State Legality Matrix / Binary Triggers / Virginia
Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-10
Yes. Virginia's trigger-activator ban targets recoil-harnessing single-pull devices, not binary triggers.
Va. Code § 18.2-308.5:1 defines trigger activator as a device allowing more than one shot with a single pull by harnessing recoil energy (a bump-stock mechanic); a binary trigger requires a deliberate release for the second shot and is not covered. The statute was amended in 2024 to add auto sears and still does not name binary triggers. Pending forced-reset bills could change the landscape.
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.
Yes. Virginia's trigger-activator ban targets recoil-harnessing single-pull devices, not binary triggers.
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.
In a green state, these are the binaries that matter. Franklin Armory's BFSIII line covers AR, Scorpion, Stribog, and B&T hosts, and the Fostech Echo AR-II is the drop-in AR alternative.
Affordable AR-pattern binary trigger that fires one round on pull and one on release, with a mil-spec style single-sided safety selector aimed at AR traditionalists.
Binary firing system for Grand Power Stribog: one round on pull, one on release with a three-position safe/semi/binary selector.
Binary firing system for the B&T APC9: one round on pull, one on release, with a three-position safe/semi/binary selector.
Trigger-and-slide binary firing system for Glock 17 Gen 3. Selectable semi and binary modes. Ships with tritium sights and optics-ready slide; barrel and recoil system sold separately.
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Full picks and fitment notes: Best Binary Triggers 2026