The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: JC5123 on February 22, 2013, 12:59:01 PM
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I know we have talked about this before, but I was unable to locate the thread. So I'm flipping through netflix last night and I come across an MSNBC show about some form of defect with the 700 model. Yes I watched it for about 15 min. (Know your enemy) They are talking about all these people being wounded or killed by the 700 due to Accidental Discharge. Of course no one EVER had their booger hook on the bang switch. But that didn't matter. In every story they told, the 4 rules for gun handing were not being observed, namely the one about keeping the weapon pointed in a safe direction.
As we all know being around guns enough sometimes things just happen. Maybe dirt, or a worn out spring, or whatever. Usually this leads to a lack of bang, but in this case it was making the gun fire without a trigger pull. (allegedly). Still not sure I buy it. I've been using 700's for most of my life and never even a hiccup.
Plus their statistics were a joke. 24 deaths, and 200+ injuries out of 5 MILLION rifles sold. That works out to .00048% failure rate. If this is indeed a manufacturer defect. You show me another product that has a better rate of defect than that. You're more likely to be struck by lightning, and win the lottery in the same day.
But in the end I go back to the 4 rules of safety.
Treat every gun as if it were loaded
Finger off the trigger
Don't point at anything you're not willing to destroy
Be sure of your target, and what's beyond it
In EVERY case they presented rules 3 and 4 were not being observed. So I call B.S. on the entire piece. Human error caused these injuries/deaths. Not the gun.
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Old news, it must have been a rerun.
http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=14297.0
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I knew we had it here somewhere. Apparently the search engine didn't like the way I was searching for it. This was actually the first time I watched it. (Ok part of it, I was so disgusted I turned it off). But that was my observation based on the evidence they provided.
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I have a very nice 700 in .243 that belonged to my Dad. I have taken a deer with it and slain hordes of prairie dogs.
I have never even put the safety on. I just never chamber a round until I am about to shoot.
And it is always pointed downrange before chambering that round.
No problem.
Ever.
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I watched the show way back when it first aired, and it was a typical hit piece.
Most of the issues were carelessness or misuse. Leaning a loaded firearm against the side of a pickup and putting your hand over the muzzle ??? Where did these clowns get their firearms safety training?
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I watched the show way back when it first aired, and it was a typical hit piece.
Most of the issues were carelessness or misuse. Leaning a loaded firearm against the side of a pickup and putting your hand over the muzzle ??? Where did these clowns get their firearms safety training?
Is Joe Biden an instructor ?
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Yep. As was posted even the best firearms will have an off day at factory, stuff happens. Which is why you obey the 4 rules of safety as though they were Holy Writ. But, when you look at accidents and choose the best selling items out there like 700s, 870s, Glocks or 1911s? Of course you'll find accidents. That's just simple math. But does it make them unsafe? Statistically no, not hardly. I'm not a fan of the 700 platform, but I respect it, and I don't have a bad word to say about it. I'd take one hunting tomorow and not think twice about it if that was the rifle on offer.
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I have to agree with JC5123,sure sometimes there is a defect out of thousands produced,but I think most are human error.Number one,if it was always pointed in a safe direction then no one should have been in the path of the so called self fired projectile.Guns DO NOT FIRE THEMSELVES.I'm calling bullshit.