Biometric gun safes are recalled because they don't keep out unauthorized users, including kids

More than 120,000 biometric gun safes sold by retailers nationwide are being recalled amid reports of unauthorized users opening them — including a six-year-old boy — posing a serious safety hazard and risk of death.

The U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission on Thursday announced four separate recalls of biometric safes, with the companies that imported the Chinese-manufactured safe collectively receiving 91 reports of the products being accessed by unpaired fingerprints.

No injuries were reported in the latest recalls, which follow the October recall of 61,000 Fortress safes for the same reason, that the safes can allow unauthorized users, including children, to access them and their potentially deadly contents. 

The Fortress recall came after the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy able to access a gun safe in his home in January 2022. 

The four recalls announced on Wednesday include roughly 60,000 Awesafe biometric Gun Safes sold at Walmart stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Walmart.com from August 2019 until Dec. 7, 2022, for about $130, according to Shenghaina Technology, or Awesafe, of China. 

The company has received reports of 71 incidents of the safes being opened by unauthoized users, the recall notice said.

Consumers should stop using the biometric feature, remove the batteries and only use the key for the recalled safes to store firearms until they get a free replacement safe. Instructions on how to safely disable the biometric reader can be found here.

Another recall involves about 33,500 Bulldog Biometric Firearm Safes that can also be opened by unauthorized users, posing a serious injury hazard and risk of death, according to the product's importer, Danville, Va.-based Bulldog Cases.

Sold at Bass Pro Shops, Walmart, firearm stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com from July 2016 to January 2024, the black steel safes used to store firearms and other valuables sold for between $194 and $216, its recall notice stated.

The recall includes the following: 

Magnum Biometric Pistol Vault: BD4030B

Magnum Biometric Pistol Vault with Shelf: BD4040B

Magnum Biometric Top Load Pistol Vault: BD4055B

Bulldog has received four reports of the safe being opened by an unauthorized user, the company said.

As with the other recalls, owners should stop using the biometric feature, remove the batteries and only use the key to store firearms until the get a repair kit or replacement safe. More information can be found here.

Additionally, Springfield, Mo.-based Machir LLC is recalling about 24,820 personal safes after getting 15 reports of the biometric lock failing. The recalled safes sold at Walmart stores nationwide and online at Walmart.com and Machir.com for about $98 from July 2019 through at least September 2021, according to the recall.

Consumers can find the serial numbers of the impacted units here.

A fourth recall by Monterey Park, Calif.-based Jomani International involves about 2,200 MouTec brand Biometric Firearm Safes sold by Amazon.com from September 2021 through February 2023 for between $170 and $400.

The company said it had received one report of a safe opened by an unauthorized user, a six-year-old boy.

Information on model and serial numbers involved in the recall can be found here and a form to receive a replacement safe can be found here.

In:
• Product Recall

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.