I have no dog in this fight. I don't own a 700 but have always wanted to add one to the collection. I truly hope no M700 ever ADs again due to the design / assembly flaw. Still, those who argue that this is a conspiracy by the liberal media are kidding themselves. Someone earlier said that MSNBC had trumped this up. Clearly that person is clueless since the piece didn't even run on MSNBC - it was CNBC. And there is a big difference between the two. CNBC to me is the least biased of the cable networks because they focus on business and bottom lines. MSNBC is WAY off in left field and has no credibility. That is not the case with CNBC. I have seen them run purely analytical pieces on companies like Strum Ruger, S&W, FN, and Olin. Again the bottom line was focused on with no mention what-so-ever of guns and shooting being pro or con. So we shouldn't try to blame the media for Remington's problem here. That dog won't hunt.
There is no doubt, based on the numerous documented cases, Remington's own internal memos, and the honest testimony of Mr. Walker himself, that a certain percentage of 700s that went out the door were dangerous to the point of liability for the company. Even if that percentage is only 1/2 of 1% of 6 million rifles, that is still 30,000 defective units. Sadly, the percentage is probably a lot higher than that. Remington continues to try to get out of this as cheaply as possible. With competetion now so fierce in this market segment (Ruger, Sako/Tikka, Win, Savage, CZ, Browning/Howa, TC) anything short of a legitimate across the board no charge recall with no expiration is likely the death nell for the dominant market position Remington once enjoyed. I just hope they don't drag Marlin down with them (both quality wise and financially).