On May 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) stunned gun control advocates by announcing a major legal settlement with Rare Breed Triggers – a company that had been under intense legal fire for selling forced reset triggers (FRTs). According to the official DOJ press release, the settlement ends multiple federal cases and explicitly states that the government will no longer classify FRTs as machine guns.
The announcement directly cited President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights and was framed as part of a broader effort by Attorney General Pamela Bondi and her 2A Enforcement Task Force to uphold constitutional rights. Bondi declared, “This Department of Justice believes that the Second Amendment is not a second-class right.”
Gun Controllers: “Trump Just Legalized Machine Guns”
Gun control groups didn’t take the news lightly. In a post on X, Giffords, the organization founded by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, claimed, “Trump just effectively legalized machine guns.” They argued that FRTs allow ordinary guns to fire like fully automatic weapons and warned that this decision will “enable shooters to inflict horrific damage.”
Vanessa Gonzalez, VP of Government and Political Affairs at Giffords, called the move “incredibly dangerous,” stating, “Lives will be lost because of his actions.” Giffords’ official press release doubled down, saying Trump’s DOJ “shattered” decades of legal protections meant to keep machine guns off the streets.
But What Is an FRT, Really?
So, what is a forced reset trigger? According to Rare Breed Triggers president Lawrence DeMonico, an FRT is a semi-automatic trigger that resets automatically after each shot, allowing faster follow-up shots but still requiring a separate trigger pull for each round. It does not convert a gun into a true machine gun under the National Firearms Act (NFA), which defines a machine gun as firing multiple rounds with a single function of the trigger.
Even the DOJ acknowledged this in their release, citing court decisions like Cargill v. Garland and rulings from the Northern District of Texas, which concluded that FRTs do not meet the legal definition of a machine gun.
Rare Breed Declares Victory Over the ATF
In a powerful and emotional video, DeMonico celebrated what he called a total victory. “We beat the ATF,” he said, describing years of lawsuits, federal raids, and being pulled out of his car at gunpoint. “I have faced adversity in some of the harshest conditions imaginable, but nothing compares to this fight.”
DeMonico credited the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) with standing by his side. The DOJ has now agreed to return all seized FRTs, dismiss all related lawsuits, and accept Judge O’Connor’s ruling that these devices are not machine guns. “FRT production resumes right now,” DeMonico announced triumphantly.
Langley Outdoors Academy Calls It “Glorious”
Pro-2A YouTuber Braden Langley of Langley Outdoors Academy didn’t hold back. In his recent video, he described the DOJ’s reversal as “a glorious kick to the ATF’s teeth.” Langley noted how gun control groups were “melting down” on social media, citing posts from Everytown and Giffords accusing Trump of unleashing machine guns on the public.
Langley ridiculed their reaction: “These groups don’t care what the law actually says. They care how scared they can make you feel – and how fast they can get your money.”
Firearms Policy Coalition: Giffords Contradicts Itself
The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) joined the online fray, pointing out Giffords’ contradictory logic. On one day, Giffords claimed that semi-auto guns are as dangerous as machine guns, while the next, they insisted that machine guns are uniquely dangerous and should remain banned. FPC sarcastically posted: “Which is it?”
Community Notes on X also fact-checked Giffords’ claim, reminding readers that an FRT does not fire multiple rounds with a single pull. One pull = one shot. That’s not a machine gun by any legal definition, no matter how fast someone can shoot.
NAGR also joined the celebration, simply stating: “Giffords sobbing and seething over a glass of Franzia as we speak.”
What the Courts Actually Said
The turning point came in Cargill v. Garland, where the Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the ATF overstepped its authority by classifying bump stocks as machine guns. That ruling set off a domino effect. The Northern District of Texas applied the same reasoning to FRTs, ruling they were also wrongly classified. The DOJ’s settlement with Rare Breed and NAGR makes that legal interpretation final and unappealable.
This wasn’t just one case. The DOJ is walking away from multiple lawsuits, including United States v. Rare Breed Triggers, NAGR v. Garland, and a major asset forfeiture case in Utah. In each, they agreed to return seized property and stop pursuing criminal charges.
So, Did Trump “Legalize” Machine Guns?
Let’s be clear: no, machine guns are not now suddenly legal. What’s been “legalized” are forced reset triggers, which the courts and the DOJ have now agreed do not qualify as machine guns. This is about correcting government overreach, not rewriting the law to allow fully automatic fire.
Still, to gun control advocates, the optics are bad. They see any fast-firing semi-auto as a loophole. But legally, the distinction matters, and the courts sided with Rare Breed. What makes this different is that the DOJ, under Trump’s directive, chose not to fight it.
Why This Matters So Much
This settlement wasn’t just a legal win. It was a symbolic victory over a years-long battle between individual liberty and bureaucratic overreach. Whether you like FRTs or not, the deeper issue is clear: who gets to decide what the law means – Congress or the ATF?
It’s fascinating that a single product could trigger (pun intended) such an intense legal war, involving raids, forfeiture, surveillance, and years of court battles – all over a device that, by law, isn’t even fully automatic. The fact that this case ended not in defeat, but in a public rollback by the DOJ, is historic.
The Cost of Standing Up
Lawrence DeMonico’s story highlights the human toll of fighting the government. In his emotional closing, he spoke about his family, his team, and his refusal to quit. “I remember one evening, tucking in my 9-year-old son, he asked why I didn’t just give up,” DeMonico recalled. “I told him the right thing is almost never the easiest.”
His message was about more than gun parts – it was about integrity. Whether or not you support FRTs, his story is a reminder that some people still believe in taking the hard road to protect their rights.
What Comes Next?
With the DOJ agreeing never to reclassify FRTs as machine guns, Rare Breed Triggers is back in business. The gun control lobby is vowing to fight back, likely through legislation. Giffords and Everytown have already begun using the moment to raise money and call for stricter laws.
But for now, it’s a victory for the Second Amendment crowd. As Braden Langley put it, “More freedom for everybody sounds like a pretty good way to start a Saturday.”
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.
