State Legality Matrix / Binary Triggers / New Jersey
Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-10
No. Falls within the machine-gun definition covering mechanisms not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot.
Controlling law: N.J. Stat. § 2C:39-1
The release-fired round means a binary trigger fires a shot without a trigger press, bringing it within New Jersey's broad machine-gun definition. New Jersey does not defer to federal classifications.
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.
No. Falls within the machine-gun definition covering mechanisms not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot. Controlling law: N.J. Stat. § 2C:39-1.
The controlling law is N.J. Stat. § 2C:39-1. Falls within the machine-gun definition covering mechanisms not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot.
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.