Savage Model 10MLSS .50 caliber Muzzleloader Rifle Blown Up

[TAB]

Dam,   

one very lucky bloke....

I wouldn't call that lucky

[crusader rabbit]

If Cabelas refuses to carry this muzzleloader, they must think there is a problem.  The injury does appear to be more consistent with traditional hold rather than one hand on the scope.  Either way, THAT'S gunna leave a mark. I pray for his quick recovery, but I don't think he'll ever have more than 70-80% use of that hand. Sad.

[Fatman]

I tend to believe that if Savage says it will handle smokeless charges, they engineered it to handle smokeless charges. Killing and maiming your customers isn't good for business. 

There is no mention as to the type of powder this shooter used, or how much.  Both things you'd need to know to come to an educated conclusion.

This rifle's barrel looks very much like burst CW era rifled muskets I've seen at battlefields. They were the result of either excessive powder or multiple loading before firing.  I'd think a powder that burned too fast would also cause this. Again, we're missing info, so who knows what happened?

[tt11758]

Whatever caused it, I'm gonna guess he ain't gonna be picking the banjo anytime soon.

[tombogan03884]

Even a Texas Redneck has to admit, Duct tape WON'T fix THAT. 

[Sponsor]

[sedwardsak]

Smokeless powder in a front stuffer?!?! That's just KRAZY TALK!
If you get the charge wrong your screwed, with black powder you'll just get more smoke, flame and sparks. But your rifle will be intact not to mention you'll still be able to pick up a dinner knife at the supper table.

[Solus]

Smokeless powder in a front stuffer?!?! That's just KRAZY TALK!
If you get the charge wrong your screwed, with black powder you'll just get more smoke, flame and sparks. But your rifle will be intact not to mention you'll still be able to pick up a dinner knife at the supper table.

I am not a black powder shooter and while your observations seem like they should be true, it appears that this rifle was designed for smokeless.  Here is a link to a test of the gun.

http://www.gunblast.com/SavageML10.htm

[pequin06]

What a sight to see while having my coffee...yuck...

[billt]

The Savage Model 10-ML IS DESIGNED TO HANDLE SMOKELESS POWDER! This is how false stuff gets spread on the Internet. It is the only modern muzzle loader designed to do so. It is the reason people buy it in the first place. What kind of smokeless powder, and how much are what is important! These guns are as safe to fire as any modern weapon with handloaded ammunition. The person doing the loading better know what they are doing. I'm not saying it is the shooters fault, but it very well could be.

Savage 10-ML rifles have been around for a while, and have been proven to be reliable. I'm willing to bet this was 1.) a gross overload. 2.) The wrong type of powder, (too fast). 3.) Any and or all of the above. Yes, it could possibly be a barrel obstruction, or detonation caused by not having the projectile fully seated on the charge, but because of the nature of this type of rifle, I rather doubt it. I'm not much into muzzle loading because of the messy cleanup always involved with these type of guns. But I have considered one of these rifles in the past, and this incident doesn't deter my thinking in the least.

There are dozens of handloading accidents every year that cause injury to shooters. That in itself doesn't alter my thinking about handloaded ammunition. It just makes me all the more careful. A bit like driving slower after you pass a major wreck with injuries on the highway.  Bill T.

 

[billt]

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Finnish+gun+manufacturer+recalls+faulty+hunting+weapons/1101978285825

There is another possibility, and that is bad barrel steel. This happened a few years ago to Sako. They wound up getting a bad batch of barrel steel from the vendor who supplied their material. A total of 6 guns were known to have blown up like this. The gun you see let go firing FACTORY .300 WSM Ammunition. It involved a massive recall. If steel isn't heat treated properly it can do strange things. Again, this is yet another of many possibilities.   Bill T.