Therefore, a shooter with a standard trigger pulls the trigger to fire, the trigger is reset via spring tension, then the trigger is pulled again to fire a second round. As you can see in the video, the Rare Breed FRT’s unique design is a trigger that resets itself. Ok, you might now know more about machine gun law than you wanted to, however, we can now have a more informed dive into whether the FRT is a machine gun. FFLs pay a once-yearly tax (thereby becoming an SOT) of $500 (for annual gross business receipts under $500k) that allows unlimited NFA firearms for that year without paying the transfer tax for each item (typically $200 per item). For some people, it makes sense to use an NFA Gun Trust to hold firearms.
It is unclear how allowing more people to own ARs that mimic machine guns will “enhance public safety.” The 2019 Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas, in which 60 people were killed and over 400 were wounded, is an example of the damage one person can do with AR-15s modified to fire like machine guns using bump stocks. After Judge Reed O’Connor struck down the ATF’s actions classifying FRTs as machine guns, the DOJ appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Rare Breed Triggers sued the ATF in an attempt to continue selling FRTs twice, but after both cases were dismissed, the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), an extreme gun rights group, filed a separate challenge in the Northern District of Texas. Thus, if a shooter pulls an FRT and holds it to the rear, the gun will continue firing like a machine gun. The administration’s settlement with Rare Breed Triggers opens the floodgates for AR-15s that fire like machine guns. It is about the future of trigger innovation, patent boundaries, and whether established players can block newer, better-engineered alternatives through the courts.
MTM Wide Open and Rare Breed Trigger FRT Linkage Kit
When Rare Breed Triggers received a cease-and-desist order from the ATF, it included an additional requirement for the manufacturer to contact the ATF and establish a plan of what to do with the FRT-15 triggers that had already been sold. What the Rare Breed Triggers FRT-15 does is mechanically reset the trigger, while preventing the hammer to drop until the bolt is locked into the chamber. The FRT-15 does not fit the definition presented either, but appears to be considered a machine gun simply because the ATF cannot tell the difference when someone is using it. So when the ATF is given a working definition for a machine gun, and then claims that something which does not fit within that definition is now considered to be one, not only does the integrity of the law suffer, but the safety and well being of the people. The FRT-15 is a drop-in trigger replacement for AR-15 style rifles that utilizes a mechanism to force the reset of the trigger.
Most notably, the judge declined to issue an immediate TRO and instead took the motion under advisement, meaning no emergency relief was granted. On February 4, 2026, the court held an extensive hearing on Rare Breed’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction that would have immediately halted the sale of the Partisan Disruptor trigger. Peak Tactical strongly disputes these claims, arguing that the Partisan Disruptor is not a forced reset trigger at all, but rather an assisted reset trigger with materially different mechanical operation, geometry, and frt trigger function.
To be clear, all triggers should reset themselves under spring pressure. Although the FRT is not a firearm because it does not shoot a bullet via an explosive, it could still be a machine gun because it could be a “part…designed and intended…to convert a weapon into a machine gun.” (It’s always interesting to me how much propaganda is sometimes used in naming laws – banning machine guns protected firearm owners?)
- The settlement notes that the U.S. government will move to dismiss three lawsuits involving Rare Breed Triggers, stop enforcing federal machine gun regulations against the company and its patented FRTs for AR-style weapons, and return confiscated FRTs to customers.
- We will continue to follow this case closely and provide updates as soon as the court issues its written ruling.
- In exchange, Rare Breed Triggers has agreed not to produce or market FRTs for “any handgun” where the “magazine loads into the trigger-hand grip.” But the company never publicly stated that it planned to produce FRTs for handguns.
Range time with my POF MP5 W/Rare Breed trigger
Feels solid, zero wobble, and the reset is consistent. Shipping from therarebreedtrigger.com was quick and the support team answered all my questions. Absolutely transformed my AR-15 — the reset is insanely fast and reliable. If you’re considering purchasing a Rare Breed FRT, this guide covers how it works, its legality in the U.S., where to buy it, and why it’s a top choice among responsible gun owners. The Rare Breed Trigger (often discussed under the shorthand FRT — Forced Reset Trigger) is a mechanical trigger system designed for AR-type rifles that reduces the time between shots by mechanically forcing the trigger forward after each shot so the shooter can pull it again more quickly. If the forced reset fails, the pistol remains able to be fired in semi-auto.
Forced-Reset Triggers Debut for Pistols After Trump Rollback
Responses shall be filed on or before April 1, 2023. As outlined in the attached order, the parties shall file letter briefs on or before March 29, 2023. The Court heard argument on Defendants’ motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and took the motion under advisement. Transcript may be viewed at the court public terminal or purchased through the Court Transcriber before the deadline for Release of Transcript Restriction. The Court also addressed the status of discovery.
Therefore, an air rifle or a paintball gun is not a firearm because they use compressed air and not an explosive. Rare Breed Triggers manufactured and marketed the FRT trigger which allowed, via a mechanical reset device within the trigger, rapid firing of an AR-15. It’s important for me to note that I am an attorney that specializes in exactly these types of issues (firearms law, especially firearm and component legal determinations).