Available Again: SAVAGE 10ML-II: THE LAST RUN
When Savage announced that their world's first factory smokeless muzzleloader was not being produced for 2011 after a ten-year run, the muzzleloading world was panic-stricken. I've had hundreds and hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from those that want one, two, or more. Some folks are new to muzzleloading, some wanted more 10ML-II's to fully outfit their families. They told me and they told Savage Arms loud and clear that the 10ML-II was just far too good to go away. They have one or two for themselves, but now they want to get one for their sons, daughters, grandkids, and a few lucky folks have wives that enjoy hunting and shooting as well. It is the most fun you can have with a muzzleloader, the most hassle-free to use, and the most devastating on game. It is also the most economical to shoot, has the lowest recoil comparatively, and is the best built factory muzzleloader ever offered.
By now, I've penned well over one hundred articles about the industry-leading Savage 10ML-II, used it on countless hunts across the world, and most of the trophies on the wall and in the freezer here in Plainfield, Illinois are courtesy of the Savage 10ML-II. I'm the last person that needs any convincing about the 10ML-II: for the last eight years it has been my primary big game hunting rifle for everything from pronghorn, black bear, to warthog, caribou, and kudu.
For those that always wanted one, now is your chance. Savage has decided to do one final run in blued configuration only. The barrel is certified 4140 chrome-moly steel, every rifle proof-fired and function fired before it leaves the factory. This rifle is the latest configuration blued-synthetic, featuring the new 3/8 in. socket head breech plug, dual pillar bedded stock with the new center-feed action screw spacing, and the thoughtful addition of the highly regarded Savage “P.A.D” recoil pad. It has the industry-leading user-adjustable “Accu-Trigger,” the trigger that Savage puts on all of their premium bolt-action rifles. The Savage 10ML-II offers over 100 yards more range than any slug gun on the market, with dramatically lower cost per shot and notably better accuracy than any rifled shotgun made, including Savage's own extremely popular 220F. In states like Illinois, the Savage 10ML-II is legal to hunt with in every single firearms season we have.
Perhaps ahead of its time in 1999, it is the muzzleloader that will never become obsolete. It is made right here in the USA, at Savage's Westfield, Massachusetts factory. Smokeless muzzleloaders will always be available, but often as custom rifles that regularly sell for $2650 to $4000. Not only does the 10ML-II advance the art, it does so affordably. This is the gun that takes the hassle out of muzzleloading and puts the fun back in. It is also classified as a muzzleloader, meaning it doesn't have to be shipped to an FFL unless state and local regulations dictate that.
The whole Savage team has always been quite proud of this rifle. Savage VP Brian Herrick went to North Carolina to hunt with expert machinist, custom rifle-builder, and original patent holder of the 10ML: Henry Ball. I did as well. Savage CEO Ron Coburn hunts with a 10ML-II. Maria Medina at the factory polishes the barrels. Dave Burke at Savage double-checks tolerances, you have talented assemblers like Rudy Fargo, Hector Garcia checking the alignment of barreled actions, Larry Larivee checking triggers, and Ray Silva individually checks and hand-straightens the 10ML barrel if needed. Joe DeGrande heads up Customer Service, and Savage Customer Service Department with talented, experienced folks like Effie Sullivan proudly stand behind the product. It is all a team effort at Savage and it shows.
Over seventy thousand folks read this website every month, some ten times that read Guns & Shooting Online where I've served as Senior Editor for many years. After all these years, comparatively very few folks are aware that I've ever sold a few parts for the Savage 10ML-II along with a few of my videos. It never has been a big deal, I've never mentioned this in a formal article before, but in this case I'm making an exception. Independent testing, evaluation, consulting, and writing is what I do and will continue to do. Savage Arms has never bought me a 10ML-II, as a matter of fact, and they never have advertised on this website. I have purchased a lot of 10ML-II's from Savage Arms, though, more than most people might imagine.
I'm a big believer in this gun and have been for a very long while. Though I can't call shipping out muzzleloaders “pleasurable,” exactly, it has filled the void where folks seem to have a hard time getting them. Every single Savage 10ML I've ever sold is now worth substantially more than what I sold it for, a rarity in muzzleloading to say the very least. Some of it is quite satisfying, particularly when new families are introduced to muzzleloading and a young son or daughter bags their first deer with a 10ML-II. Events like: Nine Year Old Shane Biddle Bags His First Deer. Muzzleloading is all about fun and the Savage 10ML-II puts the fun back into the sport.
So, the “Last Run of the Savage 10ML-II” is here. Manufacturing is scheduled for March, 2011, and delivery is estimated to be in April, 2011, or thereabouts. I'm offering one model, blued / composite. They all will have the “P.A.D” pad, the latest stock design, the latest barrel profile, and the new 3/8 in. socket breechplug that needs no special tools to spin out. As mentioned elsewhere, neither parts or factory service is any issue and won't be for at least the next 7-10 years or longer. There isn't much that takes wear on a Savage 10ML, nothing that won't last several hunting lifetimes.
Sold out. Congratulations to everyone who thought they lost out on a new Savage 10ML-II but were able to order one (or six, as the case may be) and thanks to Savage Arms for giving everyone another yet opportunity . . . making this eleven straight years of production. This is longest continuous production streak for any dedicated inline muzzleloading rifle built today.
© Copyright 2003-2011 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
