Florida Store Will Give You a Shotgun If You Buy an Air Conditioner

By Kyle Munzenrieder Wed., May 11 2011 at 3:49 PM

As the long summer sets in here in Florida, air conditioning businesses should see their business increase. However, one Florida electronics store isn't just banking on the hot sun to increase profits, they also see potential sales happiness in a warm gun. Yep. United Electrical Systems in Plant City will be giving away a 12-gauge shotgun to anyone who buys a new A/C unit.

The store, owned by Tim Toole and Jim Harden, is struggling, and hopes that offering customers free Remington model 870 12-gauge shotguns if they also buy and install a new A/C system will help their business fortunes. The pair is also starting a licensed gun shop called Shoots-n-Irons, so it makes a little sense. A tiny bit, at least.

Toole says he's just trying to promote his businesses, and doesn't think he's making any sort of pro-gun stance.

"I'm not in this to make a political statement," Toole told MyFoxTampaBay. "I'm not in this to promote the NRA. I'm not in this to do anything, but promote my business."

Costumers will have to undergo a standard background check before they get their shotgun though.

Potential costumers the news station talked to suggested that perks like grocery gift cards or a gas voucher might be more enticing, but they seem to forget that this is Florida and very few things make sense here.

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Exiled Writer

The title should really read "Florida Store CAN..." rather than "Florida store WILL" since the store is placing restrictions on who can obtain the firearm. A Remington 870 shotgun costs approximately $600 in the market. Buying and installing A/C for a $600 voucher on a grocery store or gas card sounds like a nice idea but vouchers and gift cards also have conditions on use and can't be completely reliable due to the third party involved when using gas cards or vouchers. A shotgun is not for everyone, but the owners are appealing to a certain demographic of people. Also, this practice is not limited to Florida other businesses in other states have done the same thing. Bottom line, this is a private business and let them run their shop how they feel it should be run. At least they are not advertising ad space for escorts like some newspapers under Village Voice Media.