State Legality MatrixBinary TriggersNew York
Statute-cited, not legal advice, last verified 2026-10-20
Banned
No. Expressly prohibited: the rapid-fire modification device definition includes binary trigger systems.
Controlling law: N.Y. Penal Law § 265.00(26), (29) & § 265.01-c
Contested entry
Penal Law § 265.00(26) defines rapid-fire modification device to include a binary trigger system, separately defined at § 265.00(29) as a device causing the weapon to fire once when the trigger is pulled and again when it is released; both were added by Chapter 130 of the Laws of 2019. Criminal possession under § 265.01-c is a class A misdemeanor. Later amendments added pistol converters to the definition without changing the binary trigger language.
The statute in practice
New York Penal Law section 265.00(26) defines a rapid-fire modification device to include a binary trigger system, and section 265.00(29) defines a binary trigger system as a device that causes a semi-automatic firearm, rifle, or shotgun to fire once when the trigger is pulled and again when it is released. Criminal possession of a rapid-fire modification device under section 265.01-c is a class A misdemeanor.
Timeline
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.
Federal baseline verified 2026-10-20. 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
No. Expressly prohibited: the rapid-fire modification device definition includes binary trigger systems. Controlling law: N.Y. Penal Law § 265.00(26), (29) & § 265.01-c.
The controlling law is N.Y. Penal Law § 265.00(26), (29) & § 265.01-c. Expressly prohibited: the rapid-fire modification device definition includes binary trigger systems.