Is an FRT Trigger a Machine Gun? The Legal Answer in 2026
This is the first question every potential FRT buyer asks — and it's the right one to ask. The short answer in 2026 is no, a properly designed FRT trigger is not a machine gun under federal law. But that answer has a legal history behind it worth understanding, especially if you're buying one for the first time.
This post covers the legal definition of a machine gun, why FRTs were classified as machine guns by the ATF, why courts and the DOJ ultimately reversed that position, and what it means for you today.
For the full legal timeline including the Supreme Court decision and DOJ settlement, see our Garland v. Cargill breakdown. For state-by-state legal status, see our complete FRT legality guide.
What Is the Legal Definition of a Machine Gun?
The National Firearms Act of 1934 defines a machine gun as any weapon that shoots "automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger."
That phrase — by a single function of the trigger — is everything. It's the legal dividing line between a semi-automatic firearm and a machine gun, and it's the phrase that courts applied directly to FRT triggers.
A true machine gun fires continuously as long as the trigger is held and ammunition is available. One trigger function, multiple rounds fired. That's the machine gun definition under the NFA.
How Does an FRT Trigger Work Mechanically?
A forced reset trigger uses the rearward travel of the bolt carrier group to mechanically push the trigger forward after each shot — resetting it faster than a standard semi-auto trigger that relies on the shooter releasing their finger.
The critical mechanical fact: an FRT fires exactly one round per trigger function. Every time. If you hold the trigger fixed without allowing it to reset, the rifle malfunctions — it stops firing. A machine gun does the opposite: hold the trigger and it keeps firing.
This mechanical distinction is what courts focused on when evaluating FRT triggers under the NFA definition.
Why Did the ATF Classify FRTs as Machine Guns?
Starting in 2021, the ATF took the position that certain FRT triggers — specifically the Rare Breed FRT-15 — constituted machine guns because they allowed a firearm to fire more than one shot with a "single, continuous pull of the trigger."
The ATF's argument was that a shooter maintaining steady rearward pressure on the trigger while the FRT mechanically reset it was effectively keeping the trigger in a single continuous function — and that the mechanical reset didn't constitute a separate trigger function because the shooter's finger never released.
This position drove enforcement actions, seizures, and years of legal battles for manufacturers, dealers, and owners who had purchased FRTs legally before the ATF changed its stance.
How Courts Ruled — and Why the ATF Was Wrong
The ATF's position didn't survive legal scrutiny. Courts applying the NFA's statutory text reached the opposite conclusion repeatedly.
Garland v. Cargill — Supreme Court, June 2024
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Garland v. Cargill that bump stocks — a device with functional similarities to FRTs in the legal analysis — did not constitute machine guns under the NFA. The majority, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, held that the statute's "single function of the trigger" language requires a separate mechanical trigger function per shot. Devices that accelerate how quickly those separate functions occur don't change the fundamental legal analysis.
The Court specifically noted that with a bump stock — and by extension any device requiring separate trigger functions — "any subsequent shot fired after the trigger has been released and reset is the result of a separate and distinct function of the trigger."
NAGR v. Garland — Northern District of Texas, July 2024
Applying the Cargill framework directly to FRT triggers, Judge Reed O'Connor ruled that forced reset triggers do not meet the statutory definition of a machine gun. The court found that because an FRT requires a separate trigger function for each round fired, it cannot fire more than one shot "by a single function of the trigger" under the NFA. The ATF's FRT classification was invalidated.
May 2025 DOJ Settlement
The Trump administration's Department of Justice settled all pending FRT litigation, formally ending the federal government's classification of FRTs as machine guns. The settlement prohibited future enforcement of machine gun statutes against FRT owners, required the return of previously seized FRTs to their owners, and resolved all pending appeals.
Why an FRT Is Definitively Not a Machine Gun
Here's the mechanical test courts applied — and why FRTs pass it clearly:
Machine gun test: Does the firearm fire more than one round by a single function of the trigger?
With an FRT:
- Pull the trigger — one round fires
- The BCG resets the trigger mechanically
- The trigger must engage in a separate function — another pull — to fire the next round
- If the shooter holds the trigger fixed and prevents reset, the rifle stops firing
That last point is definitive. A machine gun doesn't stop firing when you grip the trigger too hard. An FRT does — because it requires a separate mechanical trigger engagement for every round. The rifle is physically incapable of firing continuously from a single trigger function.
What About State Law?
The federal answer is clear — FRTs are not machine guns and are federally legal. But federal law doesn't override state law, and several states have passed independent restrictions on devices that accelerate semi-automatic fire regardless of federal classification.
Currently restricted states include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Washington D.C.
If you're in one of these states, an FRT is not legal to purchase or possess regardless of the federal legal status. Always verify your state and local laws before purchasing. See our complete state-by-state FRT legality guide.
Do I Need an NFA Tax Stamp or Registration for an FRT?
No. Because FRT triggers are not classified as machine guns under federal law, they are not NFA items. No tax stamp, no registration, no NFA paperwork of any kind is required. You purchase an FRT trigger the same way you purchase any standard firearm accessory — no different from buying a standard trigger or a scope.
Is the Federal Legal Status Permanent?
The DOJ settlement is an executive action — it binds the current administration but is not codified in statute. A future administration could theoretically revisit enforcement, and Congress could amend the NFA's definition to explicitly include FRTs. As of 2026, no such legislation has passed or gained significant traction. The legal foundation established by the Supreme Court in Cargill makes any future reclassification significantly harder to sustain in court.
The Bottom Line
An FRT trigger is not a machine gun. It fires one round per trigger function — every time, without exception. The Supreme Court, federal district courts, and the DOJ have all confirmed this. The ATF's prior classification was overturned through the legal process and formally ended by the May 2025 settlement.
If you're in a legal state and have been waiting on the legal question, it's resolved. The Partisan Disruptor FRT is federally legal, in stock, and ships fast. We are an authorized dealer and verify compliance on every order — we do not ship to restricted states.
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