A newly developed firearm is causing concern among law enforcement officials because of its unconventional design that allows it to take on the form of an ordinary smartphone to avoid detection.
Minnesota-based gunmaker Ideal Conceal created a new two-shot pistol that can be folded to make it look like a handheld phone.
Its developer, Kirk Kjellberg, explained that he got the idea for the foldable firearm after a boy saw a pistol he was carrying while he was walking through a restaurant.
He said that the boy told his mom about the gun, which caused everyone else in the restaurant to look at him as if he was about to use the weapon in the establishment.
Kjellberg, who also keeps a concealed carry permit on him, said that the incident made him wonder about how he could bring his pistol with him without drawing attention from other people.
The foldable firearm that Kjellberg was able to come up with is a redesigned version of a .380-caliber derringer pistol with two barrels that was made to resemble a smartphone. He named his creation the Ideal Conceal.
Kjellberg pointed out that his pistol cannot be used to fire its rounds when folded.
While the Ideal Conceal provides a seemingly novel concept for a pistol, it is not the first firearm to feature a foldable design.
Jim Supica, director of the National Rifle Association Museums, said that another gun company, Utah-based North American Arms, already beat Ideal Conceal to the concept of a firearm that can be folded for the purpose of concealment. Taurus Curve, on the other hand, was the first to make a box-like pistol with rounded edges.
However, what makes Ideal Conceal's design unique is that it is made to look like a smartphone and not a weapon. This is what makes police officers uncomfortable about the idea of a smartphone-looking pistol.
"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 of the National Association of Police Organization.
The Ideal Conceal's design could make it necessary for owners to have a concealed carry permit on them whenever they bring their pistol outside their home. However, this could depend on the local and state laws in place in their areas.
The smartphone-looking pistol is yet to be made available to the public, but Kjellberg said that he has received 2,500 emails from people who want to buy their own Ideal Conceal. The foldable firearm is expected to cost $395 per unit.
