ATF agrees not to distribute machine-gun conversion ‘switch’ devices in Illinois

CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Monday that the ATF will not redistribute forced reset triggers (FRTs) in Illinois, “switch devices” that convert semi-automatic weapons to machine guns.

The federal government signed a settlement agreement promising to stop enforcing federal law that prohibits FRTs and to redistribute the thousands of devices seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Raoul said switch devices are illegal under Illinois law and noted their increased use in crimes.

Forced reset triggers replace the trigger mechanism on a standard firearm with one that allows for the weapon to fire multiple rounds with a single squeeze, like a machine gun. Experts say a gun equipped with the device can fire as many as 20 rounds in 1 second.

Raoul and 16 other states’ attorneys general filed a suit in the U.S. District Court in Maryland.

On Monday, he announced a successful outcome in the litigation, with the ATF agreeing not to sell the reclaimed FRTs in Illinois. In addition, Rare Breed Triggers, the country’s largest producer of FRTs, also agreed not to sell the devices in Illinois.

“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,” Raoul said in a statement. “I will continue to enforce laws and advocate for policies that protect Illinois residents from gun violence.”

The agreement also covered Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that switch-related cases in the Rockford area have climbed in the past three years, with the number of cases involving teenagers doubling from 2022 to 2024.

In February, Judge Iain Johnson of the Northern District of Illinois sent a letter to the U.S. Sentencing Commission asking for harsher penalties for criminals who are in possession of “switch” devices.