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Safety alert: Canada-wide recall of gun safes due to 'risk of death'

The wrong person could open this safe because of a programming error.

British Columbians who own guns may need to check that their safes don't allow "unauthorized use."

On Friday, Oct. 20, Health Canada issued a recall notification about Cabela's Quick Access Safe with biometric lock and Cabela's 4 Gun Safe with biometric lock due to an injury hazard. 

The safes have a programming feature that allows unauthorized access, posing a safety hazard and risk of death. The user will "program" the biometric feature believing it is now safe and "locked" when it actually remains in the "default to open" mode.

When the safe is in the default to open mode, unauthorized users, including children, can open it and remove hazardous contents, including firearms. 

As of Oct. 20, Cabela’s Canada has received two reports of incidents and no reports of injuries. The manufacturer of the safe has received one report of a death and 37 reports of safes using the same biometric hardware being accessed in the United States by unpaired fingerprints.

product-gun-safe
Photo via Health Canada

What to do if you have one of the safes

Immediately stop using the safe, remove its batteries, and contact Fortress Safe to receive a free replacement safe.

For more information, contact Fortress Safe at 833-588-9181 or visit the company website

The company reported that 1,834 units of the affected product were sold in Canada from September 2020 to February 2023 through Cabela’s Canada and their affiliated company, Bass Pro Shops.