No publicly documented lawsuit names the Ravin R29X crossbow specifically, but the R29X’s manufacturer and its parent company have settled and defended product liability suits involving other Ravin crossbows, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled other Ravin models for unexpected-discharge defects. If you own an R29X or are thinking about buying one, that broader record is what shapes the Ravin R29X lawsuit picture today.
What Has Actually Been Filed Against Ravin
The most recent case ended on December 3, 2025, when a product liability suit against Velocity Outdoor Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey was resolved by settlement. The plaintiff, a hunter, alleged that a Ravin-brand crossbow broke during use and caused serious injuries. Settlement terms were not disclosed, and available reporting did not identify the specific model at issue.1Law360. Hunter’s Crossbow Injury Suit Ends With Settlement
A separate matter, Campbell v. Ravin Crossbows (Case No. 23-1862), was also pending in the District of New Jersey. As of an April 29, 2025 opinion, the case brought by Scott and Melanie Campbell was still being litigated, with the court working through summary judgment motions and expert testimony challenges. That opinion did not specify which Ravin model was involved.2Business CCH. Campbell v. Ravin Crossbows, No. 23-1862
Neither case has been publicly tied to the R29X. Both, however, share the core allegation that a Ravin crossbow malfunctioned during normal use and caused significant physical harm.
Recalls Cover Other Ravin Models, Not the R29X
The R29X does not appear in any CPSC recall notice. Two recalls have hit other Ravin products.
On March 21, 2024, the CPSC recalled eight versions of the Ravin R500 series. The agency found that if the R500 was nearly but not fully cocked, it could discharge unexpectedly during the cocking or uncocking process. About 13,300 units in the United States and 425 in Canada were affected, at retail prices from $2,550 to $4,025. Consumers were told to stop using the crossbows and contact Ravin for a free repair.3CPSC. Ravin Crossbows Recalls Ravin R500 Series Crossbows Due to Injury Hazard4WFTV. Recall Alert: Crossbows Recalled, Pose Injury Hazard
An earlier action first announced in December 2017 and reannounced in August 2021 covered roughly 220,000 white plastic clip-on arrow nocks shipped as original equipment with the R9 and R15. The defect could prevent the crossbow from firing when the trigger was pulled, then allow it to discharge unexpectedly while the user was handling the arrow. By the 2021 reannouncement, Ravin had received 51 reports of finger injuries, 21 of them classified as serious.5CPSC. Ravin Crossbows Reannounces Recall of White Arrow Nocks Due to Injury Hazard
The R29X is not implicated in either action. The recurring theme across the recalls is unexpected discharge, which is the same category of defect that has driven the injury suits.
Failure Modes the R29X Manual Itself Warns About
Ravin’s instruction manual for the R26X and R29X lays out the mechanical scenarios most likely to produce injuries. It states plainly that a “malfunction of your Ravin Crossbow can cause death or serious injury to bystanders” and instructs users to keep all bystanders behind them and in safety glasses at all times.6Ravin Crossbows. Ravin R26X/R29X Instruction Manual
Specific hazards the manual identifies:
- Firing with any body part in the bowstring’s release path can cause serious injury or finger amputation.
- Wax buildup on the bowstring clasp can cause a delayed bowstring release after the trigger is pulled, particularly in temperatures below 32°F.
- Arrows lighter than 400 grains can create a “dry fire effect” and break the limbs. Non-Ravin nocks that fracture during use can produce the same result.
- Pressing the spool thumb release while the draw handle is not being firmly held can allow the handle to free-spin, potentially causing serious injury.
The manual also warns that using any non-Ravin components — arrows, nocks, strings, or cables — may cause the crossbow to malfunction and could lead to “serious injury or death.”7Ravin Crossbows. Ravin R26X/R29X Instruction Manual These warnings inform the user, but they also give the manufacturer a paper trail to point to in litigation, arguing that any injury stemmed from misuse or aftermarket parts rather than a defect.
How a Crossbow Injury Claim Would Work
Crossbow injury suits generally fall into one of three categories: a design defect, a defect introduced during manufacturing, or a failure to warn the consumer adequately about a known risk. There is no single federal product liability statute, so these cases run on state law, and the rules turn on where the injury occurred, where the product was purchased, and where the manufacturer is incorporated.8Cornell Law Institute. Products Liability
A plaintiff has to show the product was defective when sold and that the defect caused the injury. For design defect claims, courts typically apply one of two tests. The consumer expectations test asks whether the product was more dangerous than an ordinary consumer would expect. The risk-utility test asks whether the manufacturer could have adopted a feasible, safer alternative design without fundamentally changing the product’s function.9Justia. Design Defects
Manufacturers defending crossbow cases commonly raise comparative negligence, product misuse, unauthorized modification, assumption of risk, or failure to maintain the equipment. That is why the manual language matters. Every instruction about non-Ravin components, cold-weather lubrication, or nocking technique is meant to be usable at trial.
Who Actually Gets Sued
Ravin Crossbows, LLC is headquartered in Superior, Wisconsin. In September 2018 it was acquired for $94 million, plus a potential earn-out of up to $25 million, by Velocity Outdoor Inc., formerly Crosman Corporation.10PR Newswire. Compass Diversified Holdings Subsidiary Velocity Outdoor Acquires Ravin Crossbows Velocity Outdoor is a subsidiary of Compass Diversified Holdings, a publicly traded holding company (NYSE: CODI) headquartered in Westport, Connecticut.11RW Baird. Ravin Crossbows Acquisition Deal Card
The corporate chain shows up in the case captions. The December 2025 New Jersey settlement named Velocity Outdoor Inc. as the defendant, not Ravin Crossbows, LLC.1Law360. Hunter’s Crossbow Injury Suit Ends With Settlement Court filings in separate Ravin litigation have identified Velocity Outdoor, CBCP Acquisition Corp., CBCP Products LLC, and Compass Diversified as affiliated entities of Ravin Crossbows.12CourtListener. Ravin Crossbows, LLC v. Hunter’s Manufacturing Company, Inc. Anyone considering a claim tied to an R29X would likely be looking at that same set of entities.