It’s been the subject of endless investigative reports, the allegedly defective trigger on the Remington 700 rifle. At any moment a judge will decide whether or not to accept the agreement Remington has made with plaintiffs in the case.
This is one of those cases where it’s hard to trust the media, due to the fact that they utterly hate all firearms manufacturers, but there is evidence indicating that some triggers are in fact defective. The scope of the problem is up for debate, but it’s hard to argue that the trigger system at issue is a good one.
Here’s the low-down on the case.
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U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith of Kansas City said he’ll decide within 30 days whether to accept the settlement affecting 7.5 million Remington rifles.
Under the settlement, the company has offered to replace the trigger mechanism on most of its popular Model 700 rifles – if the owners ask for the retrofit.
But a Montana man who’s been fighting 16 years for a recall of the rifles, saying the trigger mechanism is defective and that Remington knew about it, has urged the judge to reject the settlement – as have attorneys general from nine states and the District of Columbia.
Richard Barber of Willow Creek, whose 9-year-old son, Gus, was killed in 2000 by a Model 700 rifle that fired without the trigger being pulled, during a family hunting trip, has filed objections to the settlement.
Barber says Remington should not be allowed to continue to say nothing is wrong with the rifles – a statement he says discourages gun owners from getting the defective product fixed.
At a hearing earlier this week, Judge Smith also noted that in the two years since the settlement was announced, only 22,000 rifle owners have filed claims – a claims rate of 0.29 percent.
CNBC reported that Smith said he’s concerned about the “exceedingly small” number of claims, because it seems “inconceivable to me that someone would have a firearm that might injure a loved one and not have it fixed.”
Barber also has said Remington should replace the trigger mechanisms on older Model 600 rifles, instead of offering only a $12.50 voucher for Remington products, as part of the settlement.
If Smith rejects the settlement, the case could go to trial.
Remington agreed to the settlement, but has continued to say publicly that nothing is wrong with its popular Model 700 and other 700-series bolt-action rifles. The settlement also covers some Model 600 rifles, the Seven, the Sportsman 78 and XP-100.
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While the media has been using the case to paint the entire firearms industry as evil, it may actually be the case that some triggers are in fact defective.
If this judge rejects the settlement, it’s going to cost Remington a small fortune. However, ironically it may actually benefit the firearms industry if Remington gets hit hard financially over this lawsuit. That’s because gun control advocates would love to use this case to try to push new laws about manufacturer liability. If the existing laws work the way they are supposed to, progressives will have a tough time demanding new laws.
We all know that the media is nothing but an arm of the Communist Party in the social elite seeking to disarm us so they can propelled her agenda for global slavery, that being in a limitation of the middle class that but 99% may rely on them so there’s that can control them and shut them up. You bet they want to guns and it’s obvious if you look around the world and all the leftist you are destroying their countries bringing the Muslims want to kill them into their countries stripping them of their wealth and their freedoms and endangering their lives and getting their women raped again you bet they want your guns, but I guarantee you, they will all have their guns like Mike (billionaire Bloomberg) who carries and on the Bahamas no one common can carry but he and his other Elietest freind can !
I have owned and hunted with my Rem.700A for over 30 years. I also own several other manufacturers fire arms and always go back to my .308. I am also primarily a pistol shooter so, I know difficulties and the fact is you need to know you weapons. My rifle was not in the grooved lot, as soon as Remington notified me I checked. But to try to blame ignorance of weapon safety on the manufacturer is not legally correct. Hold the gun owner responsible, in the end it is every gun owners final responsibility.
I cannot speak for all Remington Model 700’s but having fired some thousands of rounds through my Mod 700 BDL Heavy Barrel with not one accidental fire incident I have to wonder if this situation is mechanical or more related to cleaning issues or Operator Error. It honestly puzzles me, since I have never been able to duplicate the situations described.
Having handled firearms for 53 years from full automatic Thompsons and Browning Automatic Rifles to flintlock rifles and pistols and many in between; I find this concerting. I have not heard of an independent laboratory testing these triggers based on the descriptions of the failures by those involved directly not third party opinions. This does not belong in the courts until reputable laboratories have tested the triggers based on the descriptions of the failures by those involved directly. What is truly a firearms accident and what is truly misuse and improper handling. Most firearms and ammunition manufactures have web sites with search or contact us links that you can type in “check for recalls”, which Remington has.
