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16 States Sue to Block Trump Administration’s Return of Forced-Reset Triggers

The lawsuit argues that returning nearly 12,000 devices deemed illegal machine guns breaches federal law.

Guns are displayed at an exhibition booth, during the annual National Rifle Association (NRA) meeting in Dallas, Texas, U.S., May 19, 2024. REUTERS/Shelby Tauber/File Photo
This undated photo provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, shows the FRT-15 made by Rare Breed Triggers, an after-market device for AR-15-style rifles that allows them to shoot seemingly as fast as fully automatic weapons. Evidence shows Rare Breed Triggers fraudulently misled consumers that the devices were legal and continued selling them deceptively even after being warned by the government, a federal judge in New York ruled Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives via AP)

Overview

  • On May 16, the Justice Department settled with Rare Breed Triggers to lift the ATF ban, reclassify forced-reset triggers and return nearly 12,000 seized devices while allowing their sale.
  • Sixteen states, led by New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, filed suit in Baltimore federal court on June 9 to block the return, arguing the devices still qualify as illegal machine guns under the National Firearms Act.
  • The lawsuit highlights that forced-reset triggers enable semiautomatic rifles to shoot as rapidly as fully automatic weapons and have been tied to recent violent crimes and mass shootings.
  • As part of the agreement, Rare Breed Triggers has agreed not to develop the devices for use on handguns.
  • The legal challenge follows divergent federal court rulings on forced-reset triggers and comes after the Supreme Court last year struck down the bump-stock ban.