When I was young lad my dad had an 870 that would fire occasionally with the safety on. He got rid of it. There's always a chance the safety wasn't pushed over all the way , but if the safety isn't working the way you use it the the gun's gotta go. Can't short cut safety.
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A few of my thoughts after watching the video. It is unfortunate any time someone gets needlessly hurt. The first victim admits to leaning a loading Remington shotgun against the wheel well of his vehicle. In NH where I live that is a criminal offense and Conservation officers watch for it like a hawk. The fact that a sear can disengage from a hammer causing a firearm to discharge is not new and not unique to Remington. Many millions of guns have been built with just such a mechanism. Parker Bros. double barrels are built the same way. Usually a worn sear is discovered when the gun double fires, that is when the recoil of one barrel firing causes an almost simultaneous and unintentional firing of both barrels. I had it happen to me once and I had the gun repaired. The simultaneous firing of two 1 1/4 ounce loads of bismuth in a 7.5 pound gun is attention getting. For a few years I was the Administrator for NH's Hunter Education program. The first question asked of anyone participating in our program in any way was, "What is the first thing you do when you handle a firearm to ensure it is safe". The most common answer from kids and uninformed adults was always, "Check to see the safety is on". To which staff and all instructors would answer, no the first thing you do is control the muzzle by pointing it in a direction where it can not hurt anyone. This was followed by a safety is a mechanical device that can be subject to failure. This was also part of the written text in the student manuals.
In every case where someone is hurt by an accidental discharge the fundamental rules of firearm safety were broken. Each person hurt had personal responsibility in their injuries, but admitting that does not get you a lot of money.
If you have a gun that malfunctions, get it fixed or retire it. Millions upon millions of people have and continue to enjoy Remington shotguns and other brands that use a sear and hammer system and do so safely by following the basic rules of firearm safety.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Thursday 18th of February 2016 01:56:58 PM
NH, those were my exact thoughts. Blaming any fault on a mechanical device after basic gun safety rules have been broken is lunacy. It would be like blaming a car for killing someone after they decided to drive it while drunk. I also don't think Remington would stay in business long if they were producing a fundamentally flawed firearm. I have an 870 that I have never had issues with, but I religiously follow gun safety rules (just ask my wife, she loves to tease me about how over-the-top she thinks I am with following them - although its just to razz me and she understands why I am). It just comes down to people needing to take responsibility for their actions and the consequences of those actions.
...one of the fundamental rules of firearm safety...never assume a loaded firearm is safe because a safety is engaged. Leaning a firearm on anything unstable...loaded or unloaded is a foolish action.
Ted
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