This article is wrong in that the Remington site states:
Remington’s investigation determined that some XMP triggers might have excess bonding agent used in the assembly process, which could cause an unintentional discharge. Therefore, Remington is recalling ALL affected products to fully inspect and clean the XMP triggers with a specialized process. Remington has advised customers to immediately cease use of recalled rifles and return them to Remington free of charge. The rifles will be inspected, specialty cleaned, tested, and returned as soon as possible. Do not attempt to diagnose or repair recalled rifles. Remington established a dedicated website and toll-free hotline to help consumers determine whether their Model 700 or Model Seven rifle(s) are subject to recall:
Website: http://xmprecall.remington.com
• Toll-Free Hotline: 1-800-243-9700 (Prompt #3 then Prompt #1) Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.
When the weapon is cleaned, the trigger mechanism should be inspected. If it doesn’t look right , take it to an Armorer, or qualified gunsmith. Sometimes, the drop safety is, accidentally, disabled. The trigger mechanism should be enclosed to keep people, who should know better, from disabling the safety(s).
I know of nothing that is made that has a sample defect rate of zero. It is not possible. My opinion is that to expect a zero defect rate is unrealistic. To require perfection in all products and services would mean all businesses must close.
A defective trigger on any rifle is a huge liability,. It is unjust to not take a second look when this trigger fire after the saety is taken off to the fireing position, darn it Remington has had a good reptutation, guys fix this problem regaurdless of cost. The customer is the finial judge. The Remington 700 is a very good rifle, but with a defective trigger,that is a big liability, it will bite the company in the back side.
We all have bought things that did not work properly and some things that had potentionally dangerous outcomes.
While some people may be getting a huge payday, I think they knew that the safety did not click the way it did or that there was a wear issue and that it should have been looked at. Maybe it was dirty, or something was worn or out of spec. A newby shooter might not realize this, but the originol owner should have felt something. You may not be liable for your mistake in allowing someone else to use it, but you know you have to take some of the blame…
Basic rules of handling a gun.
1. Treat it as if it is always loaded.
2. NEVER point it at anything or anyone, unless you are about to shoot it.
3. This gun, HAD to have been pointed at the young boy and that means someone is ALSO responsible for the boy’s death.
I missed the details of the story but can tell you for sure. IF you don’t have a round in the chamber, the gun will NOT go bang.
Daddy’s fault. And he KNOWS it.
I will speak on Remington’s behalf. having used their model 700 over the years i have never had one discharge accidentally . With that said , i will point out they do have an excellent adjustable trigger that has three screw adjustment to adjust and set the trigger for travel , trigger pull ( weight to pull the trigger ) and over travel . here I QUESTION , the responsibility of the owner , or former owner messing with these adjustments , not knowing what they are doing when doing this . Now , here is where the fault lies , if you set the sear engagement wrong , or to light you’ve now made a fine rifle into a very deadly accident ready to happen . with the sear set to light the rifle will go off with just closing the bolt , or even just setting the rifle down hard on the floor . now being a hunter and shooter for 45 or more years when i purchase a used firearm of any type , I always check it over and always check the trigger pull . On the early model Remington’s I hold any comments AS ALWAYS , REMEMBER EVERY FIREARM IS LOADED . THE UNLOADED ONE IS ALWAYS THE ONE THAT KILLS . Most of all God Bless All that has been hurt or killed . Donnie.
Do not point the weapon at anything you do not intend to destroy , Take the safety off when you are on target!
I own a Remington 700 tactical in 223 and have experienced this problem 1 time on hundreds of rounds fired when the rifle discharged as soon as I closed the bolt.
If that is,a problem then they need to jump on car man factories also look in any paper every day and see how many care have been recalled because something is,wrong with them
I have a Rem. 700 bdl that I purchased 42 years ago and have never experienced the trigger problem. Fire it only eight or ten times per year on average, but I certainly want to have it checked out BEFORE I have an incident. Is it true that rifles with groves cut into the trigger are not the ones with the problem and that smooth triggers are the culprits?
I actually watched a video by the Marine Corps of where Marines on the full range took only two years and close the bolt on the Remington rifle and it fired his hands were nowhere near the trigger. One interview with the man who designed the rifle said when he designed the rifle that was a flat in the trigger that was in 1948 and he could’ve been fixed for $.10 a rifle but Remington said that was too much money. I personally think we need to has been ducking this far too long. Many police departments across the country have actually pulled the 700 from their inventory because of this from the same problem. It’s time to step up and take responsibility.
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