ATF Sends Open Letter to FFL Holders Regarding Forced Reset Triggers

Earlier today, 24 March, 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) sent out a letter to all Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders advising of their new declarations related to Forced Reset Triggers (FRT). Short version of the message- they are machine guns, yes just the trigger parts are now considered to be machine guns by your friends at ATF. Lying in a drawer, or just held in your hand they are machine guns, all by themselves.

Forced Reset Triggers, seem to be mostly invented and put into the market by Rare Breed a bit over a year ago. The trigger is explained in the ATF letter: “These particular FRTs are being marketed as replacement triggers for AR-type firearms. Unlike traditional triggers and binary triggers (sometimes referred to generally as “FRTs”), the subject FRTs do not require shooters to pull and then subsequently release the trigger to fire a second shot. Instead, these FRTs utilize the firing cycle to eliminate the need for the shooter to release the trigger before a second shot is fired.”

They go on to announce those FRTs are now considered to be machine guns-it is interesting they split out Binary triggers in the announcement and do not “currently” consider them to be evil machineguns, just the FRT triggers.

The Biden era battle with ATF vs Rare Breed kicked off last summer by serving a “Cease and Desist” order on the company, claiming the trigger was a “machine gun” within the definitions of the National Firearms Act (NFA) and the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). Rare Breed denied the allegation and filed suit in federal district court. They asked the court to set aside or dismiss the ATF injunction, but the court did not agree to do so. The civil suit brought against ATF by Rare Breed was also dismissed after they missed a court deadline. 

 Rare Breed’s position was their FRT trigger slaps forward after each shot and makes a forced reset each time the operator pulls the trigger. If they keep constant trigger pressure the device will return forward and allow an additional shot, and thus they believe it is not fully automatic under the law.

Two additional manufacturers brought FRT devices to the market last year as well, the WOT and the Graves V2 ART which resulted in Rare Breed bringing a and winning a preliminary injunction for patent infringement in January of 2022 s against Wide Open Enterprises which stopped Big Daddy Enterprise from selling its popular forced reset triggers known as the Wide Open Trigger. Days later ATF raided both Rare Breed and Big Daddy Enterprises on 13 January, 2022. 

Today’s letter/announcement/proclamation/edict/non-legislated “law” explains FRT devices are now subject to the same registration, transfer, tax and possession laws in the NFA which apply to what we all think of as “real” machineguns. 

Failure to comply with the NFA law by an individual can result in up to a $10,000 fine and 10 years in jail not to mention confiscation and government seizure when they come a knocking. Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2), any person listed in Section 922 like a collector, manufacturer or transporter who violates Section 922(o) may be sent to prison for up to 10 years and fined up to $250,000 per person or $500,000 per organization.

ATF concludes today’s letter to FFL’s stating since they now consider these parts to be dastardly machineguns, they intend to “take appropriate remedial action with respect to sellers and possessors of these devices.”  They suggest anyone currently owning one of these FRTs contact their local ATF field office “for further guidance on how they may divest possession.”  Go now. Avoid the rush and those pesky knocks on the door later.

Anti-crime statistics for FRT devices of course remain at the recorded number of persons killed: 0 and used in crimes: 0.

Next up on the ATF calendar? Expect announcements on 80% finish yourself firearms/frames in April 2022, and they may be circling back around on wrist braces after being inundated with public comment on the topic earlier in the year…maybe just Biden their time on that one.