy?) I just got through zeroing his rifle for him.

All together, I shot his rifle *14 times and NEVER had any problems* what so ever. *It shot clean around the breech also*, of which I was quite surprised. Must admit, it kicks a little harder than the Pro Hunter but, it shot very well.

First thing I found out, it doesn't like the Hornady XTP rounds that he had. It shot them what I would call "less than fair". I switched over to the Barnes TMZ 250gr bullets that I shoot and it hammered them right in there. Best group that I could get out of it was 7/8".
Shooting 110grs by volume BH209 and using CCI209M primers. Truthfully, I think it would shoot better if the charge was reduced to 100grs by volume.....

Now........... *what the machinest said*.......... He stated that in sixty (60) years of being a machinest, he's never seen such "piss poor" machineing of a part! He wanted to know "who the hell made this and from what country". He couldn't believe the how the threads were rolled on that breech plug and that the FLASH CHANNEL was full of burrs! He took it upon himself to hone out the flash channel and stated that if people were complaining about carbon build up, this would certainly be part of the problem. I guess that needless to say, he wasn't impressed with that breech plug. 
Oh, one other thing. He did state that it was "good steel" but not great steel and that if one was *VERY CAREFUL* and used a good machine drill bit and not one bought at Wal-Mart, that most people should be able to do it themselves. Then something about doing them for $40 plus shipping and handling :lol:

To sum it up (again)....... drilling the breech plug to .035 and honeing it, made this rifle a consistent shooter of BH209.


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## Titan34 (Dec 7, 2009)

Well I just got back from having my breech plug drilled. He set it up on a digital press and presto .028 is now .035. 

Yote I am not sure when i will get to test this plug but will keep you in mind if it doesnt work out.

Thanks for taking the time to educate me and provide helpful insight to make my gun a blackhorn shooting machine.

Ill let you know how it goes if I can find some time to make it to the range.

Encore do you know if the length of the flash channel is the same on the accura and accura v2. Good to hear it was shooting well. How much pressure were you seating the sabot with? I heard blackhorn likes a nice tight sabot with ample seating pressure.


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## HoytMan44 (Sep 26, 2007)

I use the BH209 in my Accura V1 and have had no problems with hangfires. I am using the stock breech plug with no modifications.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Titan34 said:


> Well I just got back from having my breech plug drilled. He set it up on a digital press and presto .028 is now .035.
> 
> Yote I am not sure when i will get to test this plug but will keep you in mind if it doesnt work out.
> 
> ...


With a screen name like Encore, you think I know anything about CVA's :lol: Honestly, I couldn't tell you. This was actually the first CVA that I've zeroed and played with in quite some time. Something must be different with the difference between finger removal and tool removal.

I seat the bullet with hard pressure. His CVA didn't load any different with the Barnes bullets than my Pro Hunter. The bullets go down smooth but not super hard (tight) in both barrels. How much pressure I used, I'm not certain. Never really paid attention and always went by feel and tried to be consistent.
If I hadn't fouled my barrel and loaded it for hunting, I could have accurately checked with some tooling that I have. However, the problem with that is, very few people can accurately estimate force. I could accurately measure the force that I'm using but, it would be nearly impossible to assume anyone was using the same amount of force without testing with a force guage. What I can tell you is, when I run the bullet down the barrel, I hit hard on the stop. I use a ram rod that's just a little longer than the barrel, hence my bullet jag sticks out. I a "T" handle to start the load and use it also to run the rod down.


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## DTrain (Mar 16, 2005)

I am in the same boat with a 2010 Optima with QRBP. Won't fire BH209 consistently. I switched to T7 pellets for now.


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## mparks (Sep 4, 2001)

DTrain said:


> I am in the same boat with a 2010 Optima with QRBP. Won't fire BH209 consistently. I switched to T7 pellets for now.


You could use T7 loose and just swab between shots with patches soaked in Windex. Velocity is near BH209 and it ignites easier. Not nearly as nice to cleanup as BH however at the end of the days shooting.


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