Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Remington's In-Depth Response to CNBC Under Fire

My point of view is that everyone can or have had their own personnel experiences. Mine came several years ago one day at the range. I was shooting a riffle(major manufacture out of NY)to prepare for the upcoming deer season. All was good, riffle was still on shooting great groups, then bammm. The rifle was sitting on the bench resting securely on several sand bags front and rear, with a round in the chamber. I was looking through my spotting scope at my target when a loud bang rang out and I was struck in the stomach with what felt like a sledgehammer. When I look up my rifle was not on the bench but in my hands that had grabbed for my stomach. The rifle had discharged with no one ever touching it. I was in shock that this could have happened. Trying to figure out what had just happen I asked several of my friends, who were standing behind the bench at the time of the incident, what happened? They all said the rifle just went off. I proceeded to shot 2 rounds with no incidents, then on the third round it happened again. After trying everything i could think of to find out what was happening, I found that after I chambered a round if I barely touched the bolt the rifle would discharge. Thank God no one was hurt.

The worst part of the whole thing came when the gun was sent back to the company. They instantly went on the defensive saying that I altered the trigger. I told them I can positively with out a doubt say that I nor the store I purchased it from altered the trigger. Their stance was your a "LIAR", great customer service. Talked with several people at the company with same results. When asked how they were so sure I altered the trigger they said because the was no loctite on a particular screw in the trigger assembly. When asked how they could be certain that someone from their company didn't forget that step, they just said couldn't happen here. Got the REPAIRED gun back from the company (after paying for said repair) and now it would only discharge occupationally. Company said bad ammo, ya that is it 5 different ammo manufactures and all the same problem. It appeared to me from looking at the rounds that the firing pin was not hitting the primers hard enough to detonate every round. Needless to say but took the gun back to dealer who graciously allowed me to pick out a new gun.

Long post but I am around guns all day every day and treat all guns with utmost respect and safety, That is the most important thing. All guns a dangerous but its the lack of good gun safety that leads to unfortunate accidents.

just my story and 2 cents.

trash away if you like.

This is absurd when talking about police and military snipers.

I had the same deal happen on one of my Remington 700's years ago. My nephews I take deer hunting don't believe me and always rag me about leaving the bolt open on my deer rifles while in the deer blind. I've usually got a round chambered in the blind, but figure there is no way possible it can fire if the bolt is up instead of closed. And of course, the rifle is always pointed down range!
And, I never carry a rifle with a round in the chamber while I'm walking around.

mine goes around at night shooting at people all by itself.........

tag

FAR from being a "Remington hater", if I were gonna buy a new center-fire rifle today, I'd buy a Remington 700 BDL. It's a beautiful rifle as well as being an extremely accurate rifle and the "price-is-right". What more could a rifleman ask?

In addition, I've been asked what brand of rifle and what caliber they should buy for their sons by two different friends who knew I'd been using guns and hunting since I was 12 years old (I'm 76 now) and respected my knowledge of firearms in general and center-fire rifles in particular since I am a long-time "rifleman".

In both cases, I recommended they buy a Remington 700 BDL in .30/06, .270, .280 or .308 depending on what kind of hunting their sons were gonna do. My initial recommendation is generally always a .30/06 because I believe it is "enough caliber" for almost all North American big game with the possible exception of the "big bears".

That said, I will get to my point.

My bestest hunting buddy has an early model Remington 700 BDL in .30/06... and he is an extremely careful, very knowledgeable shooter and hunter... definitely not some lame-brained idiot.

His early-model BDL fired upon closing the bolt and he was very sure he didn't touch the trigger. Fortunately, due to his careful handling of all firearms, his rifle was pointed down range at his club's rifle range when this incident occurred.

He had his gunsmith go over the rifle very thoroughly and the gunsmith could find NO REASON for the rifle to fire itself. The action and the whole rifle was "very clean" and so, debris and/or a dirty rifle wasn't the cause.

My friend contacted Remington Arms about the problem and was told that no such "problem" existed. In the meantime (a month or more), he had gone to the rifle range again and had the SAME THING happen AGAIN!!!

Being the kind of careful rifleman he is, my friend KNEW that IT HAD happened TWICE (the rifle fired upon closing the bolt) and decided that he wouldn't take any more chances with it.

He had his gunsmith order and install a new, high-quality, after-market trigger and never looked back. My friend has never had a re-occurrence of the problem.

Therefore, because my friend is an intelligent, responsible, careful man, I think that the "problem" DOES exist and is in the trigger group or trigger assembly somewhere.

My friend's theory is that it seems to exist in the very EARLY MODEL 700s, but apparently not in the LATER MODEL 700s. I have no opinion on my friend's "theory".

