Press Release: 6/10/2025

Attorney General Campbell Sues the Trump Administration to Prevent Efforts to Distribute Thousands of Machine Gun Devices

 

Joins 16 Attorneys General in Suing ATF Over Illegal Actions Involving Forced Reset Triggers 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

6/09/2025

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Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary

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Call Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543

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Email Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at Kennedy.Sims@mass.gov

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration, and in particular the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), over its official plans to distribute thousands of machinegun conversion devices (MCD) to communities across the United States.

ATF’s action involves Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs), which allow even novice shooters to achieve the firepower of a military machinegun. Although ATF previously classified FRTs as machineguns, ATF—under directive from Trump Administration leadership—signed a settlement agreement that promises to stop enforcing federal law against FRTs and that promises to redistribute thousands of FRTs ATF had previously seized. The multistate litigation seeks to prevent that imminent redistribution, because FRTs are illegal to possess under federal law.

“Weapons of war and tools of mass destruction like FRTs have no place or purpose in everyday society—nor in any home, community, or school within the Commonwealth,” said AG Campbell. “The ATF’s actions are a direct assault on every American’s inalienable right to feel safe in their homes, schools, and grocery stores—free from the fear or threat of gun violence. I will continue to defend enforcement against FRTs and fight to protect the safety and wellbeing of Commonwealth residents.” 

In recent years, machinegun conversion devices like FRTs, which dramatically increase a firearm’s rate of fire, have been frequently used in violent crimes and mass shootings, worsening the gun violence epidemic in the United States. Firearms equipped with MCDs are able to exceed the rate of fire of many military machine guns, firing up to 20 bullets in one second. ATF has noted a significant rise in the use of MCDs, leading to increasing incidents of machine-gun fire – up 1,400% from 2019 through 2021.

Since at least 1975, ATF has classified devices that operate similarly to FRTs as machineguns prohibited by federal law. FRT devices replace the standard trigger on a semiautomatic firearm to allow the shooter to maintain continuous fire with one trigger pull, similar to the operation of fully automatic weapons. Despite the prohibition, in recent years, ATF estimates that at least 100,000 FRTs have been distributed across the country. ATF’s records also establish that machinegun conversion devices, including FRTs, are showing up more often at crime scenes.

Multiple lawsuits seeking either to enforce or challenge the prohibition on FRTs were filed during the Biden Administration. A federal judge in New York agreed that FRTs are banned under federal law. A federal judge in Texas disagreed and held that FRTs do not qualify as machineguns under federal law, but that ruling was on appeal.

On May 16, 2025, the Trump Administration announced that it has now settled these lawsuits—and done so in a way that eviscerates the federal FRT prohibition. ATF has agreed to abandon its enforcement actions and appeals; promised to stop enforcing the federal ban on machineguns against FRTs, even against individuals and sellers who were not parties to any of these lawsuits; and pledged to redistribute FRTs that it previously seized.

Today’s lawsuit seeks to prevent the redistribution of FRTs because they are prohibited by U.S. law, which prohibits anyone from owning machineguns, including devices that convert firearms into automatic weapons. The lawsuit explains that the federal government cannot violate U.S. law, even when it tries to bury those violations in a settlement agreement.

The coalition will seek a preliminary injunction to halt the Trump Administration from distributing FRT devices in ways that directly harm Plaintiff States in contravention of federal law.

The lawsuit explains that the redistribution of machinegun conversion devices will permanently threaten public safety nationwide. And as the lawsuit highlights, ATF has even admitted that returning FRTs in states that prohibit them would “aid and abet” violations of state laws. The Attorneys General seek to prevent those harms from occurring.

Joining AG Campbell in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.