Over the years, various modifications and accessories have been introduced to the market to enhance the shooting experience of AR-15 users. One of these innovations is the forced reset trigger (FRT). So what is a forced reset trigger, and how does it work.
Check out this guide to find out the engineering behind it as well as its legality in the firearm communities.
What Is A Forced Reset Trigger
The forced reset trigger, as its name implies, forces the trigger to reset rapidly after each shot. In traditional semi-automatic firearms, the shooter manually releases the trigger after a shot, allowing it to reset, before firing again. However, with the FRT, the reset is expedited, enabling faster subsequent shots.
How It Works
Once the shooter pulls the trigger and the gun fires, the bolt carrier's rearward motion resets the trigger. This mechanism pushes the trigger back to the shooter's finger, readying it for another immediate shot.
By doing so, the FRT allows for a more rapid rate of fire without technically making the firearm fully automatic. However the perceived high rate of fire has the ATF worried even though it falls under the physical definition of semi auto.
Who Makes Forced Reset Trigger
The two most popular ones are WOT and Rare Breed.
Is It Different Than A Binary Trigger
Binary triggers don't turn AR15's into machine guns, so laws like the Gun Control Act and National Firearms Act don't regulate them. A forced reset trigger is not the same as a binary trigger based on its physical operational characteristics.
A binary trigger is a special type of firearm trigger designed to fire one round when pulled and another round when released. So, for each complete trigger cycle (pull and release), you get two shots fired. The process goes like this: when you pull the trigger, it fires a shot (Pull - Bang). Then, when you release the trigger, it fires another shot (Release - Bang). Only after that does the trigger reset for the next action. Binary triggers typically have a 3-position safety lever: safe, semi, and binary.
A forced reset trigger, on the other hand, does not fire a round upon release. Instead, after the initial shot is fired on the pull, the trigger is automatically "forced" back into the reset position by the firearm's mechanics. This allows the shooter to fire again more quickly than with a traditional trigger because they don't have to manually release the trigger for it to reset. The emphasis with a forced reset trigger is on rapid semi-automatic fire, whereas the binary trigger's distinction is firing on both the pull and release actions.
Are Forced Reset Trigger Safe?
The forced reset trigger is new on the market, so we don't have enough data about its safety. Beginners should use a traditional trigger with a clear pull and reset.
This way, they won't be caught off guard by the different feel of the forced reset trigger and mistakenly fire extra rounds.
What's The Current Legal Status On Forced Reset Trigger
Based on one APnews report, In court filings, the ATF said testing on the FRT-15 triggers showed their rate of fire can meet or exceed that the military's M-16 machine gun, which can fire 700 to 970 rounds a minute. Read more here
Some US judge calls ban on forced reset triggers for guns "likely unlawful", while others call the opposite.
Based on the ongoing legal battle to determine whether forced reset trigger is legal under the definition of the ATF, we do not recommend viewers of this content to purchase one. There are plenty of great triggers for AR15 that provides competition level speed and reliability without the legal worry. Check them out here