Open an account, get a free AK-47!

[dixiegrrrrl]

Florida firm offers free AK-47s to new customers.

Sept. 16, 2011, 2:36 p.m. EDT

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Retail merchant account provider MerchantService.com will give a voucher good for a free AK-47 assault rifle to new customers, depending on the amount of business they do.
The company, which provides credit-card-processing services to businesses, announced the promotion as part of its ""No Merchant Victims" campaign that is designed to "encourage merchants to stand their ground and protect themselves," MerchantService.com said. The voucher, worth up to $750 "can be used at any reputable gun shop where must go through the proper background checks and waiting period that the law requires," said Gino Kauzlarich, president of Sarasota, Fla.-based MerchantService.com, on the company's website

[tblue]

1. Ok. Putting FL on my list of states never to visit.

Getting long that list.

Also I will NOT let my college-bound kid consider anything in those states. Uh-unh!

[RKP5637]

2. Yep, my list of states to avoid is getting long too. I don't think the US is

headed in a very pleasant direction.

[gejohnston]

12. If the gun issue is enough to put a state on your list,

Better put Vermont on there because it has always had the laxest gun laws in the US.

[RKP5637]

13. It's a combination of things, not that alone. n/t

[gejohnston]

10. no different than

a rural area bank giving away bolt action hunting rifles or shotguns. Nothing new, it just showed up as slow news day or propaganda. My places never to live but maybe visit?
Chicago, Baltimore, or New York.
Would you let your kid go to Vermont or Wyoming because of their lax gun laws? Does the fact that they are safer than most of Europe change anything.
Do I think you are over reacting? Yes.
Unless your college bound kid is a prodigy, he or she will be 18, which means there is nothing you can do about it.

[azureblue]

19. so you are saying

that a bolt action rifle or shotgun is equal to an Ak47? You got bats in your belfry.

[gejohnston]

23. only to someone who knows little or nothing on the subject

first, it is not an AK-47 which is an assault rifle, a machine gun. It is a semi-automatic rifle based on Kalashnikov's design, with internal changes to prevent it being converted from fully automatic. That makes the action and mechanism (read functionally) no different than a semi-automatic hunting rifle or shotgun. An earlier Kalashnikov design, the SKS which is semi auto, is a popular hunting rifle in the US and Canada. It uses the same round. In other words, put a five round magazine in it and it is legal to hunt with in Florida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_rifle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_weapon

[Euromutt]

41. Gotta correct you there...

An earlier Kalashnikov design, the SKS <...>

The SKS was designed by Simonov, not by Kalashnikov; "SKS" stands for Samozaryadnyj Karabin Simonova, "Simonov's self-loading carbine." Compare "AK" (Avtomat Kalashnikova, "Kalashnikov's automatic") and "PK" (Pulemyot Kalashnikova, "Kalashnikov's machine gun"); the suffix -a indicates the genitive (possessive) case, and thus the last letter* of a weapon's designation will, in effect, be the initial of the designer.

* - The last letter in Cyrillic script. By way of example, Cyrillic has a distinct character for "sh" (Ш) and thus the last letter in the designation of the PPSh-41 sub-machine gun is not "h" but "Sh" (Ш) for "Shpagin."

[gejohnston]

44. thanks, my bad.

[Kurska]

24. Garuntee you it is a semi-automatic.

If you remove automatic fire from an ak-47, it really isn't any more dangerous than a hunting rifle. In fact a hunting rifle is going to use a much larger caliber and pack a way bigger punch.

Sorta logical if you think about, what do you think is going to be harder to take down, a bear or a man?

[PavePusher]

33. You are right....

they are not equivalent.

Most bolt-action rifles (and shotguns) are much more powerful than an AK-pattern rifle.



P.S. There are lots of semi-auto hunting rifles, many of which are much more powerful than an AK.

http://www.remington.com/product-families/firearms/centerfire-families/autoloading-model-750.aspx

http://www.remington.com/product-families/firearms/centerfire-families/autoloading-model-r-25.aspx

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Winchestrer-Model-100-308-cal-Carbine.cfm?gun_id=100196895

[DissedByBush]

16. California's on my list too

Restrictive gun laws are a main reason.

[RSillsbee]

21. Aren't your college-bound kids over 18

and , by definition, adults?

[tblue]

30. Nope. 17.

He doesn't want to go there either.

[gejohnston]

31. cool but

I will say that if he were to go to UF, Gainsville is nice city.

