Sales of a new concealed-carry gun designed to look like a smartphone are set to begin this year.
The gun comes from Ideal Conceal, a startup in Minnesota. Developer Kirk Kjellberg said that he came across the idea after being singled out for carrying a firearm. "This little kid says, 'Mommy, Mommy, that man's got a gun,' so the whole restaurant looks at you like you're about to shoot the place up," he told CNNMoney. "So I thought to myself there's got to be another way to be able to carry without bothering other people."
According to the company’s website, the two-shot pistol is “designed to resemble a smartphone, yet with one click of the safety it opens and is ready to fire” and is clever because it was created to “blend in with today’s environment.”
The close resemblance to a smartphone is a cause of concern for law enforcement.
"In general, the concept of any kind of weapon that's disguised, so that it's not apparent that it's a weapon, would be cause for concern," said Bill Johnson, executive director and general counsel for the National Association of Police Organizations, told CNNMoney.
The gun would still require a concealed-carry permit, but Kjellberg says there is already interest in the product with more than 2,500 emails coming from people wanting to buy one. CNNMoney reports the gun will cost $395. Kjellberg said a semi-automatic version could be available by 2018.
Read more at CNNMoney.
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