Feds Could Buy Their Retired Service Guns: New Bill Proposes Purchase Program at 'Salvage Value'

This proposal, the 'Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act of 2025,' sets up a system for federal law enforcement officers to buy their old service firearms. Within a year of the bill passing, the General Services Administration (GSA) would need to launch a program allowing officers – including retirees in good standing – to purchase the specific firearm they were issued once the agency decides it's surplus.

Your Service Weapon, Your Keepsake?

The core idea is straightforward: if you're a federal officer and your agency retires the handgun or rifle you carried, you get the option to buy it. This applies to officers currently serving and those who have already retired, provided they left the agency on good terms. The window to make the purchase is tight – just six months after the firearm is officially declared 'retired' by the agency.

The Price Tag: What's 'Salvage Value'?

Officers wouldn't pay market rate. The bill specifies the firearms will be sold at their 'salvage value'. Think of this like the residual value of equipment that's no longer useful for its primary job – essentially, its worth based on age and condition after factoring in depreciation and wear. The bill defines it as the value when it's 'no longer useful to the owner' or the disposal amount at the end of its service life. How agencies will consistently determine this value isn't detailed, which could raise questions about fairness and whether taxpayers are getting a reasonable return on government property.

What's Off the Table?

The definition of 'firearm' used here comes from existing federal law (18 U.S.C. 921(a)), covering most standard service weapons. However, there's a specific exclusion: machine guns are generally not eligible for this program, unless they were legally owned before the 1986 federal ban (as outlined in 18 U.S.C. 922(o)).

Real-World Considerations

For officers, this offers a chance to own a tool they relied on, potentially for years. For agencies, it provides a defined channel to dispose of surplus weapons. However, the reliance on 'salvage value' without clearer guidelines could lead to inconsistencies or firearms being sold significantly below market value. It also means service-used firearms enter private ownership, albeit initially to vetted individuals.