[tblue]

35. I'm sure it is. He likes Boston and DC.

Also we are looking at Chicago.

[gejohnston]

45. I always found it ironic that

the places that you most likely need a weapon for self defense, it is a legal hassle to impossible to legally. Places that are as safe or safer than much of Europe; like Vermont, New Hampshire, and Wyoming; it is as easy.

[PavePusher]

32. Why would you have a problem with a state....

simply because an individual had money in a bank and could pass a criminal back-ground check?

'Bigotry' doesn't even begin to describe your attitude.

[my2sense]

3. Are we still the US of America?

WTH? I fear for this country. Folks have lost they're collective minds in this country.

[RKP5637]

4. It's on an accelerating downward spiral and contagious. GOP heaven. n/t

[tblue]

36. No kidding.

We must look like such idiots to the rest of the world. A-holes, too.

[gejohnston]

43. Actually

we don't. At least, this is not why. You need to travel abroad more.
Edit to add:
would you let your kid go to Switzerland or Germany during Schützenfest?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%BCtzenfest

[ileus]

5. Gives me another reason I'd like to move to Florida...

[aikoaiko]

6. $750 can get someone a decent semi-auto AK-47 style carbine

All things being equal, I'd give my business to MerchantService for the incentive gift.

[Uncle Omar]

7. AK-47 cant be sold in IL or Florida

the AK-47 is a full automatic and can't be sold to Illiniose Resident which your son would still be even if attending college...soooo

[ileus]

8. oops

[gejohnston]

11. If it were full auto,

it would cost a lot more than $750. Florida can have full auto, of course NFA-34 still applies.

[Kurska]

25. Does this only apply to ak-47's or ak-47 variants?

Can I get an ak-74? What about similar assault rifles? I'm looking into getting a vz.58 at the moment.

[gejohnston]

26. Seriously? anything full auto is not cheap.

Don't know if there any AK-74s currently registered, compliments of the Hughes amendment. I once saw a Colt SMG (with a lavender finish, seriously) for $11K. Since I don't have that kind of disposable income, I have not checked it out. Best place to go is gunbroker.com

[Kurska]

27. Oh my bad, that wasn't meant to be a response to your post.

I know any automatic gun is thousands of dollars.

I was asking if the coupon could be applied to other guns. I was trying to respond to the OP.

[oneshooter]

28. How about a M1919a4? Only $19,000 +taxes

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=251488720

I have a semi auto 1919a4 to go on my 1951 vintage M38a1 Jeep. Looks great!

[gejohnston]

29. If I get my dream job or win the lottery, I might check it out

In the mean time..........
I would love to see it! I love the old jeeps, Scouts, and pick ups back when Utility was still in SUV.

[AtheistCrusader]

37. Lawl

Nice try though.

[DWC]

9. Thanks for this info.

Unless there is a semi-hidden catch-22 in their agreement, we will move our business to them. They are a reputable service provider and are supporting gun rights in a very public manner. On that basis I have to give them the opportunity to handle our account.

I personally have no desire for an AK but the voucher can be used for other products.

Semper Fi,

[ileus]

14. +1 good on you.

[DissedByBush]

15. Don't I wish they'd give out an AK-47 assault rifle

instead of that inexpensive semi-automatic copy.

That would be worth thousands.

[gejohnston]

17. my question is

Why do businesses that do these promotions seem to do AK clones instead of ARs?

[formercia]

18. Why not something made in America.

Unless you get Norma or Lapua, most of the 7.62x39 is crap.

[RSillsbee]

22. AK Clones arecheaper? NT

[PavePusher]

34. Probably price.

I can't think of m/any U.S. made semi-auto carbines that fall into the under-$750 price range at retail.

[Euromutt]

40. Well, if it's a voucher for a certain amount...

...who's to say the customer couldn't use it to buy an AR, provided he's willing to lay down some of his own money to make up the difference?

[RSillsbee]

20. I'd rather have a free mini 30

But I'd take a free AK

[rl6214]

38. Sounds good to me

I don't own any AK variants.

[JoeyT]

39. While I wouldn't turn it down.

An AK-47 is a pretty lousy choice for stopping a robbery, even if it is a semi-automatic.

They'd be better off handing out something like a 12 gauge pump if self defense is the actual goal.

[slackmaster]

42. Unrec for hype.

Nobody is giving away AK-47 assault rifles.