DOJ Ends Forced-Reset Trigger Ban: What This Means for Responsible Gun Owners

Firearms owners across South Carolina and the nation just scored a major win for the Second Amendment. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has officially ended its ban on forced-reset triggers (FRTs), a controversial move that had stirred significant backlash since its inception. This reversal is more than just a policy change—it’s a renewed affirmation that responsible gun owners are not the problem, and it’s a testament to how vigilance and principled resistance can curb federal overreach.

FRTs: Understanding the Technology and the Targeted Ban

Forced-reset triggers are aftermarket devices that use the firearm’s recoil energy to reset the trigger forward after a shot. These devices allow for faster follow-up shots without fundamentally altering how semi-automatic firearms operate. Despite this, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reclassified most FRTs as machine guns under the National Firearms Act—a move that many industry professionals, law-abiding gun owners, and 2A advocates decried as an outright misinterpretation of the law.

The ATF’s mission creep raised red flags for firearms instructors and law-abiding citizens alike. Their claim? That FRTs allowed guns to function in a way that mimicked machine guns. However, these triggers still require one pull per shot, staying within the bounds of semi-automatic mechanics. This misclassification created a damaging precedent—one in which bureaucrats, not Congress, rewrite gun laws based on politics, not principles.

The DOJ’s Retreat: A Major Victory for Second Amendment Supporters

The recent announcement from the DOJ to walk back the ban marks a powerful win for gun rights groups, firearms educators, and everyday citizens who value both personal liberty and protection. The withdrawal came after intense scrutiny and a flood of legal challenges that demonstrated just how flimsy and constitutionally unsound the ban truly was.

Let’s break down why this reversal matters to firearms training experts, gun owners in South Carolina, and beyond:

• Restores Trust in Legislative Process: Agencies should enforce laws, not invent them. The ATF’s maneuver was a clear case of bureaucratic activism. By reversing course, the DOJ has, at minimum, acknowledged that this is an issue for lawmakers—not unelected federal agents—to decide.
• Protects Gun Owner Rights: Law-abiding citizens using legally purchased parts to modify their firearms for efficiency and training purposes shouldn’t be criminalized. This decision removes the threat of prosecution for something well within the scope of existing federal law.
• Upholds Accurate Gun Terminology: Not everything that increases firing speed is a machine gun. If that logic were applied across the board, skilled marksmen with fast reflexes would be next on the chopping block.

Implications for Firearms Training and Responsible Ownership

At Fortress Firearms Training in Fountain Inn, SC, we believe that education lies at the heart of responsible gun ownership. Understanding the difference between a semi-automatic firearm with upgraded components and an actual automatic weapon is critical for every student, instructor, and official in this space. This is why the DOJ’s retraction is a pivotal moment in keeping firearms dialogue rooted in reality, not rhetoric.

Firearms training facilities like ours play a key role in:

• Teaching safe handling and usage of firearms, regardless of their accessories or modifications
• Ensuring that gun owners understand firearm mechanics and legal use of force
• Helping build confident, law-abiding citizens who use their 2nd Amendment rights responsibly

Firearms training is not about “arming the public” as opponents love to fearmonger. It’s about empowerment, safety, and constitutional freedom—things anti-gun legislation consistently ignores while targeting inanimate objects instead of analyzing the root causes of violence in our society.

The Bigger Picture: Gun Control Overreach Still a Threat

While the DOJ’s retreat presents a good-faith step back toward constitutional balance, it doesn’t mean the fight is over. Forced-reset triggers were just the latest scapegoat in a long pattern of policies grounded more in fear than fact. Whenever we see unelected agencies engaging in legal gymnastics to push legislation through the back door, we witness the erosion of the separation of powers and the marginalization of our constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The gun control lobby continues to ignore the success stories of firearms training, lawful self-defense, and home protection across America. There’s little attention paid to how defensive gun use saves thousands of lives each year or how a well-trained, armed citizen can serve as a worthwhile deterrent to violent crime. Instead, the answer offered time and again is more restrictions, not more responsibility.

It’s critical that all of us—as instructors, citizens, and patriots—stay informed, stay engaged, and stay prepared. Our freedoms depend on it.

At Fortress Firearms Training, We Train to Defend Those Freedoms

Whether you’re a new gun owner or seasoned enthusiast, being educated and well-prepared is your first line of defense. At Fortress Firearms Training, we take that responsibility seriously. Our mission is to:

• Provide comprehensive and constitutional-based gun training for individuals and families
• Promote education around firearms safety, legal use, and defensive tactics
• Stand in support of the 2nd Amendment as a guardian of freedom and independence

This DOJ reversal gives us a moment to celebrate—but it also gives us a moment to reflect. The battle for gun rights isn’t limited to Washington, D.C. It’s happening in towns like Fountain Inn and across communities that understand liberty isn’t something that’s granted—it’s something that’s defended.

Final Thoughts

As we move forward, use this DOJ decision as momentum to stay active, trained, and connected to your rights. Every ruling like this confirms what we already know: common-sense gun ownership and constitutional protections go hand in hand. Don’t let the same forces that tried to ban FRTs now paint gun owners as villains—they weren’t right then, and they’re not right now.

Stay informed. Stay trained. Stay free. Click here to learn more about how you can take the next step in your firearms education.