“It Was A War. We Won”: Rare Breed Triggers Scores Landmark Victory Over DOJ/ATF 

The Department of Justice announced a settlement with Rare Breed Triggers (RBT) on Friday, ending a multi-year legal battle over Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs). The agreement aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order protecting Second Amendment rights and follows guidance from the Attorney General’s Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force.

Department of Justice Announces Settlement of Litigation Between the Federal Government and Rare Breed Triggers

: https://t.co/dRraTKE0q8 pic.twitter.com/jonhWQlDv3

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) May 16, 2025

The legal settlement marks a significant reversal of the Biden administration’s efforts to weaponize the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in its crackdown on FRT-15s—a trigger mechanism for AR-platform rifles that increases the rate of fire.

Lawrence DeMonico, president of RBT, has explained countless times that the FRT-15 is not a “machine gun” because it does not fire more than one round per single function of the trigger—an essential distinction under the definitions outlined in the Gun Control Act and the National Firearms Act. As “Forced Reset” implies, spring tension and a mechanical assist reset the trigger after each shot.

The DOJ outlined key terms of the settlement with RBT, including the following provisions:

The Department’s agreement with Rare Breed Triggers avoids the need for continued appeals in United States v. Rare Breed Triggers and continued litigation in other, related cases concerning the same issue. The settlement includes agreed-upon conditions that significantly advance public safety with respect to FRTs, including that Rare Breed will not develop or design FRTs for use in any pistol and will enforce its patents to prevent infringement that could threaten public safety. Rare Breed also agrees to promote the safe and responsible use of its products.

Gun rights groups that joined RBT’s lawsuit against ATF hailed the settlement as a major victory.

“This is one of the most stunning victories in the history of the gun rights movement. We didn’t just beat the ATF — we put them in a submission hold, and they tapped out,” said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights, adding, “This decision marks a new era of holding the DOJ and ATF accountable when they trample the rights of law-abiding gun owners. We made them give back what they took, and that’s a precedent they’ll never forget.”

IT’S OFFICIAL!! The DOJ/ATF just officially laid down their arms. Three cheers for the rule of law, the Second Amendment, and Rare Breed Triggers! pic.twitter.com/YCcVIbABGz

— Hannah Hill (@hannahhill_sc) May 16, 2025

RBT’s DeMonico stated, “This victory is a landmark moment in the fight against unchecked government overreach. The ATF and DOJ tried to silence and bury us not because we broke the law, but because I refused to bend to the will of a tyrannical administration.” 

“With the support of the National Association for Gun Rights and renewed leadership at the DOJ under President Trump, we fought the machine and won. I made a promise to see this battle through to the end, no matter the consequences, and today I am proud to say… Promise kept!” DeMonico said. 

Let’s revisit our multi-year reporting of the United States v. Rare Breed Triggers

• ATF Now Labels FRT-15 A Machine Gun, Turning Law-Abiding Citizens Into Criminals

• Rare Breed Triggers Fires Back At ATF, Says “Will Not Comply” ​​​​

• Rare Breed Triggers Responds To Alleged Leaked ATF Memo To Seize FRT-15s From Dealers

• ATF Declares Some FRT-15 Triggers “Prohibited Machineguns”

• Rare Breed Triggers Cancels Customers’ Orders After “ATF Raided Vendor”

• “Were You Expecting Us?”: ATF Agents Go ‘Door To Door’ To Confiscate FRT-15 Triggers

DeMonico added: “This is a complete and total vindication of Rare Breed Triggers and everyone who stood up for the Constitution. We refused to fold — and we won.” 

TOTAL VICTORY OVER THE ATF
FORCED RESET TRIGGERS ARE BACK

The DOJ has settled in our case, NAGR v. Garland -conceding on ALL points.
Return ALL seized triggers.
Drop their appeal in the 5th Circuit and all other cases.
Pledge not to touch FRTs in the future. pic.twitter.com/lioBevidle

— National Association for Gun Rights (@NatlGunRights) May 16, 2025

Gun blogger Mrgunsngear provided additional color on the RBT settlement. 

Big win for all forced reset trigger owners, manufacturers, and Americans in general here pic.twitter.com/hIN7z3upHw

— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) May 17, 2025

In our view, DeMonico and the gun rights groups should not have settled with the Trump administration but instead pushed the case to a final ruling that could have established lasting legal safeguards. While settling isn’t inherently negative, the core issue is the absence of long-lasting protections. Without codified legal barriers, a future Democratic administration—and its network of shady anti-gun groups funded by far-left billionaires—could once again weaponize the ATF, dragging the industry into the same crisis experienced during the Biden-Harris regime era.