“The Portland [Maine] Police Department’s special reaction team has stopped using its Remington 700 sniper rifles,”pressherald.com reports. “Because one of them started firing unpredictably and a network news report said similar problems elsewhere have caused injuries and prompted lawsuits.” Although you’d kinda expect this—what with the Portal Po-Po’s jolt-fired 700 starring in CNBC’s supposed expose of the weapon—it’s still a gun locker of not good for Remington and its corporate taskmaster Cerberus. The move fans the flames of publicity just as they were beginning to lie low . . .
“I don’t want to run the risk of having an accidental discharge like this where it puts an officer’s or community member’s life in danger,” Portland Police Chief James Craig said.
Yes, well, how about looking into the possibility that the guns’ triggers were modified by the police? No? Or how about the pressherald.com checking into the veracity of the original allegations instead of merely parroting them? No? Never mind then . . . It’ll all blow over soon.
Has Remington been allowed to inspect and examine the 'faulty' rifles?
Ok, maybe they don't trust Remington…
Has any independent gunsmith been allowed to inspect / examine the 'faulty' rifles?
Does Portland PD have a contract or payroll gunsmith? What's his name? Does he have an opinion?
Does Portland SWAT have a backup rifle ready to go?
These are expensive rifles – if I were a Portland taxpayer, I'd expect the city to get a refund or file for warranty work with Remington. But they better have their facts straight.
It's not a freakin' Space Shuttle. It's a rifle that's been around a while. If there's an issue with the trigger, bolt, or gun gnomes dancing in the chamber, a group of competent engineers, gunsmiths, and tool makers should be able to inspect a faulty gun and develop a root cause.
But that begs the question: Does the city of Portland want to solve a problem, or conduct a PR campaign?
Check out this post:
http://thetruthaboutguns.com/2010/10/robert-farag…
A quick look at "The Seals of God" should be all that's required, although more thorough examination would be a good thing, not a bad thing. Still, shouldn't Remington have said,
"The Remington 700 trigger is completely safe—unless it has been incorrectly modified."
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