Muzzleloader Alert

North American Muzzleloader Hunting

Blown Savage Model 10ML II "Smokeless"

  Muzzleloader Mangles Shooter's Hand!

Warning - The Photos    Below Are Graphic

The 2000 photo at the upper left is of me during better days when experimenting with muzzle-loaded rifles built to handle clean burning high performance charges of modern smokeless powders - shot only in rifles specifically for shooting such powders.  In fact, the rifle in the photo is a custom muzzleloader built on a SAKO bolt-action, and barreled with a McGowan custom barrel... turned from steel especially for making into smokeless center-fire rifle barrels.  The rifle was built by Henry Ball, of Greensboro, NC - the gunsmith who built the original prototype for the commercially produced Savage smokeless muzzleloader.

From early 2000 until 2004, I did the vast majority of test shooting of the original Model 10ML and the revamped Model 10ML II for Savage, putting more than 36,000 rounds through a total of 9 rifles.  And, like many of those who own and continue to shoot these superbly performing muzzle-loaded big game rifles, back then I thought the concept was definitely the future of muzzleloading.  That was, until one of the rifles, without any prior warning signs, literally exploded right in front of my face.  I was fortunate.  Pieces of the barrel, stock and scope flew in every direction...but not a single fragment hit me.  And while I was shaken for some time, I proceeded with caution for several months to try to determine the cause of the catastrophic failure that totally destroyed that rifle.  (Click Here for photos and story.)  And when I did finally share my findings with Savage, they immediately went into denial, making a lot of false claims about what I had done to the rifle...and the gross over loads  I had shot out of that rifle...in an attempt to discredit what I finally knew about "their rifle" - which the company at that time had shot very, very little. 

The flaw in their design can also be seen at the link in the prior paragraph.  My recommendation that they recall the 10,000 or 11,000 rifles in the hands of shooters at that time was totally ignored, and the company has continued to produce the rifle with the same built in flaw ever since - and now other rifles are beginning to fail, and shooters are being severely injured. 

The following photos show the rifle that blew on Manitoba, Canada muzzleloading hunter Trent Procter on October 24, 2009, and what is now left of his left hand.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             Toby Bridges,

                                                                                                                                                                                                             NORTH AMERICAN

                                                                                                                                                                                                             MUZZLELOADER HUNTING                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Trent has owned the rifle for six years, and said that during that period, he had put between 200 and 300 rounds through his Model 10ML II, and has taken 7 deer with it.  Following is his recollection of the day the rifle blew...

"On October 24th, 2009, I went to Broad Valley, Manitoba where I had purchased a hunting cabin with a couple of friends, to do some work on the cabin.  And we thought we would get in a hunt that afternoon and the next morning.  I had not sighted my muzzleloader this year, so went to a pit south of town to do so.  I loaded the gun with 42.5 grains of IMR 4759 powder, using a 250 grain Barnes bullet.  One of my buddies suggested I shoot over the hood of his truck, but I did not have ear protection, so decided to shoot off of a canvas duffle bag full of clothes.  First shot was my last shot - as there was a large explosion...with my hand under the barrel on the forestock.  The barrel and forestock blew apart (per pictures), and some part of the gun blew off and dented the door of the truck.  My buddies took me to Hodgson General Hospital 20 minutes away.  From there, I was transported by ambulance to Winnipeg Health Science Center 2 hours away, where I underwent 6 hours of surgery.  Doctors expect 2-3 more surgeries, and I will be off work for 6 months to a year.

I am in the middle of building my house and have now had to hire trades to finish the work that I was doing.  And I've begun occupational therapy twice a week.  The skin flap that was transferred to my thumb has been determined to be non-viable, and will have to be removed and re-done."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Trent Procter

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Manitoba, Canada

Copyright 2009

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