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Illinois-based Fortress Safe announced this week that the biometric gun safes were being recalled due to a "serious safety hazard and risk of death" caused by a programming feature that made the safes more accessible.
The recall comes following a recent lawsuit that alleges a 12-year-old boy died from a gun obtained from one of the safes, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
"Consumers 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 to remove hazardous contents, including firearms," officials said.
To date, there have been 39 incidents where unauthorized parties gained access to the weapons with unpaired fingerprints, including the 12-year-old boy who was killed by the firearm.
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.
Safes with these model numbers are included in the recall:
- Model number: 11B20 - "Fortress Portable Safe with Biometric Lock;"
- Model number: 44B10 - "Fortress Personal Safe with Pop up door and Biometric Lock;"
- Model number: 44B10L - "Legend Range & Field Personal Safe with Pop up door and Biometric Lock;"
- Model number: 44B20 - "Fortress Medium Personal Safe with Biometric Lock;"
- Model number: 55B20 - "Fortress Quick Access Safe with Biometric Lock;"
- Model number: 55B30 - "Fortress Large Quick Access Safe with Biometric Lock;"
- Model number: 55B30G - "Gettysburg Large Quick Access Safe with Biometric Lock;"
- Model number: 4BGGBP - "Cabela’s 4 Gun Safe with Biometric Lock;"
- Model number: 55B30BP - "Cabela’s Biometric Personal Safe."
Model numbers can be found above the barcode on a label in the back of the safe and on the top right corner of the initial packaging.
Officials said that gun owners may believe that they have properly programmed their safes to be just that, but the faulty programming could leave it in "open mode," which can allow children or any other unauthorized users to access the weapon.
"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," officials said. "Contact Fortress Safes to receive instructions on disabling the biometric feature and to receive a free replacement safe."
The recalled safes were sold at 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 through Amazon and eBay between January 2019 and October 2023.
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