Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel leads coalition blocking gun modification device distribution amid safety concerns

Following a lawsuit led by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the Biden-era ATF and Rare Breed Triggers will no longer distribute machine gun conversion devices in Michigan—a decision that offers a legal reprieve for public safety. These devices, like Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs), convert semiautomatic weapons into rapid-fire armaments, provoking significant safety concerns and prompting expert analysis.

Machine gun conversion devices: What Michigan residents should know

Machine gun conversion devices dramatically increase a firearm’s firing rate—up to 20 rounds per second—and have been frequently used in violent crime and mass shootings. The ATF reports that automatic fire incidents rose by 1,400% from 2019 to 2021.

Legal and technical context behind the block

The ATF previously classified Forced Reset Triggers, FRTs as illegal machine guns and seized them under the National Firearms Act of 1934, with an appeals court split prompting litigation. In June 2025, Michigan joined 16 other states to challenge the ATF’s plan to return seized FRTs. In response, ATF agreed not to re-distribute FRTs in those states, and Rare Breed Triggers confirmed it would not sell them there.

Expert voices underline safety risks

Robert Spitzer, a firearm law expert at William & Mary Law School, warns that Forced Reset Triggers are “civilian workarounds that give you weapons that fire like a military weapon,” emphasizing both the potential for harm and misuse. Meanwhile, Jens Ludwig of the University of Chicago Crime Lab highlighted the disproportionate impact of conversion devices on under-resourced communities.

Michigan-specific law and implications

Michigan law prohibits possession, sale, or distribution of machine guns or any device that converts a firearm to full-auto mode. The ATF acknowledged that redistributing FRTs in Michigan would “aid and abet” state law violations. Legal experts note that the federal rollback could leave state and local law enforcement without apparent authority if the FRTs had been returned.

What does this mean for Michigan communities

This legal win ensures FRTs remain out of Michigan, reinforcing state statutes and ensuring law enforcement can continue enforcing longstanding bans on full-auto conversion devices. Given the strength of Michigan’s laws and the multistate coalition, FRTs—and broader machine gun conversion devices—are unlikely to resurface legally.

Remaining legal battles & national impact

Federal courts in New York and Texas are still weighing the definition of a “machine gun” under federal law. Michigan’s coalition has withdrawn its preliminary injunction request due to the ATF’s promise, but the broader legal definitions, appeals, and potential rulings could reshape federal enforcement going forward.

Related developments and editorial context

The ATF in 2024 seized over 5,400 firearms fitted with conversion devices like “Glock switches,” a 570% increase from 2017–2021.
Lawyer Jens Ludwig emphasized that easy-to-convert firearms exacerbate violence in vulnerable neighborhoods.
While bump-stock bans were upheld in 2018, the FRTs raise novel legal questions about “single pull” vs. “single function” mechanisms.