CPSC Urges Consumers to Immediately Stop Using Biometric Feature on Stack-On Biometric Gun Safes; Severe Injury Reported; Risk of Death
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers about the risk of serious injury or death from approximately 183,000 Stack-On biometric gun safes, pistol vaults, and lock boxes, distributed by Alpha Guardian and Stack-On.
CPSC evaluated these safes and found that the biometric programming feature can fail without consumers realizing that the safe's contents, including firearms, can be accessed by unauthorized users, including children.
CPSC urges consumers who own affected safes to:
- Remove the batteries that power the biometric feature;
- Disable the biometric feature by puncturing the biometric reader with a screwdriver; and
- Only use the keys to lock and access contents from the safe.
The safes have been distributed since January 2015. Alpha Guardian, which distributed the safes from 2017 through 2020, filed for bankruptcy in August 2020. Stack-On Products Co. currently owns the Stack-On assets and distributed approximately 2,100 safes between August 2020 and August 2023.
Stack-On Products Co. has refused to agree to an acceptable recall.
Consumers have reported three incidents in which Stack-On biometric gun safes were accessed with unpaired fingerprints, including by children. In one incident, a 5-year-old child from Michigan required surgery after he was injured by a self-inflicted gunshot after using the biometric feature to access a firearm from a Stack-On safe.
The products are portable lock boxes, personal safes, pistol vaults, and gun safes with the brand name Stack-On. The model number can be found on the safe and on the packaging. The safes have been sold since January 2015 for between $49 and $1,700 at various retailers including Walmart, Sam's Club, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Army and Air Force Exchange (AAFES), Amazon, Gander Mountain, Cabela's/Bass Pro Shops, Dick's Sporting Goods, Scheels, and others nationwide. The safes have also been found for sale on secondhand sites, such as eBay.com.
At least some of the models are marked "Made in China."
CPSC urges consumers not to buy or resell the affected biometric safes and report any incidents with these safes at www.SaferProducts.gov.
A list of affected models, including product names and UPC codes where applicable, is included below:
Item number | Product name | UPC |
E–69–MB–B–S | 69 Gun Fire Resistant Safe with Electronic Lock and Door Storage | |
PC–1665–B | Security Case with Biometric Lock | 0-85529-16650-5 |
PC–1690–B | Extra Large Security Case with Biometric Lock | 0-8552901690-9 |
PC–650–B | Pistol Case w/ Biometrics | |
PC–900–B | Pistol Case w/ Biometrics | 0-85529-11900-6 |
PDS-1500-B | Personal Drawer Safe with Biometric Lock | 85529160145 |
PDS–1800–B | Personal Drawer Safe with LED Light + Alarm Biometric Lock | 0-85529-01801-9 |
PS-15-05-B | Large Drawer Safe with Biometric Lock | |
PS-15-10-B | Steel Personal Security Safe with Biometric lock | 0-85529-15010-8 |
PS-15-20-B | Steel Personal Security Safe with Biometric Lock | 0-85529-15020-7 |
PS–1805–B | Personal Drawer Safe with LED Light + Alarm Elock | 0-85529-01804-0 |
PS–1810–B | Personal Safe with LED Light + Alarm Biometric Lock | 0-85529-01810-1 |
PS–1820–B | Extra Large Personal Safe w/LED Light + Alarm Biometric Lock | 0-85529-01809-5 |
PWS–15522–B | Steel Personal Security Safe | |
QAS–1200–B | Quick Access Safe – Biometric Lock | 0-85529-11201-4 |
QAS–1510–B | Quick Access Drawer Safe w/Biometric Lock | 0-85529-15101-3 |
QAS-1512-B | Quick Access Safe with Biometric Lock | 0-85529-15120-4 |
QAS-1514-B | Single Pistol Quick Access Safe w/Biometric Lock | |
QAS-1545-B | *OBS* Quick Access Pistol Safe with Biometric Lock | |
QAS–1810–B | Quick Access Drawer Safe with LED Light + Alarm Biometric | 0-85529-18101-0 |
QAS–1812–B | Large Quick Access Safe w LED Light + Alarm Biometric Lock | 0-85529-18121-8 |
QAS–1845–B | Quick Access Safe with LED Light + Alarm Biometric Lock | 0-85529-18451-6 |
QAS–450–B | Quick Access Safe w/ Biometric Lock | 0-85529-12450-5 |
SHD-SU-BG-B | SHD Stand-Up Safe w Biometric Lock | |
SHD–SU–BG–B–DS | ||
SS-16-MB-B | 16 Gun Security Safe with Biometric Lock | |
TD18–40–GP–B–S | ||
TD-40-GP-B-S | 40 Gun Fire Resistant/Waterproof Safe - w/Biometric Lock | |
Cabelas-18-MB-B | ||
Cabelas-18-MB-B-DS |
Under section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, the CPSC is required to include with this press release any comments from the manufacturer or a summary thereof. The company objects to this press release.
Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic. Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
- Visit CPSC.gov.
- Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
- Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
- Contact a media specialist.
Release Number: 25-116
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SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission