Trump sued over plan to redistribute formerly outlawed rapid-fire triggers

The states accuse the Trump administration of hiding violations of federal law prohibiting the possession of machine guns in a settlement agreement with manufactures of forced reset triggers.

by Joe Dodson, Court House News, June 9, 2025

BALTIMORE (CN) -The attorneys general of 15 states (including Hawaii) and the District of Columbia sued the federal government Monday, claiming a plan to return seized rapid-fire triggers equates to the distribution of machine guns. 

"In seeking to reintroduce weapons of war to our communities, this Administration is – once again – flagrantly violating the law," Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings said in a press release. "We should be clear about the stakes here: if they are allowed to implement their illegal agenda, more innocent people will die from gun violence. With this litigation, we're stepping up to stop that from happening."

A complaint filed in Maryland claims the government violated federal machine gun laws by entering into a settlement with forced reset trigger manufacturers. The agreement effectively nullified enforcement actions taken by the ATF under the Biden administration.

"Communities are less safe with these mass-shooting devices in circulation," Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a press release. "Essentially deregulating them is another example of this administration being driven by extreme ideology rather than commonsense."

The bureau previously classified the forced reset triggers as machine gun conversion devices. The device, designed for the AR-15 but adaptable for other firearms, enables an increased rate of fire for semi-automatic weapons by mechanically resetting the trigger's position after each shot is fired. 

"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," President of the National Association for Gun Rights Dudley Brown said regarding the May 16 agreement. "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."

Under Trump’s executive order “Protecting Second Amendment Rights,” his administration directed the bureau to settle three Biden-era lawsuits targeting the interstate flow of firearm devices. The order also instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review all firearm-related rules and legal positions from 2021 to 2025.

The resulting agreement bars enforcement of laws classifying forced reset triggers as machine gun conversion devices—unless designed for handguns—and requires the government to return previously seized devices to manufacturers and individuals, a provision the plaintiff strongly opposes.

"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," President of Rare Breed Triggers Lawrence DeMonico said in May. 

The lawsuit seeks a declaration invalidating the redistribution provision. The states also sued the parties involved in the settlement agreement, including gun rights organizations and manufacturers. The states argue that the policy will lead to increased medical and financial burdens. 

The lawsuit seeks to invalidate the settlement’s redistribution provision and names several gun rights groups and manufacturers among the involved parties. The states argue the policy will increase medical and financial burdens.

"It's hard enough for our local law enforcement officials to protect Colorado communities from gun violence without the federal government willfully ignoring the law," Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a press release. "We're suing to stop the ATF and the administration from making our communities more dangerous by distributing thousands of devices that turn firearms into weapons of war."

The plaintiff states include Delaware, the District of Columbia, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. 

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Reuters: Hawaii, 14 other states, sue over move to return seized rapid-fire gun devices | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

PDF: Attorney General Brown Sues Trump Administration to Prevent Efforts to Distribute Thousands of Machine Gun Devices Across Country