Maybe, maybe not. There is a large difference between "documents that allowed him to buy the wreckage" (scrapping) and "returning them to working condition" (salvage and repair). One is routine and done all the time, the other when it comes to weapons required additional permits and safegards. Even here in the US anybody can go out and buy things like tanks and artillery pieces. However, unless you have the proper permits they must be "demilitarized", rendering them unable to fire weapons and other things.
I bought 10 copies of the National Enquirer back in the mid '80's just because their full page cover story headline said "Nazi astronauts return from outer space ... AFTER 45 YEARS!!!" It was so ridiculously retarded and funny I couldn't resist buying them just for that front page alone.
Today because of NATO even the American military measures everything in metric. Except for the U.S. Navy, they'll still uses SAE inches for measuring their guns. If you go on a U.S. military base and look at it's KD rifle ranges you can determine when the range was built. If it's a 1,000 yard range you are on a U.S. Marine rifle range built for the 03-Springfield. If it's a 600 yard range it's pre WW ll when the 03-Springfield rifle was the standard issue rifle. If it's a 500 yard range it was built during WW ll up until the late 1950's when the M-1 Garand was the standard issued rifle. If it's a 500 meter range it's late 1950's to present. If you remember back during the 1970's NATO wanted one Main Battle Tank (MBT) for all NATO countries. It was suppose to be designed and built by the USA and Germany. One problem, the USA uses the SAE (Standard of American Engineering) inches, feet, yards, miles. Where as Germany and Europe used the metric system, MM, CM, Meter, kilometers. During the 1970's because of Europe being on the metric system and America using SAE, the metric system was being forced upon America. Back then when you bought a car in America all you needed was one tool box with SAE tools. Americans rejected the metric system so the U.S. Army said that all of the bolts, nuts, screws on the NATO MBT would be SAE. Germany and the Brits said "nein", "no." No compromising of using both and having to have two different set of tools, SAE and metric, it would be stupid and a waste of money. So the NATO MBT died and America went it's way and developed the M-1 Abrams MBT and the Germans built the Panther ll MBT. Today because of globalization when you purchase an American made car you need two set of tools to work on it, SAE and metric.
Germany must have got some of their own way because the gun on the Abrams is built by a German company, Rheinmetall, which funnily enough also made the 7,5cm gun for the Panther.
When the U.S. Army developed the (30-06) 03-Springfield rifle that was issued from 1903 to WW ll, they adopted the Mauser action. Of course royalties had to be paid to Mauser and the USA would keep paying the royalties even while WW 1 was being fought. The Mauser action is probably the best action for any bolt action rifle. I own a Pre-64 Winchester Mod.-70 chambered for the Winchester .270. The pre-64 Winchester Mod. 70's use a Mauser action. That's why they were expensive and today collector items just because they are worth so much. $3,000 to $6,000. Not bad for a rifle that over 55 years old. Best $300. investment I ever made. The American M-60 machine gun is just a knock off of the Germans WW ll MG-34 with just some improvements. Most of general purpose machine guns today are based upon the MG-42
Rheinmetall is an excellent company. My son does a lot of business with them, and is pretty much in awe of their high standards and management. They also have facilities in Italy and Canada.
