State Legality MatrixBinary TriggersConnecticut

Are Binary Triggers Legal in Connecticut?

Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-31

Status
Banned
Effective
2018-10-01
Verified
2026-07-31

Banned

No. Prohibited as a rate of fire enhancement that fires more than one round per operation of the trigger. Effective 2018-10-01.

Controlling law: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-206g

Contested entry

Litigation Status and Details

Section 53-206g bans manufacture, sale, and possession of rate-of-fire enhancements; the definition (trigger pull and reset as a single operation) captures binary trigger systems.

The statute in practice

Connecticut Law in Detail

Connecticut section 53-206g defines a rate-of-fire enhancement to include a binary trigger system by treating trigger pull and reset as a single operation, and it reaches manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, possession, and use. Public Act 18-29 created that definition effective October 1, 2018.

Timeline

Legislative and Court History

  • 2018-10-01Public Act 18-29's rate-of-fire-enhancement provisions took effect, expressly including binary trigger systems.

What it means for you

Practical Notes

Section 53-206g contains narrow timing provisions for specified pre-2019 possessors, newcomers, and deployed service members; those provisions should be read from the current statute before relying on a possession deadline.

Sources

Federal law

Federal baseline

Binary triggers are legal under federal law and are not machine guns under 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b); ATF treats the trigger pull and the trigger release as two separate functions of the trigger, so one round is fired per function. Cargill v. Garland (2024) concerned bump stocks, not binary triggers, and does not change this.

Scope: Binary triggers (Franklin Armory BFSIII and similar): fire one round on trigger pull and one on release. Forced reset triggers are a separate class.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Are binary triggers legal in Connecticut?

No. Prohibited as a rate of fire enhancement that fires more than one round per operation of the trigger. Effective 2018-10-01. Controlling law: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-206g.

What law covers binary triggers in Connecticut?

The controlling law is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-206g. Prohibited as a rate of fire enhancement that fires more than one round per operation of the trigger.

When did Connecticut's binary trigger restriction take effect?

Connecticut's rule took effect 2018-10-01. Section 53-206g bans manufacture, sale, and possession of rate-of-fire enhancements; the definition (trigger pull and reset as a single operation) captures binary trigger systems.

Are binary triggers legal under federal law?

Binary triggers are legal under federal law and are not machine guns under 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b); ATF treats the trigger pull and the trigger release as two separate functions of the trigger, so one round is fired per function. Cargill v. Garland (2024) concerned bump stocks, not binary triggers, and does not change this.

Why does Connecticut treat pull and release as one operation?

Section 53-206g supplies its own state definition: for this offense, the pull and reset of the trigger are treated as a single operation, and the definition expressly identifies a binary trigger system.

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