Gun trigger sold by Fargo company prompts legal clash (2024)

FARGO — A gun trigger company based in Fargo has sued a federal agency that claims a trigger sold by the company can turn a rifle into a machine gun, raising questions about the legality of the firearm part.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ordered Rare Breed Triggers to stop selling its forced-reset trigger, according to a Jan. 13 cease-and-desist letter to the company. The ATF also has launched a criminal investigation into Rare Breed's triggers.

Rare Breed filed a lawsuit on Monday, May 16, against the ATF and U.S. Department of Justice, asking a federal judge to void the cease-and-desist order, force the agencies to withdraw their classification of the trigger as a machine gun and award any relief the court sees fit.

Rare Breed started selling its forced-reset trigger, known as the FRT-15, nationwide in December 2020. The company’s attorney and owner, Kevin Maxwell, called the FRT-15 a legal semiautomatic trigger for AR-15 rifles.

“It is not a machine gun under the National Firearms Act or the Gun Control Act,” Maxwell said in a video posted to Rare Breed’s website.

ADVERTIsem*nT

Rare Breed, the Justice Department and ATF all did not respond to The Forum's requests for an interview on this story.

The ATF informed Rare Breed in July that the forced-reset trigger met the qualifications to be deemed a machine gun under federal law, making the FRT-15 illegal to sell or own. A machine gun can fire multiple rounds while pulling and holding the trigger.

“ATF has concluded that the Rare Breed FRT-15 is a combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun,” federal officials said in the Jan. 13 letter. “ATF’s examination found the Rare Breed FRT-15 allows a firearm to expel more than one shot, without manual reloading, with a single, continuous pull of the trigger.”

Along with an order to stop sales of the FRT-15, the federal agency ordered Rare Breed to surrender any forced-reset triggers in its possession.

Violating the law that bans machine guns could result in a $10,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

Rare Breed's FRT-15, with a price tag of $380, was "out of stock" as of Friday, according to the company's website .

Rare Breed said in its civil complaint that its forced-reset trigger has been misclassified as a machine gun. The FRT-15 does not fire more than one round with the single pull of a trigger but allows for quicker follow-up shots, the company said.

It also claimed the ATF did not alert the company to an investigation into the Rare Breed FRT-15 before deeming the trigger a machine gun, according to the complaint.

ADVERTIsem*nT

The company alleged the cease-and-desist letter was based on altered regulation changes sparked by a 2017 shooting in Las Vegas. A gunman fired multiple rounds from the Mandalay Bay Hotel into a country music festival crowd, killing about 60 people and injuring more than 850 others.

The Trump administration in 2018 banned bump stocks, a gun stock used in the Las Vegas shooting that allows a semiautomatic weapon to fire like a machine gun. It also amended law surrounding what qualifies as a machine gun.

Rare Breed has called the altered regulations vague, contradictory and unauthorized.

The ATF announced in March it planned to take further action against forced-reset trigger sellers and owners when those FRTs are considered machine guns. Some of the triggers have been marketed as replacement triggers for AR-type firearms, the ATF said.

Rare Breed provided experts to say its FRT-15 was not a machine gun, according to the company's complaint. The ATF still stood by its order.

Rare Breed alleges the ATF refused the company due process, harassed the company and its suppliers, and has caused harm to Rare Breed, according to the complaint.

“Indeed, the ATF’s actions have caused (Rare Breed’s) manufacturing capacity and sales to both drop by approximately 85%,” the complaint said.

Rare Breed previously was stationed in Florida. It registered as a North Dakota business in November, according to secretary of state records.

April Baumgarten joined The Forum in February 2019 as an investigative reporter. She grew up on a ranch 10 miles southeast of Belfield, N.D., where her family raises Hereford cattle. She double majored in communications and history/political science at the University of Jamestown, N.D.

Gun trigger sold by Fargo company prompts legal clash (2024)

FAQs

Is the FRT trigger illegal? ›

Rare Breed Triggers vs.

The ATF, upon learning of the trigger, sent Rare Breed a cease and desist letter explaining that the ATF determined the FRT to be a “machine gun” and was, therefore, being illegally made, sold, and possessed by many Americans.

What triggers are illegal now? ›

Being one of the more strict states in terms of gun laws, California specifically bans “multi burst trigger activators” which they define in two ways. The first is any device that can be attached to a semi-automatic weapon that makes the firearm able to discharge two or more rounds when the device is activated.

Are force reset triggers still legal? ›

Feds: Forced-reset triggers are machine guns under US law.

Did rare breed triggers get a cease and desist? ›

ATF vs.

