Gun battle
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D) of New York calls the proposed handgun “a disaster waiting to happen” and is concerned about what criminals may do with such a weapon. He’s also worried police will be unable to tell if someone has pulled a gun or a phone on them.
The gun will be a double-barrelled,lightweight .380 caliber two-shot weapon the Ideal Conceal website says will list at $395.
Senator Schumer is calling on the federal Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate and is against the gun being marketed.
Not surprisingly, the CEO of Ideal Conceal, Kirk Kjellberg, does not agree with Schumer, pointing out small weapons are on the market and so are holsters to hide weapons in. “The idea that this is going to cause some new big threat is just not true,” he said.
Smartphone lookalike
The company’s website touts the handiness of having a gun that no one around you will actually know is a gun. “In today’s day and age, carrying a concealed pistol has become a necessity. But what if you didn’t have to conceal?” the website reads.
“That’s where Ideal Conceal comes in,” it continues. “Smartphones are EVERYWHERE, so your new pistol will easily blend in with today’s environment.”
The website also notes that those around the person carrying the gun may see it but won’t know it’s capable of deadly force. “In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight,” it says.
Senator Schumer, however, isn’t buying that and doesn’t want the gun that looks like a phone to ever hit the streets. “Just like toys that too much look like handguns should not be sold,” he said. “Handguns that look too much like toys should not be sold.”
The company hopes to have the gun available for purchase by summer.
