Binary Trigger Legal States 2025

Legal

Banned

State	Binary Trigger Legality↓	Other Banned Guns & Ammo
Alaska	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Arizona	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Arkansas	Legal	Machine guns and short-barreled rifles.
Colorado	Legal	Machine gun, Magazines holding more than 15 rounds
Georgia	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Idaho	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts
Indiana	Legal	Armor-piercing unless the person manufactures, sells, or delivers it for the use of the United States, a department or agency of the United States, a state, a law enforcement agency, a department, agency, or political subdivision of a state, for export, for the purpose of testing or experimentation, or if the person is a law enforcement officer acting in the course of their official duties.
Kansas	Legal	Setting spring guns, Possessing, manufacturing, causing to be manufactured, selling, offering for sale, lending, purchasing or giving away any cartridge that can be fired by a handgun and has a plastic-coated bullet that has a core of less than 60% lead by weight, whether the person knows or has reason to know that the plastic-coated bullet has a core of less than 60% lead by weight
Kentucky	Legal	Selling armor-piercing ammo
Louisiana	Legal	Machine guns (with certain exceptions), armor-piercing ammo
Maine	Legal	Armor-piercing ammo, except as part of a collection
Massachusetts	Legal	Assault weapon (ban list, includes revolving-cylinder shotguns), Large-capacity feeding device, Covert weapons, Silencers
Michigan	Legal	Pistols greater than 26” in length are prohibited unless the person registered the firearm as a pistol before January 1, 2013, or has maintained registration since then without lapse, Machine guns, Spring guns, Armor-piercing ammo, unless you are a licensed dealer
Mississippi	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Missouri	Legal	Explosive weapons, A bullet or projectile that explodes or detonates upon impact because of an independent explosive charge after having been shot from a firearm, Flashbangs
Montana	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Nebraska	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Nevada	Legal	Metal-penetrating bullets that can be used in a handgun
New Hampshire	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
New Mexico	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
North Carolina	Legal	Teflon-coated ammo
North Dakota	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Ohio	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts. A permit is necessary to possess “dangerous ordnance:” any automatic or short-barreled firearm, zip guns, suppressors or parts to convert a firearm into a dangerous ordnance.
Oklahoma	Legal	Restricted bullets: a round or elongated missile with a core of less than 60% lead and having a fluorocarbon coating, which is designed to travel at a high velocity and is capable of penetrating body armor.
Oregon	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts. While the state is mostly free of major firearm restrictions, certain cities and towns may have strict guidelines and prohibitions.
Pennsylvania	Legal	“Offensive weapons” are a first-degree misdemeanor. Machine guns, silencers and short-barrel long guns are also “offensive weapons,” but have an exception (that the other items are not afforded) for their lawful use if they are NFA registered.
South Carolina	Legal	Teflon-coated ammo
South Dakota	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Tennessee	Legal	Explosive ammo
Texas	Legal	Zip guns, Armor-piercing handgun ammo (specifically listed as “ammo meant to be used in pistols and revolvers”)
Utah	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Vermont	Legal	Zip guns, “Large-capacity ammunition feeding devices” (click here to learn more about this ban and the dates associated with it)
West Virginia	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Wisconsin	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Wyoming	Legal	Free state with no major restrictions on guns, ammo or parts.
Alabama	Banned	Brass or steel Teflon-coated handgun ammo, unless designed to expand on contact.
