AG Rob Bonta’s ‘Forced Reset Triggers’ Remain Illegal Under CA Law Despite DOJ Deal Ending Ban

Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Monday that he has issued another law enforcement bulletin that “forced reset triggers” (FRTs) remain illegal under California law, despite the Trump Justice Department deal that ends the ban.

Forced reset triggers, which are devices that reset the trigger in semi-automatic weapons as soon as they are fired for a faster rate of fire, have been legally challenged in the U.S. ever since they were first invented in in 2015. Many have argued that FRTs are automatic and thus are considered machine guns, and illegal, under federal law. However, this has not held up in court. Last year, a U.S. District Judge blocked a Biden Administration attempt at a FRT ban, with 28 states also issuing legal challenges against the ATF ban on FRTs. More critically, a settlement last month between the federal government and a company that makes triggers essentially made FRTs federally legal, albeit with the exception of pistols.

“This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in May. “And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety.”

Despite the federal legality, states have the power to create their own limitation on FRTs. This includes California, which despite the settlement, remain illegal under state law. According to the California Department of Justice, FRTs fit the definition of a multiburst trigger activator, and as a result, cannot be owned, sold, offered for sale, manufactured, imported, given away, or lent in the state. The federal change last month, and questions by some gun owners as to the legality of FRTs in the state led to Attorney General Bonta to reaffirm on Monday that FRTs are still illegal in the state.

“No matter who oversees the federal government, California will remain the steadfast beacon of progress on gun safety that it has long been,” said Attorney General Bonta in a statement. “It is a devastating fact that in our nation, children and teens are more likely to die by gun violence than any illness or accident. California’s commonsense gun-safety laws save lives, and the prohibition of forced reset triggers is no exception. As firearms become faster, more powerful, and more deadly, the threat of these weapons being used for gun violence only increases. My office will continue to promote and defend gun-safety laws and fight to keep our communities safe.”

Gun owner groups and supporters of FRTs becoming legal in California noted that Bonta’s announcement is typical of California’s approach to firearm laws by criminalizing them as much as possible. They also noted that California’s approach only invited more court cases and legal challenges in the future.

“The California AG’s classification of forced reset triggers (FRT) as illegal “multiburst trigger activators” expands the law’s intent and is typical of the state’s approach to interpreting all gun laws as broadly as possible to criminalize gun ownership,” explained California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) President Chuck Michel in an interview with the Globe. “FRTs are not trigger-activating devices; they are the trigger itself. And the vague ‘increases the rate of fire’ standard suggests criminalizing other legal trigger upgrades, inviting arbitrary enforcement and legal challenges.”

As of Tuesday, the FRT ban remains in place in California, albeit with the state assault weapons ban looking more likely to face a Supreme Court battle.