A forced reset trigger (or "hard reset" trigger) is a device that allows a person to fire a

semi-automatic firearm A semi-automatic firearm, also called a self-loading or autoloading firearm ( fully automatic and selective fire firearms are also variations on self-loading firearms), is a repeating firearm whose action mechanism automatically loads a follo ...

at an increased rate. The forced reset trigger works by mechanically resetting the trigger's position after a shot is fired. This allows for an increased rate of fire. However, the shooter must still manually pull the trigger each time it resets for any subsequent shot to be fired. ATF-FRT

Forced reset triggers are installed through replacement of the trigger control group. The preinstalled trigger of a particular firearm is replaced by the forced reset trigger's assembly. Only one shot is fired per single function of the trigger. The devices have been the subject of a legal dispute in the United States as to whether they should be treated as part of an

automatic weapon An automatic firearm or fully automatic firearm (to avoid confusion with semi-automatic firearms) is a self-loading firearm that continuously chambers and fires rounds when the trigger mechanism is actuated. The action of an automatic firea ...

History

A patent for a forced reset trigger titled "Flex Fire Technology" was filed by Thomas Allen Graves in 2015. Graves states that he initially began developing forced reset trigger technology in the 1970s, focusing on modifications to Colt Navy action revolvers. Over the following decades, Graves continued refining this technology, applying it to platforms such as the

Ruger 10/22 The Ruger 10/22 is a series of semi-automatic rifles produced by American firearm manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co., chambered for the .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge. It uses a patented 10-round rotary magazine, though higher capacity box ...

carbine and the Bersa Thunder handgun. In 2014, he claims to have invented a forced reset trigger specifically for the AR-15 platform, subsequently acquiring a patent for it in 2015. According to Graves, he later licensed his patented technology to two manufacturers of forced reset triggers.

Legality in the United States

In the United States, under the

Biden Administration Joe Biden's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 46th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Joe Biden, his inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, a member of the Democr ...

the

ATF The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention ...

released an open letter in March 2022 that some forced reset triggers should be regulated as machine guns under the

National Firearms Act The National Firearms Act (NFA), 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, was enacted on June 26, 1934, and currently codified and amended as . The law is an Act of Congress in the United States that, in general, imposes an excise tax on the manufact ...

. This was a followup to a July 2021

cease-and-desist A cease and desist letter is a document sent by one party, often a business, to warn another party that they believe the other party is committing an unlawful act, such as copyright infringement, and that they will take legal action if the other ...

letter sent to manufacturer Rare Breed Triggers, which sued but had its case dismissed without prejudice. On July 24th, 2024, district judge

Reed O'Connor Reed Charles O'Connor (born June 1, 1965) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2007. Critics claim that O'Connor has become a ...

, from the Wichita Falls division of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (in case citations, N.D. Tex.) is a United States district court. Its first judge, Andrew Phelps McCormick, was appointed to the court on April 10, 1879. The court convenes in ...

, issued a vacatur, under the

Administrative Procedure Act The Administrative Procedure Act (APA), , is the United States federal statute that governs the way in which administrative agencies of the federal government of the United States may propose and establish regulations, and it grants U.S. fede ...

, for the ATF's determination that some forced reset triggers are machineguns, finding that the determination was "arbitrary and capricious". ATF began returning seized devices while appealing the case to the 5th Circuit, which cited '' Cargill v. Garland''. In May 2025, the

Trump Administration Presidency of Donald Trump may refer to: * First presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration from 2017 to 2021 * Second presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration since 2025 See also * ...

settled the lawsuit, allowing Rare Breed Trigger to continue selling the devices as long as it agreed not to develop one for pistols and to use its patents to prevent infringement that could threaten public safety.

References

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