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Remington Rifle Trigger Defect Documents

The Remington Model 700 and a dozen other Remington rifles can fire and maim and kill people when no one pulls the trigger. More than one hundred thousand documents have been produced in the course of litigating the trigger defect against the Remington Arms Company but most have been kept secret from the public through protective orders required by Remington in those cases. To help gun owners better understand the trigger defect and the danger it presents, Public Justice has worked with lawyers, particularly the class counsel in the Pollard v. Remington case, and with Richard Barber, a rifle expert who has worked tirelessly for many years to expose the dangers of the rifles, to collect and assemble the key documents from those cases. This website compiles and makes available those documents to explain the history of the trigger defect, the consumer complaints against Remington related to the defect, the history of testing failures, concealment of the defect, and timelines for the 700 and 710 rifle models. Power Points and Timelines provided by Timothy Monsees of Monsees & Mayer, PC, attorneys experienced representing people injured by the Remington 700 and other rifles with the defective trigger.

If you are still undecided about whether to submit a claim, please review the documents below. Every trigger replaced is a potential life saved.

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Complaints

For half a century, Remington ignored complaints from its own authorized gunsmiths and thousands of consumers related to the defective trigger – the Walker Fire Control – firing without a trigger pull. Five months after the predecessor to the Model 700, the Model 721, was introduced in 1948, Remington had already received complaints that it would fire upon release of the safety. This is the history of those complaints and almost 60 years of missed opportunities for Remington to remedy the problem.

Customer Complaints

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“Fool Proof” Safety

In 1947, a year before it introduced the Model 721 (the predecessor to the Model 700), Remington knew the unique trigger connector in its Walker Fire Control was “very dangerous” and that it was “possible to fire the gun by pushing the safety to the ‘off’ position.” A safer alternative was proposed as early as 1948, but Remington kept using the defective trigger and made no change until 2006, almost 60 years later. More than 5 million Remington rifles with the defective trigger had been sold by then, with an untold number of consumers injured or killed.

“Fool Proof” Safety

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Remington Testing Failures

Remington’s own internal testing proved and confirmed the hazards of the defective trigger. By 1975, Remington had even developed acronyms to describe the many ways the rifle would fire without a trigger pull: “FSR – Fires When Safe is Released, JO – Jars Off, FD – Follows Down (Cocking Piece Fails to Properly Engage With Sear), FOS – Fires on Safe.” In 1995, a testing lab hired by Remington reported, “During the final cleaning, subsequent to the last test of the series, two of the rifles ‘fired’ inadvertently with the release of the safety – one each of both configurations of the Fire Control Group.”

Remington Testing Failures

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Fraudulent Concealment

Remington consistently denied its trigger was defective and blamed consumers when the rifles fired without a trigger pull, citing improper adjustment, improper maintenance, or inadvertent pressure on the trigger as the safety was moved. When CNBC broadcast Remington Under Fire in October 2010, exposing the truth, instead of recalling the rifles or admitting the defect, Remington attacked CNBC and falsely announced that neither Remington nor experts “has ever been able to duplicate” a fire without a trigger pull “on guns which have been properly maintained and which have not been altered after sale.” It decided not to recall the 700 because it estimated that “only” 20,000 consumers were at risk and embarked on a misleading marketing campaign instead. It even adopted and implemented a policy to destroy test results, over its employee’s objections.

Fraudulent Concealment

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Model 700 Timeline

The Model 700 timeline includes and highlights key Remington documents from 1947 showing that Remington knew the rifle’s trigger was defective, repeatedly considered taking action to fix it and protect the public, and always decided not to do so. The documents report a “very dangerous” situation in 1947; “safety malfunctions” in 1975; and “safety-related complaints” in 1980. Remington starts works on three new trigger designs in 1980, considers whether “macho hunters” are concerned with safety in 1985, and says, “R&D is working on improved safety … features which should have market value. (If they don’t, we ought to stop the work.)” It explores recalling all Model 700’s in 1994, but decides that would cost too much. It announces a new Model 700 fire control in 2005, “after 25 years of failed attempts.”

Documents cited and pictured in the Timeline are posted separately below.

