"REMINGTON Model 700 UNDER FIRE: A CNBC INVESTIGATION"

[Panzer1]

here's the thing that bothers me.  I've seen the videos of the 700 misfiring but Remington won't tell me what to do to make my 700 safe.

Panzer

[billt]

here's the thing that bothers me.  I've seen the videos of the 700 misfiring but Remington won't tell me what to do to make my 700 safe.

Panzer

That is because there is nothing you can do with Remington parts to make it so. Short of changing out the entire trigger and fire control group with aftermarket parts, which Remington isn't going to suggest, you have to pretty much live with it. It's all in the design. This is much like the Oldsmobile Diesel, and Cadillac "8-6-4", fiasco back in the late 70's and early 80's. They were simply a bad engine design that no amount of tinkering by GM, or anyone else could make better.   Bill T.

[tombogan03884]

Looks like Remington is fixing to shoot back.
Figures, 2 sides to every story, especially the ones from the MSM.


http://www.shootingwire.com/archived/2010-10-22_sw.html

Battle Lines Drawn

Less than 36 hours after CNBC's hour long investigative report alleging that Remington's "flagship" rifle, the Model 700 had been plagued by decades of accidental discharges that the report alleges the company knew about but ignored for economic reasons, it's safe to say the story is becoming one of the focal points of very lively industry chatter.

I'm betting it will be remembered as one of those memorable instances when a pair of major corporations square off in what is, essentially, a cage fight with few-if any-rules.

As Remington responds via their "single -and official- channel for communications regarding the CNBC charges" - a very slick website (http://remington700.tv) it's apparent they're doing their equivalent of "teasing" their ultimate response.

Remington isn't pulling any punches calling the factual accuracy of CNBC's report into question. What appear to be excerpts from an eventual long-form Remington response on their website not only attack the credibility of CNBC's senior correspondent Scott Cohn (whose discomfort in handling a firearm was painful to watch), but question CNBC's interview techniques (questions they didn't ask), the experts cited in the report, and virtually everything else connected to the story.

Only the tragic accidents cited in the CNBC report appear - at least at this writing - to be off-limits to very pointed questioning. Frequent references to Remintgon's "10 Commandments of Firearms Safety" however, it would seem to imply that most problems associated with the Model 700 can - ultimately- be traced to a variety of human factors.

A section on that website teases an upcoming special report by Joie Chen entitled "Remington Shoots Straight".

You might remember Chen as a former CBS/CNN anchor, but today she's not a mainstream news anchor. She is Executive Vice President for Branded News Worldwide, a company which "creates online platforms for organizations and industries to deliver news and programming models for niche audiences."

Part of mega-agency Ackerman/McQueen, Branded News Worldwide is in the business of professionally packaging and delivering niche-focused content for organizations as diverse as the Cancer Institute of Oklahoma and the National Rifle Association (NRA News).

In other words, Remington's rolling out very heavy artillery to fight back against a report they say was pieced together out of less than whole-cloth.

Crucial in that vigorous defense is the utilization of the very latest online technologies.

There are several benefits. Using a single-point method of communication.
Remington stays on-point and on-message. With no authorized statements being made outside the channel, Remington also has a considerably tighter control over unauthorized sharing of information (that's "leaks" -a mainstay of the news business).

And it's an effective force-multiplier.

Despite some extremely cranky video and the occasional glitches inherent to the internet (especially a micro-site that appears to be getting heavy traffic), it is a very professional method of getting information out to consumers are either intrigued by the story or concerned about the safety of their Model 700.

In the weeks ahead, this is not one of those stories that appears to be a blip on the radar that fades away. The stakes are simply too-high.

As always, we'll work to keep you posted.

--Jim Shepherd

To comment on Bill's next to last post :
Exactly! They had to go all the way back to 1947 for their "story" ?
Must have been a slow news week  

[billt]

The best thing Remington has going for it, is the success of the gun in general. This includes the military sniper rifle system, still in use and recently upgraded to .300 Win. Mag. and .338 Lapua. If it was crap it would have disappeared from the market years ago. CNBC is trying to raise dust that has long since settled. They are as desperate for viewers, as the dems are for votes. Slamming one of the best selling firearms in modern history is a pretty convoluted way of doing it.  Bill T.

[tombogan03884]

How many people do you think watched that and said, "Hey, I got my first, (insert game animal of choice ) with a model 700, these azzholes don't know what they are talking about", thereby alienating a percentage of their remaining viewers ?

[Sponsor]

[billt]

How many people do you think watched that and said, "Hey, I got my first, (insert game animal of choice ) with a model 700, these azzholes don't know what they are talking about", thereby alienating a percentage of their remaining viewers ?

Also most of the viewers are gun people like us who normally wouldn't be caught dead watching CNBC or MSDNC. They were torpedoed before they left the harbor.  Bill T.

[Panzer1]

How many people do you think watched that and said, "Hey, I got my first, (insert game animal of choice ) with a model 700, these azzholes don't know what they are talking about", thereby alienating a percentage of their remaining viewers ?

There are still 2 videos showing the 700 misfireing.  One video by the police and one by the army.  If not for these videos I would not give any credence to the misfire charges.

Panzer

[m25operator]

Panzer1, did you read my posts? There is nothing wrong with a properly adjusted 700 trigger, is the 700 trigger the best, no, some decent sear parts and laminated together and then housing is a brad type arangement. If adjusted over 2.5 lbs by someone who knows how, it is completely safe, but should be tested thoroughly to make sure. I like light trigger pulls, and often do install Shilen or Dlask arms triggers on my personal guns, so I can run 8oz to 1.5 lb pull weight.

This is a bunch of hooie, but any firearm has tests that can be done and should be done to make sure they are safe.

Panzer1, I am a gunsmith.

[nealtome]

have any other bolt actions rifles such as ruger, savage or winchester ever been reported with problems

[billt]

have any other bolt actions rifles such as ruger, savage or winchester ever been reported with problems

Accidental discharges have been plaguing the firearms industry since the invention of gunpowder. When they happen, they are much like any other mistake, in that the first thing is to place blame on something or someone other than who was behind the trigger, or handling the firearm when it happened. Remington was a easy target here because it was fairly easy for trial lawyers to make them, along with their product look bad. They were able to "prove", at least convincingly enough for a jury to buy it, the product they produced, (The Walker Fire Control System), was defective. At least defective enough that a big cash payout would make it easier to accept. It has been argued both ways for years, usually with the same outcome. Some will never own a Remington 700 because of it, while others dismiss it as operator error. Most of the top gun manufacturers like Ruger and Browning have been sued at one time or another because of accidental discharges, but none so profoundly as the Remington 700 trigger case.

Some years back Ruger paid out a large settlement to an individual who was playing "Quick Draw McGraw" in front of a mirror with a Ruger Blackhawk while it was loaded. You can guess what happened. He ended up in a wheel chair which was probably the best place for him at that point. It was no fault of the firearm, or it's design. But Ruger elected to settle out of court because if they had lost the suit it could have brought an avalanche of suits by other idiot's seeking a fast buck. That isn't fair, but it is the way our legal system operates. Sometimes it becomes necessary to award idiot's for being idiot's to prevent expensive legal action by even more idiot's in a world that is overly infested with lawyers. For what it is worth, that settlement was the reason for Ruger to go with the large "WARNING" roll marks on their barrels urging the owner to, "Read the instruction manual avaliable FREE from Sturm Ruger & Co." Idiot's change our world in many ways.  Bill T.