Understanding the Legality of Binary Triggers in Pennsylvania

Imagine a world where firearms were a tool of cultural heritage, a part of familial tradition passed down from generation to generation – and you were legally permitted to use them. For many in America, even if you don’t hunt or do not partake in some kind of shooting activities, firearms are a part of personal identity, perhaps divorced from the culture. In this identity, some gun enthusiasts like to modify their weapons, for recreation but also for safety and concealment. But modifying guns can be a legal quagmire, depending on the state laws – and Pennsylvania is no exception.

So, the question of whether binary triggers are legal in Pennsylvania arises. To explore the answer to this question, we have to explore the legality of the modification and what the modification does to the gun. Thus, in this post, we will understand how binary triggers came to be, their role in personal and gun safety, and the current political debate surrounding the issue of legality from educational heritage to practical legal enforcement and being a bullet point in the political dogfight that happens in every election cycle.

What is a Binary Trigger?

A binary trigger is a device a person can attach to their trigger mechanism of a semiautomatic weapon. When the shooter pulls the trigger, the first round is fired. If the user then releases the trigger, the weapon fires a second round. So the gun effectively fires two bullets with one trigger pull. A binary trigger affects the way in which the weapon can be fired. Instead of being a single shot, the weapon is now firing a round-and-release firing method. This is similar to a bump stock, which is illegal under federal law. The difference was so-called „bump stocks and trigger cranks,” which was redefined as a machine gun under federal law in 2019. Before then, a bump fire stock was legal in most states, but now its sale and use are illegal under the National Firearms Act passed by Congress in 1933. The term „machinegun” includes bump stocks, binary triggers, and other modifications. Unlike a binary trigger where two bullets are fired in one pull, a bump stock controlled the release of shells as if by the pull of a finger. The practical result of a fusion of the two is the same, however.

Legal Status of Binary Trigger

Binary triggers are legal equipment in Pennsylvania. Because they do not constitute a machine gun, a binary trigger on its own is not illegal. And although the federal government redefined the meaning of a machine gun, it does not change the underlying legal problem. However, if a person were to create a bump fire stock and use it as a binary trigger, then it would be a violation of the federal machine gun law. So, if you were to adjust a binary trigger incorrectly, then you could be creating illegal equipment. You cannot alter the equipment if it is otherwise legal. The modification would be illegal, even if the original equipment was legal. The reason the federal law was enacted is because of two mass shootings that used such devices. The result was the enactment of the federal law. So, if the modification were done incorrectly, then you could face criminal penalties.

The Federal Role in State Gun Laws

Pennsylvania has very strict gun laws, including the requirement of a permit to purchase weapons. But the definition of certain items can change – even if the modification is still legal. The bump fire modification was legal in Pennsylvania until the federal government eliminated them without warning. The unforeseen change meant that people in Pennsylvania who used them were doing so unknowingly. Unfortunately, the change in law did not change the overall number of violent crimes. Despite the ban of bump stocks, there was no change in mass shootings.

The local heritage surrounding the use of guns is not one that conceives the need for such modifications where those engaged in hunting, gun sports, or datetime exercise use the equipment for sport. Yet the modification itself has been taken to a national stage as a safety concern. The reality is the binary trigger has damaged no person, and the bump fire stock was used wrongly to create a public safety hazard. Even still, the individual states are responsible for defining and enforcing their own laws. Since a bump fire stock is now illegal, that modification and those made to embrace such an item could now result in penalties and charges. So, if you are in Pennsylvania, you should rethink modifying your weapons to embrace any item that might replicate a bump stock. You could be liable for prosecution, even if the original equipment was legal before January 13, 2019.