Breaking News: Federal Judge Vacates ATF Ruling on FRTs
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Just recently, a Texas-based federal district court judge vacated an ATF ruling which classified FRTs as machine guns. This move comes to us in the wake of several other decisions which benefit gun owners such as the legalization of bump stocks and striking down of the Chevron deference doctrine. Without further ado, let’s cover what just happened regarding the decision to vacate the ATF's ruling on FRT devices.
What is an FRT?
An FRT, or forced reset trigger, is essentially a fire control group which replaces the conventional trigger mechanism of an existing firearm. FRTs were commonly utilized in and marketed towards AR-15s and other popular rifles. These devices at their core are rate enhancing devices which facilitate rapid shooting. The “forced reset” part of the name refers to the mechanism of the trigger which firmly forces the trigger to reset during the firing cycle.
Are FRTs Machine Guns?
Simply put, no, FRTs have never at any point been machine guns. Mechanically, only one round is fired per pull of the trigger, meaning that it is still functionally a semi-automatic firearm. For something to functionally be classified as a machine gun, one pull of the trigger must result in multiple rounds going downrange.
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What Happened?
Judge O’Connor released a ruling on July 23, 2024 which vacated the ATF’s ruling that classified FRTs as machine guns. The judge released a 64-page ruling detailing his decision which can be read here.
What Was the Vacated Ruling?
The ATF ruling which was recently vacated sought to classify FRTs as machine guns. Under this ruling, those who illegally possessed FRT devices were essentially in possession of unregistered machine guns. Possession of an unregistered machine gun can yield a penalty as severe as $250,000 in fines and 10 years in prison. This arbitrary ruling had the potential to turn many Americans into felons without even being put to a vote or going through the lawmaking process.
After this ruling, the ATF began a campaign of sending notice letters to and knocking on doors of supposed FRT owners. The goal of these contacts was to try to get suspected citizens to surrender the FRT device that they may or may not have owned at the time of visit. Simply put, the agency was targeting and harassing alleged owners of a device that was legally available for sale prior to their arbitrary ruling.
Who Was Involved/Who is Impacted?
The National Association for Gun Rights, or NAGR, along with Patrick Carey, Travis Speegle, James Wheeler, and Texas Gun Rights, Inc. (TGR) sued the Department of Justice over the ATF ruling. These named individual plaintiffs and organizational plaintiffs are direct beneficiaries of the impact of the decision. Rare Breed Triggers, the company who developed and produced FRT devices, was also represented by NAGR in this case. Additionally, it is important to note that “downstream customers” of both NAGR and TGR are also among those who benefit from the ruling being vacated.
What Does this Decision Mean?
The vacating of the ATF’s ruling means that Judge O’Connor has deemed the agency’s action regarding FRTs as unlawful. Furthermore, the decision also effectively enjoins the agency from sending notices and engaging in civil and criminal legal action against alleged FRT owners. Additionally, the decision states that the agency must return any and all FRT devices that they seized from individuals, resellers, and manufacturers. The agency must return all confiscated FRTs within 30 days per the judge’s decision.
Implications for the Future
This decision by Judge O’Connor can potentially influence future decisions and rulings. Specifically, this decision can serve as a precedent regarding ATF regulation of certain accessories and the fluid definition of what constitutes a machine gun. Additionally, this decision provides another example of the ATF’s overreach being put on full display in a legal setting as their actions were deemed unlawful by the judge. Gun rights supporters also have gained another victory over the ATF in the legal arena regarding arbitrary regulation of accessories and components.
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So What? I Don’t Use FRTs
Even if you do not use or like FRTs, the implications of this decision are good for gun owners. This is an example of gun owners scoring a win in the legal system against the ATF. This decision has the potential to act as a precedent for future cases in which accessories are targeted by regulations. Think about all of the arbitrary restrictions and regulations which have been proposed and enacted over the last decade or so with the context of this recent decision. Also, one should think about the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding bump stocks in which they determined that the ATF overstepped their authority in a regulatory capacity. This can hopefully be applied to future and past restrictions and regulations, batting back arbitrary and frustrating hinderances to the exercise of the 2nd Amendment.
Conclusion
All in all, this represents good news for gun owners and those who care about personal liberties. As mentioned earlier, this recent decision comes as another victory in a series of legal wins for gun owners. Hopefully, this decision bodes well for future decisions and actions taken in the legal sphere in the name of defending and expanding gun rights.
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