Where FRTs stand federally after the 2025 settlement, and the states that still restrict them. Information, not legal advice — verify your own state.
For several years ATF classified Rare Breed's FRT-15 as a machine gun and seized units. That position was litigated in Rare Breed Triggers, LLC v. ATF and related cases. In May 2025, the Department of Justice announced a settlement: the government agreed that forced reset triggers are not machine guns under federal law, agreed to return seized triggers, and agreed not to pursue enforcement against them as machine guns. ATF's own notice covers the return of FRT-15s and Wide Open Triggers (WOTs).
The reason is how the trigger works: an FRT fires one round for each function of the trigger. A machine gun, by legal definition, fires more than one round “by a single function of the trigger.” Because the FRT still requires a separate trigger function for every shot, the settlement recognized it as a semi-automatic trigger.
Federal legality does not override state law. A number of states restrict or ban forced reset triggers, often through broad “rapid-fire device” or machine-gun-style statutes. As of 2026, FRTs are commonly restricted in: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Washington D.C.. Some of these are outright bans; others turn on how the state defines a machine gun or rate-increasing device.
These lists change as legislatures and courts act, so treat the above as a starting point, not the final word. Confirm the current law in your state before ordering. If you are in a restricted state, we cannot ship an FRT to you.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Firearm law changes and varies by jurisdiction. Confirm the current law where you live before ordering, and consult a qualified attorney if you are unsure.