More than 60,000 biometric gun safes are being recalled because of a serious safety hazard and risk of death caused by a programming feature that can allow unauthorized access to the safes.
The recall, announced Thursday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Fortress Safe, was sparked by a recent lawsuit alleging a 12-year-old boy died from a firearm obtained from one of these safes.
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The programming flaw means users can believe they have properly programmed the biometric feature when in fact the safe remains in the default to open mode, which can allow unauthorized users, including children, to access the safe.
CPSC is aware of 39 incidents of consumers reporting that their safes have been accessed by unpaired fingerprints.
Consumers should immediately stop using the biometric feature, remove the batteries from the safe, and only use the key for the recalled safes being used to store firearms. Contact Fortress Safes to receive instructions on disabling the biometric feature and to receive a free replacement safe.
Fortress Safe can be reached toll-free at 833-588-9181 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday or online at https://www.fortresssafe.com/biometric-product-recall.html or www.fortresssafe.com and click on “Recall” at the top of the page for more information.
The recalled gun safes are portable lock boxes, personal safes, pistol vaults, and gun cabinets with brand names Fortress, Cabela’s, Gettysburg, and Legend Range & Field. Model numbers can be found above the barcode on a label located on the back of the safe and on the top right corner of the original packaging.
Click here for a list of model numbers included in the recall.
The recalled safes were sold at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Scheel’s, Sportsman’s Guide, Optics Planet, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gander, Rural King, Lowe’s and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Ebay.com from January 2019 through October 2023 for between $44 and $290.
The recalled safes were manufactured in China and imported and distributed by Xpedition LLC, dba Fortress Safe, of Naperville, Illinois.
Report incidents with these safes and any dangerous product or a product-related injury to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.