700 Remington Timeline

Chronology of events surrounding the Remington Model 700.
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April 11, 2007

Remington Settlements Post 12/1/93 for Models 700, Seven and 710
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August 15, 2005

Summary Page of Powerpoint
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December 1, 1975

Bullis to Linde; Progress Report
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April 28, 1995

Minutes PF Planning Meeting on 4/27/1995 Attendees: Tommy Millner; Bob Haskins; E.S. Rensi; Hubbard Howe; Tony Hancock
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March 28, 1995

Powerpoint: Fire Control Design Review; Fire Control Requirements
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January 27, 1995

Fire Control Business Contract
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January 4, 1995

Minutes of Planning Meeting on 12/7/1994
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June 16, 1994

Draft of LTR to be sent to M700 Rifle Owners RE: "Safety Notice"
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June 1, 1994

Memo to Bob Haskin from Ken Green RE: M700 Trigger Replacement Campaign
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March 31, 1992

Firearms Business Team Meeting Minutes
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January 25, 1990

Memo from Jim Stekl to Ken Green RE: M700 Rifle Returns
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October 28, 1988

Memo from T. Bauman to Hutton Etc. RE: Nbar Meeting
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December 30, 1985

Sporting Goods Memo, Darby to Preiser Et. Al
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February 5, 1982

New Product Development Research Department RE: New product development
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August 27, 1980

Joint Operations Committee, Ilion Division
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March 7, 1980

Memo RE: Safety-Related Complaints, July 79 to January 80
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January 22, 1980

Product Safety Sub-Committee - Recall of M600
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November 20, 1978

Memo from Merle Walker to Others - Bolt Action Fire Control Review 11-14-78
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July 11, 1977

Research Presentation M700-600 Fire Control Improvements
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May 10, 1977

Process Record Change Authorization 275943 M600, M700, M788
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May 2, 1975

Chart - Safety Malfunctions - Gallery
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June 27, 1961

M700 Bolt Action Center Fire Rifle Memo
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July 11, 1950

Patent No. 2,514,981 - Walker Fire Control - Walker Patent
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April 9, 1947

Daily Progress Report - M721 Pilot line Inspection
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Model 710 Timeline

The Model 710 was a low-cost descendent of the Model 700 manufactured between 2001 and 2006 with the same defective trigger. This timeline includes and highlights key Remington documents from 1981 showing Remington originally planned to use a different fire control, not the Model 700’s defective trigger, but, after deciding to seek “the highest possible profit margin” and considering the low cost involved, chose to use the Model 700’s trigger and make plans for who should receive “calls AND firearms” when “a consumer calls with a safety concern (ie, FSR [fires on safety release], fires when closed, personal injury or property damage, etc.).”

Documents cited and pictured in the Timeline are posted separately below.

710 Remington Timeline

Chronology of events surrounding the Remington Model 710.
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Not Dated

Listing of Bench Check Items on all bolt action rifles
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Not Dated

Parts and Repair Training Outline
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April 11, 2002

Memo from Scott Franz to Dale Danner RE: M710 "Holeless" Connector Test
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December 31, 2001

Consumer Team Meeting RE: 710 Safety Injury Calls 12/13/01
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December 7, 2000

Memo From Danny Diaz to Jim Ronkainen Re: Must Haves in Their New Program Goals
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November 6, 2000

Email from Franz to Bristol; Golembroski; Diaz; Keeny; Snedeker and Danner RE: M710 T&P Conference Call
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November 1, 2000

M710 Trial and Pilot Test Plan Revision #4
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March 10, 2000

Test Lab Work Request Form RE: Field Debris TLW 001AN From Engineer Jr. Snedeker
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March 9, 2000

Memo from Joe Zajk to Mike Keeney, Matt Golemboskin and Danny Diaz RE: Suspending 710 Trigger Design
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2000

List of 700 Fire Control Design Projects and Design Teams with Dates 2000 or Earlier
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December 18, 1998

M710 Centerfire Bolt Action Concept Review 3
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September 28, 1998

M710 Centerfire Bolt Action Concept Review 2
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September 28, 1998

M710 Cost Enhancements Blowup Powerpoint of "Sportsman M/710"
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May 12, 1998

Project Description of Sportsman M710 Bar Quad Chart
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February 23, 1998

Link Design Fire Control for M/710
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January 21, 1998

Printed Powerpoint RE: Design Concept Review 1
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January 12, 1998

M710 Concepts for High Margin and Ease of Manufacture Prepared by Derek Watkins 1/12/98
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November 3, 1997

Remington Arms/Iams Kickoff Meeting M710 Project
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September 5, 1997

Memo from Jim Ronkainen to Danny Diaz; Copy to Kenneth Rowlands, Dale Danner, Will James, Vince Norton, Derek Watkins, and Dave Wolterman RE: 1998 Patent Activity
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February 10, 1997

Project Description of Low Cost Bar
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NOTE: Public Justice created this web page to provide public access to the Remington trigger defect documents and prevent as many deaths and injuries from these rifles as possible. This web site does not provide legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship between anyone and Public Justice.

Public Justice was not involved in negotiating the settlement in Pollard v. Remington Arms. We believe strongly, however, that, to the extent that the settlement leads to the replacement of the defective triggers in these rifles – or even stops these rifles from being used – it will have performed an important public service.

If you have questions for us, email info@remingtondocuments.com.

 

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