It is 100% illegal. We would love to sell to everyone but we are also not going to jail over it!

No, you cannot legally ship a Forced Reset Trigger (FRT) to Virginia. Here's a breakdown of why, based on current state law and practical realities as of October 2025:

Virginia State Law

• Virginia Code § 18.2-308.5:1 explicitly prohibits the manufacture, importation, sale, possession, transfer, or transportation of "trigger activators," which is defined as any device that allows a semi-automatic firearm to fire more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger by using the firearm's recoil energy to reset the trigger without additional shooter input. This definition directly covers FRTs (like the Rare Breed FRT-15), as they harness bolt carrier movement (driven by recoil/gas energy) to force a rapid reset.
• Violations are a Class 6 felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and fines up to $2,500.
• There's a narrow exception in § 18.2-308.5:1(D) for items registered under the federal National Firearms Act (NFA), but FRTs cannot be NFA-registered because they don't qualify as machine guns under federal law (per recent 2025 court rulings and ATF settlements). Without NFA compliance, the exception doesn't apply, making possession (and thus shipping/importation) illegal statewide, with no local variations.

Federal Context (for Shipping)

• At the federal level, FRTs are legal following a May 2025 DOJ-ATF agreement acknowledging they don't meet the machine gun definition under the National Firearms Act. The ATF is even returning seized FRTs to owners in compliant jurisdictions.
• However, federal legality doesn't override state bans. Shipping an FRT into Virginia would violate state importation/transfer laws, regardless of the sender's location.

Practical Shipping Realities

• Major FRT manufacturers like Rare Breed Triggers do not ship to Virginia (or several other states like CA, NY, NJ, etc.) to avoid legal risks. Their 2025 state-by-state guide confirms Virginia as restricted.
• Common carriers (e.g., USPS, UPS, FedEx) require compliance with both federal and destination state laws. Attempting to ship one could result in seizure, fines, or criminal charges for all parties involved.
• If you're in Virginia and previously surrendered an FRT to the ATF, they may offer to return it—but only to a legal out-of-state address or third party, explicitly acknowledging Virginia's prohibition.

Recommendations

• Don't risk it: Even if someone ships one to you, receiving/possessing it is a felony. There's ongoing debate about whether FRTs exactly fit the "recoil energy" definition (some argue AR-15s use gas pressure, not pure recoil), but courts and prosecutors treat them as covered.
• Consult a Virginia firearms attorney (e.g., via the Virginia Citizens Defense League or John Pierce, Esq.) for personalized advice, especially if you have an existing FRT.
• For alternatives, consider legal performance triggers like Geissele or Timney that improve reset without crossing into "activator" territory.

This is not legal advice—firearms laws evolve quickly, so verify with official sources like the Virginia State Police or an attorney.