Is this true? Does some law prevent one from buying a tank?
Oh, Whoopie? I own no guns. All lost in an unfortunate boating accident that occurred around Jan. 20, 2021.
@mountaineer Nope!
You would need a special permit from the BATF if you wanted to own a tank that is complete with the cannon and machine guns,but if you can afford to buy and have a tank shipped to you,you can certainly afford to buy those extras at the same time.
Hell of a lot of money to spend on something you have no actual use for,though. You can buy/have build wooden "dummy" guns and end up with the same look while saving a TON of money. AFAIK,that,or having the original cannon and MG breeches and bores welded up so they are not functional is what I suspect most people do because,after all,how often in life does the average American citizen really NEED or USE a freaking cannon or a belt-fed machine gun?
BTW,the typical tank had two machine guns. One 30 cal in the base,and a 50 cal mounted on the turret. We are talking some serious money would have to be spent to put it all in firing condition.
Also,AFAIK,almost every collector that owns one spends extra money to buy "road treads" for the roller wheels so they can legally drive them on the roads. The original steel treads would tear up the highway.
BTW,I am referencing FEDERAL Laws here,not state laws. For all I know,it may be illegal for a private individual to own ANY of that stuff in some states.