A trigger crank is a device that allows 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 ...
to fire at an increased rate. The trigger crank typically consists of a screw-tight clamp and crank assembly. The crank assembly is clamped onto the trigger guard of a semi-automatic firearm. The device is positioned in front of the trigger. When the crank is turned, tiny gears depress the trigger and cause the weapon to fire.
Internally, the firearm is not altered; hence, only one round is fired with every stroke of the trigger. This makes the "trigger crank" avoid classification as a machine gun for purposes of gun law in the United States, as stated in an
IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
revenue ruling and various other private-letter rulings by
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 ...
. However, a battery-powered "trigger crank" (and by extension
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling of North Carolina. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon.
The Gatling gun's operatio ...
) is a machine gun as was determined by 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 ...
in 2004.
The devices have elicited scrutiny by gun control advocates and media commentators because of the perceived lax regulation placed upon them.
See also
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Binary trigger
A binary trigger (or pull and release trigger) is a type of device that allows a semi-automatic firearm to fire at an increased rate. A binary trigger works by firing one shot upon pulling the trigger and then firing a subsequent shot upon relea ...
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Bump stock
Bump stocks or bump fire stocks are gun stocks that can be used to assist in bump firing, the act of using the recoil of a semi-automatic firearm to fire cartridges in rapid succession.
The legality of bump stocks in the United States came u ...
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Forced reset trigger
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Hell-fire trigger
References
Firearm components
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