Freedom-loving Americans scored a major victory this week as the Trump administration’s Department of Justice reached a crucial settlement in lawsuits involving the gun parts manufacturer, Rare Breed Triggers. This decisive move from Attorney General Pam Bondi and the newly formed Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force sends an unmistakable message: the right to bear arms will no longer be undermined by activist bureaucrats.
The settlement caps off a contentious legal battle over “forced-reset triggers” (FRTs), firearm components that allow for faster semiautomatic fire. Under President Trump’s February executive order reaffirming Second Amendment protections, Attorney General Bondi has swiftly delivered results, halting federal efforts to regulate or seize these triggers under the National Firearms Act.
In her statement, Bondi made the administration’s priorities clear: “This Department of Justice believes that the Second Amendment is not a second-class right. We are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety and restore clarity to the law.”
Indeed, this settlement brings needed clarity following the landmark June 2024 Supreme Court decision in Cargill v. Garland. In that ruling, the Court held that the ATF had overstepped its authority by banning bump stocks through regulatory fiat. Subsequently, a federal judge in Texas applied the same reasoning to FRTs, setting the stage for Rare Breed’s victory.
Under the terms of the agreement, the DOJ has agreed to a permanent injunction blocking further federal enforcement actions against legally-defined FRTs. All seized triggers will be promptly returned to their rightful owners, and the government will cease its attempts to reclassify these firearm components as machine guns. Rare Breed, in turn, has pledged not to develop FRTs for pistols and to enforce its patents to prevent unsafe counterfeit products from entering the market.
Celebrating the news, Rare Breed proudly declared on its website: “The cuffs are off. As of May 16, 2025, we’re free!”
Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, praised the outcome in no uncertain terms: “We didn’t just beat the ATF—we put them in a submission hold, and they tapped out. This decision marks a new era of holding the DOJ and ATF accountable when they trample the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”
Predictably, gun-control advocates have responded with hysteria. The Brady Campaign decried the settlement, claiming, “These highly dangerous weapons of war can now be purchased anonymously and without a Brady Background Check.” Giffords went even further, absurdly alleging, “Trump just effectively legalized machine guns.”
But let’s be clear: these components are not machine guns. They are lawful firearm accessories that simply help responsible Americans exercise their constitutional rights. The hyperbole from anti-gun activists ignores the reality that criminals do not follow laws regardless of how many we pass, and restricting law-abiding citizens serves only to empower the lawless.
The settlement is part of a broader Trump administration push to reverse the damage wrought by Biden-era gun control measures. Already, the ATF has rescinded the draconian “zero tolerance” policy targeting gun dealers and is actively reviewing pistol brace rules and restrictions on used firearm sales. Bondi’s task force is expected to play a central role in rolling back these needless regulations, ensuring the administration remains firmly committed to protecting Second Amendment freedoms.
As the ATF prepares its comprehensive review over the coming months, including consultations with gun rights groups and industry leaders, this settlement marks a defining moment. It sends a powerful message that the federal government will no longer use regulatory intimidation to infringe on the rights of honest, law-abiding gun owners. Americans deserve a Justice Department that respects their constitutional freedoms, and under President Trump, that’s exactly what they’re getting.
