Free Gun For Car Buyers In Missouri

[WARPARTY36]

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=beecef61-bc31-4f6e-b603-917e0f191dcc

Free Handgun Promotion to Car Buyers
Reported by: Russ Ptacek
Email: [email protected]
Last Update: 8:56 am

Getty Images BUTLER, Mo. -- A Missouri car dealership is trying to boost sales by offering guns to auto buyers.

“We got crew cabs,” says Walter Moore walking past rows of new cars and trucks at Max Motors in Butler, Mo. “We got extended cabs. Whole bunch of these on sale here. Any of them comes with a gun.”

“Just a nice small little gun,” says car dealer Steve Priest as he palms a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

“A very dependable gun like this,” Priest says about the types of handguns buyers can choose from when they purchase a car.

Max Motors’ "Guns & Gas" ad offers a $250 gas card or a gift certificate at the local gun shop.

“I think we've had two pick the gun,” Moore says.

The small town dealership, by Butler's grain silos, is competing with big city dealers who are handing out gas incentives.

“You’ve got car-jackings,” Moore said about the motivator for the campaign. “You got innocent people being shot and killed. I figured it's time for people to protect themselves.”

Butler has a population of about 4,200 people. Police say the town doesn't have an unusual crime problem and has only had one armed robbery in the past 25 years.

“I don't really have a problem with what they're doing. But, I don't think it's going to deter the crime any,” says Butler Police Chief Jim Garnett.

A Pennsylvania dealership launched a similar promotion in 2006. It sparked anger and protests from anti-gun activists.

“Our whole philosophy down here is guns, God, country,” Priest says holding a gun near a banner of the dealership’s mascot, which is a caricature of a cowboy waving two handguns.

Priest says, so far, no one has complained, and points out buyers are required to pass a background check before they get their handguns.

“A few people have been kind of shocked,” Moore says. “Do I really get a gun? Yes, you can. Yes, you can. It's guns or gas.”

 

[MakAttak]

I think it's a great idea.

It should also be unremarkable:

"Oh hey, the dealership is giving out a spa vacation with a new car!"

"Oh hey, the dealership is giving out a new gun with a new car!"

There should be no difference in reaction.

 

[Cougfan2]

I can see the Brady Bunch folks heads spinning and crapping their pants over this.

I love it!

 

[Phil DeGraves]

Police say the town doesn't have an unusual crime problem and has only had one armed robbery in the past 25 years.

“I don't really have a problem with what they're doing. But, I don't think it's going to deter the crime any,” says Butler Police Chief Jim Garnett.

Its hard to deter crime when you don't have any.

 

[shdwfx]

Its hard to deter crime when you don't have any.

Not so. Ounce of prevention and all that.

 

[ColinthePilot]

I think it's a great idea.

It should also be unremarkable:

"Oh hey, the dealership is giving out a spa vacation with a new car!"

"Oh hey, the dealership is giving out a new gun with a new car!"

There should be no difference in reaction.

except for the fact that I would say "ehhhh, no thanks" to the former.

 

[JohnBlaze]

i wish they'd do that here, I want a new pick em up truck.

 

[elrod]

i wish they'd do that here, I want a new pick um up truck.

.....Betcha if you go over there, they will sell you one, and give you the money to take home for the pistola.......

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I like it! Although with as much as new trucks cost it should come with an M1A

 

[Thernlund]

*heh* I think that if I owned a car dealership, I might be inclined to get an FFL, and then actually give the guns away directly.

The gift cert is probably smarter. But hey... the direct give would be cooler.


-T.

 

[TallPine]

For buying a crew/extended-cab pickup, one should at least get a Ruger *Hawk in a caliber that begins with "4"

 

[3pairs12]

Man if I were in the market for a new car/truck I would love to get a free gun with my purchase. I like the idea.

 

[ArmedBear]

Why buy a new car when you don't know whether or not you'll be able to buy gas in 6 months?

 

[conw]

“Just a nice small little gun,” says car dealer Steve Priest as he palms a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

“A very dependable gun like this,” Priest says about the types of handguns buyers can choose from when they purchase a car.

