A federal judge Tuesday approved a landmark settlement offering to fix the trigger mechanism on millions of Remington Arms Co.’s bolt-action rifles, ending years of litigation on a weapon that critics say has caused injuries and deaths by firing without the trigger being pulled.
U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith of Kansas City said he’s disappointed so few rifle-owners have asked for the retrofit so far – just 22,000 – but that he couldn’t deny the potential benefits of fixing a rifle that some say is defective.
“A firearm retrofitted with a new trigger – a trigger that plaintiffs agree is far superior and not defective – is a benefit that cannot be quantified,” he wrote in the 42-page opinion. “By replacing the triggers on the firearms that can be retrofitted, lives will be saved, injuries will be prevented and property damage will be avoided.”