45 caliber smokeless muzzleloader

[Alex Wheeler]

I just finished this rifle up. I used a Mesa muzzleloader action and a Mesa stock. Barrel is a 26" Brux heavy varmint contour. Hankins ignition setup and brake. Bix n Andy tac sport pro trigger. Overall a real nice setup and it came in just over 10 pounds which is not bad considering the barrel.

 

[ebb]

I know a couple of guys that lost their rights that would love something like that.

 

[msalm]

I’ve done a fair # of those and you should expect 2” groups or so….at 400 yards.

 

[Mulligan]

I just finished this rifle up. I used a Mesa muzzleloader action and a Mesa stock. Barrel is a 26" Brux heavy varmint contour. Hankins ignition setup and brake. Bix n Andy tac sport pro trigger. Overall a real nice setup and it came in just over 10 pounds which is not bad considering the barrel.View attachment 1493150View attachment 1493151View attachment 1493152View attachment 1493154

Now, that’s good stuff!
CW

 

[flintcreek6412]

They are addictive. I built one last year and love it. They are so fun to shoot and unreal accurate. Great looking build.

 

[WSnyder]

I know a couple of guys that lost their rights that would love something like that.

These are considered firearms and are not legal to be owned by convicted felons.

 

[ebb]

Wrong, you can buy a muzzle loader through the mail, delivered to your porch without a back ground check or putting it in an FFLs book. Many states have game laws that prohibit felons from hunting on state land. A guy I worked with had this issue and bird hunted with a 12 gage double barrel muzzle loader. He had lengthy talks with the FWC and an attorney before attempting any hunting. Just not on state land, and Florida is not the only state with these restrictions.

 

[Hal]

Alex
I can't wait to see how it shoots.
Muzzle loaders, what's next hand guns and air rifles.

Hal

 

[Ccrider]

These are considered firearms and are not legal to be owned by convicted felons.

All depends on the action its built on.

 

[Highbrass Shooter]

Beautiful build!! Wonder how long it’ll take some fool read that, then dump smokeless powder in their 45 cal smokepole. Survival of the fittest I suppose

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

If the muzzleloader can be converted by changing the barrel, breech, bolt or any combination a banned or prohibited person cannot own or possess it.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

If the muzzleloader can be converted by changing the barrel, breech, bolt or any combination a banned or prohibited person cannot own or possess it.

Yes. Bottom line is, most, not all, of these are built on cf receivers and have mz bbls installed. The receiver being the firearm, all firearm laws apply to it as a typical long gun.

 

[ebb]

"I used a Mesa muzzleloader action and a Mesa stock." I looked it up and the original maker states that it must ship to an FFL, and W Snyder is absolutely right. I had no idea anything like this even existed. My apologies to all. Is this another one of those deals where the ATF invented a law that never existed before, it sure seems like the original law would have allowed this to be a non firearm?????

 

[Ccrider]

Early on, many were built on 700ml actions. I have one and it will shoot .1s at 100. My first smokeless was a Savage MLII purchased when they first came out. It was before it’s time. It is not as accurate, but holds 1/2 inch at 100 and made black powder obsolete for me.

Neither of these guns require an ffl to transfer or to ship. They are not considered firearms.

 

[WSnyder]

See if you can order one up from Mesa or any number of the similar ML actions and take possession of it without a 4473. Try to order a complete one from Hankins or Arrowhead and see if you can do it without the 4473 as well.

I believe the basis for it is it can be easily converted to a centerfire which would be illegal for a felon to own or possess.

 

[D55]

The Mesa ML action has a slotted boltface and (possibly but not likely) could hold a cartridge and this action was designed for ML use.

 

[WSnyder]

Is this another one of those deals where the ATF invented a law that never existed before, it sure seems like the original law would have allowed this to be a non firearm?????

No I don’t think so. If you read the actual BATF regs pertaining to this it applies to more historical muzzle loaders would be legal, not so much for some modern guns and bolt actions.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

You could use this action with a standard cartridge if you pull the bolt and slide the case onto the bolt face.

 

[Ccrider]

Alex, what load and bullet will be used with this setup? What is the expected mv?

 

[Ccrider]

See if you can order one up from Mesa or any number of the similar ML actions and take possession of it without a 4473. Try to order a complete one from Hankins or Arrowhead and see if you can do it without the 4473 as well.

I believe the basis for it is it can be easily converted to a centerfire which would be illegal for a felon to own or possess.

I have actually bought a few of these and shot them for longer than most. I have shipped my 700 ml back and forth to Luke at Arrowhead more than once. I am not an ffl and never had to go through one.

Alex can explain this better than me, but using a centerfire action has advantages, and if I were having one built now, that is what I would use. The Mesa is a centerfire action that is specifically set up for muzzleloader. Slick actions. I would love to have a .40 cal. “tote” muzzleloader built on this action.