IMPORTANT UPDATE Up to 127,000 TenPoint and Wicked Ridge crossbows may fall under safety recall

Akron-based TenPoint Crossbows is facing a major recall impacting a number of its most popular models along with the firm’s economy, price-point line, Wicked Ridge.

At the heart of the problem is the safety catch. Affected crossbows – up to 127,000 units - are potentially at risk.

Further in this blog is TenPoint’s official Product Safety Notice as well as the company’s press release on the subject.

A company spokesman said that the present turn-around time is about three days. That will lengthen considerably later in the summer and into the fall once archery deer-hunting season approaches, the spokesman said.

Also, TenPoint’s Randy Woods, the firm’s vice president of sales, has a short video discussing the issue. The link for this is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L64rUMWfbU

Here is the official federal government’s Consumer Protection Safety Commission’s release on TenPoint’s rather significant manufacturing FUBAR.

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2015/TenPoint-Crossbow-Technologies-Recalls-Crossbows

Recall Summary

Name of Product: TenPoint and Wicked Ridge crossbows

Hazard: After the safety has been re-engaged, the crossbows can fire under certain circumstances if a consumer pulls the trigger, posing an injury hazard.

Remedy: Repair
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled crossbows. Contact TenPoint for detailed instructions on how to inspect any TenPoint or Wicked Ridge crossbow and instructions on how to receive a free repair, if the crossbow poses an unexpected firing hazard.

Consumer Contact: TenPoint Crossbow Technologies at (800) 548-6837 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, by email at safetyrecall@tenpointcrossbows.com, or online at www.tenpointcrossbows.com/ and www.wickedridgecrossbows.com/ and click on "Recall to Repair – Self Test" for more information.

Recall Details

Units: About 127,000

Description: This recall involves nine models of two brands of crossbows that can be identified by their serial numbers, which are located on the left side of the barrel of the crossbow below the trigger box. The TenPoint or Wicked Ridge brand name is printed on both sides of the crossbow barrel on all models except the GT Flex. The model name appears on both sides of the stock on all models. The GT Flex crossbows are black. The other affected models are camouflage patterns. One TenPoint Titan Extreme model crossbow and one Wicked Ridge Warrior HL model crossbow were specially produced in black, rather than the camouflage pattern that is standard for those models.  The crossbows were manufactured from 2011 to 2014.

Model	Serial Number Range
TenPoint Shadow Ultra-Lite: Model numbers C14018-7521 and C14018-7522	G000001–G006449
TenPoint Turbo XLT II: Model Numbers C12020-4920, C12020-4521, and C12020-4522	F54796-F55233 G50000-G55924 H50000-H54851 F000001-F007055
TenPoint Titan Extreme: Model Numbers C12047-6520, C12047-6521, C12047-6522, C13047-1912, and C13047-5312	F88113-F91878 G80001-G89999 H80000-H96243 H000001-H015400
TenPoint  Maverick HP: Model Numbers C11055-3000, C11055-3521, C11055-3522, C11055-6000, C11055-6520, C11055-6521, and C11055-6522	F41618-F41909 G40000-G40353
TenPoint GT Flex: Model Numbers C08066-3000, C08066-3420, C08066-3421, C08066-3422, C08066-3430, C08066-3431, C08066-3432, C14066-1000, C14066-1330, C14066-1331, and C14066-1332	F70173-F70299 G70000-G70151 H70000-H70299 I000001-I000452
TenPoint Phantom CLS-S: Model numbers C10003-4211, C10003-4212, C10003-4221, and C10003-4222	F00002-F00261 G00001-G00156
Wicked Ridge Raider CLS: Model numbers WR1221.6230,  WR1221.6326, and WR1221.6336	J000001–J000831   V70000–V72011   W70001-W71806
Wicked Ridge Invader HP: Model numbers WR1205.6336, WR1205.6436, and  WR1205.6446	K000001–K008644   V00000–V20881   W01437-W10261
Wicked Ridge Warrior HL: Model numbers  WR1215.6330, WR1215.6430,  WR1215.6440, and  WR1415.1436	L000001–L011095   W40000–W55874   V40000–V52357

Incidents/Injuries: TenPoint has received 19 reports that arrows released from the crossbows when the consumer pulled the trigger under certain circumstances after the safety mechanism was re-engaged. There have been no reported injuries.

