Montana Radio Shack offers free gun or pizza with satellite TV purchase
The owner of the Radio Shack in Hamilton, Montana, says only one customer has responded negatively to his promotion.
March 28th, 2011
02:44 PM ET

Montana Radio Shack offers free gun or pizza with satellite TV purchase

A Radio Shack owner in Montana has upped foot traffic at his Hamilton store by offering free guns for new satellite television subscribers, according to a local paper.

Fear not, those opposed to gun ownership and those who might fail background checks. You can have free pizza instead.

The sign says it all: “Protect yourself with Dish Network. Sign up now. Get free gun.” (The real marquee has no periods, so I took a little punctuative license.)

Owner Steve Strand told the Ravalli Republic that the promotion “really, really fits the Bitterroot Valley,” while manager Fabian Levy told the newspaper that the gimmick had “been really successful.”

Strand said the promotion, which began in October, has tripled his business and lured hundreds of people curious about the sign. Only one person who “didn’t understand how it works” has reacted negatively, he said.

“We have people literally stop in to take pictures of the sign,” Levy added.

Simply sign a contract, purchase certain equipment, set up an installation date and congratulations! You could be the proud owner of a Hi-Point .380-caliber handgun or a 20-gauge shotgun from Frontier Guns & Ammo, which is just north of town.

If you don’t want a gat or can’t pass the background check (which the Republic reports is also free with the satellite TV subscription), you can still have a $50 Pizza Hut gift card.

Strand told the newspaper that other Radio Shack owners in the state were too scared to follow his lead. Even Dish Network had its doubts but agreed to the idea after months of talks with Strand, the newspaper said.

“They've never had a gun promotion before, so they're a little nervous about it,” Strand said. “It's been an uphill battle with Dish.”

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Filed under: Business • Montana • U.S.
soundoff (332 Responses)
  1. gary

    I'd need both.. after eating that horrible pizza I would have to shoot myself

    March 28, 2011 at 3:59 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Been there

    Radio Shack is pathetic. They were big in the 70s and 80s, but now they just suck.

    March 28, 2011 at 4:01 pm | Report abuse |
  3. heheh

    Ideal situation for most in Montana considering there isn't much else to do besides watch TV and shoot guns.

    March 28, 2011 at 4:02 pm | Report abuse |
  4. fierybuddha

    idiots and their guns...

    March 28, 2011 at 4:02 pm | Report abuse |
    • Nick

      Two posts in a row calling gun owners "idiots". Either of you care to elaborate, and explain why owning a firearm makes a person an idiot, or were you just going for baseless namecalling?

      March 28, 2011 at 4:09 pm | Report abuse |
    • Denizen Kate

      Namecalling, no doubt. They're probably 12-year-olds. I know a lot of non-idiots who own guns.

      March 28, 2011 at 4:34 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Red Necks

    Good old American red necks, wow are you idiots screwed up!

    March 28, 2011 at 4:06 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Jeff

    meh, maybe if it was a .40 or .45 acp i'd go for it. Seriously though, i have direct tv, and have heard nothing but horror stories from those who opted for dish network.....just sayin is all.

    March 28, 2011 at 4:09 pm | Report abuse |
    • SDN

      acp. Excellent – have any idea what that means?

      March 28, 2011 at 8:42 pm | Report abuse |
  7. ygnabb

    I wish they offered both. I'd have some fun shooting the lameness out of the pizza.

    March 28, 2011 at 4:10 pm | Report abuse |
  8. banasy

    @Nick:

    Baseless name calling. It's done here all the time. Kind of like gun owners calling the Dems "lib turds." But that's ok, right?

    March 28, 2011 at 4:17 pm | Report abuse |
    • Nick

      I find myself in the unusual position of being someone who loves guns, and supports the consitution, including the second amendment, while also holding socially liberal views. I'd be called a libertarian were it not for a serious distrust of our corporate oligarchy. All this namecalling serves no purpose. To conservatives – Part of supporting gun rights means bringing new people on board by fighting fear and ignorance. It's actually not hard, most anti-gun arguments are logical fallacies that are easily debunked. Believe it or not, you can actually change someone's mind if you talk to them reasonably rather than calling them a libtard. To liberals – Supporting gun rights does not make someone an idiot or a redneck, nor does owning a gun. I promise you a great many people you respect have been and are gun owners. Everyone needs to do less shouting and more thinking.

      March 28, 2011 at 4:25 pm | Report abuse |
    • Denizen Kate

      @Nick: well stated, thank you. Unusual position, but you're not the only social liberal who sees the wisdom in an armed populace.

      March 28, 2011 at 4:37 pm | Report abuse |
    • SDN

      The way I understand it, an armed populace (militia) was encouraged early in North American history for the sole purpose of overthrowing the government if it should cease being the elected representation it was intended to be. Seems to me the day is long since passed when this would be even remotely possible. No matter how many hunting rifles, or AK-47's or other more powerful weapons you might possess, a B1-B could, in the dead of night, render this argument, and all of it's adherents utterly moot.

      March 28, 2011 at 4:57 pm | Report abuse |
  9. RobA

    I suspect that people there will be shooting each other when their teams lose, which they can now see in glorious HD via satellite.

    March 28, 2011 at 4:21 pm | Report abuse |
  10. banasy

    @James:
    You can make your own by rolling string cheese into the crust. Otherwise, no, I don't know of any.

    March 28, 2011 at 4:21 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Zodiac

    Hi-point... even I wouldn't use one of those.

    March 28, 2011 at 4:22 pm | Report abuse |
  12. MrMailman

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzae_SqbmDE

    March 28, 2011 at 4:22 pm | Report abuse |
    • alleygator

      That Radio Shack man shore has a purty mouth.

      March 28, 2011 at 4:52 pm | Report abuse |
    • MrMailman

      lol

      March 28, 2011 at 4:55 pm | Report abuse |
    • Radio Shack Man

      Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

      March 28, 2011 at 5:34 pm | Report abuse |
    • Darth Vadik, CA

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.........

      March 28, 2011 at 7:03 pm | Report abuse |
  13. jobe

    Welcome to America! The only country that you can get a deal like this! I think it's kinda funny!

    March 28, 2011 at 4:23 pm | Report abuse |
  14. larry simpson

    a free gun is a good idea especially with all the idiots in the world as witnessed by the posters on cnn

    March 28, 2011 at 4:23 pm | Report abuse |
    • OutOfContext

      Idiots with guns ... yeah that sounds like a great idea ... We already have that ... it's called the NRA ... 😉

      March 28, 2011 at 4:29 pm | Report abuse |
  15. banasy

    I like shooting the chef with a water pistol. Then I hide behind the counter and giggle.

    March 28, 2011 at 4:23 pm | Report abuse |
    • Jazz7

      lol, be home at 6 ny time see u then banasy

      March 28, 2011 at 4:28 pm | Report abuse |
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