In July of 2021, the ATF served Rare Breed Triggers with a cease-and-desist order, ordering the company to stop selling its popular FRT-15 trigger. Rare Breed Triggers refused to comply with the ATF's demands and filed a lawsuit in federal court against the ATF.

What is considered a forced reset trigger? ›

A forced reset trigger does exactly what its name implies. It forces the trigger to reset itself. It literally moves your finger forward as it resets. Therefore, if you maintain a constant pressure on the trigger, it will reset and then your pressure will pull it again. Pull-Fire-Pull-Fire-Pull-Fire.

Can you legally buy a full auto trigger? ›

Yup, you can buy them online and have them ship to your house. It's not considered a firearm, buuuuut it won't do anything for you unless you already have a receiver with a full auto pocket.

Is a binary trigger a forced reset trigger? ›

A binary trigger, also known as a binary firing system, or forced reset trigger is a trigger that fires one round when the trigger is pulled and a second round when the trigger is released.

Are forced reset triggers legal 2023? ›

The United States also sought a temporary order immediately halting any sales of the FRT-15 or any forced reset trigger until and unless otherwise ordered by the Court. On January 25, 2023, United States District Judge Nina R. Morrison entered a temporary restraining order against Defendants.

Did ATF ban binary triggers? ›

The ATF currently does not consider a binary trigger (or a firearm with a binary trigger installed) to be a machine gun because by law a machine gun is considered...

Are binary triggers still legal? ›

Franklin Armory Binary Trigger is Still Federally Legal.

Are burst triggers illegal? ›

Burst Fire is legal, some weapons are made ONLY for Burst-Fire. Anything that pulls more than one cartridge per trigger is considered an automatic weapon and is therefore illegal unless you buy a predator.

What's a binary trigger? ›

A binary trigger increases a weapon's firing speed. Unlike a bump stock, it is legal in most states. It allows a firearm to shoot one bullet when the trigger is pulled and one when it releases. A 30-round magazine can be emptied in about three seconds.

What is the litigation about rare breed triggers? ›

Rare Breed Triggers LLC and Rare Breed Firearms LLC, along with two individual defendants, intentionally failed to register the forced reset trigger devices as part of a scheme to hide unlawful sales from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to a Department of Justice lawsuit unsealed ...

Is a cease and desist a scare tactic? ›

While a cease and desist letter is not legally enforceable, ignoring it can trigger potential legal action from its sender. However, a cease and desist letter can also be used as a scare tactic to trick you into thinking there will be legal recourse for not complying with its demands.

How many rare breed triggers were sold? ›

Rare Breed Triggers has sold more than 80,000 “forced reset triggers” nationwide, including to residents of New York City and Long Island, according to court documents.

Can triggers be called manually? ›

You cannot call triggers directly. They are fired automatically when you perform an insert/update or delete on a table that has triggers.

How important is trigger reset? ›

While some believe it is unnecessary, many experts agree that trigger reset is a beneficial practice, at least for training purposes. Not only is it a great way to exercise trigger control, but it can actually make you a faster and more accurate shooter when done correctly.

Are forced reset triggers legal in Texas? ›

There is no state or federal law preventing you from modifying the trigger pull or installing an aftermarket trigger.

What is the Hughes Amendment? ›

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) interpreted the Hughes Amendment as a prohibition on the civilian possession of any fully-automatic firearm manufactured after May 19, 1986. This led to freezing the number of privately-owned fully-automatic firearms at about 150,000 nationwide.

What states is full auto legal? ›

Five states—Idaho, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming—regulate the possession of machine guns in other limited circ*mstances such as prohibiting the possession of machine guns by minors. Five states—Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and New Mexico—do not have any state-level regulations of machine guns.

Is an auto sear illegal? ›

But in 1981, the ATF ruled that an auto sear is, legally, a machine gun. Without the proper licensing and taxes paid, possession of one of the devices is punishable with up to 10 years in prison.

Is a binary trigger considered full auto? ›

Weapons with a binary trigger are not considered “machine guns.” They do not function like bump stocks, and they don't qualify as “fully automatic.” This means binary triggers are not NFA items.

What are the two types of trigger control? ›

Two Types of Trigger Control
  • Uninterrupted Trigger Control - This will be your preferred method. ...
  • Interrupted Trigger Control - You will use this method of trigger control in extremely windy conditions, when engaging moving targets, or when target exposure time is limited because the rifle may not completely settled.
Apr 10, 2021

Are binary triggers legal in CO? ›

Full automatic firing is prohibited. This also includes “bump firing”, “fast fire stocks”, binary triggers, and “hell fire trigger pulling devices.” Tracer, incendiary and explosive bullets are prohibited.

