I’ve tried to convey that I took due diligence in the development of my loads, and I stand by the statement. (My loads were within SAAMI service maximum avg. pressure limits.) I gave T/C Arms all my records, physical evidence, reloads, old brass… everything! For days in court, in front of the jury, they tried to make same arguments some people here are trying to make. But in the end, those arguments didn’t stick and the jury determined that T/C Arms was more at fault.
1) nobody who loads over book max for a standard cartridge is doing "due diligence". They are hotdogging it. 2) it's a flat out lie to assert your loads were within the SAAMI specs of 64k without any testing. The best you can say is that it showed no pressure signs, and that IF you used any software such as Quickload before the blowup that it possibly showed less?
In the end it seems you hotrodded a cartridge in a rifle that was already pushing it's max, and you suffered for it. You thought you were smarter than every guy who ever published a hand loading book, or that if you were over a bit too much that the consequence would be minor. Is TC responsible for putting out a rifle that was possibly dangerous at 300 Win pressures, but could definitely be dangerous to unsafe hand loaders who would overload it? The jury says yes, they are a little more responsible for it than you are.
We're all sorry you got hurt, but we are all gun guys. You have your story which you want us all to believe with no questions asked. But that's not going to happen. We don't know you, we don't know if you are the most anal hand loader on the planet, or if you were tossing back rum and cokes while you load, or if you can't throw the same load twice in a row, or even if you screwed up and used the wrong powder.
My only question left is: when are you suing the powder manufacturer? If the max load 8 years ago was 83 but has been dropped to 79, why aren't you suing them?
“The Savage 99 Pocket Reference”. All models and variations of 1895’s, 1899’s and 99’s covered. Also dates, checkering, engraving.. Find at www.savagelevers.com
