Savage Model 10MLSS .50 caliber Muzzleloader Rifle Blown Up

[Marshal'ette Halloway]

Got this from a friend: and thought some of you might be interested in it.

Caution: The last few pictures are pretty graphic...but they show the magnitude of the mishap

A very good shooting friend of mine from Winnipeg , MB Canada sent me a link to these photos in a web album.  A Winnipeg area shooter by the name of Trent Procter who works for Manitoba Hydro was sighting in his Savage muzzleloader rifle and nearly lost his hand.  Luckily, he had his hand  on the scope instead of the forearm when this happened.  (Incidentally, the Savage is the only muzzleloader that is supposed to withstand the high pressures of smokeless powder.)

I don't know if this failure happened due to a defect in the rifle itself or if the shooter perhaps didn't properly seat the projectile against the powder firmly.  This is VERY important with any muzzleloader, especially when shooting black powder.

Doc Martin

Webmaster Coon 'n Crockett Muzzleloaders Club
Grand Forks, ND - USA
www.coon-n-crockett.org

This is what the rifle looks like:



This is a page I took from the manual that mentions the smokeless loads:



This is the note that was sent with the email I received:
If you guys know of anyone who is shooting a Savage like this let them know that there are many recorded cases of them failing such as Proc's did. Savage is the only muzzle loader that claims it can handle smokeless powder loads. Cabelas won't even carry this product anymore. This email has gone to the CEO of Savage Arms via another hunter who has contacted Trent . The same thing happened to him awhile back, he was lucky as his forend hand was on his scope as he was sighting in. Forward as you feel fit.

[Delmonico]

Looks like it was a projectile that didn't get seated, however with nitro powders, any mistake is much worse because of the much larger amount of pressure that it can generate.

[GunClick Rick]

Maybe he shouldn't have loaded that one from the muzzle?Cause it don't look like a muzzleloader..

[Hedley Lamarr]

GCR, these use a 209 primer, and the bolt is lifted to place it on the pseudo-nipple. The bolt also contains the firing pin.
There is no way to load any powder and/or projectile other than down the muzzle.

[GunClick Rick]

I'll be,never seen one before,thanks for the education.. To much powder??

[Professor Marvel]

The possibilities are too many to enumerate, from barrel blockage to accidental use of smokeless pistol powder (ie: 50 grains of red dot) . I offer for your further elucidation this site:
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/blowups.htm

measure twice
shoot once
stay safe

yhs
prof mar el

[Howdy Doody]

I always wanted one of them and now I don't. Even though I only shoot BP. My heart goes out to the poor guy that got hurt. That barrel really came undone.

[northwestgrizzly]

OUCH!!!

[Gun Butcher]

 I guess I'm to much of a hardcore old-timer. If it loads from the front It gets nothing but BP. And I always mark the ramrod so that I know when a ball is seated. My heart goes out to him.

[Doc Cuervo]

I guess I'm to much of a hardcore old-timer. If it loads from the front It gets nothing but BP. And I always mark the ramrod so that I know when a ball is seated.

So mode it be!

[Professor Marvel]

I guess I'm to much of a hardcore old-timer. If it loads from the front It gets nothing but BP. And I always mark the ramrod so that I know when a ball is seated. My heart goes out to him.

Ah Monsieur GB -

thank you ever so much for the note! - I have made several new rods and you have reminded me to motivate my winter-slowed posterior out into the shop and mark said rods appropriately!

yhs
prof marvel

[Gun Butcher]

 Happy to have been of some small service to a man of your stature Professor.