U.S. Sues Air Rifle Maker to Force Recall

The government moved Tuesday to force a recall of 7.3 million high-velocity Daisy BB guns, alleging that the air rifles can fire injury-causing pellets even when it seems they are unloaded and would discharge only air.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted, 2 to 1, to sue air rifle manufacturer Daisy Outdoor Products after the Rogers, Ark.-based company refused to negotiate a settlement, panel Chairwoman Ann Brown said. The commission’s suit targets 16 versions of Daisy’s PowerLine Airgun.

The company has produced 4.9 million of the model 880 PowerLine Airgun since 1972 and 2.4 million of model 856 since 1984, the commission said.

The complaint alleges that BBs can get stuck in the magazine of those models, leading users to believe they are empty and thus, to be less careful. However, firing can then cause the BBs to dislodge and exit the rifle at high speeds, the suit says.

The alleged defect, which would cost $2 per gun to fix, has been associated with at least 15 deaths and 171 serious injuries, Brown said.

“These aren’t the same BB guns we all grew up with,” Brown said.

Joe Murfin, marketing director for Daisy Outdoor Products, one of the nation’s top BB gun makers, said anyone who has been hurt by the BB gun has ignored clear warnings on the packaging.

The suit seeks to have unsold products pulled from store shelves nationwide, as well as a public awareness campaign and free repairs, replacements or refunds for consumers.

Commissioner Mary Sheila Gall, the lone “no” vote, noted that six panel investigations of Daisy BB guns had found no defects. She also said the deaths and injuries represent a minuscule percentage of the guns sold.