Are forced reset triggers legal?

Under current federal policy, yes. Some states ban them, and we don't ship to those states. Here's how it works and what could change.

Last updated November 11, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.

The short version

Federal law defines a machine gun by what happens with a single function of the trigger. A forced reset trigger fires one shot, then the trigger has to reset and be pulled again before it fires another.

Since May 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice has agreed not to treat forced reset triggers as machine guns. States can still ban them, and several do. We ship only to the 32 states listed below.

What a forced reset trigger is

A forced reset trigger (FRT) is a semi-automatic trigger. When the gun cycles, its moving parts push the trigger forward into its reset position. The gun fires one round each time the trigger is pulled. If the trigger isn't allowed to reset and be pulled again, the gun doesn't fire another round.

Every trigger we sell works this way: one pull, one shot. None of our parts converts a firearm to fully automatic.

What federal law says

The National Firearms Act defines a machine gun as any weapon that "shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger." Civilians can't own machine guns made after May 19, 1986.

So the question for any trigger is whether one function of the trigger produces one shot. With an FRT, the trigger resets and functions again for every round.

How we got here

2021 to 2023

The ATF classified some forced reset triggers as machine guns and took enforcement action against a manufacturer. Owners and manufacturers challenged that in court.

June 2024: Garland v. Cargill

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a bump stock doesn't turn a semi-automatic rifle into a machine gun. The Court read "function of the trigger" to mean the mechanical operation of the trigger itself.

July 2024: National Association for Gun Rights v. Garland

A federal court in the Northern District of Texas applied the same reasoning to forced reset triggers. It ruled that FRTs are not machine guns and set aside the ATF's classification.

May 2025: federal settlement

The Department of Justice settled its forced reset trigger cases. The government agreed to stop treating FRTs as machine guns and to return FRTs it had seized.

What could change

  • The settlement is a policy decision by the current Department of Justice, not a new law. A future administration could take a different position.
  • Congress could change the federal definition of a machine gun.
  • States keep passing new laws on trigger devices, and some have added bans in the last two years.

We follow these changes and update where we ship. If the law changes before your order ships, we cancel it and refund you in full.

State laws

States don't all use the words "forced reset trigger." Laws written to ban bump stocks, "rapid-fire trigger activators," "multiburst trigger activators," or "trigger modification devices" can also cover FRTs, depending on the wording. Some states also define machine guns more broadly than federal law does.

States we ship trigger parts to

    States we don't ship trigger parts to

      Some of these states ban forced reset triggers outright. In others, we think the law is unclear enough that we won't ship there. We also don't ship to Washington, D.C., or outside the United States.

      Cities and counties can have their own rules. Before you order, check the law where you live, and talk to a local firearms attorney if you're not sure.

      Two non-trigger exceptions: the M+M micro red dot ships to all 50 states, and 30-round AK magazines don't ship to Vermont, which limits rifle magazines to 10 rounds.

      Rules we follow, and ask you to follow

      • We sell semi-automatic parts only.
      • Don't modify our parts. Altering any trigger so it fires more than one shot per function of the trigger can make it a machine gun under federal law, which is a felony. It also voids any warranty.
      • Don't buy a part for someone who can't legally have it, or to take or send it into a state where it's banned.
      • You must be 18 or older, and we don't sell to anyone legally barred from owning firearms.

      Our terms and conditions spell out these rules in full.

      Sources

      The full list, including state laws, is at the bottom of our FAQ.

      Questions

      Email us at email. We can tell you whether we ship to your state, but we can't give legal advice.