Chris Raper — Retired North Carolina law enforcement (40+ years) · U.S. Air Force Security Police · NRA-certified Pistol, Rifle & Shotgun Instructor · NC DOJ-certified Concealed Carry Instructor · Founder, Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. (Elm City, NC, 2006)This guide draws on my own research and what my students bring into the Concealed Handgun Carry class every week. The method line at the end of the article says exactly how this guide was built.
If you keep a pistol in a fingerprint safe by the bed, the brand and the date you bought it matter. In February 2024 the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of about 60,000 Awesafe biometric gun safes because the fingerprint lock could fail and let unauthorized people open them.
So this review does two jobs. First, if you own an older Awesafe, here’s what was recalled and exactly what to do. Second, if you’re looking at Awesafe’s current two-pistol box, the GF04XL, here’s what it offers and what I’d check before trusting it.
My verdict: if your Awesafe was bought between August 2019 and December 2022, stop using the fingerprint reader today and follow the recall steps. The current GF04XL is a budget two-pistol box with three ways in. It can do the job, but only with a working backup and an owner who checks it.
FYI, recall facts are from the CPSC notice and product specifications are from Awesafe’s published manual and listing at the time of writing.
The Awesafe Biometric Safe Recall: What Owners Need To Know
RECALL FACTS:
The CPSC posted the recall on February 22, 2024, as recall number 24-127. It covered about 60,000 Awesafe biometric gun safes: black safes that fit two pistols, with the Awesafe name on the front. The notice says they were sold at Walmart stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Walmart.com from August 2019 through December 7, 2022. The importer is listed as Shenghaina Technology Co. Ltd., doing business as Awesafe, of China. You can read the full notice on the CPSC website.
Awesafe wasn’t alone. CPSC announced recalls and warnings on several biometric safe brands that year. Our biometric gun safe recall page lists the others.
THE HAZARD:
In CPSC’s words, the biometric lock on the safes can fail and be opened by unauthorized users, which the agency describes as a serious injury hazard and risk of death. The notice reports 71 incidents of the safes being opened by unauthorized users when the biometric lock failed.
Think about who that unauthorized user usually is. It’s a child or a teenager in the house. A safe that opens for the wrong finger is worse than no safe, because the owner believes the gun is locked up and stops thinking about it.
THE REMEDY:
The remedy is a free replacement safe. Per the CPSC notice, owners should do the following:
- Stop using the biometric feature and remove the batteries right away.
- Use only the key to store firearms until the replacement arrives.
- Contact Awesafe for instructions on disabling the biometric reader.
- Email a photo of the disabled reader to [email protected] to get the free replacement. Instructions are at awesafeus.com/RECALL.
- Once the replacement arrives, dispose of the recalled safe according to local laws.
Keep copies of your emails and the photo. If you ever have to show that you stored your guns responsibly, a paper trail showing you acted on the recall the day you heard about it is worth having.
HOW TO CHECK YOUR UNIT:
Start with when and where you bought it. If it’s a black two-pistol Awesafe from Walmart, Amazon.com or Walmart.com bought between August 2019 and December 7, 2022, treat it as covered. Check your order history or receipt. If you can’t tell when it was bought, or it was a gift, contact Awesafe at the recall email and ask before you use the fingerprint reader again.
Don’t decide it’s fine because it has never opened for the wrong person in your house. The whole problem is a lock that works most of the time. Follow the recall, and until the replacement comes, run that box on the key only, with the key kept away from the children.
Awesafe GF04XL – Best For A Budget Two-Pistol Bedside Box
HIGHLIGHT:
Fingerprint, a four-button keypad and two keys on a 10-pound, two-pistol box with an interior light and a gas-strut lid.
ACCESS:
Awesafe’s manual for the GF04XL lists three ways in: a fingerprint reader that stores up to 30 fingerprint groups, a four-button keypad that holds up to five four-digit codes, and two manual keys. A gas strut lifts the lid once it unlocks, which Awesafe describes as quick, quiet and one-handed.
Given the brand’s history, here’s how I’d set one up. Enroll your print several times, enroll a finger on the other hand, and then ask someone who is not enrolled to try. If an unenrolled finger ever opens it, stop using the reader and contact Awesafe. Learn the keypad code so well you can run it in the dark, because the keypad is your real backup. My page on biometric vs keypad safes explains why I want both.
BUILD & UL 1037:
The manual lists the GF04XL at 12.1 inches wide, 9.9 inches deep and 3.2 inches tall, weighing 10 pounds, with a pry-resistant door. It describes the body as solid steel, though the spec table also lists aluminum, so ask the seller to confirm. No steel gauge is given, and the manual says it isn’t water resistant.
The manual also lists UL 1037. Understand what that is. UL 1037 is a standard for anti-theft alarms and devices. It is not a burglary rating like the ones on real money safes, and it is not a fire rating. It’s worth knowing about, not a reason to think a 10-pound box will stop a burglar who carries it out the door.
