Gun Laws/Pennsylvania/Reviewed October 3, 2026

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Are forced reset triggers legal in Pennsylvania?

Quick answer

Yes

Pennsylvania: No state statute reaches them as of our last review.

2 of Pennsylvania's 6 neighboring states have the same status. Check each one before you cross a state line with forced reset triggers.

Not legal advice. Source: 18 Pa.C.S. § 908, checked October 3, 2026

Forced reset trigger laws by state

Alabama: No state banAlaska: No state banArizona: No state banColorado: RestrictedFlorida: UnsettledGeorgia: No state banIndiana: No state banKansas: No state banMaine: No state banMassachusetts: RestrictedMinnesota: RestrictedNew Jersey: RestrictedNorth Carolina: No state banNorth Dakota: No state banOklahoma: No state banPennsylvania: No state banSouth Dakota: No state banTexas: No state banWyoming: No state banConnecticut: RestrictedMissouri: No state banWest Virginia: No state banIllinois: RestrictedNew Mexico: No state banArkansas: No state banCalifornia: RestrictedDelaware: RestrictedHawaii: RestrictedIowa: UnsettledKentucky: No state banMaryland: RestrictedMichigan: No state banMississippi: No state banMontana: No state banNew Hampshire: No state banNew York: RestrictedOhio: No state banOregon: RestrictedTennessee: No state banUtah: No state banVirginia: UnsettledWashington: RestrictedWisconsin: No state banNebraska: No state banSouth Carolina: No state banIdaho: No state banNevada: RestrictedVermont: No state banLouisiana: No state banRhode Island: RestrictedALAKAZARCACOFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMIMNMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVAWAWVWIWY
No state ban (32)Unsettled (3)Restricted (15)Forced reset trigger laws by state. Tap a state
Map legend: clear means No state ban; caution means Unsettled; restricted means Restricted

Forced reset triggers you can buy in Pennsylvania

Legal in Pennsylvania.Federally allowed since the 2025 Department of Justice settlement, and unrestricted here.

Most picked by builders

Live prices
  1. 1

    62% of forced reset trigger build picks

    Partisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger w/ Ambi Safety Selector
    $299.99at AR15 Discounts
  2. 2

    9% of forced reset trigger build picks

    AS Designs ARC-Fire Trigger V2 - Ambi KIT (0° - 90° - 180°), Forced Reset Trigger, FRT, Mil-Spec Levers, AR-15 Compatible
    $249.99at Classic Firearms
  3. 3

    4% of forced reset trigger build picks

    Partisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger + PMAG Bundle
    $397.99at AR15 Discounts
  4. 4

    1% of forced reset trigger build picks

    Partisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger + Dirty Bird MCF-A Ambidextrous Lower Receiver
    $569.99at Dirty Bird Industries

Ranked by how often builders add each one to a build on GunPartPicker, across every build. In stock only, prices update hourly.

Find one that fits your gun →

Not legal advice. Confirm your own configuration before you buy. All Pennsylvania gun laws

Which forced reset trigger fits your gun?

Pick your platform. Each one lists what the gun needs to run a forced reset trigger and the ones the catalog carries for it, in stock first.

Forced reset triggers for the AR-15: 11 in the catalog, 7 in stock

  • Full auto profile bolt carrier (M16 cut) for a forced reset trigger; most binary triggers run on a semi carrier
  • Mil-spec lower with standard 0.154" pin holes
  • H2 or H3 buffer and a fresh spring so the carrier does not outrun the reset

Ranked by what builders add most, in stock first. One listing per model.

Partisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger w/ Ambi Safety Selector
Partisan TriggersPartisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger w/ Ambi Safety Selector
$299.99In stock
Partisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger
Partisan TriggersPartisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger
$274.99In stock
AS Designs ARC-Fire Trigger V2 - Ambi Kit (0° - 90° - 180°), Forced Reset Trigger, FRT, Mil-Spec Levers, AR-15 Compatible
AS DesignsAS Designs ARC-Fire Trigger V2 - Ambi Kit (0° - 90° - 180°), Forced Reset Trigger, FRT, Mil-Spec Levers, AR-15 Compatible
$249.99In stock
Partisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger + PMAG Bundle
UnknownPartisan Triggers Disruptor AR-15 3 Position Drop In Forced Reset Trigger + PMAG Bundle
$397.99In stock
See all 11 for the AR-15 →

What the Pennsylvania statute says

Pennsylvania's offensive weapons law

18 Pa.C.S. § 908

“Any bomb, grenade, machine gun, sawed-off shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches”

Pennsylvania lists the machine gun as an offensive weapon without defining it, and complying with the National Firearms Act is a defense (§ 908(b)(1)), so the federal definition decides in practice. No state statute names forced reset triggers, but York City's 2025 ordinance bans rapid fire devices including FRTs, and no court has yet ruled on it under the state preemption law.

Statute text checked October 3, 2026. Quotes are the statute's own words.

Pennsylvania law in detail

  • Pennsylvania has no statute reaching forced reset triggers as of the last review, and no trigger activator or rate of fire provision that we read as covering them.
  • Federally these are legal after the 2025 Department of Justice settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, which also required ATF to return seized units to owners who asked by September 30, 2025.
  • The settlement does not protect a device modified into an actual auto sear. That is a separate federal felony and nothing here changes it.

The federal rule

Under the 2025 Justice Department settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, ATF no longer treats a forced reset trigger that fires one round per trigger function as a machine gun. That settles federal law only; a state can still ban FRTs under its own machine gun, rapid fire device or multiburst trigger statute.

FRTs in neighboring states

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

Are forced reset triggers legal in Pennsylvania?

Yes. Pennsylvania: No state statute reaches them as of our last review. The statute: 18 Pa.C.S. § 908. Reviewed October 3, 2026.

What is the federal rule on forced reset triggers?

Under the 2025 Justice Department settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, ATF no longer treats a forced reset trigger that fires one round per trigger function as a machine gun. That settles federal law only; a state can still ban FRTs under its own machine gun, rapid fire device or multiburst trigger statute.

How many states restrict forced reset triggers?

Nationwide by our review: 32 states: no state ban; 3: unsettled; 15: restricted.

More Pennsylvania gun laws

Legal disclaimer: This page summarizes state law for general information and is not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can be stricter. Confirm with the Pennsylvania statutes, the state attorney general or a licensed attorney before buying, building or traveling.