Okay guys, I've got to tell ya that this story, and the way it was handled, kinda kill me.
If in fact the barrel was screwed in wrong to the receiver, and the muzzle crown was cut off, all as arrived from the factory, then I find it impossible to believe that had the rifle been mailed back to Remington, accompanied by a letter from a competent gunsmith stating these facts, that they would not have rebarreled it for free. With a properly rebarrel rifle, slipped into a new HS Precision Stock, it would have shot fine.
Had Remington refused to replace the barrel, then you could have simply gone down to the Courthouse, and asked the Clerk to help you file a lawsuit in small claims court. Typically, the suits are handwritten on a pre-printed form, and then filed in the court, for about $100. A simple two sentence claim, such as ordinary and treble punitive damages, arising from the sale of a defective Remington 700 rifle (serial no. _______), and commission of false representations in advertising, and violation of the Consumer Protection Act, will usually suffice. As for triple the price of the rifle.
If your Court allows it, include a list of Discovery questions, that the defendant will be required to answer in writing, and ask them every relevant question that you can. To serve the lawsuit, first find out the name and address of the Registered Agent for Remington in your state (Secretary of State's office), and if you can't find that, find it out for the Registered Agent in the state where their chief executive office is located. If you can't find those addresses, then try addressing it to the Vice President of Legal Affairs at the address of their chief executive office.
With the name and address for service properly filled into the Complaint, the Clerks Office will typically send it by mail to the agent, and they will accept and sign for it, and it is thereby "served.".
Once this is done, you have a lawsuit filed against Remington, for about $100 of expenses, and I'll bet you will get a call from their legal department, asking you what it is about and asking to settle it. If not, then show up on the Court date, and tell the judge your story in plain English. Be sure to bring the receipt if you have it. Be sure to bring copies of the advertisements, if any, that you relied on. If Remington doesn't show up with a lawyer, you should win a judgment by default. If Remington shows up with a lawyer, he will probably ask for a postponement and try to settle the case with you.
If you win by default, get a certified copy of the Judgment, mail it to Remington's legal department, and tell them that you are going to proceed to attach and levy against their accounts and assets wherever you find them. You will get a call.
Why in the world would you lay out all of that extra cash, as you did, without first following these simple steps, that State law has enacted to protect you for this very purpose? I swear you guys, you just seem to throw money down the hole like its trash.
Manny
