ANDERSON, S.C., July 30 (UPI) -- A South Carolina boat and tractor dealer is offering an unusual promotion on its marquee: "Free AK-47 With Purchase."

Henry Jordan, a partner in Carolina Tractor and Marine in Anderson, said he got the idea to offer free assault rifles with major purchases from a Fox News Channel story about a Missouri car dealership that offered a similar promotion, WHNS-TV, Greenville, S.C., reported Thursday.


"We thought, 'You know what? Every man ought to have a fishing boat, a pickup truck and a tractor and they certainly need a good gun to protect themselves and their family,'" Jordan said. "We believe in the 2nd Amendment. We believe, in fact, it's a man's responsibility to protect his family."

Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper said he has no problem with the promotion, which runs until Labor Day.

"The AK-47 is a gun that anybody can purchase as long as they qualify," Skipper said. "I think any gun in the hands of a responsible person is worth having."

The AK-47 became legal for private citizens to own after a federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004.