back to article American auto dealer offers free handguns

Max Motors is aware of America's crime problem. And it wants to be part of the solution. With this in mind, the Butler, Missouri auto dealership is offering a free handgun to anyone in the market for a new car or truck. As reported by the BBC, Max Motors recently launched a "Guns and Gas" promotion. If you purchase any vehicle …

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  1. Herby

    Only in America...

    ...What a country!

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    I asked a friend of mine from the US about this

    His comment was:

    Whatever, this is the midwest, they give you a .22 rifle if you open an account in a local bank there.

    Me coat, the one with "No to NRA" sticker on it.

  3. Vaughan Trevor Jones
    Dead Vulture

    I'd take the gun

    What happens when Ford meets the wild west? Personally I'd take the gun, that way you could just whip out your gun when you going to fill up. Easy way to get ones money worth.

    The bird, yeah if you charge me for the fuel

  4. Emrys Capati
    Alien

    brill

    Seriously, more guns = less crime? I just wait for the day they all lose their temper at the same time.

    Alien - cause i am

  5. Chris G

    Praise the Lord and put yer goddam hands up

    Sounds like my kind of place. I'd like to shoot the little bastard that ripped my mirrors off, literally! There's nothing wrong with guns only the people that misuse them.

  6. Peyton

    Truth hurts sometimes

    Poor redneck... couldn't even quote Obama correctly.

    In a small, mid-western town like this, I would imagine most buyers in the area will opt for the gas card, as they will probably already have plenty of handguns.

  7. heystoopid
    Joke

    So

    So , in case of emergency such as car break down(US built cars that come from the big three makers with numerous defects and fatal user design flaws ) or stuck in the usual Freeway Gridlock , break glass and use to self eliminate the nut behind the wheel deal from the gene pool , is that the case ?

  8. Bill Gould
    Paris Hilton

    Guns?

    They (MA) also had in excess of 365 murders last year, more than one per day. Take the gas you trigger-happy yokels.

    Paris, she'd probably take the gun too.

  9. ImaGnuber

    Ya gotta love this

    I guess we'll see a flood of anti-American crap but c'mon - ya gotta love a guy with a sense of humour.

  10. Matt Allen
    Pirate

    I wish I was surprised at this

    I live just outside of St. Louis, MO and sadly I am not shocked that someone would do this. This is a Concealed Carry state too. On the other hand maybe it would lead to a little more polite driving habits out here, we could definitely use some people with the fear of being shot when they drive like a fool (no offense to professional fools).

    (Skull Bones because riding the motorcycle with these crazies will get me that way)

  11. EJ

    This'll quiet down America's violent image

    The stupidity just doesn't end in my good ol' US of A... What a bunch of rubes in MO.

  12. Rick
    Coat

    US of A rocks!!!

    This could totally work. I would take the gun and then not register the car and that way i could get free gas well it would require a stick up or more but still works.

    And thanks to Barack "chicken lovin" Obama for continueing the stereotyping!!

    >/ Mines the one with the Lynard Skynard emblem on the back and the holster on the inside.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Non story

    Nothing new here. "Bowling for Columbine" opens with Michael Moore opening a bank account and getting a free gun...

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    my head is going to explode...

    What about the 7 day waiting period? Does the timer start when you put down your deposit or when you actually drive away?

    Does the dealership provide its employees with the necessary gear to fend off any "unhappy" customers?

    What if the "customer" is a convict, and still insists on the gun?

    Does one get to choose the type of gun? because I'd prefer a 50 cal sniper rifle, for those pesky squirrels and my bastard neighbour's toy poodles, that have been trained to shit in my yard.

    Do they offer discounts on ammo for repeat business?

  15. Headstar

    F**kwad

    Mr. Muller is exactly the type of person that helps propagate the notion of merkins as guntoting jingoistic assholes. May one of the guns he's assisting to peddle end up in a serious crime where it can be traced back to him.

    Furthermore, his comments regarding Sen. Obama only goes to prove said senator's point... what a twat.

    Next!

  16. James Butler
    Thumb Up

    First thing ...

