I've been looking at the CPA (Stevens 44 1/2 action) rifles and was wondering if anyone has worked with them.  I saw a comment: 

"In my limited experience, all the firearms I've seen from the custom manufacturers have superior fit and finish (except CPA, who apparently doesn't place an emphasis on the wood fit). "

You can get the rifles with unfinished stocks and finish them yourself which would do to add my own stamp on it, good or bad, so to speak.

Thanks,
Richard

     Hello Richard,

     If you will allow me, I suggest that you actually physically inspect as many factory produced (emphasis added) CPA/Stevens as may be possible in your instance.  Do you know anyone who has a factory produced rifle, as opposed to a rifle what was put together by the owner of a CPA/Stevens action ?

     The CPA folks are shooters, producing rifles for shooters.  Their product line is, without question, "first class" ; and the workmanship is superior and to be acclaimed.

     It may be that the quote you have stated above is from someone who holds that particular opinion ... but I assure you ... that is not the widely held opinion among CPA/Stevens owners and shooters.

     I hope this is helpfull.

     Creedmoormatch

     (A more than satisfied CPA owner)


     

My first CPA finished the wood my self and it looks like it.  Then had CPA build a 'Fancy" Gun fit and finish of the wood is as good as you can find.  You can spend as much as you want getting any kind of finish you can afford Thats not what CPA is about though. Still own both and that first one I stocked would be the last to go if need be.

Paul and Gail Shuttleworth in my opinion focus on a good functional target gun set up anyway the shooter wants, while giving good advice on how it could be done. This in contrast to some of the other Reproduction guns built by companies who sell to speculators that re-sell to you, take it like it comes.  Those rifles are often finished better than the origionals were. And cost double what a CPA does.

Remember in the Golden Age of Single Shot Competition Stevens was a plain functional rifle, and the company had a custom shop turning out target rifles to order for match shooters on the plain action.  CPA is exactly like the old guns made to order for match shooters but not trying to cater to the carrage crowd. 

They offer the best customer service.  I dropped & lost a spring while clearing my action which had been jammed by spilled gunpowder one time. Called Gail and she put a new one in the mail right then arriving in time for next weekends match.  My older gun after 15 years was  getting a bit weak trigger spring wise.  Mailed the action back and they put a new one in, told me that they had upgraded the spring stock and had it back to me in a few days, No charge.

Last look at match results. CPA is on top as often as any more than most.

Guess you can say I recomend them highly.

Boats

I have 2 CPA Rifles, one 22LR and a 32-40. They are great rifles, accuracy is superb and quality of workmanship is also superb. I have sold my Shiloh and original Model 47 and kept these two! Now as far as service goes... It has always been as good as there is out there!

I have six barrels for mine. Everything works beautifully, the action is
very, very strong, admit having double charged mine a couple of times.
For a traditional rifle the lock-time is as fast as any unmodified drop
block. Their service is great. I'm in this to shoot competition, hence,
I rarely finish the wood as I often modifications. CPA, smartest buy
in the market.

fred

I just put my order in for 22LR with an extra 32-40 barrel as well after talking to various owners and shooting some examples.  I have heard lots of great things and from what I have heard and seen they will likely be remembered as the great schuetzen gunsmith of this era.

bobnh wrote on Mar 26^th, 2009 at 9:23am:

I have shot a model CPA Model 52 in Schuetzen competition primarily 200yd. benchrest for fifteen years now and it has never taken a back seat to anything found on the line. Factory fit and finish is superb and as stated earlier most of the do it yourself stock work I have seen has generaly been lacking in both fit and finish. It fifteen years I have list a half dozen firing pins, a hammer spring, sear spring and front trigger spring all replaced at no charge by CPA. The earlier firing pins were smaller in diameter and prone to breakage. Several years back CPA fixed the problem and re-bushed the breach block also free of charge and I have not lost another. My rifle has over 140,000 bullets down the bore since I bought and when you take that into consideration the problems have actualy been very minor and at no cost to me.

JLouis

I have five original Stevens 44 1/2 rifles and two CPA's, there is no doubt the CPA is a better rifle than the originals. Where would the Schuetzen sport be without the Shuttleworth's and their CPA's.  Ledball