The Rare Breed Trigger Court Update
The FRT-15 represents not only a technical achievement but also a topic of considerable legal debate. Understanding the current legal context and implications is crucial for both dealers and consumers.
The Legal Challenges and Their Impact
The most significant recent update regarding Rare Breed Triggers and their Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs), including the FRT-15 and Wide Open Triggers (WOTs), is the settlement of litigation between the federal government (Department of Justice) and Rare Breed Triggers.
Announced on May 16, 2025, this settlement effectively ends the federal government’s legal efforts to classify FRTs as “machineguns” under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
Key points of the settlement and its implications include:
Federal Non-Enforcement: The DOJ has agreed “in perpetuity, not to enforce the machinegun ban against any device that functions like forced reset triggers” that meet specific operational definitions (as upheld in a July 2024 federal district court ruling in Texas). This means FRTs, when functioning as designed, are no longer considered machineguns under federal law.
Return of Seized FRTs: The government has agreed to return FRTs previously seized from Rare Breed Triggers and from individuals who had voluntarily surrendered them. Owners must request their property back by September 30, 2025, following instructions on the ATF’s website.
Patent Enforcement: Rare Breed Triggers has agreed to enforce its patents to prevent infringement that could “threaten public safety.”
Handgun Restriction: Rare Breed has agreed not to develop or design FRTs for use in any pistol where the “magazine loads into the trigger-hand grip.” This specific wording might allow for FRTs in AR/AK-style pistols with magazines forward of the grip.
Resolution of Lawsuits: The settlement resolves multiple pending lawsuits, including those in the Second and Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeal, and a forfeiture case in Utah.
Precedent (Federal): This settlement is seen as a significant victory for Second Amendment advocates, as it sets a precedent for how similar innovative aftermarket gun parts might be regulated federally.