This page is the campaign hub for the forced reset trigger suits brought by ABC IP, LLC and Rare Breed Triggers, Inc., many of them joined by RBTM LLC, which the complaints describe as the owner of the FRT marks. The complaints allege that ABC IP owns the asserted patents, that Rare Breed is the exclusive licensee, and that the accused devices let a user switch an AR-pattern rifle between standard semiautomatic and forced reset semiautomatic modes. Those are allegations, not findings.
The MDL
The Panel's report of pending MDL dockets dated October 1, 2026 lists In re: Rare Breed Triggers Patent Litigation, MDL No. 3176, with Chief Judge Amos L. Mazzant III of the Eastern District of Texas as transferee judge, master docket No. 4:26-md-3176, a Panel filing date of December 23, 2025, and a transfer date of April 2, 2026. The Panel's companion report for the same date counts 109 actions pending in the MDL and 111 in total.
The conditional transfer orders that move later cases in, such as CTO-11 signed September 2, 2026 by the Clerk of the Panel, state that the Panel transferred the first actions to the Eastern District of Texas on April 2, 2026 for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings under 28 U.S.C. 1407, that later actions were assigned to Judge Mazzant with the consent of that court, and that the tag-along actions involve questions of fact common to the actions already transferred. A transfer under section 1407 covers pretrial proceedings.
In an October 8, 2026 memorandum opinion and order, Judge Mazzant described the consolidated actions as arising from the plaintiffs' patented forced reset trigger technology and the defendants as manufacturers, importers, distributors, and resellers of products the plaintiffs allege infringe. The order quotes the Panel's finding that centralization would eliminate duplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings, especially on claim construction, patent validity, and the appropriateness of injunctive relief, and conserve resources. It denied thirteen motions to stay, pending in thirty-two member actions, that relied on the customer-suit exception and the traditional stay factors and asked the court to stay the claims against the moving defendants pending final resolution of the plaintiffs' claims against the relevant manufacturers. The court reasoned that the MDL exists to coordinate and streamline the proceedings and that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16.1 lets it consolidate pleadings and appoint leadership counsel, and it noted the parties' joint initial management report proposing those steps.
The patents
Across the suits listed below, the complaints assert some or all of nine U.S. patents. Most suits assert a core set of four or five: U.S. Patent 12,038,247, Firearm Trigger Mechanism, issued July 16, 2024; U.S. Patent 12,031,784, Adapted Forced Reset Trigger, issued July 9, 2024; U.S. Patent 12,529,538, Safety Mechanism for Firearm, issued January 20, 2026; U.S. Patent 12,578,159, Firearm Trigger Mechanism, issued March 17, 2026; U.S. Patent 12,636,403, Firearm Trigger Mechanism, issued May 26, 2026. Some also assert U.S. Patent 10,514,223, Firearm Trigger Mechanism, issued December 24, 2019; U.S. Patent 11,724,003, Firearm Trigger Mechanism, issued August 15, 2023; U.S. Patent 12,036,336, Firearm Trigger Mechanism, issued July 16, 2024; U.S. Patent 12,274,807, Firearm Trigger Mechanism, issued April 15, 2025.
The complaints most often chart claim 15 of the '247 patent, which covers a trigger mechanism with a hammer, trigger member, disconnector, and a cam movable between a position for standard semi-automatic operation and a position in which the cam lobe forces the trigger member toward its set position and the disconnector is kept from catching the hammer. They also chart claim 1 of the '784 patent (an extended trigger member locking device moved by the bolt carrier), claim 1 of the '538 patent (a three-mode safety mechanism with a cam selector and lever), claim 1 of the '159 patent, and claim 38 of the '403 patent (a safety selector with standard and forced reset positions).