Can you legally buy a Glock switch? ›

Owning a Glock switch, even if it's not attached to a gun, is illegal under federal law since it is considered a machine gun.

Are Glocks with switches illegal? ›

The device is illegal under federal law, with convictions carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, NewsNation affiliate WOOD reported. According to ATF, the number of guns with switches seized has increased more than five times from about 300 in 2020 to 1,500 in 2021.

Are FRT triggers legal in Florida? ›

A note on the Franklin Armoury trigger; it is illegal in the state of Florida. Florida`s bump stock ban states that binary triggers are also banned.

What is the ATF trying to ban? ›

Pistol braces are at the center of a furious row between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which is trying to ban them, and Republican lawmakers, who are ready to go to war with the Biden administration to keep them legal.

Did the ATF brace ban go through? ›

update: ATF announced at FIC that they intend to disable pistol brace forbearance applications at 12:01 a.m. on May 31. The Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted its “Final Rule” on pistol stabilizing braces to the Federal Register on January 13, 2023.

Are FRT triggers the same as binary triggers? ›

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.

Why can't i buy a binary trigger in Florida? ›

Binary Triggers double the rate of fire.

This in effect doubles the rate of fire of a firearm with a normal trigger, thus making it a device used to increase the rate of fire faster than possible for a person to fire unassisted. Seems like this too would fall under the definition of bump-stock under Florida law.

Can you single fire a binary trigger? ›

A binary trigger is a gun attachment mounted to a weapon. This system significantly improves the firing rate of the weapon. It enables you to fire one bullet after one trigger pull.

What is the minimum legal trigger pull? ›

4 The trigger pull weight shall have the following characteristics: — Trigger pull weight shall be no less than 4.5 pounds nor exceed 8.0 pounds. — Pistol shall fire with 8.0 pounds of pressure and shall not fire with less than 4.5 pounds of pressure.

Can a gun pull its own trigger? ›

Modern firearms, even replicas of antique guns, have safeties specifically designed to prevent them from firing without the trigger being pulled. It only really happens when the gun's firing mechanism is damaged, or there is a significant design flaw.

Can civilians have 3 round burst? ›

A 3 round burst rifle is a “machine gun”. The weapons that do a 3 round burst usually also have a full auto setting as well. It is legal for a civilian to own one ONLY if it was made before the 1986 cut off date for machine guns and ONLY if you meet the requirements of the National Firearms Act of 1934.

What is a 2 stage trigger? ›

What are Two-Stage Triggers? Two-stage triggers have an operating process that involves two distinct phases of firing. The advantage of this style of design is that it allows the user to know exactly when the firing will take place. They know that once they set the trigger after the first phase, the gun will fire.

What is the difference between a curved and straight binary trigger? ›

A flat trigger allows the shooter to move their finger down to change the lever arm. On the other hand, a curved trigger creates a small space between the trigger guard and the finger.

What is a sear trigger? ›

A sear is defined as the part of the trigger mechanism which holds the hammer, striker or bolt back until the correct amount of pressure has been applied to the trigger. At that moment, the hammer, striker or bolt is released to discharge the weapon.

What is an MOA trigger? ›

The M.O.A. Trigger system is a proprietary system developed by Winchester Repeating Arms for both the Model 70 and the XPR bolt action rifles. Through ingenious engineering you get a trigger that is lighter, crisper and more consistent than ever thought possible for a production rifle.

What is a 0 trigger? ›

Zero triggers are the only triggers on the market that allow users to tune the trigger tail to the safety. They are also the only triggers on the market with arc welded pull-weight and disconnector set screws for a lifetime of use without the loosening or failing of parts.

What is the rare breed vs ATF lawsuit? ›

Specifically, the suit claims that Rare Breed has “knowingly and intentionally conspired to defraud the United States by impeding, impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful Government functions of ATF in their regulation of machineguns under the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and the Gun Control Act of 1968 ...

How does rare breed FRT work? ›

The FRT-15 uses a newly designed hammer that, as it is co*cked by the bolt carrier, forces the trigger forward to the reset, along with the shooter's finger, as the bolt moves forward to chamber the next round. A locking bar prevents the trigger from being pressed again until the bolt cycle is complete.

What is the scare tactic? ›

Scare tactics emphasize the worst dangers of drug use to create fear and anxiety in the hopes that fear alone will prevent or stop risky behaviors.

What is an example sentence for scare tactics? ›

a strategy to get someone to comply or surrender by making them afraid: Scare tactics won't keep kids from using drugs, says this social worker.In this telemarketing scam, perpetrators use the threat of a computer meltdown as a scare tactic to get victims to send money.