California	Banned	Fixed ammo (other than a caliber greater than 0.60), Cane guns, Wallet guns, Undetectable firearms, Flechette darts, Bullets containing or carrying an explosive agent, Armor-piercing ammo, Unconventional pistols, Multi-trigger activators, Assault weapons, SKS rifles made to use AK magazines, Magazines holding more than 10 rounds, and more Check with California authorities for the full list.
Connecticut	Banned	Assault weapons except for Olympic pistols, any semi-automatic, centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine, Armor-piercing ammo, Incendiary .50-caliber ammo, Short-barrel shotguns, Magazines holding more than 10 rounds Silencers are legal with the proper paperwork. Silencers are not allowed for hunting Check with Colorado authorities for the full list.
Delaware	Banned	Silencers (exemptions for wildlife biologists who have special permits), Short-barrel shotguns, Machine guns, Trigger cranks
District of Columbia	Banned
Florida	Banned	Armor-piercing or exploding ammo, Dragon’s breath shotgun shells, bolo shells or flechette shells, Bump stocks and binary triggers
Hawaii	Banned	Assault pistols, Automatic firearms, Rifles with barrel lengths less than 16 inches, Shotguns with barrel lengths less than 18 inches, Cannons, Mufflers, Silencers, Teflon-coated ammo, Multi-burst trigger activators, Trigger cranks, Magazines holding more than 10 rounds Check with Hawaii authorities for the full list.
Illinois	Banned	Machine guns, Silencers, Explosive bullet, Firearms with a low melting point or non-ferrous material, Any rifle having one or more barrels less than 16 inches in length, Any weapon made from a rifle or shotgun, Armor-piercing bullets Check with Illinois authorities for the full list.
Iowa	Banned	Machine gun, Short-barreled rifles or shotguns, Any weapon other than a shotgun or muzzle-loading rifle, cannon, pistol, revolver, or musket, which fires or can be made to fire a projectile by the explosion of a propellant charge which has a barrel of more than six-tenths of an inch in diameter, any bullet containing any explosive mixture capable of exploding upon impact, Suppressors Check with Iowa authorities for the full list.
Maryland	Banned	Assault weapons, Possession of restricted ammunition is prohibited if it contains explosive or incendiary material designed for use in a firearm or has a core made of materials such as tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, beryllium copper, depleted uranium, or any equivalent material of similar density or hardness, and more Maryland is strict with its approved firearms list, so if a manufacturer changes the model number for any reason (even if it's just a change in color), the firearm is banned until it’s added back to the approved list, and it's important to check with the appropriate authorities for the full list.
Minnesota	Banned	Set guns/swivel guns, spring guns, Machine guns, unless licensed dealers, Trigger activators, Machine gun conversion kits, short-barrel shotguns and more Check with Minnesota authorities for the full list.
New Jersey	Banned	Short-barrel shotguns, Silencers, Armor-piercing ammunition (with limited exceptions), dum-dum ammo, etc., Firearms with a low melting point, Machine guns, Assault firearms, Large capacity magazines, Trigger cranks Check with New Jersey authorities for the full list.
New York	Banned	Machine guns, Silencers, Disguised guns (includes wallet holsters and pen guns), Assault weapons: any semi-automatic rifle, Large-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds, Firearms with a low melting point or non-ferrous material (melting-point law) Check with New York authorities for the full list.
Rhode Island	Banned	Machine guns, Untraceable firearms: 3D-printed guns, homemade guns, “ghost guns” without serial numbers, etc., Short-barrel rifles, Short-barrel shotguns, Silencers, Armor-piercing bullets designed for use in pistols, Trigger cranks, binary triggers, etc. Check with Rhode Island authorities for the full list.
Virginia	Banned	Machine guns that aren't registered with state police, Plastic firearms, including certain machine guns and shotguns, are prohibited if they contain less than 3.7 ounces of detectable metal and cannot be accurately identified by X-ray machines, as well as shotguns like the Striker 12 with a spring-tension drum magazine holding 12 shells Check with Virginia authorities for the full list.
Washington	Banned	Machine guns (pre-1995 grandfathered in), Short-barrel shotguns (pre-1995 grandfathered in), Unregistered handguns (partial ban) Check with Washington authorities for the full list.

