So who blew up a Savage 10ML?

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Someone must have, because now it's no longer (evidently) a smokeless powder muzzleloader.

Right here in the Cabela's catalog it says the following components in the description of the Savage:

Savage 10 ML BP [title]

and

Plus, it boasts the accuracy to shoot less than 1.5" groups at 100 yds, with Blackhorn 209, Triple 7, Shockey Gold, or White Hots.

Then, clearly WITHIN the Savage 10 ML alotted space for its advertisement, it says this in a separate bright yellow box:

WARNING [in red letters]
Black powder, Pyrodex, Triple 7, Blackhorn, White Hot, or American Pioneer black powder susbstitutes are the only safe and suitable propellants for use in any muzzleloading firearm.

So who's the dufus who went and ruined it for everyone by sticking pistol powder in one?

 

[4v50 Gary]

Not I. All my modern guns are all metallic cartridge firearms (except for the M-41 pulse rifle).

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Here, found some info here:

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?board=Savage&action=display&thread=11269

Alright since the cat is out of the bag, I gues I can shed some light on this subject now. Per Brain Herrick, VP of Savage, in a conversation about 4-6 weeks ago, I was infomred of the Cabela's deal.

Basically, here is what the deal is:

The Savage 10ML-II is still and will continue to be the 10-ML-II.

The model that Cabela's will be selling, the 10ML-BP, will be a special run, strictly for Cabela's and Cabela's only. If Bass Pro, want's to sell it as well, Savage may accomidate them as well, with the same 10ML-BP as well, but only time will tell, if Bass Pro will sell it that model or not.

On the 10ML-BP, the barrel will be 26", the new breech plug will be hex cut to require a 3/8" socket to remove the breech plug. Now other changes to the breech plug. The barrel will be stamped with the standard, use black powder and/or black powder substitues only, bravo sierra on it, for pure liability reasons. Cabela's would not accept the deal without it. I don't recall if he mentioned that it had the new Accu-Stock on it or not, but I don't believe it does. I think it is the new style stock that looks like the Accu-Stock on the outside.

The 10ML-BP is still built off the same action as the 10ML-II, and the barrel it the same grade stainless and chrome-moly as the 10ML-II as well. The Breech Plug is still made of 4140 chrome-moly as well. So to answer all your questions, yes it can still shoot smokeless powder.

What I don't understand is why Cabela's and Bass Pro would refuse to carry them unless and until they required Savage to make it as a "special run" and put the "no smokeless / BP only" warnings on there, because (A) many states allow smokeless powder MLs during their ML seasons, and (B) EVEN IN STATES where using a smokeless ML is illegal during ML season, it is still legal to use BP or BP substitutes IN a Savage smokeless ML.**

**Isn't it? Or are there actually states that ban "smokeless-powder CAPABLE" rifles, even if using BP in the gun?

In any event, if there ARE states like this, then this would be the better rifle to buy over the regular ML II, because then you could use it with smokeless in the states that allow it, and use it with BP in the states that don't - more versatile. Plus the extra 2" of bbl over the regular one means that you can get a little more velocity out of it.

 

[tube_ee]

MY guess on why...

Cabela's didn't want to spend the money and time to train their sales drones properly. Easier and cheaper to just tell 'em "no smokeless in any muzzleloader" than to teach 'em what guns work which ways, and expect them to keep it straight.

Plus the possibility of getting sued, and losing, if some bonehead who didn't get the memo tells Joe Consumer to load smokeless powder in his $109-on-sale Remington, and hands him the can from the shelf.

Kiester-covering, that's all.

--Shannon

 

[smokemaker]

A few of them have blown up. I believe Chuckhawks blew one up, maybe only with his visceral wit. I have shot one a few times, and aside from being way too heavy, it shoots really good.