How do you stop someone from talking bad about you legally? ›

Sending a defamation cease and desist letter is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to stop defamatory behavior. A cease and desist letter for defamation informs the recipient that you will take further legal action against them if they do not stop their defamatory statements about you.

Is the forced reset trigger illegal? ›

Feds: Forced-reset triggers are machine guns under US law.

Is the Alamo 15 trigger illegal? ›

The ATF used its own discretion to determine that the FRT-15 is a machine gun. But Rare Breed Triggers claims the FRT-15 is a perfectly legal semi-automatic trigger because the trigger must be pulled for every bullet, so it is still semi-automatic.

Why triggers are not recommended? ›

Triggers needs to be properly documented. Triggers add overhead to DML statements. If there are many nested triggers it could get very hard to debug and troubleshoot, which consumes development time and resources. Recursive triggers are even harder to debug than nested triggers.

What are the three types of triggers? ›

There are different types of triggers: internal, external, and sensory triggers.

What are exceptions to triggers? ›

A trigger exception (also known as a "blocking trigger") is a kind of trigger that can be used to block another trigger's ability to fire under certain conditions. For example, if a tag has a trigger to fire on all pages and a trigger exception that is set to "Page URL equals thankyou.

What is trigger slapping? ›

Trigger slapping is when the trigger finger loses contact with the trigger as both move forward after a shot is fired.

Is it bad to pull trigger on empty gun? ›

Why shouldn't you pull the trigger on an empty chamber? - Quora. Prolonged dryfiring on an empty chamber could lead to 1) damaged trigger spring, 2) flattening of the hammer end of the striker. If you do dryfiring for exercise, get a stock of snap caps or shot shells. Neither of them can be used for ever.

What happens if after trigger fails? ›

If a trigger fails, it causes the query that triggered it to fail as well, which causes a rollback.

What is an illegal trigger? ›

Being one of the more strict states in terms of gun laws, California specifically bans “multi burst trigger activators” which they define in two ways. The first is any device that can be attached to a semi-automatic weapon that makes the firearm able to discharge two or more rounds when the device is activated.

Why are binary triggers illegal in Florida? ›

Binary Triggers double the rate of fire.

This in effect doubles the rate of fire of a firearm with a normal trigger, thus making it a device used to increase the rate of fire faster than possible for a person to fire unassisted. Seems like this too would fall under the definition of bump-stock under Florida law.

What states are SBR illegal? ›

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin all have restrictions against the ownership of SBRs.

What are the 3 steps to deal with a trigger? ›

  • The first step is to accept responsibility for your reactions.
  • The second step is to recognize that you are having an emotional reaction as soon as it begins to appear in your body.
  • If the emotion is related to fear, anger, or sadness, the third step is to determine what triggered the emotion.
Jul 8, 2015

How do you stop a trigger response? ›

8 Simple Strategies to Help You Identify, Manage, and Heal Your Emotional Triggers
  1. Figure out your big three. ...
  2. Understand what comes right before a reaction. ...
  3. Identify your story. ...
  4. Recognize the physical signs. ...
  5. Find an effective method to interrupt your reaction. ...
  6. Take deep breaths. ...
  7. Change the atmosphere. ...
  8. Practice thought stopping.
Jan 28, 2022

How do I identify my triggers? ›

Listen to your mind and body

A key step in learning to recognize your triggers involves paying attention when situations generate a strong emotional response. Beyond surging emotions, you might also experience some physical symptoms of anxiety, like: pounding heart. upset stomach.

What are trigger laws in the US? ›

"Trigger laws" are laws that are passed by a legislative body but only go into effect once a certain thing happens. That specific event will "trigger" it into becoming enforceable law. Trigger laws are often passed so that a law can go into effect as soon as possible once conditions allow.

Is a 10.5 inch barrel legal in Texas? ›

Under federal law, and reiterated in Texas criminal code, rifles with a barrel length of less than 16 inches and shotguns with a barrel length of less than 18 inches are generally prohibited.

Are Glock switches legal in Texas? ›

The device is illegal under federal law, with convictions carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, NewsNation affiliate WOOD reported. According to ATF, the number of guns with switches seized has increased more than five times from about 300 in 2020 to 1,500 in 2021.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Jonah Leffler

Last Updated:

Views: 5675

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jonah Leffler

Birthday: 1997-10-27

Address: 8987 Kieth Ports, Luettgenland, CT 54657-9808

Phone: +2611128251586

Job: Mining Supervisor

Hobby: Worldbuilding, Electronics, Amateur radio, Skiing, Cycling, Jogging, Taxidermy

Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.