Sold at: Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dunham's Sports, Gander Mountain, MC Sports, other hunting and sporting goods stores nationwide; direct sales from TenPoint; and online at Amazon.com, Basspro.com, Cabelas,com, dickssportinggoods.com and other internet retailers from January 2011 to May 2015 for between $400 and $1,800.

Manufactured by: Hunter's Manufacturing Company Inc., dba TenPoint CrossBow Technologies of Mogadore, Ohio

Manufactured in: United States

About U.S. CPSC:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.  Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.

CPSC Consumer Information Hotline
Contact us at this toll-free number if you have questions about a recall:
800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054)
Times: 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime
Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products.  

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

This is TenPoint’s press release that addresses the subject in conjunction with working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Mogadore, Ohio -- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, TenPoint Crossbow Technologies today announced a voluntary recall to inspect, and if necessary, repair certain TenPoint and Wicked Ridge crossbows manufactured between 2011 and 2014.

TenPoint is requesting that owners of these models conduct a self-inspection to determine if their crossbow requires the recall and repair.  TenPoint has discovered that arrows can release from certain crossbows following a sequence of actions involving: 1. pulling the trigger when the safety is on “safe”,

2. moving the safety slide to “fire”,

3. attempting unsuccessfully to return the safety to “safe”, and

4. pulling the trigger a second time believing the trigger is on “safe”.

“Safety is our number one priority” said Phil Bednar, Director of Marketing. 

“Out of an abundance of caution, we wanted our customers to know about this issue and understand how to determine if their crossbow is affected and get the issue resolved.” 

Information concerning the specific products that may be affected as well as instructions on how to safely test the crossbow can be found at www.tenpointcrossbows.com.  The site also includes a FAQ section as well as instructions on how to return the product, if necessary, for repair.

The following is TenPoint’s official product safety notice that instructs owners and users the proper protocol for operating one of the firm’s crossbows:

10/22/14

PRODUCT SAFETY NOTICE

 

NEVER PRE-LOAD A CROSSBOW TRIGGER

 

TenPoint Crossbow Technologies (“TenPoint”) has recently learned that, under certain circumstances described below, pulling the trigger while the auto-safety mechanism (“Safety”) is engaged can require the user to re-engage the Safety by forcefully pulling on the bowstring.

This condition may occur under the following sequence of events:

 

1. The crossbow is cocked, which engages the Safety as the bowstring causes the safety knob to move into the SAFE/ ENGAGED (white dot) position.

 

2. The crossbow user pulls (preloads) the trigger while the Safety is engaged.

NOTE: Touching or pulling the trigger before deciding to take a shot is a dangerous practice when using any firearm or crossbow, as our Owner’s Manuals warn.

 

3. With a loaded arrow, the crossbow user moves the safety knob into the FIRE/OFF (red dot) position in anticipation of taking a shot.

 

4. The crossbow user does not fire the crossbow and then attempts to return the Safety to the

SAFE/ENGAGED (white dot) position, but fails to do so completely.

 

WARNING

 

To help ensure the safe use of your crossbow:

 

Do NOT disengage the Safety or place your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

 

Do NOT touch or pull (pre-load) the trigger while the Safety is engaged (white dot).

 

If you pull the trigger (pre-load) with the Safety engaged (white dot):

1. Remove the arrow.

 

2. You can verify if the Safety is engaged by pulling the safety knob in the direction of the SAFE/ENGAGED (white dot) position to determine if it will spring back approximately 1/16^th of an inch. This “spring-back” is apparent both visually and by feel and demonstrates that the Safety is engaged.

3. If the Safety does not “spring-back,” you must forcefully pull the bowstring to re-engage it. At this point you can verify the Safety is engaged by performing the “spring-back” technique described above.

 

Follow all warnings and instructions in the Owner’s Manual.

 

If you have not pulled the trigger with the Safety in the SAFE/ENGAGED (white dot) position, you may disengage and re-engage the Safety repeatedly.

 

If you have any questions, please call TenPoint customer service at 330-628-9245 or visit our website

www.TenPointcrossbows.com.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

Jeff is the retired News-Herald reporter who  covered the earth sciences, the area's three county park systems and the outdoors for the newspaper. During his 30 years with The News-Herald Jeff was the recipient of more than 100 state, regional and national journalism awards. He also is a columnist and features writer for the Ohio Outdoor News, which is published every other week and details the outdoors happenings in the state.