This 2024 data is not a complete list of gun laws and should not be considered legal advice. Laws vary by state, and for specific situations, consult a licensed local attorney.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) calls binary triggers “forced reset triggers,” which are a device added to firearms to increase the speed of firing. Intended use can double the number of rounds expelled by the firearm.

The exact way the mechanism works is a multi-step process. Basically, it shoots one round when the trigger is pulled and once when the trigger is released, doubling the round count. Unless another feature (a safety selector) is added that deters the process, a second round is always expelled when the trigger is released.

Unlike a standard semi-automatic trigger, a binary trigger has two separate firing options. The first option allows you to fire a single round of ammunition every time you press the trigger. It is very similar to any other semi-automatic weapon. On the other hand, with a single flip of the switch, you can switch the weapon to a binary mode.

For more context, when the trigger is pulled, the “sear”, two sharp metallic edges that sit held together, breaks. When these sharp edges rotate slightly, they release the hammer, striking the firing pin, making contact with the cartridge primer, and firing a shot. Normally, after the trigger is pulled, the hammer resets as the whole process cycles.

The binary trigger has a disconnector that holds the trigger in a rear position that prevents automatic fire, and once the user lets go of the trigger, the sear breaks again. The reason this doesn’t count as a bump stock, which makes weapons much more automatic, is that this mechanism is completely dependent on the release of the trigger.

What Is the Benefit of a Binary Trigger?

A binary trigger can provide a wide range of benefits. The biggest benefit of a binary trigger is that it allows you to control the rate of fire better. If you are in a situation where you do not need a high rate of fire and you are interested in conserving ammunition, you can keep the binary trigger flipped off.

Then, if the situation changes and you need to increase your rate of fire, you can do so with a single push of a button. There are a lot of people who are interested in using binary triggers for competitions, but it can also come in handy for self-defense purposes. Keep in mind that binary triggers could be illegal, depending on where you are located.

Are Binary Triggers Legal in the United States?

The United States is not a place that often bans any action or product outright. In general, the federal government leaves a lot up to each state individually to decide what they will and won’t ban. With this in mind, it’s not much of a surprise that binary triggers are legal in the United States.

In March of 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has written an open letter to gun owners addressing their feelings and procedures regarding binary triggers. Because they do not make a firearm fully automatic, they are not considered illegal under the Bump Stock Ban, which was passed in 2018 in response to the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that killed 17 and injured 17.

Furthermore, a binary trigger does not require an extensive amount of paperwork, which is typically required for a Tommy Gun. A bump stock essentially allows a semi-automatic weapon to fire a continuous stream of ammunition even though the trigger might only be pressed once. Furthermore, binary trigger weapons are not considered fully automatic. Therefore, they do not fall under the category of machine guns.

Are There States That Have Banned Binary Triggers?

Yes, there are nine states, along with the District of Columbia, that have banned binary triggers. While these devices are legal on a federal level, that doesn’t stop states from making their own rules in this context. States that have either banned them explicitly, included language that can be taken as a ban, or completely excluded any references to binary triggers.

The states below are of the first and second categories: where they have been banned or the legislature is framed in a way that can be considered illegal.

California

Being one of the more strict states in terms of gun laws, California specifically bans “multi burst trigger activators” which they define in two ways. The first is any device that can be attached to a semi-automatic weapon that makes the firearm able to discharge two or more rounds when the device is activated. The second definition involves a “manual or power-driven trigger activating device” that is made to increase the rate of firing.

While the first definition doesn’t go near binary triggers, the second was written with the intention of banning binary triggers and does so.

Connecticut

In the same bill that banned bump stocks, Connecticut also banned binary systems and possession of them with the consequence of a class D felony.

Delaware

Senate Bill Number 8 was amended to include a “rapid fire device” that is any device or accessory that can be added to a semi-automatic weapon to increase the rate of fire, which definitively bans binary triggers. The only hiccup with this legislation is that there is a specific tie to rifles, which makes the illegality of usage of any other kind of weapon a question.

Hawaii

Considered one of the most strict states in relation to gun laws, Hawaii also bans binary triggers. Their legislature prohibits possession of “triggers that fire on pull and release.”

Illinois

In HB5728, the Illinois legislature “prohibits the knowing sale, manufacture, purchase, possession, or carrying of a rate of fire enhancement.” The bill also goes on to cover every possible interpretation of “a rate of fire enhancement”, including any device that is “constructed, manufactured, designed or intended to mechanically increase the rate of fire in any way”. This language, of course, bans binary triggers.

Maryland

The state of Maryland legislature specifically defines a “rapid fire trigger activator” as anything that can be attached to the firearm and increases the rate of fire, which is later clarified to include bump stocks, trigger cranks, binary trigger systems, burst trigger systems or a copy of such devices.

New Jersey

In November of 2019, New Jersey enacted a law that banned both the possession and sale of binary firearm triggers by including them in their definition of machine guns.

New York

As with many other states, New York banned bump stocks in 2019 and included binary trigger systems, burst trigger systems, trigger cranks, and any rapid-fire modification device in that law.

Rhode Island

In Rhode Island’s general laws, Title 11 explains criminal offenses, the legislature clearly states that it is “unlawful for any person to possess a bump-fire device, binary trigger, trigger crank, or any other device that when attached to a semi-automatic weapon allows full-automatic fire.”