    1) Buy car

    2) Get handgun

    3) Drive to filling station

    4) Shoot pumps

    It's the American Way(TM)!

  17. yeah, right.

    truth hurts?

    So he found the "clinging to guns and bibles" comment offensive because it's completely true? Makes sense I guess, and now they're just proving the point. Score one for Obama in being accurate.

  18. Ed
    Stop

    This must be why America is such a safe place to live...

    ...oh wait, it isn't!

  19. Gav
    Alert

    Risky!

    For the dealer not the customers. I hope their service is up to scratch otherwise giving disgruntled customers a gun is probably not the wisest idea in the world.

  20. Glenn Amspaugh
    Coat

    Get a good gun?

    If I buy several cars, can I combine the deals and get a decent gun? A nice Kimber .45 would be cool. What if I buy a school bus or a semi truck? Can I get a rifle with it?

    Mine's the one with the new shoulder holster.

  21. PaulR
    Happy

    I'm from the area ...

    I live not too far away from there, and have been there many times. Nice people, actually.

    Basically, this is a way of saying "up yours, Obama". I'm tempted to go buy a car there just to make the statement. Man, what an arrogant jerk!

    But I wouldn't, because I think the gun is too cheap. I'd rather hold out for a Glock or something better. (Hey, I only own two guns, and don't have bullets for either - time to upgrade!)

  22. Andy Bright

    And you found it offensive why?

    ""We did it because of Barack Obama," Muller explained. "He said 'All those people in the Midwest, you've got to have compassion for them because they're clinging to their guns and their Bibles.' I found that quite offensive. We all go to church on Sunday, and we all carry guns.""

    Thus proving his point, no?

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    @PaulR

    Mmmmmmmmmmn, Glock

  24. Jacob Lipman

    @Kel-Tec

    Shitty shitty shitty.

    Wouldn't trust my life to a keltec handgun. It's a chunk of what appears to be injected plastic, with a few metallic parts. Small, uncomfortable, inaccurate and unreliable. It's like a Glock, only 1000 times crappier, but only half as cheap. Good idea, poor recommendation.

  25. Chad H.
    Coat

    crazy americans

    at least here in the uk you only need to be worried about gettng shot by the police, and then, only if your brazillian and skipping paying for the tube.

    Mines the one that says "no guns, no bullets, no school shootings"

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Obama rocks and is right!

    I'm a gun owner, and agree with Obama completely.

    Still $250. A decent Glock is more like $600. hmppf

    I live in Arizona BTW. They are trying to pass a state law so that flashing a gun to let someone you know that you have one (not pointing it at someone) isn't aggravated assault, which it is right now, which is kinda' stupid.

  27. Christoph

    HeadDesk

    "We all go to church on Sunday, and we all carry guns."

    No contradiction there then.

    Praise the lord and pass the ammunition.

  28. Eric

    I love when gun debates come up...

    People always take sides without having their facts straight. The first thing I noticed in the ad was "Proper background check required". They aren't just giving them away to anyone who wants one...as it should be. We're not talking arming masses of insane, violent, criminals here. Everybody has the right to protect themselves. Sure, it may be a bit extreme and gimicky, but I have no problem with it as long as it occurs through the proper channels. Hell, anything but would be illegal!

    I firmly believe in the right to carry arms. I am a normal law abiding citizen. I would never use my guns to commit a crime. However, if you threaten me or my friends and family with intent to cause bodily harm...I WILL shoot you. I would first pursue every less lethal option at my disposal, such as my martial arts

    training.

    As far as the argument that private citizens do not need guns... I lived in the city of Philadelphia for five years when attending college and currently live in the suburbs. The murder rate has averaged 1+ a day for several years, with bursts of sometimes 3 and 4 a day. That doesn't even begin to count all the other violent crimes. Obviously, the police cannot be relied upon to protect EVERY innocent that is out on the streets. When I travel to the city, my gun is like my American Express card...I don't leave home without it!

  29. easyk

    guns are fine.

    I've lived in Texas my whole life and I've never been shot.

  30. Donald Atkinson

    The gun they recommend is junk too

    Giving away a gift certificate for a gun and they recommend a Kel-Tec .380.

