CNBC alleges that Remington 870 shotguns are unsafe. Yes, they claim one of the most popular firearms in the USA, owned by 20 million Americans, which collectively probably fire in excess of 50 millions rounds per year and which has been in production for over 60 years, is fundamentally unsafe and nobody except an injured dove hunter and a serial paid plaintiff expert were able to figure this out. The paid expert goes on to claim that Remington has known about this since the gun went into production (1951) and has never bothered to do anything about it, despite using the same trigger group and trigger group components in a number or other products since then.

The best defense against this nonsense is the puff piece itself, embedded below. It is entirely unconvincing.

It is beyond my understanding that someone would not bother to open a pump action shotgun’s action after they are finished shooting. It takes only a second and renders the gun 100% safe. Leaving a round chambered and propping it up against a truck does not make it safe.

Remington has hit back with a two videos and a statement (reproduced below).

The statement itself…

NBC continues to attack Remington and the firearms industry through sensational and factually inaccurate reporting. On April 11, 2012, Brian Williams again demonstrated NBC’s anti-gun agenda with the claim that the Model 870, Model 1100 and other Remington firearms have a design flaw. That claim is demonstrably false and Remington stands fully behind the safety and reliability of the most popular shotguns in the world.

It wasn’t enough for NBC to attack over 20 million Remington firearms; they also called the Second Amendment into question by suggesting that there is a need for increased government regulation of firearms.

Model 870 and 1100 owners know the truth – these shotguns are used extensively under the most demanding conditions. Tens of billions of rounds have been fired through these firearms, which are valued for their performance and durability by millions of hunters, shooters, law enforcement and military personnel who have relied on Remington.

As the basis for its attacks, NBC continues to rely upon paid “experts” who have been repeatedly hired by plaintiff’s attorneys to testify against Remington and at least 16 other firearms manufacturers. The facts show that the Model 870 and 1100 are two of the most reliable shotguns ever produced – only one lawsuit has been filed in the last seven years and no litigation is pending against the trigger mechanisms of these firearms.

Deceptively editing and ignoring readily available documents and video evidence to drive NBC’s agenda is an all too familiar tactic. Remington stands by the reliability and safety of its firearms and will fully respond to NBC’s attempt to disparage these iconic American products.

I would not defend Remington if I thought there was a fundamental flaw with the Remington 870 or 1100 shotguns. I have fired many rounds through these guns and I am comfortable with disassembling and modifying these trigger groups.

Eventually I would expect any company to manufacture a single faulty unit (or a unit that wears out faster than expected), but NBC is claiming that they have discovered fundamental fault in a 60 year old product’s design, not a one off manufacturing error.