I bought a used 1st edition of the Savage ML10 smokeless muzzle loader.
It has some intriguing features about it that I never even knew existed.
It has a bolt that operates as smoothly and is as precision made as any center fire rifle.
Secondly, it has a steel primer carrier that's shaped like a pistol caliber bullet cartridge. It's rimmed and designed to be easily dropped into the receiver to be fed into the back of the breech plug, and then easily extracted after firing via the extractor that's mounted on the bolt.
The front is shaped like a nozzle that mates with the back of the breech plug by a simple press fit for easy in and out removal.
The extractor easily releases the carrier by simply wiggling it with the touch of a finger.
Thirdly, when used with smokeless powder, the bolt wouldn't seem to accumulate much of any powder residue which would require it to be dissassembled with any regularity.
Fourth, the receiver and bolt resembles a Savage center fire design closely enough that the Federal government required that the original ML10 be transferred through an FFL just like a center fire rifle. It's my understanding that's what led to the development of the 2nd generation ML10-II, so as to avoid government regulation.
For me this is the start of a new adventure into muzzle loading.
Check out the photos to see what the major parts and features of the rifle look like.