A federal judge in Kansas City has given preliminary approval to a massive class action settlement involving millions of allegedly defective Remington rifles that were the subject of a CNBC documentary.
The 2010 program "Remington Under Fire: A CNBC Investigation" explored allegations that for decades the company covered up a design defect that allowed the guns to fire without the trigger being pulled, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Under the settlement, which is still subject to final approval later this year, Remington will offer to replace the trigger systems, free of charge, on more than 7 million of its bolt-action rifles.
Remington continues to insist the guns are safe, and claims all the incidents were the result of user error or improper maintenance. The company said it's agreeing to the settlement now in order to put the issue behind it once and for all. Remington's owner, Cerberus Capital Management, has been trying to exit the gun business since 2012.
The proposed settlement covers some of the world's most popular rifles, including Remington models 700, Seven, Sportsman 78, 673, 710, 715, 770, 600, 660, XP-100, 721, 722 and 725. All contain a tiny internal part known as a "trigger connector" that critics say can cause the guns to malfunction. Under the agreement, most owners would be eligible to have the guns retrofitted with a "connectorless" trigger system.
www.cnbc.com/id/102587400
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