A federal judge in Kansas City, MO has blessed a proposed settlement against Remington to fix alleged defects in the trigger connector of millions of rifles. The approval starts the clock on the six-month window for objections to be filed before the settlement is implemented.
We have mixed feelings about this tentative settlement agreement after a long, class-action lawsuit initially filed by someone who killed someone else because they were negligent in handling their rifle safely.
Having said that, owners of Remington 700-series rifles, including the models 700, Seven, Sportsman 78, 673, 710, 715, 770, 600, 660, XP-100, 721, 722 and 725, will have their rifles fixed at no charge, according to a CNBC report that reads as though it was written by plaintiff’s counsel.
Under the settlement, which is still subject to final approval later this year, Remington will offer to replace the trigger systems, free of charge, on more than 7 million of its bolt-action rifles.
An attorney for the plaintiffs, Mark Lanier, called the settlement “a tremendous accomplishment” and “a great use of the legal system.”
“It fixes what the plaintiffs are concerned is a misfire danger in the rifles, thus enhancing the safety of users and nearby third parties,” Lanier said in an e-mail.
We’re don’t believe it’s a “great use of the legal system”. If people want to enhance their safety around firearms, they could not be negligent in practicing basic safety rules, including NEVER point the muzzle at anything you’re not willing to destroy.
The Truth About Guns does some basic math and calculates that if Remington hired 50 technicians to work on the problem, it would take them years to fix all seven-plus million rifles.
In reality, most owners will probably forgo the fix, instead relying on common sense and safe gun handling to keep them and those nearby safe.
Even so, it’s likely to cost Remington additional tens of millions of dollars to fix hundreds of thousands of rifles, especially when you consider shipping costs.