The new Rare Breed Triggers FRT-15 trigger for the AR platform allows very rapid semi-automatic fire from an AR-15 rifle. Watch the video above, which shows the trigger in action and explains how it works.
The TL;DR is that the FRT-15’s sear forces the trigger to reset with every shot even if you keep continuous pressure on it. It cannot be considered anything but semi-automatic. Rare Breed notes that a heavy buffer and a full-auto bolt carrier group is required for use of the $380 FRT-15.
As I watched the video, when I got to the animated explanation of operation, all I could think was, “My God, they invented the bump trigger. ATF heads are going to explode.” In a morbid way, I’m looking forward to seeing what creative lingustic gymnastics they concoct to ban this.
Without having tried the FRT-15 personally, two things strike me about it. First is that using that safely using FRT-15 is going to take some practice. This isn’t for the amateur who’s going to drop it in his AR, then leave it in the gun case for months.
The second point is something I hope rare Breed Triggers considered carefully. The contact area between sear and hammer appears to be small compared to a more convention trigger group. That’s a potential point failure. If that wears too much, the rifle could go full auto.
I suspect heat treatment during manufacturing presented interesting challenges for the company. Too hard and the metal could fracture under stress.. Too soft and it wears too quickly.
If you buy one of these, I suggest inspecting those surfaces periodically.
I love reading all the comments re: this latest wonder trigger. I foolishly bought the Franklin binary some years ago. It now resides in a junk drawer as I could not make it function reliably even after multiple buffer/spring changes. I assisted with the installation of the RB FRT-15 from start to finish and took it for a ride. The only adjustment made was to a H-4 buffer which did slow the cycle a bit, but made it totally reliable. SBR’s seem to behave a bit differently than the 16” rifles. The “single pull single shot “ is a completely choose able function. One has to time the trigger with the bolt follow though in order to achieve an acceptable and manageable rate of fire. An adjustable gas block would be a good investment. The test rifle now has an rpm of abt 400, or about the same as a Thompson.- easily sped up with tuning the buffer and spring. How much time and money and ammunition do you have?- neat toy, but semi automatic by any definition, BUT- remember- it is not a free country, and it’s run by people who don’t know the difference between an AR-14 and an AR-15 (sic)
The Franklin binary works just fine on an AR pistol – using their supplied spring and standard buffer – depending on how short your barrel, you might need to adjust the gas block
I have two Franklin binary triggers. One on my Springfield Saint SBR (5.56) and another on my DB15 (300blk out). I’ve never had an issue with either of them.
I’m no rocket surgeon – but when you build an AR pistol, you add buffer weight to slow down the BCG because the gas pressure at the gas block is far higher because it’s closer to the breech and doesn’t have the expansion of a carbine barrel location. IMO adding 2.4 ounces (a stack of 10 quarters of weight) to a buffer tube that’s already 3 ounces is BS. And only serves to slow the BCG way down. The smoke and mirrors is finding someone who can pull the trigger really fast for those who will believe it’s actually faster. Not too much harder to do since they’ve lightened their trigger from the stock AR-15 trigger pull of 7-8 lbs down to 5lbs. This trigger at $380 is a joke.
I have an SSA-E adjusted to a total all in @2lbs – titanium BCG, and an H2 buffer on an AR-15 pistol. It’s fast as sh1t. Spend the money on an SSA-E
For everyone who keeps saying this will be banned by the NFA, do you guys not remember the Tac-con 3mr? This is basically a better version of that. If I remember right, that thing came out in like 2013 and its STILL around. This certainly isn’t the first trigger of it’s kind.
I wish this were legal at the state level.
This attorney seems kind of deceptive with his statements. Says he’s an attorney who’s worked in the industry for 40yrs, but he’s only been an attorney for less than 20yrs. Was he a janitor, was he an IT person, was he in HR? He hammers the issue that the FRT isn’t a full auto or “machine gun”, duh. But it appears that FRT likely violates Florida’s “bump stock” law. Florida’s bump stock laws is so ambiguous that it appears to regulate (make illegal) binary triggers and the FRT.
The attorney should’ve stuck with his guns and kept saying legally federally….not a machine gun because at 10:34 he says it’s a fully legal drop in trigger (without qualification), but Florida’s bump stock statute (below) seems to disagrees with that assertion.
790.222 Bump-fire stocks prohibited.—A person may not import into this state or transfer, distribute, sell, keep for sale, offer for sale, possess, or give to another person a bump-fire stock. A person who violates this section commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. As used in this section, the term “bump-fire stock” means a conversion kit, a tool, an accessory, or a device used to alter the rate of fire of a firearm to mimic automatic weapon fire or which is used to increase the rate of fire to a faster rate than is possible for a person to fire such semiautomatic firearm unassisted by a kit, a tool, an accessory, or a device.
All that said…I’ll take 3!
This is nothing more of a logical extension/evolution of the TacCon “assisted reset” trigger. Without actually shooting one I don’t think I’m qualified to make a call either way as to the relative ease or desire that Rare Breed will come under the scrutiny and crosshairs of the DemocRat control freaks.
However, it’d be hard to imagine with a device that toes the line of legality so incredibly close, that Rare Breed went to market without obtaining a determination letter from the “gods” at BATF…
You guys crack me up. Clearly it’s a machine gun. Nice try.
Effectively Yes!
Mechanically / Legally No!
Machine gun guns are NOT defined by the speed in which they are able to empty a magazine!
The bigger question is do lawful people, who lawfully acquired a firearm have the right to shoot that firearm as fast as they want, provided they are doing so in a safe manner? If the answer is YES, then who cares if it is effectively a machine gun, or a legal machine gun. And there should NOT be any restrictions on those kinds of firearms!