MINNESOTA – A company that designed a handgun that looks like a smartphone says they have already sold over 450 of the handguns since they were brought to market.
After two years in production, the "Ideal Conceal" .380-caliber handgun went on sale last year and has already sold well despite objections to its concealment as a cellphone.
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"We got a lot of [criticism] like that like, 'You can walk onto an airplane with it,'” company founder Kirk Kjellberg told KMSP. “It’s 18 ounces of solid metal. It shows up on metal detectors. We've helped train TSA and everyone to recognize it as a gun."
Even though sales have been successful, Kjellberg says buyers of the "Ideal Conceal" must go through an authorized dealer that performs a background check.
The gun is a double-barreled pistol that can carry two bullets and comes with laser sights. The pistol grip can be folded up to disguise the weapon as an “unassuming mobile phone, leading it to be dubbed the ‘iPhone gun.’”
The company says they made the handgun so it could hide in plain sight.
"Luckily for us, I hope no one ever uses it,” says Kjellberg. “For the rest of my life, if ever. I never want anyone to have to use it."