[Breaking] Mossberg Suing Manufacturers of Drop-In Triggers
In another instance of the firearms industry feeding on it’s own, it appears that Mossberg is exercising it’s control on the original Chip McCormick patent (US 7,293,385 B2), that it acquired a while ago, and bringing lawsuits against a number of manufacturers of drop in triggers.
Mossberg currently licenses the design to the new CMC company, who has apparently decided to get Mossberg to go after their competition, i.e. anyone making drop in triggers.
A list of some of the companies that are currently named in the lawsuit(s) are:
- DOA Arms
- Tactical Fire Control
- Battle Tested Equipment
- Patriot Ordnance Factory
- RISE Armaments (whose triggers I swear by)
- T Vehr Manufacturing
- Elftmann Gun Products
While I do understand the need for protecting intellectual property in some cases, I personally have a problem with companies that buy up (or otherwise acquire patents for) items they did not innovate. IF you are the original innovator, then, okay, you should be able to reap some advantages for a period of time to capitalize on your product. However if you are using patents as an investment and/or speculative arrangement (or to otherwise stifle innovation), I strongly disagree (though the law clearly doesn’t support my opinion).
One may also question the timing of the lawsuits just as the NRA show begins.
I currently only own one Mossberg product (my 930 JM Pro I use for 3-Gun). I am not aware of having used any of CMC’s products.
As this is a new (and breaking) story, when we get more details/clarifications/corrections we will update here. In general I think this is a bad thing for the industry. So, readers, let’s get a discussion going. Do you agree with the intent of the suit? Disagree? Could care less?
Phil Note: From our sources it seems all companies making drop in triggers will be targeted with the companies listed being the first. Should Mossberg win this will kill some companies who only make drop in triggers. Considering the cost of a court defense that could also cause some to close their doors.TFB has verified the filing of these suits and have court documents in hand
Update: A total of 12 companies have been sued since 5/18/2016. Link to original McCormick patent https://www.google.com/patents/US7293385
UPDATE: Read more about the Patent situation here:
BREAKING: The Truth Behind Drop-in AR-15 Triggers. They Date Back to 1998.
Phil’s, Tom’s and my inbox have been blowing up with tips and emails from concerned gun owners worried about Mossberg’s lawsuits against 12 manufacturers of drop-in AR-15 trigger groups (read our post here and here catch up with the drama). We are only aware of 12 manufacturers being sued, but there could well be others being … Continue reading
UPDATE: CMC makes a statement:
CMC Triggers Makes Statement
Regarding Mossberg Suing Manufacturers of Drop-In Triggers (allegedly at the request of CMC), CMC Triggers have released a statement: CMC Triggers is a Christian company, privately held and not owned by O.F. Mossberg or anyone else. We pay our bills when they’re due including our royalty responsibility to O.F. Mossberg. Fair competition in the market place … Continue reading
Tom is a former Navy Corpsman that spent some time bumbling around the deserts of Iraq with a Marine Recon unit, kicking in tent flaps and harassing sheep. Prior to that he was a paramedic somewhere in DFW, also doing some Executive Protection work between shifts. Now that those exciting days are behind him, he teaches wilderness medicine and runs an on-demand medical staffing business. He hopes that his posts will help you find solid gear that will survive whatever you can throw at it--he is known (in certain circles) for his curse...ahem, ability...to find the breaking point of anything.You can reach him at tom.r AT thefirearmblog.com or at https://thomasrader.com
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I only own one Mossberg product - a 590-A1 pump action shotgun - but in the face of this lawsuit, I'll not likely buy any others. The pins? Really? When the original design already requires the pins? There is nothing innovative about using the already existing pins to secure the drop in trigger unit. This is dumber than when Harley Davidson tried to patent the sound produced by a twin cylinder engine: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/...
One wonders how Harley's investors felt about six years worth of wasted legal fees. It was idiotic. This is too.
I have drop in Timney triggers in two ARs and a SCAR 17.
I have gotten to know the guys at MechArmor from a vendors perspective, and this industry would be hard pressed to find two more outstanding guys/Vets. I just saw that now they have been pulled into this witch hunt.
This entire suit by Mossberg is flat out arbitrary BS! For one, all the Mfg and retail sales companies i have seen listed so far are small to medium size vendors who most likely do not have the funds to fight the likes of $&%#berg! Although I am not going to aid those scum and their lawyer scum by listing all of the LARGE, well-funded companies that have been selling these same products for more years than I can count; but that list is long, and they are NOT on it!
Mossberg cannot just sue the little guys and leave the big fish out of their scum bucket action because they know they will get their useless butts kicked in court. You sue EVERYONE or NO ONE! That company should be exiled for this stupid and selfish move.
Here is a question: Since Mossberg waited so many yrs to feel slighted, did they send out an industry wide NOTICE proving their Patent claim and putting everyone selling or making them on notice prior to just arbitrarily choosing a list of small companies to stick it to? Because at the very least, that would have given certain companies who have been struggling to make a buck, the time to quit selling the claimed product, and not be rolled up in this BS. I for one have been deep in this industry for many yrs and I never once heard about any single company or person having a complete patent for this style of drop in trigger for the AR. And obviously the huge amount of other gun mfg and sales companies out there making and or selling these drop in triggers did not hear of that either.
I for one, and every single person I know or will ever come to know from this point on, will NOT be buying anything from Mossberg, or any other company associated with them, ever again. How's that Mossberg! You gain some penny's from sticking it to the little guys, rack up massive lawyer bills and possibly make a little coin on royalties until one of us bright lights figures out a new way to add a drop in trigger to the AR platform; BUT after this ordeal YOUR SALES LOST for the destruction of your already lacking reputation should far out weight any gain.
What really gets me is that MechArmor began many yrs ago, and as I heard it, at the direct request of the US Army, were tasked to designed and produced a far batter top gunner turret system for our soldiers driving hummers. What has Mossberg done to protect our soldiers?
Mossberg should take heed and a clue from the latest Target store action. So far Target has lost like 6 Billion dollars and their stock is going down after pissing off just about everyone with a brain! Imagine how it will be for the stockholders and bean counters over there at Mossberg when this same thing happens to them after crapping in the very small fresh water hole, which is this small gun industry.
My lord who is running that place these days? Someone needs to be canned and quick.