A lot of companies are importers vice manufacturers, even though they "consider" themselves to be manufacturers, and even may advertise as such. CVA is owned by BPI Outdoors, which used to be known as Blackpowder Products, Inc. They had a LOT of issues quite a few years back, with a huge recall of muzzleloaders in 1997, covering pretty much all of their inline muzzleloading rifles made in 1995 / 1996. Google Chuck Hawks site / Randy Wakeman's comments and commentary on the CVA brand. Better yet, just start here and do further searches if you feel the need for more info (this link contains a lot of the more important items):
http://www.chuckhawks.com/muzzleloading_tragedy.htm
I've seen the same thing regarding CVA / Pietta. Comments on the 1851 Navy previously sold by Midway noted that it was a Pietta, and I've seen others noting Armi san Marco in Italy was stamped on the firearm.
Important to note here... CVA no longer sells black powder revolvers. They only carry the single shot now.
The biggest thing to remember is that the black-powder firearm world isn't regulated like the modern firearm world. I'm extremely careful and conservative with how I load a modern inline, and I avoid shooting used (and un-researched) or unfamiliar muzzleloaders at all costs because of recalls that people didn't follow or weren't aware of (like the CVA one I mentioned above). People have died because of it. I'm torn between the "Cool! No form 4473 required!", and the "Is this safe?" factors.
All of CVA's guns are "designed and assembled" in Bergara, Spain. Notice I didn't write "manufactured". They don't say or write it either (check their website). That could mean that the guns are designed there, parts built elsewhere by someone else, and then assembled in Bergara. I know they all use Bergara barrels now, which I've had a love / hate relationship with over the years. The Bergara barrel on my CVA Optima was a shooting machine - very accurate, well built, well finished. The modern Bergara centerfire barrels I've come across for the T/C Encore have mostly been less than perfect (unfortunately - like many of T/C's own offerings), but people such as Mike Bellm "fix" them and sell a much better product.
All the best,
Glenn