It is a legit issue, and has been for years.
For those who want to get their dander up, please at least first read the patent for the original “Walker Fire Control System”, which I’ll reference here:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2514981.pdf
The problems usually come as a result of the sear/trigger engagement being set for too little engagement, or some dirt has worked its way between the trigger and connector. With the safety on, the trigger (or, possibly only the connector) comes out from under the sear. You pull off the safety, which in the original design held back the sear against the cocking piece, the sear drops (because it has a negative angle, so the cocking piece can push it down unless it is supported by the connector) and the rifle fires.
People who don’t know what they’re doing set these trigger mechanisms for too little sear engagement with a very light spring and they get into trouble. If they want a lighter trigger, they should buy an aftermarket trigger designed to be set to trigger pulls lighter than about 3lbs. The factory spring needs to be replaced or trimmed if the trigger is to be set lighter than about 3 to 3.5 lbs - if the spring isn’t, and someone merely keeps backing out the screw on the factory spring, a malfunction might happen.
Remington lost a liability case in Texas sometime back in the 90’s to a guy who literally blew his foot off with a 700. After that, Remington has settled all cases rather defend them in court - and they’ve quietly paid out quite a bit in settlements to stay out of court.
Personally, these sorts of problems are why I like my Anschuetz trigger over a single-stage trigger.
A known issue for some time.
My uncle told me about Rem triggers when he was training us in the 80’s.
Who do I contact at the department about buying one? If they’re going to part with it, I’m willing to give it a good home.
(and no, I’m not really joking...)
Old Habits Die Hard at NBC
Posted on April 13, 2012
Only two weeks ago, NBC was caught having deceptively edited a 911 tape from the controversial Zimmerman/Martin shooting in Florida. This week, NBC accused Remington Arms Company of manufacturing unsafe firearms—specifically its immensely popular Model 870 and Model 1100 shotguns. Gun owners will also remember the hatchet job that NBC did on the Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle in 2010.
Remington and the National Shooting Sports Foundation have already set the record straight on the substance of NBC’s current accusation, so for the moment we will address the purely political issues involved, and NBC’s history of dishonest reporting to push its political agenda.
NBC coupled its accusation against the two models of shotguns with a call for all firearms to be subject to the oversight of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, something straight out of the Brady Campaign’s playbook for the last 30-odd years. Gun prohibition activists have always wanted the commission to have the power to declare all firearms inherently too unsafe to be legal for sale. The Brady outfit even called for consumer products regulations on firearms in the gun control proposals it made to President Obama in 2008.
Read at:
http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/articles/2012/old-habits-die-hard-at-nbc.aspx?s=&st=&ps=