June 2026 // By Carl Woodard
After five years of ATF seizures, federal litigation, and a Supreme Court battle, forced reset triggers are legal under federal law as of May 2025. The market exploded overnight. Here is the complete breakdown — what an FRT is, how the legal fight ended, what the current market looks like, and what you need to check before you buy.
Federal status as of June 2026: FRTs are not classified as machine guns under the NFA following the May 2025 DOJ settlement. State laws vary — 15+ states still prohibit or restrict them. Verify your state before purchasing.
A forced reset trigger — FRT — is a drop-in trigger group for semi-automatic platforms, primarily the AR-15, that uses the rearward travel of the bolt carrier group to mechanically push the trigger forward after each shot. On a standard semi-auto trigger, the shooter's finger travels forward through the reset stroke to achieve reset. With an FRT, the BCG does that work — the trigger is forced back to its reset point as the bolt cycles, independently of what the shooter's finger is doing.
The result: a trained shooter can fire at dramatically faster split times than any standard semi-automatic trigger allows, while still pulling the trigger once per shot. That distinction — one deliberate trigger pull per round fired — is the core of the legal argument that FRTs are not machine guns.
Binary trigger: fires one round on pull and one round on release. Two discrete trigger functions per cycle. Legal federally; several states restrict them.
Bump stock: used the shooter's body momentum to repeatedly engage a standard trigger — banned by ATF rule in 2019, which the Supreme Court reversed in 2024. Not a trigger replacement; a stock accessory.
Forced reset trigger: mechanically resets the trigger using BCG energy. One trigger pull per round. No stock modification. No release-fire. The FRT debate came down to whether this mechanical reset constituted "automatic fire" — the courts said no.
A machine gun fires more than one round per single trigger function. An FRT requires a separate, deliberate trigger pull for every round fired. That distinction is what the DOJ ultimately conceded in the May 2025 settlement.
Full FRT (Forced Reset Trigger): replaces your entire fire control group with a self-contained cassette unit. The Triggered Company Disruptor and the FRT-15 are full cassette designs. Drop-in installation, typically requires an M16-profile BCG and H2 buffer minimum.
FRS (Forced Reset Selector / Super Safety): replaces only your safety selector and works with your existing mil-spec trigger. The AS Designs Arc-Fire V2 is an FRS design — it retains your trigger but adds forced reset mode on a three-position selector (Safe, Semi, Enhanced). Generally less expensive and works across a wider range of platforms.
Both types are federally legal following the 2025 settlement. The choice between them comes down to your existing trigger preference, platform compatibility, and whether you want to retain a standard semi-auto mode independently of the FRT function.
The FRT legal saga ran five years and touched the ATF, federal district courts, the Fifth Circuit, and ultimately the Supreme Court. Here is the complete sequence.
The DOJ settlement resolved the federal question. It did not touch state law. This is where most buyers get caught — assuming "federally legal" means legal everywhere. It does not.
Sixteen states filed suit in 2025-2026 to block FRT distribution and challenge the DOJ settlement. That case is ongoing. The legal status of FRTs at the state level is not settled and may change. Reputable FRT manufacturers verify shipping state before dispatch and do not ship to restricted states.
Five manufacturers have reached production-scale presence as of mid-2026. Here is where the market stands.
| Manufacturer | Product | Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Triggered Co. (fmr. Partisan Triggers) | Disruptor FRT | Full FRT | $299.99 | Most proven full cassette design; ambi variant at $324.99 |
| AS Designs | Arc-Fire V2 | FRS Selector | $249.99 | Now shipping May 2026; works with existing trigger; widest platform support |
| Atrius | FRS Super Safety | FRS Selector | $249 | Ambi operation; reduced rifle wear; 3-position selector |
| Trinity Trigger | Trinity FRT | Full FRT | Varies | Production-scale; verify current availability |
| Delta Team Tactical | DTT FRT | Full FRT | Varies | Budget-accessible entry point; verify specs before ordering |
For full FRT cassette designs, two things are typically required beyond the trigger itself:
M16-profile bolt carrier group. Standard AR-15 BCGs have a shelf machined away where the FRT's locking bar needs to contact the carrier. An M16-cut BCG provides the surface the FRT mechanism needs to complete the forced reset. Running an M16 BCG in a semi-auto AR-15 is legal in all 50 states — the BCG profile itself is not a regulated component.
H2 buffer minimum, H3 recommended for barrels under 16 inches. The faster cycling an FRT enables puts more energy back into the buffer system. An H2 or H3 buffer manages that energy and prevents short-stroking or over-cycling issues. Most manufacturers specify their buffer requirements — follow them.
FRS selector designs (Arc-Fire V2, Atrius) are generally less hardware-demanding since they work with your existing trigger. Verify compatibility for your specific lower receiver and BCG combination before ordering.
Competition legality depends entirely on the sanctioning body and division rules. Most major organizations have not yet formally addressed FRTs in their rulebooks — the technology moved faster than the rule committees. Verify with your specific match director before running an FRT in competition.
For informal range use, the practical answer is: check your range's posted rules. Some ranges have their own rate-of-fire policies independent of legal status.
No. An FRT is a trigger group — not a firearm, not an NFA item, not a serialized component. No Form 4, no background check beyond a standard firearm purchase, no federal registration. It ships like any other rifle part to states where it is legal.
Reputable manufacturers verify your shipping state is not on the restricted list before dispatch. Do not attempt to purchase or possess an FRT in a state where it is prohibited — state penalties for possession can include felony charges.
The primary platform is the standard AR-15 with a mil-spec trigger pocket. Most full FRT cassettes are designed for mil-spec AR-15 lowers and require M16-profile BCGs as noted above.
FRS selector designs — particularly the AS Designs Arc-Fire V2 — are engineered for broader platform compatibility and have been tested on platforms including the Daniel Defense MK18, Geissele URG-I, SIG MCX (verify), and standard DI builds. Compatibility with pistol caliber carbines (PCCs) and non-standard platforms varies — check manufacturer specs specifically for your build.
SIG MCX platforms have shown light primer strike issues with some FRT designs. Verify your specific host platform against the manufacturer's tested compatibility list before purchasing.
Sixteen states filed suit in 2025-2026 challenging the DOJ settlement and seeking to restrict FRT distribution at the federal level. As of June 2026, those cases are working through the courts. The outcome could affect whether FRTs remain freely available in currently-legal states.
This is not a settled area of law. The federal question was resolved in May 2025 — the state-driven federal litigation is a second wave of challenge. If you are in a free state and want an FRT, now is the time to make an informed purchase while the legal landscape favors it. Consult an attorney if you have specific questions about your jurisdiction.
// Legion Precision Weapon Systems