Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia in filing a federal lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) over a plan to distribute thousands of machinegun conversion devices across the U.S.
The lawsuit targets the federal government’s decision to stop enforcing restrictions on forced reset triggers (FRTs), devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machineguns, and to return nearly 12,000 previously seized devices.
According to Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, FRTs “allow even novice shooters to achieve the firepower of a military machinegun.”
Brown added, “Although ATF previously classified these as machineguns, the agency — under directive from the administration — signed a settlement agreement that promises to stop enforcing federal law against forced reset triggers and to redistribute thousands of them that ATF had previously seized. The multistate litigation seeks to prevent that imminent redistribution, because forced reset triggers are illegal to possess under federal law."
“Communities are less safe with these mass-shooting devices in circulation,” Brown said in a statement. “Essentially deregulating them is another example of this administration being driven by extreme ideology rather than commonsense.”
FRTs are illegal under federal law and in many states, including Washington.
They are designed to replace the standard trigger in firearms and allow continuous fire with a single pull, mimicking the function of fully automatic weapons.
Firearms equipped with FRTs can discharge up to 20 rounds per second, according to the lawsuit.
ATF had previously classified FRTs as machineguns and conducted seizures across the country.
But the agency reversed course following a settlement agreement signed under the Trump administration on May 16, which resolved multiple lawsuits, including one in Texas where a judge ruled the devices did not meet the federal definition of a machinegun.
That ruling is currently under appeal.
The agreement commits ATF to stop enforcing the federal ban on FRTs—even against people and companies not party to the lawsuits—and to return the devices “to the extent practicable” to any individual or company who had them seized.
Attorneys general argue the move not only violates federal law but also risks “a permanent threat to public safety,” particularly in states where FRTs are explicitly banned.
The complaint alleges that redistributing these devices will increase violent crime, mass shooting incidents, and public health costs.
According to the complaint, FRT-equipped firearms have already been linked to several shootings across the country, including in New Jersey and Maryland.
From 2019 to 2021, incidents involving machinegun fire rose 1,400%, according to ATF data.
The agency has also reported an increase in the use of these devices in violent crimes, including homicide and assaults.
The coalition is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the ATF from moving forward with the redistribution plan.
It also asks the court to declare the agreement unlawful and set it aside.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Other states joining the suit include New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
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