    The gun is crap, it is totally junk beyond a range of 5 meters.

    The redneck concealed carry cures all idiots in this country really piss me off.

  31. Steve

    @ PaulR

    "I'd rather hold out for a Glock or something better. (Hey, I only own two guns, and don't have bullets for either - time to upgrade!)"

    You do know you can buy the bullets on their own, right? You don't need to get a new gun each time one runs out.

  32. Michael Hoffmann Silver badge

    What People Forget...

    Those who talk about "hey, that way you got something to teach the arseholes on the road some respect":

    I suspect that those who feel the need to have a gun in their car and those who succumb to bouts of road rage tend to be the same people.

    And yet: $250?! What are they offering? Cheap Chinese made Saturday Night Specials? A decent .45 or S&W will set you back $500 give or take.

  33. Big Freakingun
    Pirate

    Roosevelt said..

    Walk softly, and carry a big stick. I'd say this old adage applies to safe and sane gun owners. Judge all you like, but a gun is just a hunk of metal. The problem is, how big a stick do you have to carry when the bad guys are packing guns regardless of bans or confiscations? I will protect myself regardless of the Law for the same reason a criminal will break them. Frankly, either you naysayers can suggest a reasonable and sane way to protect yourself in an unreasonable and insane world, or you can eat a big plate of shut the **** up.

    Imagine a world without WWII! Where the victims had the knowledge and ability to kill those who wished to harm them. Compliance is for sheep.

  34. thomas k.

    better value

    Any wonder most people take the gun? The gas is soon gone but the gun is a gift that keeps on giving.

    BTW, initial studies have shown that in states which have passed concealed carry laws, some types of crime have gone down. Criminals appear to be thinking twice, knowing they might get their a**es shot off.

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    I'm a Euopean with a gun license

    I shot 0.22 as a kid and today shoot for the pot or clays most weekends to keep my eye in. However in order to get a gun license my local superintendent has to approve it, that basically ensures that I have no history of violence and no run ins with the law.

    The USAian model where any fuckwit is entitled to a gun, (including or particularly pistols) is quite insane for reasons too familiar to be rehashed here.

    Guns are a dangerous weapon and ownership should be restricted, but hey if you think your government is defeatable outside the democratic process by force of arms, why not move to Burma and be a hero?

  36. Greg
    Alert

    Ah, yes, the Britons turn out in full force...

    ...to 'Tut-tut' about us Yanks & our guns. There's something you don't get to hear much about overseas, and they don't exactly discuss much here stateside: Yes, we have a high number of firearm murders here. But it's not the gun-toting yokels that are involved in 97% of it. As a matter of fact, having lived in rural Pennsylvania for most of my life, except for my Army days, everybody I know owns a gun, and there has been 2 shootings outside of the cities here in 20 years. They aren't the legally owned guns concealed carried by rednecks that are involved in these crimes. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find a single murder committed by a concealed-carry licensee.

    Nope, the vast majority of gun crime occurs in the inner cities with illegally possessed and carried handguns. But anyone who points that out is automatically 'racist', regardless of color and the statistics, because that's what the Brady Bill crowd want you to believe.

    And remember, we loaned y'all a lot of firearms back in the early 40's, just in case Hitler decided to cross the Channel, because, surprise, surprise, nobody being allowed to own guns= unarmed citizenry in time of need. Too bad you didn't learn your lesson, and worse yet, YOU DIDN'T SEND THE DAMNED THINGS BACK!

    ...mine will be the oddly heavy black trenchcoat that makes the clinking noise.

  37. skeptical i
    Thumb Up

    no such thing as bad publicity ...

    ... regardless of what one thinks of Max Motors' "gas -n- guns" promotion, it has clearly achieved its sales objectives ("sales have quadrupled"). I will charitably assume that Mr. Moore is playing the "I'm SOOOOO offended" card to pull in sales (he can't possibly truly deny the truth of Obama's statement, i.e., that in times of economic trouble ppl cling to whatever gives them comfort, be it finding "solutions" in holy books or finding "scapegoats" to blame), and while it's pathetic that such conspicuous pandering has gained traction, I have to salute his marketing savvy. "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." -- Henry Mencken.

