Judge orders Remington to pay for new triggers

[eford]

For Remington owners worried about trigger replacement:

Turning aside objections from gun owners, legal experts and nine state attorneys general, a federal judge has given final approval to a landmark class action settlement involving some 7.5 million allegedly defective Remington guns.

The ruling allows the owners of some of Remington's most popular firearms — including the iconic Model 700 rifle — to have their triggers replaced free of charge.

In 2010, CNBC investigated allegations that for decades Remington covered up a deadly design defect that allows the guns to fire without the trigger being pulled. To this day, Remington denies the allegations and maintains the guns are safe. The company said it was settling the case to avoid protracted litigation.

Critics of the settlement alleged Remington deliberately downplayed the risks in order to suppress claims in the settlement, and that plaintiffs attorneys — who will now collect $12.5 million in fees — did not do enough to hold Remington's feet to the fire.

The attorneys general argued that Remington should be required to admit the guns are defective.

But U.S. District Judge Ortrie D. Smith, who twice sent the parties back to the drawing board to improve the settlement, decided that in the end fixing some of the guns is better than risking none at all being fixed.

"By approving this settlement, the Court facilitates remediation of the alleged defect," Smith wrote. "That result may save lives and reduce the risk of injury to others."

The settlement covers Remington's Model 700, as well as these other firearms: Seven, Sportsman 78, 673, 710, 715, 770, 600, 660, 721, 722 and 725 rifles, and the XP-100 bolt-action pistol.

Under the settlement, most of these guns will be retrofitted with a new trigger mechanism free of charge. However, some models — specifically the 600, 660, 721, 722, 725 and XP-100 — are considered too old to be retrofitted, so Remington is offering owners of those guns a product voucher worth between $10 and $12.50.

Got to web site below and scrool to the bottom for the hyperlink to get the form for trigger replacement.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/judge-approves-landmark-remington-rifle-settlement/ar-AAolZSC?li=BBnbfcL

[badsection]

Keep in mind, this not the Remington we knew a few years back. They are owned by "Freedom Group"

[Cody Hanby]

Without reading the whole post (which I will, just haven't yet), I can say that if the firearm fires without the trigger being pulled, it's indeed a defect, but the defect, but not a deadly one. What's deadly is pointing it in a direction where it could kill off it randomly fired.


I'll read the rest now.


Ok so I read it, and I guess I should clarify that I wasn't trying to say they weren't defective. If they were defective, they were defective. Was just saying that a trigger defect will never act alone in the killing of a human. Always needs to be some irresponsibility to allow a randomly firing gun to kill.

[wyominghunter]

I agree. I believe that is the essence of the settlement, Remington admits to no wrongdoing, but pays for triggers to avoid a protracted legal battle. As they say, the only people who win a court case are lawyers.

I do not personally believe there is a design defect with the Remington 700 trigger (don't know much about the rest). I own about 10 Remington 700s and I haven't experienced an issue. I won't have my triggers replaced.

[PARA45]

I have the first rifle I purchase back in 1982, and it's a Rem 700 ADL in 243.  That rifle has sat in my safe unused for quite sometime because it fired (unloaded) twice when I closed the bold after cleaning it, and it happened at different times.  I've tried to reproduce the incident, but haven't been able to, but I do not trust the rifle anymore.  I never got rid of the rifle because it holds sentimental value to me, and I was not about to sell a defective rifle to someone. So, I've kept it all these years.  I've been saying that I will replace the trigger, but something always comes a long and I didn't do it.   I may have Remington replace the trigger and go from there.  Or replace the trigger with a Timmy trigger, and call it a day. We'll see. 

[danno50]

Call it a day, and call Timney for the replacement, you'll have less down time then if you have to have an authorized Remington dealer do the work, or worse, have to send it to Remington. Your rifle may not be original anymore, but there will be a real reason for it, and you'll be able to enjoy your sentimental rifle.

[zonie]

I love the old Remington's I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for a few good deals. 

[oregonmarkv]

My wife won a model 7 7mm08 in 1988 and chambering a round one day it went off when she closed the bolt and I accused her of pulling the trigger which she did not. After that I will never own another Remington and will not hunt with anyone carrying one.

[Stacy]

I thought the problem was fixed with the recall of the triggers a few years ago?  I shipped a 7mm-08 back to Remington but not my 30-06 and I have a brand new Remington action barrelled in 338 WM by McGowen barrels on its way back to me right now...should be here Thursday.

I'm not doing anything with mine unless I experience a problem.         

[truck driver + 2]

I have only one Remington left in the safe and it's a M725 that has the original trigger in it. When I had a custom barrel fitted to it I had the gun smith adjust the trigger and it is great and will not replace it.

[badsection]

I don't currently own a Remington anything.  I do believe I would change out the trigger if I did, purely to be on the safe side. I'd rather "waste" the money and be sure than not and find out I should have.  JMO!

[TexWeatherby]

My first gun owned that I paid for myself (cutting grass) was a Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 gauge I got at age 14 in 1971. It was and is a good shotgun – I still use it. Sadly, I personally would not buy any of the new Remingtons. I've seen first hand recently what Freedom Group did to Marlin lever actions (I posted on that recently) and it wasn't pretty. Although Weatherby rifles already had me drooling back in those days, I also thought back then that Remington made a very decent firearm. I saved and saved for that 870; it was 115 bucks, a chunk of change for a kid back then! Hard to say if they ever will come back to making a good product again.

[7mmweatherby]

Have to say Remington custom shop is top notch compete with any firearm manufacturer as far as quality and accuracy I have few of them  going back to 1984 to last ones out of Illion NY as they are currently built by Dakota arms
Blue printed 700 action,along with being bedded and match grade barrels ,Remington custom shop rifles will compete with the coopers and yes they are pricey but I don't have any complaints
As new off the shelf Remington I don't have any I do have hunting buddy got sendero ll and likes it also shoots very well nothing wrong with Remington 700 i believe a lot of the trigger issues is improper maintenance or none or possibly trigger adjustments by incompetent person not understanding spring tension ,travel ,sear adjustment just my opinion