120,000 Biometric Gun Safes Recalled

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) last week announced the recall of roughly 120,000 biometric gun safes sold under the Awesafe Biometric Gun Safes, Bulldog Biometric Firearm Safes, Machir Biometric Personal Safes and MouTec Biometric Gun Safe brands due to biometric locks that can allow unauthorized access. The faulty units were manufactured in China and MSRPs ran as high as $400. Two were offered as Amazon exclusives, and other retail outlets included Walmart, BassPro and direct through the company websites.

“Consumers should immediately stop using the biometric lock feature, remove the batteries, and only use the key for the recalled safes to store their items until they get the free replacement,” the CPSC statement urges. There have been no reported injuries or deaths associated with the faulty biometric locks, although at least one six-year-old child (among the 91 total incidents so far) gained access through the malfunctioning system.

Not all models offered by the companies are affected by the recall. Owners can visit the firm’s recall website to determine whether their safe is included by serial number or date of purchase. Only Awesafe models sold prior to Dec.7, 2022, for example, are affected. Owners can find full details and instructions on that company’s units here. In that case a new safe will be sent after the owner submits a photo of the biometric unit destroyed per the online instructions.

Full details on Machir units and those sold by MouTec are found here and here, respectively. At press time we were unable to locate a site from Bulldog on the recall, but owners can find more information on the CPSC notice. The firm’s faulty unit is on it Magnum Biometric Pistol Vault and, in all, less than 150 of those safes were sold.

CPSC estimated the total number affected safes sold and subject to the recall came in at 120,520. Roughly half are Awesafe models sold only on Amazon and Walmart.com more than a year ago.