Firearms Action Shooting Trials – FAST – announced it is adding an Auto-Rifle division to its 2026 match schedule, opening competition to forced reset trigger-equipped rifles and registered machine guns for the first time, with the debut for the division being the upcoming Parma, Idaho match in October. If any of you readers out there happen to be interested and attending, I’ll see you at the match.
The new division carries specific equipment requirements. Entrants must run either an NFA-registered machine gun or a rifle equipped with an FRT. The rifle must also have a heavy barrel or a belt-fed upper, and a bipod must remain mounted to the rifle for the duration of each stage.
In its announcement, FAST states that the division is a response to broader trends in the AR-15 accessory market:
Forced Reset Triggers continue to gain popularity as American gun owners starved for true machine guns for decades adopt FRTs as an alternative. End users and some companies such as Red Right Hand have been building ‘civilian SAWs’ incorporating FRTs.
FRTs are legal under federal law following a May 2025 settlement between the Department of Justice and Rare Breed Triggers, which ended years of litigation over whether the devices met the legal definition of a machine gun under the National Firearms Act. More than a dozen states still restrict or ban FRTs under separate state statutes, and manufacturers generally advise buyers to confirm local law before purchase.
The Auto-Rifle division will debut at FAST-ID, presented by X-Tech Tactical, October 9-11 at the Parma Rod and Gun Club in Parma, Idaho. Red Right Hand, a manufacturer of belt-fed AR-15 uppers, will sponsor a dedicated Auto-Rifle stage at the match. According to the announcement, every competitor at that stage will get to run a belt-fed rifle regardless of which division they are otherwise competing in.
FAST is a newly launched two-gun match series founded by Russell Phagan, who previously helped organize the Brutality series of matches, including Woodland Brutality and Desert Brutality. Phagan’s competition background extends beyond match direction.
He serves as vice president at KE Arms, the manufacturer of the KP-15 polymer AR-15 lower, which spent roughly five years defending a trade-secret lawsuit filed by GWACS Armory over the design’s lineage to the discontinued Cavalry Arms CAV-15. A jury sided with KE Arms in early 2025; GWACS filed a notice of appeal that April, and the case remains pending before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. The move sets FAST apart from most mainstream two-gun and 3-gun series, which generally don’t build rules around FRT-equipped or NFA-registered rifles.
According to match materials published on the FAST website, the series is built around long par times of up to six minutes per stage, average round counts of 50 to 80 rounds, and permitted coaching during runs. Rifle targets can extend to 600 yards where range facilities allow it, with most shots between 100 and 400 yards, while pistol targets are set at 25 to 50 yards. Prizes are awarded by random draw rather than overall placement, which organizers say is intended to keep the emphasis on sportsmanship. I’ve certainly benefited from this prize style.
Registration for FAST-ID is open now through PractiScore. Additional information on FAST and media from past matches is available at fast-matches.org. See you all there!
