Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Local hunting accident

A local lady was killed last week in a hunting accident. According to the sheriff’s report released publicly, a man and his wife were out deer hunting during the late Kansas antlerless season. After returning to the truck, the man laid his rifle down on the back seat to unload the rifle. When he clicked off the safety to unload, the rifle went off, fatally wounding his wife.

Obviously my first thought was the same as most of you, he broke the first rule of gun safety. My second thought, probably like many of you, was wondering if it was a Remington. Well, today I saw some video from the sheriff’s office of the rifle in question. It was an older Remington ADL with the trigger that locked the bolt with the safety on, therefore the hunter had to click off the safety to unload. There were 3 different clips of the rifle going off when the safety was flipped to fire with no finger on the trigger. If it was that easy to replicate multiple times, it’s hard to believe it just started happening. Preventable and tragic.

Don't doubt it. Do you have a link?

Poor gun maintenance by some guy that thinks his rifle is just a "tool". Besides the fact that he broke the number 1 rule. If I'm reading this right, though, it seems like the guy knew it would go off, if it did it "multiple" times while testing it. So, probably not negligent discharge, but homicide. Maybe even premeditated?

Yep!

BSA - this was my initial thought, too. But unless it was her first time ever hunting with her husband, seems like she would've known about the discharge problem as well and not to stand in front of the rifle while it was unloaded. My hunch is they didn't know and are about to have a team of new lawyers... (No, at this point it's not Remington's fault. But that won't stop them from trying.)

Either way, very sad and *totally* preventable.

Horrible and tragic. But let's nip the make/model or trigger talk in the bud right now:

I had an elderly friend who had owned and used a lot his Remington 700 243. He was a good rifleman and took good care of his rifles. He was hunting with myself and the landowner on a cold KS day, a decade ago, and arriving at our end of the walk he pointed his rifle down at the ground and flipped the safety off to unload the chamber. Frozen dirt rained down and our ears rang not to mention the heart rate change. He never went back out hunting again. Not everyone was aware of these trigger system failures back then and evidently still aren’t. Thankfully my friend was a safe gun handler. I pray for this poor fellow and family.
F01

I'm not sure a lawyer would do them any good at this point. You can't sue Remington Arms because they no longer exist. The new "Rem Arms" purchased assets, but not the company. They assumed no liability or warranties from the old company.

Bad trigger, one needing maintenance or improperly adjusted results the same if it is not safely handled and pointed away from someone. While unloading period.poor handling period can't be blamed on the gun.

My first thought was "Was it really an accident?"

Yep sounds fishy if it was that easy to replicate the guy should have known. But beyond that even here in Montana where its legal to have a loaded firearm in the vehicle I NEVER, repeat, NEVER put a rifle in the truck with a round in the chamber, so yeah, I think he broke rule #1 as well.

Wasn't there an incident in your AO a few years ago also involving a rifle and backseat?

Why would he even use the gun? Like driving a car knowing the brakes don't work.

maybe he "wanted" to have an accident ???

I am not a fan of the Remington 700's for several reasons. Their trigger is nothing but stamped tin parts. Like others I have owned about a half dozen before I started studying gun design. Their trigger is what I call a box trigger with lots of places for dirt and debris, snow and ice to accumulate. Military rifles that must work safely in every earthly situation, don't have box triggers for that very reason. Last year a friend took the safety off his 700 and the gun discharged at his feet. My own experiences, working in cold miserable weather, has had several box triggers freeze up and refuse to pick up the sear till the ice from inside the trigger housing was thawed. Working as range safety officer, I have seen about every gun problem and Remington's are a large contributor. I gave my last 700 away to a friend and he had it discharge in his house accidentally. The oddest and witnessed by 2 individuals, was a 700 that was brought in from an elk hunt in cold and snowy weather. Leaning the rifle in the corner of the camper, supper was prepared and was being eaten when the rifle discharged without anyone touching it. I will not have a hunting rifle with a box trigger, period. That being said, the hunter exhibited extremely poor gun handling safety. Muzzle control at all times, no exception. There are 2 things you can never tell anyone, how to drive and how to handle a gun. Pointing something out, you are informed they have been doing it all their lives and won't listen to anyone.

Stu, The 700 fans and they are legion, will NOT hear the 700 badmouthed, regardless of fact, they will hunt you down and burn your cabin.

But it has three rings of steel! Lol.

I guess it is not always a bad thing. I had a 700 custom C in 375 that the trigger froze up. I sold the gun to a friend and upon exiting his tent a very nice bull elk was close by. The trigger again was frozen, and the elk escaped as he was trying to thaw his trigger with a bic lighter. Later that day he shot a larger bull with the rifle.

I am a big Remington fan but the factory trigger absolutely suck. Every one of mine gets replaced. A firearm is an inanimate object and requires human intervention to hurt someone. It must always be pointed in a safe direction when handling a loaded firearm. Putting it in the back seat then unloading it is not smart.

Every gun must be pointed in a safe directionmwhen being handled.