From: "David M", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
A further article in today's New Zealand Herald, front page no less!
David.
NZ Herald 26-2-01
Huge arms recall leaves frontline police without rifles
26.02.2001 By ALISON HORWOOD and NZPA
More than 800 police rifles have been withdrawn from service because of
reports that they can discharge without anyone pulling the trigger once the
safety catch is released.
The Remington model 700 .223 calibre rifles are issued to general-duty
officers called to an incident involving arms before the armed offenders
squad has arrived.
National police operations manager Superintendent Neville Matthews is
heading an investigation into the rifles.
He said the recall was a precaution following an article in a deerstalking
news-letter and debate overseas.
The article in the New Zealand Deer Stalkers Association newsletter last
month said that model 700 had been at the centre of more than 80 lawsuits
against Remington in the past 20 years.
In one case seven years ago, the company paid $17 million in damages to a
Texan man whose firearm accidentally discharged and shot him in the foot. In
another case, in Montana, a 9-year-old was shot dead by his mother as she
was unloading the firearm.
The article describes the Remington 700 as one of the most popular rifles in
the world with more than 3 million sold since it went on the market in 1962.
It also quotes a representative from Remington saying that model 700 was
safe and reliable.
The Remington website has special safety instructions for model 700 users.
"Even when the safety switch is in the S [locked] position, careless
handling can cause the firearm to fire."
It also says that despite the worldwide decline in fatal firearm accidents,
Remington is concerned about reports of accidental firings of model 700 and
other bolt-action rifles.
Two accidental discharges of police Remingtons have been reported in New
Zealand in the past two years. Neither was in a tactical situation and no
one was injured.
"We are not saying the weapon is faulty. But issues have arisen and we are
taking precautions until we get more details," said Mr Matthews.
"If the firearm discharges when you don't want it to, there could be tragic
consequences."
The rifles are issued to police called to incidents involving arms before
the armed offenders squad can be mobilised and for emergencies such as
shooting escaped livestock on motorways.
Mr Matthews said that because the withdrawal left general-duty police
without rifles, the squad had been placed on a higher level of readiness.
General-duty staff now had only 9mm Glock pistols available.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
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