Eighteen anti-gun attorneys general—led by New Jersey’s Matthew Platkin and Maryland’s Anthony Brown—have filed a politically motivated lawsuit against Texas Gun Rights (TXGR), the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), Rare Breed Triggers, the Department of Justice, and others in federal court.

The June 9, 2025 complaint (Case 1:25-cv-01807-PX), filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, is nothing short of a full-frontal assault on the Second Amendment.

At the heart of the lawsuit is the ATF’s recent settlement agreement with TXGR, NAGR, and Rare Breed, in which the agency backed off its previous overreach by agreeing to return thousands of lawfully owned Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs) and stop misclassifying them as machineguns.

This came after a February 2025 Executive Order from President Trump directing federal agencies to rein in unconstitutional gun control policies.

The attorneys general from deep blue states want that reversed.

In essence, they’re asking the court to nullify an agreement the ATF made in compliance with a court ruling and executive directive—simply because they don’t like it.

The Lawsuit: A Political Stunt Wrapped in Legal Jargon

The 32-page complaint is a boilerplate recitation of anti-gun talking points.

The AGs argue that ATF’s decision to stop treating FRTs as machineguns—and to return seized units—is a violation of the National Firearms Act (NFA), the Gun Control Act (GCA), and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

Their problem isn’t with the law—it’s with the fact that gun owners are winning.

They claim the settlement “floods” their states with dangerous weapons, costs taxpayers millions, and undercuts public safety.

But the complaint is long on fear mongering and short on legal merit.

These states aren’t being harmed by TXGR or NAGR; they’re simply enraged that their anti-gun orthodoxy is being challenged—and losing.

The ATF’s original claim that FRTs were machine guns was already slapped down in federal court in NAGR v. Bondi (2024), and the agency’s current policy reflects that decision.

The lawsuit is a desperate attempt to relitigate a settled issue in a friendlier venue.

Legal Smoke and Mirrors

The AG‘s argue that returning FRTs will lead to hypothetical future crimes.

But that kind of speculative harm doesn’t fly in federal court.

As the Supreme Court made clear in Clapper v. Amnesty International (2013), alleged future injuries that “might” happen don’t create standing.

Moreover, they’re asking a federal court to overrule both a lawful agency settlement and an Executive Order—despite having no jurisdiction over the other 32 states not party to the lawsuit.

If successful, this suit wouldn’t just nullify one gun rights victory—it would set a dangerous precedent for any future agency that dares correct its own unconstitutional actions.

That’s precisely why it must be defeated.

The Left’s Long Game: Lawfare Against Gun Owners

This lawsuit isn’t about FRTs. It’s about weaponizing the legal system to crush political opponents.

Groups like TXGR represent a growing movement of Americans who refuse to compromise on their Second Amendment rights.

The Left knows they can’t win the legislative battle, so they’re dragging gun owners into court.

It’s a strategy of attrition: bleed groups like TXGR dry, force manufacturers into bankruptcy, and intimidate citizens from defending their rights.

Meanwhile, the same AG‘s filing this lawsuit are presiding over cities with revolving-door justice systems, skyrocketing crime, and soft-on-criminal prosecutors.

But to them, the real problem isn’t violent felons—it’s you, the law-abiding gun owner.

Texas Gun Rights helped secure the ATF’s retreat on FRTs.

They didn’t just win a lawsuit—they helped pull back a cornerstone of Biden-era gun control.

Now, they’re being punished for it by ideologues using tax dollars to reverse that victory.

If the Left wins here, it will greenlight further attacks on gun rights—starting with accessory bans, followed by semi-auto bans, and eventually criminalizing common ownership of standard firearms.

That’s why this lawsuit matters.

It’s not just an attack on TXGR or NAGR.

It’s an attack on every gun owner in America.

TXGR is on the front lines—fighting in court, in the legislature, and in the public square.

But every fight takes resources.

The Left has deep pockets and endless taxpayer-funded attorneys.

We have only each other.

Help Texas Gun Rights defend the victories we’ve won—and stop the Left from erasing them.

Because if we don’t fight now, we may not have a Second Amendment left to defend.