A jewellery store in Florida is raising brows with its controversial two-for-one Christmas promotion.

"Pretty standard home defence. A 12-gauge shotgun."

A jewellery store in Florida is raising brows after it launched a controversial his-and-hers Christmas offer which gives customers a free shotgun with a jewellery purchase.

Customers at Goldsmith Jewelry and Engraving who spend more than US$450 (NZ$659) at the shop will receive a free 12-gauge shotgun over the festive period.

Ruptly A shop assistant holds up a 12-gauge shotgun, described as "pretty standard home defence".

As of December 23, the store had already given away about 30 shotguns, shop owner Jessie Czerok told the New York Daily News, adding that the number was expected to grow.

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"Men are notoriously late shoppers," she said. "Christmas Eve is always busy."

It's not the first time the shop has held the promotion.

The store, which was opened 14 years ago, began doubling up as a licenced gun dealer in 2012 – the same year the special was first launched, according to the New York Daily News.

Ruptly As of Dec 23, 30 shotguns were claimed in the festive promotion.

The promotion is due to be introduced once again near Valentine's Day to cater to those who missed out on the Christmas offer.

Gun shops have seen a marked increase in sales over the holiday period.

In November, the FBI ran over 2.2 million gun background checks, an increase of 24 per cent compared to the year before.

There are nearly 12,000 gun murders on average each year in the US, making America's gun murder rate more than 20 times the average of any other developed countries.

According to the US public health institute Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 1.15 million people have been killed by firearms in the USA during the last 35 years.

Apart from tensions about gun violence, the deal has been slammed online as being sexist.

- Ruptly