Your Privacy Choices
When is your gun safe not safe? When someone who shouldn’t be able to access the contents can nevertheless get in—and there’s currently a recall on more than 120,000 biometric safes in the US for that reason.
According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, a range of biometric safes from Bulldog, Machir, BBRKIN/Moutec and Awesafe may allow access even with the wrong fingerprint. Here’s the government agency’s word-for-word warning from the Bulldog recall:
This recall involves Bulldog Magnum Biometric Pistol Vaults, Magnum Biometric Pistol Vaults with Shelf, and Magnum Biometric Top Load Pistol Vaults. The black steel safes are used to store firearms and valuables. The pistol vault (BD4030B) measures 11.5 inches by 8 inches by 5.5 inches, and the pistol vault with shelf (BD4040B) measures 11.5 inches by 10 inches by 8 inches. The top load pistol vault (BD4055B) measures 11.5 inches by 9.8 inches by 2.5 inches. The pistol vault with shelf has one shelf and can store approximately two firearms. The model number can be found on a label on a silver sticker on the back right corner of the safe, and the brand name “Bulldog” appears on the front of the safe.
Obviously, these are very serious concerns, and that’s why we get the following recommendation from our friends at the fed:
Consumers should immediately stop using the biometric feature of the recalled safe, remove the batteries from the safe, and only use the key when storing firearms. Contact Bulldog to receive a repair kit or free replacement safe for consumers with the Magnum Biometric Pistol Vaults, or a free replacement safe for consumers with the Magnum Biometric Top Load Pistol Vaults.
Similar wording accompanies all the other recalls (follow links through to Machir, BBRKIN and Awesafe recalls).
Other made-in-China safes are also affected, with more than 100,000 under recall. [United States Consumer Product Safety Commission]
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says there have been dozens of confirmed cases of unauthorized users accessing these safes with the wrong fingerprint, although no injuries have been reported.
The biometric safes were originally manufactured in China. They were sold at Bass Pro Shops, Wal-Mart and other retail stores as well as online from 2016 through early 2024.
