State Legality MatrixBinary TriggersWashington
Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-31
Banned
No. Falls within Washington's machine-gun definition covering mechanisms not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot.
Controlling law: RCW 9.41.010; RCW 9.41.190
Contested entry
The release-fired round places a binary trigger within RCW 9.41.010's machine-gun definition, effectively banning it. Note the asymmetry: Washington does NOT ban forced reset triggers, which fire one round per pull.
The statute in practice
Washington's machine-gun definition includes a firearm, mechanism, or instrument that does not require the trigger to be pressed for each shot. The release-fired round is therefore analyzed under different wording from the federal single-function test; RCW 9.41.190 supplies the related conduct restrictions.
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.
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. Falls within Washington's machine-gun definition covering mechanisms not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot. Controlling law: RCW 9.41.010; RCW 9.41.190.
The controlling law is RCW 9.41.010; RCW 9.41.190. Falls within Washington's 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.