The suits
The table lists each suit by defendant, the court where it was filed, its Eastern District of Texas number if it was transferred, the patents asserted, and its status as its docket shows it. Patents are shown by their last three digits.
| Defendants | Filed in | E.D. Tex. No. (transferred in) | Asserted | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS Designs, LLC and individual defendants | M.D.N.C. No. 1:25-cv-1192, Dec. 30, 2025 | 4:26-cv-00370 | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403 | October 20, 2026 order denied a TRO aimed at the ARHK, which the order described as unreleased, without prejudice, and denied the motion to strike. On October 27, 2026 the plaintiffs filed under seal an opposed motion for a TRO and preliminary injunction against the ARHK (ECF No. 117) and filed an opposed motion for expedited briefing on it (ECF No. 119). |
| Peak Tactical LLC | D. Wyo. No. 2:26-cv-00018 | 4:26-cv-00698 (June 23, 2026) | '223, '003, '336, '807 | Federal Circuit affirmed the Wyoming denial of a preliminary injunction under Rule 36 on September 15, 2026, No. 2026-1527; the Federal Circuit's judgment was entered on the East Texas docket October 22, 2026 (ECF No. 128). The plaintiffs moved October 22, 2026 for reconsideration of the court's September 17, 2026 orders on their motions for leave to amend (ECF No. 127), and a response in opposition to a motion was filed October 30, 2026 (ECF No. 129). |
| Bear Arms d/b/a Bear Arms Co. and an individual defendant | W.D. Mo. No. 6:26-cv-03338, June 12, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01191 (Sept. 2, 2026) | '247, '784, '159, '403; FRT marks | Clerk's entry of default September 21, 2026. |
| Nocturnal Apparel & Co LLC and an individual defendant | N.D. Tex. No. 3:26-cv-02341, July 15, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01235 (Sept. 9, 2026) | '247, '784, '159, '403; FRT marks | Defendants answered October 16, 2026. |
| Muffintop Tactical, LLC and an individual defendant | W.D. Tex. No. 1:26-cv-02010, July 21, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01277 (Sept. 15, 2026) | '247, '784, '159, '223, '003, '336, '807, '403; trademark counts | Transferred from the Western District of Texas into the MDL; the defendants' October 2, 2026 motion to stay (ECF No. 13) was denied in the October 8 MDL order. |
| AESIR LLC d/b/a Reset Ninja and two individual defendants | D. Me. No. 1:26-cv-00375, July 22, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01252 (Sept. 10, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403; FRT marks | Returns of service on all three defendants filed in Maine in early August 2026. |
| 810VELOCITY L.L.C and an individual defendant | E.D. Mich. No. 4:26-cv-12546, July 24, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01255 (Sept. 11, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403 | Defendants answered September 21, 2026. |
| WMI LLC and an individual defendant | W.D. Mo. No. 6:26-cv-03431, July 22, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01372 (Sept. 25, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403; FRT marks | Answer and counterclaim October 16, 2026; amended answer and counterclaim October 19, 2026. |
| Hayes Arms LLC and an individual defendant | N.D. Ala. No. 5:26-cv-01301, July 23, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01411 (Oct. 1, 2026) | '247, '784, '159, '403 | Plaintiffs filed a request for service by certified mail in Alabama on August 6, 2026. |
| Tactical Gear Heads LLC (d/b/a 80-Lowers.com and 80% Lowers) and an individual defendant | S.D. Ind. No. 1:26-cv-01170, June 2, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01446 (Oct. 8, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403 | Amended complaint August 24, 2026; affidavits of service filed in Indiana before the transfer. |
| Wojtek LLC d/b/a Wojtek Weaponry and an individual defendant | D.N.H. No. 1:26-cv-00678, Aug. 19, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01447 (Oct. 8, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '223, '003, '336, '807, '403; FRT marks | Both defendants served September 1, 2026. |