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    2nd Amendment

    The Second Amendment:

    America's Original Homeland Security

    Amen, Hallelujah, and pass the ammunition!

  39. Dana W
    Flame

    no thanks

    For a start you have to have a FFL Dealers license to dispense guns.

    Also, if you are any sort of criminal you can't pass the background checks. ESPECIALLY for carry. The FBI has NO sense of humor about this anymore. This includes taking a poke at your GF or drunk driving.

    Lastly I carry a Glock 36, and I wouldn't touch a Kel-tek even for free.

  40. Joe Cooper

    @bws

    "Does the dealership provide its employees with the necessary gear to fend off any "unhappy" customers?"

    Well, for starters they have so many guns they're giving them away.

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Which is why...

    I am glad to be an Australian citizen, a nation that had the sense and courage, to ban assault weapons and massively tightened gun laws nationwide, after a mentally deranged man slaughtered in cold blood 38 innocent strangers in Tasmania.

    In ten years leading up to the Port Arthur massacre, insane males were regularly, like once a year on average, grabbing their military weapons and slaughtering strangers. Since the bans, no insane male rampages have occurred.

    My nightmare would be to wake up and find myself a citizen of the USA and all the risk and injustice that comes with living in that insane society.

    USA, your welcome to your guns. Just don't invade my country and try and make us into you.

  42. Michael Miller

    @ AC

    You fail to mention that the insane male obtained the weapons illegally. What about enforcing the existing laws?

    @ anti Kel-Tec --> I agree out of the box it's a little rough, but with a little work it is excellent for times when you have no option to carry anything bigger. It's biggest drawback is that it requires a very firm grip to cycle reliably since it's so light.

    @Anti gunners Banning one weapon just provokes a switch to another. Plus banning anything sets a dangerous precedent. How long before they start banning knives (Great Britain). Perhaps automobiles, look at how many deaths are caused by them. Pretty soon you will have the dark ages again with the privileged few oppressing the masses. It could happen easily because you let them take away anything that you could use to stop them. Just look at China and what happens to protesters there.........

    When it comes down to it weapons = freedom always has, always will. We need to be able to protect ourselves from people who would oppress us.

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    Sigh, perspective, etc.

    The self righteousness on display here is really something. Consider for a moment, my international friends, that a large part of your fear of guns is based upon hearsay, from sources that have already limited your own ability to possess them.

    "Guns are very dangerous and evil, which is why the government has decided we shouldn't be allowed to own them."

    Isn't this a bit circular in its logic? There are a lot of very dangerous things in the world. Bats, knives, brass knuckles, guitar strings, and so forth. Has banning guns caused murders in Britain or Australia to cease, or simply changed the type of weapons murderers use?

    I think a large part of the misunderstanding between the Brits and Yanks in this case is that, aside from a few large cities, the vast majority of Yanks have lived their entire lives in the presence of armed neighbors, without any ill effects.

    By contrast, the vast majority of Brits who are so shocked by this fact have lived their entire lives under a weapons ban, with abundant propaganda to justify how important the ban is.

    Kind of like how a Dutchman from Amsterdam might think nothing of smoking a cannabis joint, but if you were to offer the same joint to, say, a fellow from Singapore (where they have extremely strict anti drug laws), he'd probably freak out.

    As a Yank myself, I'd like to make a couple observations about crime and guns. In my own little city, the last serious shooting crime was where one sixteen year old boy shot another, slightly older boy in the face, for allegedly raping his girlfriend. Some facts of the case:

    1) The shooter stole the weapon used by breaking into a house, and prying the lid off the owner's fire safe.

    2) The shooter then coerced his Aunt to drive him to the victim's house, ostensibly to by marijuana.

    3) The shooter, with his stolen gun, then shot the other poor guy. Badly. The victim survived.

    4) Turns out the girlfriend was lying the whole time, and her liaison with the victim was consensual.

