A man from Washington, D.C., is facing machine gun charges after visiting a Northern Virginia gun range with a 3D printed forced reset trigger (FRT).
On September 22, 2025, Erez Avissar of Washington, D.C., rented a rifle from Silver Eagle Group (SEG) in Ashburn, VA. He took the gun into a shooting bay and proceeded to disassemble it. A SEG range safety officer (RSO) approached him and inquired about what he was doing. The man responded that he was testing out an FRT that didn’t work in his rifle. The RSO asked him where he got the FRT from, and the man told him that he 3D printed it. FRTs violate SEG’s policy, and he is also not allowed to modify rental guns. The RSO canceled his rental, and according to police reports, he was “sent on his way.” He was a member for six months at the time of the incident.
Four days later, someone made an anonymous text tip to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) reporting that Avissar had an FRT and was a resident of D.C. It is unclear if the anonymous citizen was an employee of SEG, but whoever it was had access to his name and address in D.C.
The case was assigned to MPD Investigator Allorie Keleman, who stated that an FRT can convert a semi-automatic firearm to a fully automatic firearm. Investigator Keleman is incorrect. An FRT works by the bolt forcing the trigger to reset, allowing the shooter to take quicker follow-up shots, but the rate of fire is less than that of a machine gun. Federal statute states that a machine gun fires multiple shots with a single function of a trigger.
Since an FRT only fires one shot per function of a trigger, it cannot be considered a machine gun under federal statute. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently settled a case in Texas where they admitted an FRT is not a machine gun under federal law (NAGR v. Garland).
On October 1, Investigator Keleman applied for and received a search warrant from D.C. Superior Court Judge Jason Park. On October 8, the MPD, led by Sgt. Scott Possinger would conduct a “knock-and-announce” raid on the studio apartment of Avissar, where he lived alone. The suspect did not answer the door, so MPD forced entry into the dwelling and detained Avissar without incident.
Once inside the residence, MPD found several FRTs in plain sight next to the suspect’s bed. Due to the FRTs, Sgt. Possinger requested an addendum search warrant to seize all electronic devices. The addendum was approved on the same day by Judge Todd Edelman. Police recovered multiple firearms, a 3D printer, filament, five SD cards, four USB drives, two laptops, three electronic storage banks, and one cell phone.
MDP Investigator Daniel Tipps and ATF Special Agent Thomas responded to the scene and interviewed Avissar. According to the police report, the man admitted to knowing “what FRTs are and how they are capable of turning a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm.” He said he stored the gun files on his laptop. Avissar also reported having another AR-15 style rifle in his car. The MDP requested a K9 unit that alerted to the vehicle. The officers conducted a warrantless search of the car and retrieved the gun.
MPD arrested Avissar for Possession of a Machine Gun and Pistol License Violation. An FRT is not a machine gun. It will be interesting to see how this case unfolds and the input that the ATF has in the case.
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About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