| Grey Market Research & Development, LLC | D. Wyo. No. 2:26-cv-00189, June 17, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01448 (Oct. 8, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403 | Wyoming clerk entered default August 7, 2026; answer and counterclaim docketed in East Texas October 19, 2026 (ECF No. 25). |
| 2A Optics LLC and an individual defendant | S.D. Miss. No. 5:26-cv-00539, June 15, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01449 (Oct. 8, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '223, '003, '336, '807, '403; FRT marks | Returns of service on the defendants filed in Mississippi August 19, 2026. |
| Redacted Industries, LLC | D. Wyo. No. 2:26-cv-00191, June 17, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01450 (Oct. 8, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403; FRT marks | Wyoming clerk entered default August 7, 2026. |
| MAS Defense LLC, Ghost Gun Jigs LLC, and an individual defendant | W.D.N.C. No. 3:26-cv-00592, July 22, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01455 (Oct. 8, 2026) | '247, '784, '159, '223, '003, '336, '807, '403; FRT marks | Entry titled Miscellaneous Relief, ECF No. 15, October 20, 2026. |
| URSA-SEC LLC and an individual defendant | D. Nev. No. 3:26-cv-00571, July 27, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01482 (Oct. 13, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403; FRT marks | Both defendants served in Nevada in September 2026. |
| ROKC LLC d/b/a Rainier Arms | W.D. Okla. No. 5:26-cv-01876, July 23, 2026 | 4:26-cv-01498 (Oct. 14, 2026) | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403; FRT marks | Transferred October 14, 2026; answer and counterclaim October 21, 2026 (ECF No. 15). |
| Upstate Triggers LLC, Cherokee Outfitters, Inc., City Arsenal Inc., CLB Guns LLC, Gun Runners LLC, and an individual defendant | D.S.C. No. 6:26-cv-03955, Sept. 8, 2026 | Pending in the District of South Carolina | '247, '784, '159, '403; FRT marks | Two summonses returned executed October 27, 2026. |
| GSG Mfg LLC d/b/a Grey Summit Gear and Cheese Finger Tactical | W.D. Wash. No. 2:26-cv-03290, Sept. 14, 2026 | Pending in the Western District of Washington | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403; FRT marks | Affidavit of service of the summons and complaint filed, ECF No. 7. |
| Beowulf Machine and Defense LLC and an individual defendant | D. Idaho No. 1:26-cv-00655, Oct. 6, 2026 | Pending in the District of Idaho | '247, '784, '538, '159, '403 | Pro hac vice motions filed with the complaint. |
Status across the campaign
Seventeen of the twenty suits listed are now in the Eastern District of Texas. Clerk's defaults have been entered in three cases, Bear Arms (September 21, 2026), Redacted Industries (by the Wyoming clerk, August 7, 2026), and Grey Market Research & Development (by the Wyoming clerk, August 7, 2026); in the Grey Market case, an answer and counterclaim was docketed in East Texas on October 19, 2026 (ECF No. 25). Defendants in the Nocturnal Apparel, 810Velocity, WMI, and ROKC cases have answered, and WMI and ROKC added counterclaims; ROKC filed its answer and counterclaim in East Texas on October 21, 2026. In the AS Designs case, the court denied a temporary restraining order on October 20, 2026 because the plaintiffs had not pointed to a physical product or specifications for the ARHK, which the order described as unreleased; on October 27, 2026 the plaintiffs filed under seal a new opposed motion for a TRO and preliminary injunction against the ARHK (ECF No. 117). In the Peak Tactical case, the Federal Circuit affirmed under Rule 36 the Wyoming court's denial of a preliminary injunction. The South Carolina, Washington, and Idaho suits, filed in September and October 2026, remain in their home courts.
What to watch next
Watch for a ruling on the plaintiffs' October 27, 2026 motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the ARHK in the AS Designs case. Watch the MDL docket for orders appointing leadership counsel or authorizing consolidated pleadings under Rule 16.1, scheduling orders that set response dates in the newly transferred cases, any motions for default judgment against Bear Arms or Redacted Industries, and any notices of potential tag-along action for the South Carolina, Washington, and Idaho suits. Any of these cases can end at any time, including by settlement or voluntary dismissal.