Surplus guns are cool, but boy, have they gotten expensive on the used market.
But you may have heard about the Civilian Marksmanship Program, a government organization through which you can purchase sought-after surplus military firearms, like M1911s and M1 Garands.
While the CMP offers an avenue to get a reasonably-priced surplus gun from a reputable source, it isn’t as easy as just putting one in your online shopping cart and clicking checkout.
So, how do you buy a gun through the CMP? Don’t worry, we are going to go over the entire process and requirements needed to get the ball rolling on your next CMP purchase!
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What is the CMP?
The Civilian Marksmanship Program, or CMP, was started in 1903 by the United States Congress under the War Department Appropriations Act in order to encourage and provide opportunities for civilians to learn marksmanship and practice their skills with military-style firearms.
While the CMP initially focused on marksmanship training for adults, it has since shifted its primary focus to youth programs and the safe, responsible use of firearms.
These days, the CMP primarily deals with training classes, competitions, and the topic of this article, the sales of surplus firearms.
What You Need to Buy From the CMP
- Proof of US citizenship
- Proof of age
- Membership in a CMP-affiliated organization
- Marksmanship or other firearms-related activity
- Legal eligibility to purchase a firearm
- Must meet state or local requirements
- Completed order form
All eligibility requirements can also be viewed on the CMP website here.
1. Proof of US citizenship
You will need a digital copy of your US birth certificate, a passport, proof of naturalization, or any official government document that shows you were born in the US.
It is worth noting that if you choose to use your military ID to prove citizenship, you are required to be an E5 or above.
2. Proof of Age
Typically, your proof of citizenship listed above will also provide proof of age. If you are using a document to prove citizenship that doesn’t include your age, then you can upload a copy of a state ID or driver’s license.
3. Membership in CMP-Affiliated Organization
Being part of a CMP-affiliated club or organization is the first of two odd requirements when buying through the CMP. This requirement cannot be waived at all.
So how do I join a CMP-affiliated club? The first option is to find a local club using this search tool.
But the easiest option is to join the Garand Collector’s Association, or GCA, online. The GCA is a $35 yearly fee and meets the requirements. You can sign up for a one-year plan, place your order, and be done with it.
You will need to provide an emailed receipt, a letter from your club, or a document showing that you are a current member of the club and have a valid expiration date.
The CMP also has special affiliates that can satisfy this purchase requirement. These include:
- Congressionally chartered veterans’ organizations such as the VFW, AL, DAV, MCL, etc.
- US Military services (active or reserves)
- National Guard, including retirees
- Professional law enforcement organizations and associations such as the FOP, NAPO, NSA, etc.
4. Marksmanship or Other Firearms-Related Activity
The second odd requirement is having proof that you are involved in firearms-related activity, showing that you can safely handle firearms and follow range procedures.
Note: Proof of marksmanship activity is not required for individuals over the age of 60.
Per the CMP, proof of marksmanship activity can be provided with documentation of the following:
- Current or past military service.
- Current or past law enforcement service.
- CMP or NRA Classification card.
- Participation in a rifle, pistol, air gun, or shotgun competition (provide a copy of match results).
- Completion of a marksmanship clinic that included live fire training (provide a copy of the certificate of completion or a statement from the instructor).
- Distinguished, Instructor, or Coach status.
- Concealed Carry License.
- Firearms Owner Identification Cards that included live fire training. – FFL or C&R license. (Note: An expired C&R license is acceptable to show proof of marksmanship.)
- Hunting License
- Completion of a Hunter Safety Course that included live fire training.
- Certification from a range, club official, or law enforcement officer witnessing shooting activity. Complete the CMP Marksmanship Form to certify your range firing and the required marksmanship-related activity for an individual to purchase from the CMP.
The easiest of these requirements is having your concealed carry license, hunting license, or having a local gun range officer sign off on the CMP Marksmanship Form that is linked above.
5. Legal Eligibility to Purchase a Firearm
This one is straightforward. The CMP will run a standard NICS background check when you buy a gun from them, so you must be able to purchase a gun legally.
6. Special State and Local Requirements
One of my favorite things about the CMP is that most CMP surplus rifles can be shipped directly to your doorstep without the need for an FFL!
However, this awesome feature is sometimes restricted by certain states or localities that require you to have a certificate, license, permit, or Firearms Owner ID (FOID) card in order to possess or receive a rifle.
If this applies to you, you must upload a copy of your certificate, license, permit, or card when purchasing.
These restrictions include:
- Residents in Washington State, CA, FL, IL, HI, NY, DE, NJ, RI, VT, and Washington DC must be 21 years or older to purchase a rifle.
- Residents of New York – Requires a permit to purchase any semi-auto rifle. This can be added to their firearms permit, but it must be on the permit. At this time, there are no exceptions. If a person does not already have a firearm permit, it may take a year or more for the person to obtain one.
- Residents of NY and OR must have the rifles shipped to a state-licensed dealer. You must provide a copy of the dealer’s license with your order form.
- Residents of NJ must have the rifles shipped to a state-licensed dealer. You must provide a copy of the dealer’s license with your order form. Residents must also provide their NJ FOID card.
- Rifle shipments to CA must be made to a state-licensed dealer or may be made to individual homes, providing that a CA Certificate of Eligibility and a Curio and Relic License are provided.