That really captures the sales-patter of a car salesmen surprisingly well, though I'm not sure the second quote was taken in context...

Personally, I get tailgated every time I'm on the road, quite often by a very large pickup; this sounds pretty lame I know, but I don't want a bunch of indebted road-ragers to be armed as part of their decision to buy a new car. The sales pitch made it sound like the purpose of the gun was to "protect" the truck from carjacking...which is kind of secondary to the real purpose of self-defense, i.e. self-protection.

Of course, the 2-ton truck that's 2 inches from my bumper is much more deadly a weapon than any .380...

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I don't want a bunch of indebted road-ragers to be armed as part of their decision to buy a new car.

Yes, we all know that allowing people to carry guns will cause the streets to be awash in the blood of innocents. This will only make it worse!

The sales pitch made it sound like the purpose of the gun was to "protect" the truck from carjacking...which is kind of secondary to the real purpose of self-defense, i.e. self-protection.

From the article: "I figured it's time for people to protect themselves." (Emphasis mine). How exactly do you get "protect the truck" from that?

 

[OAKVILLE SHOOTER]

Of course, the 2-ton truck that's 2 inches from my bumper is much more deadly a weapon than any .380...

Man, don't tell anybody. The next thing you know, Bloomberg and Brady will want my truck too.

 

[blkbrd666]

Full Auto dealers should give a gift certificate for a new truck with each purchase...prices are ridiculous.

 

[conw]

Jorg,

It was a rant. Sure, encouraging gun ownership is a good thing, for the most part, but I am so fed up with the situation as far as road rage goes that I allowed myself an emotive rant, as opposed to a cerebral response.

My reaction wasn't so much "It's awful that they're arming truck buyers," it was more like "I hate to think that the idiot that is tailgating me in his new truck, that he went into 10 years of debt to buy, is slightly more likely to be armed."

Emotion, yes, logic, no. C'est la vie.

I'm really more concerned with the amount of aggressive driving than I am with who owns guns. Like I hinted at, I find a truck one half car length behind me at 55-70mph much more threatening than a loaded gun. I think such actions should be charged with something similar to brandishing a deadly weapon. But I digress...

 

[Thernlund]

I hate to think that the idiot that is tailgating me in his new truck, that he went into 10 years of debt to buy, is slightly more likely to be armed.

At least he's probably in a good mood if he just pulled off the lot.


-T.

 

[230RN]

Boulder (CO) National Bank used to give out Weatherby Rifles right up front to folks who bought $X,000 Certificates of Deposit.

Circa late sixties(?) to at least the late seventies(?).

Worked for them, but them wuz different times.

Shows you how much progress the anti-gunners have made in the interim.

 

[snorko]

A local dealer does the same thing with Browning and Benelli shotguns every fall

 

[Red Tornado]

Can't believe nobody posted their website yet...here 'tis. http://www.max71.com/
They're getting great responses on the comments, imagine that. Apparently it's a Kel-Tec from what one of the customers posted, but I don't know which model. I'll dig further.
RT

 

[Blackbeard]

Hit the poll about it here:

http://www.kmbc.com/news/16345443/detail.html

 

[soccergod04]

Two awesome quotes from this guy that I read from another source:

"Six people came by – a bunch of long hairs who think the '60s are still going on, and who obviously don't have jobs," Muller said. "We all went out there with our cowboy hats on and told them we'd stomp 'em, and they left."

"When asked if Sen. Barack Obama's recent comments about people clinging to guns and religion inspired the promotion, Muller said yes.

"My next promotion is to give away a free King James Bible to any Muslim that converts to Christianity," he said."

 

[longrifleman]

I just happen to be in the town where the dealership is located.

The dealer is always coming up with interesting marketing ideas. As far as guns are concerned, he is the real deal. All the employees have been encouraged to get their CCW. One of his mechanics is an instructor and FFL on the side, and a great guy besides. I took my cert class from him. I'm what they call an "unsolicited endorsement".

I've heard that they do a good bit of their business over the internet, so his prices must be pretty good. Hint hint.

Some of you may know of his brother, who has a little radio program. Mancow Muller.