INSIDE ROOM:
Awesafe says it holds two standard handguns plus extra ammunition, and the manual lists an interior LED. At 3.2 inches tall on the outside, the inside is shallow. A pistol with a red dot, a weapon light or an extended magazine may not fit with the lid shut. Measure your gun at its tallest point and compare it with the interior before you order.
And on ammunition: the manual itself says to store firearms unloaded and ammunition in a separate locked place. That’s a sound rule for long-term storage. If you keep a bedside defensive gun loaded in the box, the lock and the key handling matter even more.
POWER & MOUNTING:
The GF04XL runs on four AA batteries, not included. The manual doesn’t list a USB backup, so the two keys are your only way in with dead batteries. Keep one key where you can reach it and the other in a separate locked spot, never in the nightstand drawer.
The manual lists floor mounting with screws included and an anti-theft alarm. A 10-pound box with a carry-size footprint should be bolted down. Our guide on how to bolt down a gun safe covers floors, shelves and furniture.
With children in the house, North Carolina’s safe-storage law (G.S. 14-315.1) can make you liable if a minor gets hold of a loaded gun you left accessible and something happens with it. Other states have their own versions.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: Three ways in, room for two handguns, a gas-strut lid, an interior light, an alarm and floor-mount screws in a compact bedside box.
Where it falls short: The brand’s biometric recall history, no USB backup, a shallow interior, no stated steel gauge, and a spec sheet that lists both steel and aluminum.
Who it’s for: Budget shoppers who want a small two-pistol bedside box and will check the fingerprint reader against an unenrolled finger, learn the keypad and bolt the box down.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Buy new from a seller you trust, not used, and confirm you’re getting the GF04XL or another current model and not leftover recalled stock. If a used Awesafe shows up at a yard sale, pass on it unless you can prove its purchase date falls outside the recall window.
Second, don’t read UL 1037 as a security rating. Third, if you want a lock with no fingerprint at all, a mechanical pushbutton box such as the Fort Knox PB1 takes batteries out of the equation entirely.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy the GF04XL if your budget is tight, you need room for two handguns by the bed, and you’ll set it up with the checks above. Skip it if the recall history bothers you, if you want a USB backup, or if your pistol wears a tall optic. For other bedside choices, see my best nightstand gun safe and best biometric gun safe picks.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What Awesafe lists for the GF04XL |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 12.1″ W x 9.9″ D x 3.2″ H |
| Weight | 10 lb |
| Capacity | Two standard handguns plus extra ammunition |
| Fingerprint | Up to 30 fingerprint groups |
| Keypad | 4 buttons; up to 5 four-digit codes |
| Keys | 2 manual keys |
| Power | 4 AA batteries (not included) |
| Features | Gas-strut lid, interior LED, anti-theft alarm, pry-resistant door |
| Mounting | Floor mount, screws included |
| Listed standard | UL 1037 (anti-theft alarms and devices) |
| Not listed | Steel gauge, fire rating, water resistance, USB backup |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Fingerprint, keypad and two keys
- Room for two handguns, with an interior light and gas-strut lid
- Alarm and floor-mount screws included
Cons
- The brand’s 2019–2022 safes were recalled for biometric failures
- No USB backup; keys are the only dead-battery route
- Shallow interior; steel gauge not stated
Check today’s price on Amazon
Want to compare? See my best handgun safe picks.
Awesafe Gun Safe FAQ
Which Awesafe gun safes were recalled?
The February 2024 CPSC recall (24-127) covered about 60,000 black, two-pistol Awesafe biometric safes sold at Walmart and on Amazon.com and Walmart.com from August 2019 through December 7, 2022.
What should I do if I own a recalled Awesafe?
Stop using the fingerprint reader, remove the batteries and use only the key. Contact Awesafe to disable the reader, then email a photo of the disabled reader to [email protected] for a free replacement.
Is the new Awesafe GF04XL safe to use?
It’s a current model with fingerprint, keypad and key access. Enroll your prints, confirm an unenrolled finger is rejected, learn the keypad, keep a key out of reach of children and bolt it down.
Does UL 1037 mean the Awesafe is burglar-proof?
No. UL 1037 covers anti-theft alarms and devices. It is not a burglary or fire rating.
Chris Raper
Chris Raper is the founder and lead reviewer of Conceal & Carry Network. A retired North Carolina law-enforcement officer with more than 40 years of service and a U.S. Air Force Security Police veteran, he founded Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. in Elm City, NC in 2006 and has taught the state-approved NC Concealed Handgun Carry class there ever since. He is an NC Department of Justice certified Firearms Safety Instructor, an NRA Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun Instructor, an NRA Range Safety Officer and a graduate of Massad Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute. He reviews the carry guns, holsters, safes and sight tools his students ask about every week.