However, if I had an older Model 700 Remington, I would certainly have the trigger REPLACED with a good-quality after-market trigger ASAP... because whether or not Remington admits it, the problem DOES exist... possibly ONLY in older Model 700s... in my opinion based on my bestest hunting buddy's experience with his older Model 700 Remington BDL center-fire rifle.

The above information is the absolute truth as told to me by my very honest, good friend and bestest hunting buddy... and I offer this information ONLY because I wouldn't wanna see anyone get hurt if it could be prevented.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Sealed documents in a case where a young man died here in Montana were recently released to his father. Should be interesting. None of this does anything to do with how I feel about the rifles. I own Remingtons and my kids will probably hunt with them at one time or another. mtmuley

There are lots of documents proving Remington knew this was possible. I certainly don't dispute that it is rare, but it does happen.

An internal memo warning of a potential "unsafe condition" dating from 1946

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Se...gton_Under_Fire/Documents/Rem_Doc_02.pdf

A proposal in 1948 to redesign the trigger.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Se...gton_Under_Fire/Documents/Rem_Doc_09.pdf

Some of the thousands of letters sent to Remington over the years complaining of guns firing with no pull of the trigger. Some estimates are as high as 10,000 compliants to Remington over the years.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Se...gton_Under_Fire/Documents/Rem_Doc_06.pdf

Remington says they have never been able to duplicate the problem, but here is a letter from 1975 where they admtted to having 2 rifles fire with no pull of the trigger.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Se...gton_Under_Fire/Documents/Rem_Doc_07.pdf

In 1980 there were 152 rifles were returned to Remington with owners complaining the guns fired with no pull of the trigger. Remington technicians were able to confirm that 55 of the 152 would do this.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Se...gton_Under_Fire/Documents/Rem_Doc_08.pdf

If 152 rifles were returned in just 1 year, the 10,000 complaints over a 60+ year manufacturing span is believeable. This does not count guys who didn't return their rifles, or just paid to have the trigger replaced by aftermarket.

A 1968 Consumers Report article where a factory new,unmodified 700 dropped the firing pin more than 100 times with no pull of the trigger.

Page 2, bottom left paragraph.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Se...gton_Under_Fire/Documents/Rem_Doc_13.pdf



I own a 1974 rifle that behaved just like the one in the Consumer report article. The rifle was almost 20 years old before it ever gave a problem. It dropped the firing pin on an empty chamber several times over about a 1 hour period. The problem stopped as suddenly as it began, and has not repeated in over 10 years.

I bought mine in '76, Never fired unless I pulled the TRIGGER
BB

I had no problem with the stock trigger/safety assembly in terms of any discharge. That said, I think there is some reason for concern so I put in a Timney. I really like the new trigger and this question would have been in the back of my mind otherwise. The trigger/safety assembly is quite easy to change.

It must have blown his ears!

I'll bet he had a round in the chamber....LOL of coarse he did. And what are you told about having a round in the chamber and you might drop or bang the rifle (any make) and what "may" happen?????

I currently own 11 Remington 700's and have had several dozen other 700's over the years. Personally I have never had any trouble with accidental discharges (except when she rubbed it to much)oooops!! Sorry must have been dreaming. lol Time to get back on track...If their is a real problem with the trigger assembly then remington should address it properly. It would be in their best interest and would show some dedication to the safety and quality control they should be striving for that seams to be lacking in recent years. Also the customer should be aware that any firearm must be handled as if it was loaded. Don't act as if you know it isn't . What harm is it to be safe rather than sorry?

As one who shot on the 82nd Airborne Rifle team, no one pulled any wool over my eyes,.....

If Remington's safety is lacking in recent years, why did they come out with a new improved trigger of late?

Furthermore, it amazes me about production rifles, they are production rifles, if you want a "Custom Rifle" ....go buy one, from a Custom Rifle Maker.

I'll be glad if'n they move to Oklahoma where there will be a 2 mile long line to work for them and make the bestest rifles in the U.S.!!!! LOL!!!!!!

Good Video!

At the range today a fellow was sighting in an older Remington 700 that was just returned to him from Remington. Seems he pushed the safety off and you can guess what happened. They said it can't happen and the rifle probably had some dirt in the trigger mechanism. That rifle was super clean.

Up graded it free of charge anyway.

????



Addition: He was also sighting in a new Rem. in .270W. He said it was a 770. Looks like he is still a Remington fan.

I think its interesting Remington's says in the piece that only a few of the many cases filed have ever gone to trial and those were resolved in Remington's favor.......that's because standard legal strategy is to settle the ones you won't win, with a big check, and go to trial when you have a 80% plus chance of winning the case.