Full Metal Jacket

Awesome service and great products. Recommend for anyone looking for mil surp supplies.

Awesome workers. Very friendly and knowledgeable.
Found a few good condor items and they also suggested other stores in the area which is unusal since it would take part of their business away.

I have a job with the DoD and it requires me to deploy to the various places. I got a LBT plate carrier here and it broke during training. I took it back, months after I had bought it, no reciept and they handed over a new one like no big thing. Also, a good place to get 550 cord, cyalume, other bits and pieces to make sure your TDY is a little smoother. Also, they have some pretty rad actual surplus items from wars pasts. It’s crammed back away on Dove, which is off of Duke. A little hidden.

This place is great. I was going out to Arizona to work with some Marines for a few weeks and I needed some gear. Got boots and a hat here, and should have bought most of my clothes here instead of at REI. Seemed like reasonable prices and the workers were helpful. Lots of stuff in the store to peruse.

I got my M-​65 field jacket there for when it’s rainy out bc I work in DC. I loved that it was only $ 25! I found some used online for way more! I love this place and the prices are very reasonable.

The staff here are so kind and helpful. They will take the time to look for the item you’re seeking and tell you if they have it, over the phone. That’s important when you live 75 miles away. Most other places that I called wouldn’t even bother to look. Great assortment of inventory, too!

I am the last person one would expect to be visiting a military store. If I’m honest with myself, I stick out like a sore thumb or the civilian that I am. However, this place is such a hidden gem. They have the coolest merchandise and a great place to get a gift for the veterans in your family. The staff are super nice and helpful.

Plenty of parking, knowledgable staff and an excellent selection of products.

I ordered a uniform (the new snazzy lightweight Air Force uniform) and a few other odds and ends from FMJ a few weeks ago. I live in San Diego, but have military duty in Tucson… that can be a 50 °F delta in just an hour. I also work outside all day on a hot flightline with running F-​16s adding additional heat, but enough of the background. When my uniform did not magically appear within a few days, I contacted FMJ and was told they were holding it until the other items came back in stock, but could ship it early if I needed it. I explained my situation and guess what??? Two days later my uniform appeared on my doorstep, sent two day mail! I was sooo happy and appreciative I sent a thank you, and got a nice response back as well. This is my first, but absolutely not my last purchase from FMJ. Thanks you guys!

FMJ has a long history in Northern VA. For many years it occupied a quasi-​historical building on the Alexandria waterfront, downstairs from Potomac Arms Corporation and across the street from the old Interarms warehouse. A few years ago, the city of Alexandria drove FMJ and Potomac Arms away with one of those «offers you can’t refuse» that only a government can make. Potomac Arms went out of business, but FMJ carried on in its new location in a small industrial/​commercial park on Dove Street in Alexandria, where they’re guaranteed to get virtually no foot traffic. Never mind, many of customers they’ve been cultivating over the years — including some names that militaria or gun collectors nationwide would recognize — keep coming back. FMJ focuses mostly on original military surplus items, most of which they buy from area collectors or the numerous military members stationed in the National Capital Region. But if you’re thinking of selling your gear to FMJ, be aware that like most surplus stores, they’ll pay you very little for it — unless you have something truly out of the ordinary.
FMJ seems to avoid stocking the ubiquitous reproduction items, like the Chinese-​made MA-​1s you’ll find at surplus chains like Sunny’s Surplus. FMJ does, however, carry a decent selection of Propper BDUs in several colors and sizes, and some of the higher-​quality repros that for the cost-​conscious military member will pass off as the official issue item. FMJ also has a «collector’s cabinet» where a few higher-​valued collector’s items are kept. Their selection of this class of items is quite limited, though — nothing like, for example, the militaria selection carried by Classic Firearms in Virginia Beach.
FMJ’s prices, whether on collectible items or not, are somewhat inconsistent. Some items will be great bargains, whereas others will be significantly inflated. Most will be somewhere in the middle. I have always found, though, that Mark (one of the owners) and most of the staff are open to negotiating prices — to an extent. Though profit margins in the surplus business are relatively high, the volume of sales must be low at FMJ’s easily overlooked location on Dove Street. But FMJ also supplies quantities of uniforms and other products to commercial customers, and I bet it’s these sales that keep them in business.
Bottom line: if you’re a militaria collector or just casually interested in military surplus and you’re in the Alexandria area, stop by FMJ. This is as pedigreed a business as a military surplus store can be. Plus, the staff is friendly, interesting, and they know every militaria collector in Northern VA worth knowing.

The staff here is always friendly and knowledgeable.
Prior to their move to the South Dove St location, I would have given them 5 stars, but their new location isn’t so great. It’s a pain in the ass to get to and it’s smaller. It could be my imagination but I feel like it has a much smaller stock now.
It’s always a hit or miss here. Sometimes you can find some real gems, but it’s mostly luck.
Prices are generally good & always remember to ask them to check in the back.

As I’m sure all of you have experienced, today I found myself in need of a good military surplus store. Like the previous reviewer, I was really astounded at the noticeable lack of surplus shops in the DC area. Fortunately, the one store that I did find (via an obscure reference on the Internet) was actually in the town in which I live (Alexandria). When I drove up to the store, I turned onto the street for it and said, «This doesn’t look like the kind of area in which a military surplus shop would be located.» Surprisingly, the store was right there… and it was open. Though not a large store, they manage to display a respectable amount of goods… mostly military clothing. Also, like the previous reviewer, I found the staff to be knowledgeable and friendly. In closing, if you wake up tomorrow and have an intense desire to purchase a Russian military hat, some Vietnam-​era mosquito netting, a camouflage uniform, or some other essential, then don’t hesitate to check out Full Metal Jacket in Alexandria.

«4212. Basic Military Journalism. You gotta be shittin’ me, Joker. You think you’re Mickey Spillane? You think you’re some kind of a fuckin’ writer?»
Why is it so hard to find a purveyor of military supplies and memorabilia in the metro DC area? Growing up in Michigan, there were two army surplus stores in my rinky-​dink hometown. And even the tree-​hugging city of Ann Arbor has a huge army surplus store on campus. I figured that since DC was the capital of the world’s greatest and spendingest military power, there would be plenty of sources for camouflage and carabineers. Boy was I wrong.
Luckily I found Full Metal Jacket in my backyard. They used to be located on the water in Old Town on Prince St, but moved a few years ago. Although the size of the store does not compare to the places the Michigan Militia members would be accustom to, they carry a decent selection of uniforms from each of the armed forces branches, lots of head and foot gear, and some memorabilia. No guns or live grenades, though… at least not displayed for the average consumer to see.
My reason for checking this place out was because I did not want to have welts all over my body — aka camo for paint balling. Since I don’t look like your typical Marine or trench combat aficionado, the guys behind the counter probably sized me up as a curious browser and left me alone. It was easy to find what I needed and the prices are reasonable. Based on the conversation that the staff were having with their niche customers, it sounded like they were friendly and knew what they were talking about. It’s too bad they had to move out of Old Town as a place like this really adds to the charm and kitsch of the neighborhood.
Also, they have bug repellent from 1966 in stock! Like wine and myself, I’m sure this stuff gets better with age. I’m ordering a case.