This is taken from the March 16th 2017 issue of “GunsAmerica,”
an exceptionally well done, in-depth and on-line media regarding all things
firearms and the firearms industry.
“Remington Settles
‘Faulty Trigger’ Lawsuit, Lays Off 122 Employees
“by S.H. Blannelberry on March 16, 2017
“It’s been a good news/bad news sorta week for Big Green.
"Bad News
“First, the bad news. Remington announced that it has laid off
more than 120 workers at its factory in Ilion, New York.
“The small arms industry is facing significant near-term
challenges related to slowing order velocity and high channel inventories; a
dynamic from which Remington is not immune,’ said Jessica Kallam, Remington’s
manager of media relations and public affairs, in a statement.
“After exploring all the options available to us, we are
compelled to reduce our work force by releasing 122 team members today at our
Ilion, N.Y. site,’ the statement continued. ‘As we move forward, we will
continue to monitor all segments of the business for growth opportunities.’
“Remington has had a facility in Ilion since the 19th century
which has become part of the lifeblood of that small upstate community home to
around 8,000 residents. Even with the layoffs, Remington still employs 960
people, according to Ilion Mayor Terry Leonard.
“Mayor Leonard expressed concern about the fate of the plant’s
future, given that Remington opened a new facility down in Huntsville, Alabama
in 2014. As part of consolidation efforts, 231 Ilion workers were let go in
August and November of 2014.
“Should they ever just close down totally, it would be a total
catastrophe for the entire area here,’ the mayor told Reuters.
“While Remington insists that the changes in personnel are due
to market conditions, at least one state lawmaker sees this as a result of the
draconian NY SAFE Act of 2013 that ratcheted up regulations on firearms in the
Empire State.
“It’s very troubling that 122 of our neighbors have lost their
jobs due to poor economic policies pushed by Gov. Cuomo and Assembly Democrats
as well as the SAFE Act,’ said New York State Assemblyman Brian Miller of the
101st District in an interview with WKTV.
“’ Make no mistake, there is a direct correlation,’ he added. ‘My
staff and I remain fully committed to helping those affected by layoffs and
will assist them and their families in any way we can.’
“The Cuomo regime and the SAFE Act may share in some of the
blame but there is little doubt that gun sales have waned since Obama left
office. FBI Background checks (a bellwether for gun sales) are down 17 percent in January and February this
year when compared to the same period in 2016.
“Many predict that with Trump in the White House, the decline in
sales will continue for the foreseeable future.
“ ‘We do believe that having a Republican in the White
House…negatively impacts gun sales in that it effectively eliminates any threat
of new gun regulation for the foreseeable future,’ said James Hardiman,
managing director of equities research for Wedbush Securities Inc.
“Hardiman told Reuters that he forecasts a 10% to 15% decline
in FBI background checks for 2017.
The move by Big Green follows a number of other belt tightenings
around the industry; including reported layoffs at SilencerCo and the
announcement this week that outdoor retailer Gander Mountain would file Chapter 11 bankruptcy and close 32 locations.
"Good News
“Now, for the good news. A federal judge approved a settlement
that arose from the notorious ‘faulty trigger’ class action lawsuit against
Remington.
“Why is it good news for Big Green?
“Well, it puts to bed the longstanding claim that throughout the
years Remington was making rifles with defective trigger mechanisms that would
fire a round without the trigger being pulled.
“Moreover, the payout is minimal. Only $12.5 million, with each
class representative receiving $2,500 after attorney fees and expenses for the
plaintiffs have been subtracted.
“That’s chump change compared to estimates that suggested that
Remington would be on the hook for almost half a billion dollars considering
that there are upwards of 7.5 million rifles in circulation that would
allegedly need fixing.
“The reason the payout was so small is that the claims rate was
only .29 percent. In other words, a relatively small number of individuals —
about 22,000 — filed claims after Remington announced the recall on their
rifles at the start of settlement negotiations a few years back.
“In the opinion, the court noted the dissatisfaction with the
low turnout but indicated that doesn’t mean that the settlement reached was
unfair.
“ ‘While the Court remains disappointed with the claims rate,
the claims rate does not dictate whether the notice provided was the best
notice practicable under the circumstances. The claims rate does not govern
whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, or adequate,’ states the opinion.
“The court also noted that Remington did do enough to satisfy
the court in its publicity of the recall effort, which will continue for an
additional 18 months and possibly increase the number of claims.
“The question has to be asked to what extent there was a defect
with the trigger mechanisms in these rifles? With 7.5 million in circulation,
wouldn’t there be hundreds of thousands of people filing claims? Wouldn’t there
be videos all over Youtube of rifles firing randomly?
“Paul Helinski, the owner and founder of GunsAmerica, addressed
these questions in a recent article, entitled, ‘Remington Fights Back Against Fake News 60 Minutes
Attack.’
“ ‘In it the article, Paul argues that the claims of accidental
discharges are either widely overblown or completely fabricated, concluding
that “there is nothing wrong with the Remington 700, and there never was.’
“To that end, Remington has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
And, finally, they can move on.
“Below, you’ll find information along with links pulled from the
Remington website that pertains to the settlement.
“IF YOU OWN CERTAIN REMINGTON
FIREARMS, YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS FROM A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT.
“A proposed nationwide Settlement has been
preliminarily approved in a class action lawsuit involving certain Remington
firearms. The class action lawsuit claims that trigger mechanisms with a component
part known as a trigger connector are defectively designed and can result in
accidental discharges without the trigger being pulled. The lawsuit further
claims that from May 1, 2006 to April 9, 2014, the X-Mark Pro® trigger
mechanism assembly process created the potential for the application of an
excess amount of bonding agent, which could cause Model 700 or Seven
bolt-action rifles containing such trigger mechanisms to discharge without a
trigger pull under certain limited conditions. The lawsuit contends that the
value and utility of these firearms have been diminished as a result of these
alleged defects. Defendants deny any wrongdoing.
“WHO’S INCLUDED?
“The Settlement provides benefits to:
Current owners of
Remington Model 700, Seven, Sportsman 78, 673, 710, 715, 770, 600, 660,
XP-100, 721, 722, and 725 firearms containing a Remington trigger
mechanism that utilizes a trigger connector;- Current owners of
Remington Model 700 and Model Seven rifles containing an X-Mark Pro
trigger mechanism manufactured from May 1, 2006 to
April 9, 2014
who did not participate in the voluntary X-Mark Pro product recall prior
to April 14, 2015; and
- Current and former owners of Remington Model 700 and Model Seven rifles who replaced their rifle’s original Walker trigger mechanism with an X-Mark Pro trigger mechanism.
“WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT
PROVIDE?
“Settlement Class Members may be entitled to: (1) have their trigger mechanism retrofitted with a new X-Mark Pro
or other connectorless trigger mechanism at no cost to the class members; (2) receive a voucher code for
Remington products redeemable at Remington’s online store; and/or (3) be
refunded the money they spent to replace their Model 700 or Seven’s original
Walker trigger mechanism with an X-Mark Pro trigger mechanism.
“HOW CAN I OBTAIN BENEFITS?
“Submit a Claim Form. You can submit a claim form electronically.”
Remington fixed problem with triggers as I know.
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