In a move signaling victory for gun control advocates, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a critical step back by the Trump administration in its previously planned distribution of so-called "machine-gun conversion devices," including forced reset triggers (FRTs), across the nation. According to a press release from Raoul's office, the ATF will not, following a lawsuit involving a 16-state coalition, be returning these FRTs to Illinois or any of the other plaintiff states.
After walking back on the plans faced with legal opposition, the ATF made clear its new stance in the litigation, squarely stating they would abstain from redeploying these devices in the involved states. As such, the plaintiff states that, led by Raoul's efforts, they have dropped their motion for a preliminary injunction against the ATF. Despite having made court filings pronouncing that they would not sell FRTs in the plaintiff states, Rare Breed Triggers, a leading seller of the devices, is maintaining a blank stance.
The FRTs have been at the center of an intensifying debate on gun violence and public safety. These devices can transform semi-automatic weapons into ones that mimic the rapid-fire capabilities of machine guns. Firearms equipped with MCDs have been deployed with devastating effect, capable of unleashing up to 20 bullets in under a second.
Raoul aims to persist in the fight against gun violence, emphasizing the significant dangers these conversion devices pose to the community. "Our coalition filed its lawsuit to prevent machine-gun conversion devices from being redistributed in our communities, and we are pleased the ATF has committed to not sending these dangerous devices to our states," he stated in the press release from his office. The proliferation of MCDs has been cited by the ATF as contributing to the rise in machine-gun fire incidents.
The battle was joined by a total of 16 plaintiff states, including Illinois, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. This collective front showcases a regional resistance to gun violence, pressing the federal government for strict adherence to state laws governing firearms. For further details on the lawsuit and the states involved, you can access the full press release on the Illinois Attorney General's website.
