News

Actions

New ‘Ideal Conceal’ smartphone-shaped gun raises concerns

Posted at 7:36 PM, Mar 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-29 19:36:47-04

A Minnesota company is getting a lot of attention after releasing plans for a new gun designed to look like a smartphone.

Kirk Kjellberg says he came up with the "Ideal Conceal" pocket gun after a little boy pointed out Kjellberg's own larger, not-so-concealed gun at a restaurant.

"When a little child, a boy about 7, saw me, and said, 'Mommy, Mommy, that guy's got a gun,' and the whole restaurant, of course, turns and stares at you . . . I thought, 'There's just got to be something better to do than this,'" Kjellberg told KFOR. "It's more so for people that want to be able to carry a gun when they need to and not have to engage other people about why they're carrying that gun."

It hasn't even hit the market yet, and already the double-barreled .380 derringer-style cell phone look-alike is triggering a lot of debate on social media.

While Kjellberg says he already has 4,000 orders for "Ideal Conceal," a lot of people are calling the smartphone weapon a dumb idea.

Kjellberg says the pistol is not a security threat at airports because the plastic gun has a metal center, and will trigger metal detectors.

Homeland Security has contacted Kjellberg, who says he's more than happy to provide law enforcement with X-rays of the device so that officers may train to recognize the pocket guns.

"Ideal Conceal" goes on sale in October with a price tag of about $400.