    Now, examine this timeline-- the kid shouldn't have had the gun, he had to break the law to get it. His family shouldn't have helped enable his psychosis, but they did. And, finally, the girl who lied about being raped greatly contributed to the situation that led to the victim being shot.

    The point is, though, that the gun was pretty much neutral throughout. The emotions, the hatred, the desire for revenge, that was the root cause of the violence. Could this same story have happened in Britain, just replacing "gun" with "cricket bat"? You bet it could have.

    Finally, a closing thought:

    It's a hell of a lot easier to ban guns in Britain and Australia than it is to ban them in America. You have no land borders at all. The border with Mexico is porous to say the least, and the border with Canada is mostly unpatrolled wasteland. It's really easy to get contraband in and out of the US, despite what our customs department would like you to think.

    There are over a billion (milliard for the pedants) firearms in the United States. That's enough for everyone to have three each. If you knew that all your neighbors were armed, and all the criminals were armed, and the kid delivering your paper is armed, which makes more sense: Complain to the government, and have them take the guns from everyone not already a criminal, or just arm yourself, so at least you can meet the threat on equal footing?

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Which is why

    I seem to remember that while the number of "Gun Crimes" went down, the overall violent crime numbers went up. Your "insane males", if they so existed, are just resorting to other weapons -- knives, chains, bats, fists.....

  45. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Hand*

    I believe that handguns should be illegal, but every American citizen should be allowed to carry one hand grenade as a mutual assured destruction thing for for the sort of assault situations this lot daydream about.

  46. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Which is why

    I agree. In all my years in Australia I have only felt threatened during close encounters with various poisonous snakes and spiders (I grew up in the country), and the occasional rancid right wing government.

    In most cases, the situation was handled by calmly walking away / voting appropriately.

    I have never been in a situation where I thought someone might shoot me or members of my family, and would not like to live anywhere where I might have that fear.

  47. Phil Hare
    Stop

    @Greg

    A couple of things:

    1) From what I can see nearly all of the comments here are written by Americans.

    2) Thanks very much for loaning us all the guns back in the forties. Just one question: If the British hadn't managed to win the battle of Britain, and the island had fallen to Germany, thus closing the western front allowing the Nazi's to concentrate on Russia whilst simultaniously depriving the US of A a place from which to launch European operations, what do you think the world would look like now?

    I am in no doubt that the UK and Europe owes the USA a debt of gratitude for the heroic actions during the second world war. But be in no doubt: the USA furnished us with weapons and later troops as much out of self interest as anything else.

  48. Mike Weisman
    Thumb Up

    Merits of the Keltec

    Note that a voucher was issued so the recipient could make up their own mind about which gun to get.

    That said, the Keltec has some merit as a self-defense piece:

    1. It's affordable, prehaps disposable.

    2. All the Keltec pocket models are locked-breech recoil operated. To find this feature in a semi-auto smaller than 9mm is unusual. This results in a reduction of felt recoil. Most other .380s offer the shooting hand some sting.

    3. The accuracy is as good as it needs to be for the intended use as a defense gun.

  49. Steven Pepperell
    Stop

    @Sigh, perspective, etc.

    I completely agree mate,

    Just one minor point tho.. regarding smuggling stuff into Britian.....do you know how much heroin gets shipped here every day!

    STOP Dont do drugs kids

  50. Martin Usher

    A silly story

    There are all sorts of legal reasons why you can't just walk into a store and buy a gun in most, if not all, parts of the US. First, you've got to buy the thing off a licensed firearms dealer. The car dealer may also have a firearms dealer license, but then you've got a raft of other regulations (that vary from State to State) to negotiate.

    The real joke is that if you're experienced with firearms then you're unlikely to want to be given some random (cheap) handgun. You've already got the ones you want and while you probably have some others you've got your eye on they're be relatively expensive. Gun owners (usually enthusiasts) are actually quite picky. If you've never owned a gun before this freebe is worse than useless, its dangerous. Guns are not toys. So I'll list this one as a gimmick.

    If you want home protection, a small pump action shotgun's the answer. You don't have to fire it, the noise of racking it usually is enough to persuade someone to go away. (If you do have to fire it then you don't need to be too careful about aiming it.)

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