State Legality Matrix / Forced Reset Triggers / Connecticut

Are Forced Reset Triggers Legal in Connecticut?

Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-28

Banned

No. Prohibited as a rate of fire enhancement. Effective 2018-10-01.

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

Litigation Status and Details

Enacted by P.A. 18-29, effective October 1, 2018. The definition expressly names binary trigger systems; forced reset triggers are not named, and coverage rests on the broader rate-of-fire-enhancement definition as enforced. Class D felony. Makers do not ship FRTs to Connecticut.

Federal baseline

Under the 2025 DOJ settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, an FRT fires one round per trigger function and is not an NFA machine gun federally. The settlement covers rifles and grip-forward pistols; it does not extend to grip-fed handguns (Glock, S&W M&P, Canik), whose federal FRT status remains less settled. State bans operate independently of federal law through broader state machine-gun, trigger-activator, or rate-of-fire definitions.

Scope: Forced reset triggers (Rare Breed FRT-15, Dairyland Defender, and similar) and forced-reset selectors (AR Super Safety, ARC-Fire). One round per trigger function. Binary triggers are a separate class.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are forced reset triggers legal in Connecticut?

No. Prohibited as a rate of fire enhancement. Effective 2018-10-01. Controlling law: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-206g.

What law covers forced reset triggers in Connecticut?

The controlling law is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-206g. Prohibited as a rate of fire enhancement.

When did Connecticut's forced reset trigger restriction take effect?

Connecticut's rule took effect 2018-10-01. Enacted by P.A. 18-29, effective October 1, 2018. The definition expressly names binary trigger systems; forced reset triggers are not named, and coverage rests on the broader rate-of-fire-enhancement definition as enforced. Class D felony. Makers do not ship FRTs to Connecticut.

Are forced reset triggers legal under federal law?

Under the 2025 DOJ settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, an FRT fires one round per trigger function and is not an NFA machine gun federally. The settlement covers rifles and grip-forward pistols; it does not extend to grip-fed handguns (Glock, S&W M&P, Canik), whose federal FRT status remains less settled. State bans operate independently of federal law through broader state machine-gun, trigger-activator, or rate-of-fire definitions.

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