- Rifle shipments to CT – As a result of CT Bill 1160 and Bill 13-220, which revised CT Bill 1160, all CT customers purchasing rifles to be delivered in CT must have the rifle shipped to a CT licensed dealer or must provide us with a copy of their current Type 3 (C&R) FFL license. We can ship directly to a customer’s home if they possess a C&R license.
- Rifle shipments to IL can only ship to the address on your FOID card.
- Rifle shipments to WA must be made to a licensed FFL. As of February 2, 2023, firearms can no longer be shipped to a C&R holder. The customer needs to provide the I-1639 training certificate.
- Rifle shipments to Washington DC – Customer will need to register the serial number with the police department once provided, and send us a copy of the PD 219 form before it can ship.
7. Complete Your Order Form
Once all of the eligibility documents are gathered, it is time to buy your rifle or handgun from the CMP.
Thankfully, the CMP has recently switched to an online form rather than the old-school mail-in. Here are quick links to the order forms for the most popular CMP guns.
Other rifle sales information can be found here.
Other Things to Know
The CMP also has an auction site for certain types of rifles and high-grade examples that are not sold outright. Buyers must meet the same eligibility requirements to buy from auction.
You can also buy CMP guns in person at one of the three CMP store locations. These stores are located in Anniston, Alabama, Talladega, Alabama, and Port Clinton, Ohio. If you are nearby, this is an awesome option since you are able to inspect and hand-pick your own gun in addition to having any questions answered by the experts there.
As of 2025, customers can purchase a maximum of 12 surplus rifles of any type per year.
You will receive one free rifle case per calendar year with the purchase of your first M1 Garand.
All CMP 1911 pistols ship with a hard-sided Flambeau pistol case.
Meet the Experts
Authoring this article is Pew Pew Tactical Editor, Wyatt Sloan. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor and also has experience with competition shooting and hunting. Wyatt personally owns over 200 firearms, including a CMP Garand, and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales.
Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.
Final Thoughts
While the whole process may seem a bit daunting, it really isn’t that bad.
A few photocopies of some documents and a small fee to join a club are all you need to save yourself hundreds of dollars or more on your next cool surplus purchase.
Keep in mind that the CMP has a limited supply of surplus rifles, so make sure you don’t wait too long. Buy one, you won’t regret it!
Have you bought from the CMP before or thought about it? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check out our full review of the M1 Garand to see why they are so awesome!
10 Leave a Reply
I agree: It is definitely awesome that CMP ships rifles directly to your house, without an FFL. That blew my mind when my dad’s CMP Garand just showed up in the mail. But I’m wondering… how is that legal?
Since the CMP is a government entity, they get to bend the rules. The CMP also predates FFLs being a thing for over half a century. It is definitely nice if you live in a state where it can be shipped straight to you door.
CMP was established by Congress in a bill passed in 1998. Part of their mission is to "issue, loan or sell firearms," as well as encourage civilians to become marksmen. Direct shipping was probably included in the bill to make it easier, and therefore more likely, for civilians to order and participate. I think there was a similar law that pre-dates the 1998, going back to the cold war possibility of needing a large call-up for the military. Having civilians familiar with firearms gives a leg up on mobilizing.
Your previous article on the CMP Garands made me make the jump. Once I got used to the quirks of the CMP website, ordering wasn't difficult - though you do need the application notarized. At the time the website said fulfillment could take 60-90 days but it was shipped (straight to my house) within three weeks. All the rifles have seen use, so they won't have all original parts. But CMP does a good job cleaning and refinishing. Their rifles look good, are in very good shape, and shoot well. It's a neat piece of history and even more fun to shoot.
Glad you made the jump! Their recent announcement about partnering with a US based machine shop to make new production receivers really tells me they are preparing to run out sooner than later. A little part of me wants to pick up a second one before that happens, haha.
Why is there a question mark in the title or the article when the title is not written as a question?
Oops! Sometimes we accidentally hit the wrong thing. Thanks for pointing that out.
My first rifle was and M-1 grand and i Love to own and other .I have a Concealed Carry License in Indiana . More then willing to join your club. Thank You
Can CMG extend membership to non US citizen. I wanted to own an M1Garand rifle. Philippines where i live will return some 86k of these items to the US Army
I bought three CMP rifles back in the day: two M1 Garands and one M1903A1 Springfield. At the time, I thought they were cool. Today my interest in historical rifles has waned. These rifles are for people who value historical firearms regardless of cost or how well they shoot. The process described above is accurate. CMP is slow, bureaucratic, and nit-picking. The only folks who can truly find value at CMP are collectors and participants in the John C. Garand matches; even then, value is largely a matter of chance unless you are willing to pay premium auction prices. Make no mistake: CMP is in business to make money and their prices are stratospheric. If you are a match shooter, after you have acquired the rifle be prepared to pay a lot of money for gunsmithing and accurizing within the rules of your discipline. I used a place called National Match Armory who did an exceptional job on my rifles. Cannot say enough good things about Eric Pierce except that he is not cheap. CMP is the place to go for well-heeled hobbyists. Now that I am well-equipped as an infantryman circa 1940, I find that I seldom shoot these rifles because .30-06 is not cheap, even surplus if you can find it. Now I have three obscenely expensive safe queens. Since I am neither a collector nor a John C. Garand match participant, I realize that I could have invested the money I spent on these rifles much more effectively in additional training and ammo for the rifles I do shoot. Buyer beware and think hard about buying from CMP unless you are a collector or match participant and willing to pay the price.