Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Dakota model 10

So, apparently the D10’s have extractors & no ejector.

Fully agree.

The Browning Low Wall is an extractor gun and with gloves on I have found it cumbersome, the High Wall on the other hand is an ejector gun. I have two Browning 1885's a 6MM with ok wood and a 25-06 with wood so plain it will get restocked in the future. Both guns have octagon barrels and are very accurate maybe more so than the #1. Both are a tad heavy for an all day carry at least for me.
I have several #1's in calibers from 250 Savage to 450-400. The #1A is a slim and trim rifle the Tropical (375 H&H, 405 Win, 35 Whelan, 450-400) are a bit heavier. I have three custom guns built on the #1 action and needless to say these are nice trim rifles and very accurate. There is a 38-55 built on a High Wall action with half round hale octagon barrel. It balances well between the hands accurate but no lightweight.
At the end of the day none of these rifles compares to my Dakota M10 with the possible exception of the custom guns.

I've wanted a Dakota M10 ever since they came out. I figured something like a 7x57 would be nice. Hasn't happened yet and frankly, probably never will. Just another unfilled item on my bucket list. Never know though.I just might get lucky. So until that happens I'll just go with my Ruger #1s and one Browning B78 and enjoy them for what they are.
PJ

I've wanted one for a long time as well. I have had #1's custom built exactly as I wanted for less than what a comparable Dakota would cost. Then out of the blue I came across one that suited me.
There's no dust on the Ruger #1 or the Browning 1885's I have several of both.

I've had three M-10. The only one I didn't really like was in 7mm Dakota. The extractor was inadequate to reliably lift the big fired brass cartridge from the chamber.

The 7mm Dakota is pretty interesting. most of them seem to have 23" barrels, and I'd rather see a 26" for them.

Back in 1991 and 92, I was the chairman of the first Friends of the NRA dinner’s in my area. One of the guns provided by the NRA was a Model 10. We ended up returning that rifle due to the cost and the poor wood match between the butt stock and the forend. In hind sight I should have bought it. If my memory is correct it was priced between $1700 and $2200, I don’t remember the cartridge.

I built a few custom rifles using Dakota#10 actions. I found the tiny triggers too small and bench made new ones with a scroll in back. I did not like the gap between the trigger guard and the lever. I made a pattern for a new trigger guard that would fill the blank space, had a mold made from the pattern and had a batch investment cast.
I fit these to just a few rifles and sold a few of the guards. The new triggers made a good functional and esthetic improvement and the new guard made it look like a different rifle. The safeties were also reshaped.
Once my good friend Martin Hagn came out with a smaller version of his marvelous single shot action I quit using Dakota’s.
Here are a few pics of a custom Dakota in .257 Roberts. This one engraved by Michael Dubber.
Steven Dodd Hughes, Gunmaker

Dang, that’s a heartbreaker!

What an improvement, beautiful work Sir.

Beautiful design and workmanship.

Thanks guys. Retired now, I loved creating cool hunting rifles.
SDH

Elegance personified. Thanks for what you've given us Steven. Even for those who can't afford such work the guns are inspirational.

Wow, and in a perfect cartridge for a lively stalking rifle.

As I remember I built 2-3 in .257 Roberts one in 7x57 and one as a .280 Rem.
All great, size appropriate cartridges.
I put countless hours into thinking about easthitic and functional improvements and how to blend the action, lever and barrel contours into a pleasing, well balance, fast handling hunting rifle. Many, many drawings before I changed anything. A couple of pics on the forend


And this .257R I built for myself but let it get away....SDH

SDH,
Can you tell me what typically was involved in fitting your triggerguard? Was it very labour intensive?
Did the factory trigger not work in the new guard or was your new trigger entirely for aesthetic purposes?

I can’t believe dakota nor parkwest wouldn’t offer a better fitting guard after seeing how yours improved the action.

Thanks

I may not ever be able to afford one, or find one, but I’d love to own a model 10 in .22lr.

SDH,

What wonderful work.

You and me both!